Things to do in Rome
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Scala Santa & Sancta Sanctorum
The Scala Santa is said to be the staircase that Jesus walked up in Pontius Pilate’s palace in Jerusalem. It was brought to Rome by St Helena in the 4th century, and is considered so sacred that you can only climb it on your knees, saying a prayer on each of the 28 steps. At the top of the stairs, and accessible by two side staircases if you don’t fancy the knee-climb, is the Sancta Sanctorum (Holy of Holies), once the pope’s private chapel. A spectacular sight, it’s richly decorated with stunning mosaics and frescoes.
Behind the Scala building you’ll see what appears to be a cut-off cross-section of a building, adorned with a showy gold mosaic. This is the …
reviewed
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Castel Sant'Angelo
With its chunky round keep, this castle is an instantly recognisable landmark. Built as a mausoleum for the emperor Hadrian, it was converted into a papal fortress in the 6th century and named after an angelic vision that Pope Gregory the Great had in 590. Thanks to a secret 13th-century passageway to the Vatican palaces, the Passetta di Borgo, it provided sanctuary to many popes in times of danger, including Clemente VI, who holed up here during the 1527 sack of Rome.
Its upper floors are filled with lavishly decorated Renaissance interiors, including, on the 4th floor, the beautifully frescoed Sala Paolina. Two stories further up, the terrace, immortalised by Puccini in…
reviewed
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Chiesa di SS Giovanni e Paolo
While there’s little of interest at this much-tweaked 4th-century church, the Roman houses that lie beneath it are fascinating. According to tradition, the apostles John and Paul lived in the Case Romane (06 704 54 544; www.caseromane.it; adult/12-18yr & over 65yr/under 12yr €6/4/free; 10am-1pm & 3-6pm Thu-Mon) before they were beheaded by Constantine’s anti-Christian successor, Julian. There’s no direct evidence for this, although research has revealed that the houses were used for Christian worship. There are more than 20 rooms, many of them richly decorated. Entry is to the side of the church on Clivo di Scauro. Guided tours are available in English on request.
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Forum Boarium
Car-choked Piazza della Bocca della Verità stands on what was once ancient Rome’s cattle market (Forum Boarium). Opposite Chiesa Santa Maria in Cosmedin are two tiny Roman temples dating to the 2nd century BC: the round Tempio di Ercole Vincitore and the Tempio di Portunus, dedicated to the god of rivers and ports, Portunus. Just off the piazza, the Arco di Giano (Arch of Janus) is a four-sided Roman arch that once covered a crossroads. Beyond it is the medieval Chiesa di San Giorgio in Velabro, a beautiful church whose original 7th-century portico was destroyed by a Mafia bomb attack in 1993.
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Via Giulia
Designed by Bramante in 1508, Via Giulia is a charming road lined with colourful Renaissance palazzi and potted orange trees. At its southern end, the Fontana del Mascherone depicts a 17th-century hippy surprised by water spewing from his mouth. Just beyond it, and spanning the road, is the ivy-clad Arco Farnese, designed by Michelangelo as part of an ambitious, unfinished project to connect Palazzo Farnese with Villa Farnesina on the opposite side of the Tiber.
Continuing north, on the left, in Via di Sant’Eligio, is the lovely Raphael-designed Chiesa di Sant’Eligio degli Orefici.
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Hadrian's Villa and Villa d'Este Half-Day Trip from Rome
4 hours (Departs Rome, Italy)
by Viator
Explore Italy's rich history at Emperor Hadrian's Villa and the remarkable Villa d'Este garden on a half-day tour from Rome. You'll take a relaxing four-hour…Not LP reviewed
from USD$79.28 -
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Catacombe di San Callisto
These are the largest and busiest of Rome’s catacombs. Founded at the end of the 2nd century and named after Pope Calixtus I, they became the official cemetery of the newly established Roman Church. In the 20km of tunnels explored to date, archaeologists have found the tombs of 500,000 people and seven popes who were martyred in the 3rd century. The patron saint of music, St Cecilia, was also buried here, though her body was later removed to the Basilica di Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. When her body was exhumed in 1599, more than a thousand years after her death, it was apparently perfectly preserved, as depicted in Stefano Moderno’s softly contoured sculpture, a replica…
reviewed
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Hosteria del Pesce
One of the capital's hottest seafood restaurants, this place has filled the bellies of Francis Ford Coppola and Giorgio Armani among other megastars. It sports a studiously low-key look of hardwood floors and deep-blue walls, gets packed, and serves unforgettable, ultrafresh food. Squid is fried and served with creamy mash, risotto is dyed jet-black with octopus ink, while sea bream, snapper and turbot are grilled to crispy perfection, all accompanied by white wines only. Booking is advised.
Squid is fried and served with creamy mash, risotto is dyed jet-black with octopus ink, while sea bream, snapper and turbot are grilled to crispy perfection, all accompanied by white…
reviewed
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Rome Angels and Demons Half-Day Tour
4 hours (Departs Rome, Italy)
by Viator
Unravel Rome's secrets on the 'Angels and Demons' morning tour, inspired by the novel by Dan Brown. You'll take an incredible journey into the heart of the…Not LP reviewed
from USD$72.78 -
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Palazzetto dello Sport
One of the few planned developments in Rome’s history, EUR was built for an international exhibition in 1942, and although war intervened and the exhibition never took place, the name stuck – Esposizione Universale di Roma (Roman Universal Exhibition) or EUR. The area’s appeal (or lack of it) lies in its spectacular rationalist architecture. It’s not to everyone’s taste but the style is beautifully expressed in a number of distinctive palazzi, including the Palazzetto dello Sport. The area is still a focus for development, with Massimiliano Fuksas’ cutting-edge Nuvola (‘cloud’) congress centre being built here, and mayor Gianni Alemanno hoping the area may host…
reviewed
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Roman Gladiator School: Learn How to Become a Gladiator
2 hours (Departs Rome, Italy)
by Viator
Master the basics of hand-to-hand combat at a genuine gladiator school on the ancient Appian Way. You'll discover the secrets of Imperial Rome's gladiator…Not LP reviewed
from USD$71.48 -
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Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio di Loyola
Rome’s most important Jesuit church after the Chiesa del Gesù, this lordly building flanks Piazza Sant’Ignazio, an exquisite rococo square laid out in 1727 to resemble a stage set. Note the exits into ‘the wings’ at the northern end and how the undulating surfaces create the illusion of a larger space.
The church, built by the Jesuit architect Orazio Grassi in 1626, boasts a Carlo Maderno facade and a celebrated trompe l’oeil ceiling fresco by Andrea Pozzo (1642–1709) depicting St Ignatius Loyola being welcomed into paradise by Christ and the Madonna. For the best views of the fresco, stand on the small yellow spot on the nave floor and look up. The ceiling, which…
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Basilica dei Santi Apostoli
This much-altered 6th-century church is dedicated to the apostles James and Philip, whose relics are in the crypt. Its most obvious attraction is the portico with its Renaissance arches and the two-tier facade topped by 13 towering figures. Inside, the flashy baroque interior was completed in 1714 by Carlo and Francesco Fontana. Highlights include the ceiling frescoes by Baciccia and Antonio Canova’s grandiose tomb of Pope Clement XIV.
Surrounding the basilica are two imposing baroque palazzi: at the end of the square, Palazzo Balestra, which was given to James Stuart, the Old Pretender, in 1719 by Pope Clement XI, and opposite, Palazzo Odelscalchi, with its impressive…
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Checco er Carettiere
Something of a food complex, this is a restaurant, bakery, gelateria and osteria. With a swinging 1950s feel, the restaurant is wood-panelled throughout and terracotta-floored. Roman dishes to savour include saltimbocca alla romana or bombolotti (ridged tube pasta) all'amatriciana. The osteria is a small, appealing place with a few daily specials. The cakes at the café (07:00-01:00) are delicious, and the ice cream good too.
The walls are smothered in black-and-white photos of celebrities. Some tables are tucked into alcoves for intimate parties, or there's a large convivial room with wooden columns and an outside patio. There's a special smoking room between this and…
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Palazzo dei Congressi
One of the few planned developments in Rome’s history, EUR was built for an international exhibition in 1942, and although war intervened and the exhibition never took place, the name stuck – Esposizione Universale di Roma (Roman Universal Exhibition) or EUR. There are few museums but the area’s appeal (or lack of it) lies in its spectacular rationalist architecture. It’s not to everyone’s taste but the style is beautifully expressed in a number of distinctive palazzi, including the wonderful Palazzo dei Congressi. The area is still a focus for development, with Massimiliano Fuksas’ cutting-edge Nuvola (‘cloud’) congress centre being built here, and mayor Gianni…
reviewed
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Roma Cristiana
- Rome, Italy
- Activities › Other
Runs various walking tours, including visits to the Vatican Museums (adult/reduced €26/17) and St Peter’s Basilica (€12). Tickets are available online or at the meeting point just off Piazza San Pietro.
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Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vittoria
On a busy road junction, this modest church is an unlikely setting for one of the great works of European art – Bernini’s extravagant and sexually charged Santa Teresa traffita dall’amore di Dio (Ecstasy of St Teresa). In the last chapel on the left, this daring sculpture depicts Teresa, engulfed in the folds of a flowing cloak, floating in ecstasy on a cloud while a teasing angel pierces her repeatedly with a golden arrow. Watching the whole scene from two side balconies are a number of figures, including Cardinal Federico Cornaro, for whom the chapel was built. It’s a stunning work, bathed in soft natural light filtering through a concealed window. Go in the…
reviewed
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Assisi and Orvieto Day Trip from Rome
10 hours (Departs Rome, Italy)
by Viator
Travel from Rome to Orvieto and Assisi on this full-day trip, and discover two charming towns set amid picture-perfect Italian countryside. Led by an expert…Not LP reviewed
from USD$123.46 -
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Chiesa Santi Pietro e Paolo
One of the few planned developments in Rome’s history, EUR was built for an international exhibition in 1942, and although war intervened and the exhibition never took place, the name stuck – Esposizione Universale di Roma (Roman Universal Exhibition) or EUR. The area’s appeal (or lack of it) lies in its spectacular rationalist architecture. It’s not to everyone’s taste but the style is beautifully expressed in a number of distinctive palazzi, including the Chiesa Santi Pietro e Paolo. The area is still a focus for development, with Massimiliano Fuksas’ cutting-edge Nuvola (‘cloud’) congress centre being built here, and mayor Gianni Alemanno hoping the area may…
reviewed
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Mercati di Traiano & Museo dei Fori Imperiali
Mercati di Traiano & Museo dei Fori Imperiali is a striking new museum that brings to life Trajan’s great 2nd-century market complex. It provides a fascinating introduction to the Imperial Forums with detailed explanatory panels and a smattering of archaeological artefacts. However, the museum’s real highlight is the access it gives to Trajan’s Forum. From the main hallway, a lift whisks you up to the Torre delle Milizie (Militia Tower), a 13th-century red-brick tower, and the upper levels of the Mercati di Traiano (Trajan’s Markets). These markets, housed in a three-storey semicircular construction, were Trajan’s frenetic commercial precinct, with hundreds of…
reviewed
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Chiesa di San Gregorio Magno
You have to ring the bell for admission to this looming church, which is built on the site where Pope Gregory the Great is said to have dispatched St Augustine to convert the British to Christianity. Originally it was the pope’s family home but in 575 he converted it into a monastery. It was rebuilt in the 17th century and the interior was given a baroque facelift a century later.
Inside, the stately 1st-century-BC marble throne in the Cappella di San Gregorio is believed to have been St Gregory’s personal perch. Outside, the Cappella di Sant’Andrea is the most interesting of three small chapels, with frescoes by Domenichino, Guido Reni and Giovanni Lanfranco.
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Quartiere Garbatella
A favourite location for TV and filmmakers, Quartiere Garbatella is a wonderfully atmospheric, idiosyncratic district. It was originally conceived as a workers’ residential quarter but in the 1920s the Fascists hijacked the project and used the area to house people who’d been displaced by construction work in the city. Many people were moved into alberghi suburbani (suburban hotels), big housing blocks designed by Innocenzo Sabbatini, the leading light of the ‘Roman School’ of architecture. The most famous, Albergo Rosso is typical of the style. Other trademark buildings are the Scuola Cesare Battisti on Piazza Damiano Sauli and Teatro Palladium on Piazza…
reviewed
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Chiesa di SS Quattro Coronati
This brooding 4th-century church, rebuilt as a fortified convent after it was destroyed during the 1084 Norman sack of Rome, is dedicated to four Christian sculptors who were killed by Diocletian for refusing to make a statue of a pagan god. As a result, it’s still revered by stone-cutters and masons. The most famous feature is the Cappella di San Silvestro and its well-preserved 13th-century frescoes depicting the story of the Donation of Constantine, a famous document by which Constantine ceded control of Rome and the Western Roman Empire to the papacy.
Also of interest are the beautiful 13th-century cloisters off the northern aisle (ring the bell for admission).
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Palazzo Farnese
One of Rome's greatest Renaissance palazzi, Palazzo Farnese was started in 1514 by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, continued by Michelangelo and finished by Giacomo della Porta. Nowadays, it's the French Embassy and open only to visitors who've booked a guided tour – make a booking via the website. Visits (in Italian or French) take in the Galleria dei Carracci, home to a series of frescoes by Annibale Carracci, said by some to rival those of the Sistine Chapel.
The twin fountains in the square are enormous granite baths taken from the Terme di Caracalla.
reviewed