Things to do in Rome
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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…
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Hadrian's Villa and Villa d'Este Half-Day Trip from Rome
4 hours (Departs Rome, Italy)
by Viator
Visit Tivoli on a half-day trip from Rome and explore its two UNESCO-listed villas – Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este – with an expert guide. Have your camera…Not LP reviewed
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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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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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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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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…
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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 …
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Villa di Massenzio
The outstanding feature of Maxentius’ enormous 4th-century palace complex is the Circo di Massenzio, Rome’s best-preserved ancient racetrack – you can still make out the starting stalls used for chariot races. The 10,000-seat arena was built by Maxentius around 309, but he died before ever seeing a race here.
Above the arena are the ruins of Maxentius’ imperial residence, most of which are covered by weeds. Near the racetrack, the Mausoleo di Romolo (also known as the Tombo di Romolo) was built by Maxentius for his son Romulus. The huge mausoleum was originally crowned with a large dome and surrounded by an imposing colonnade, in part still visible.
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Palazzo Cenci
A real-life house of horrors, Palazzo Cenci was the scene of one of the 16th century’s most infamous crimes, the murder of Francesco Cenci by his daughter Beatrice and wife Lucrezia. Shelley based his tragedy The Cenci on the family, and a famous portrait of Beatrice by Guido Reni hangs in the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica – Palazzo Barberini. It shows a sweet-faced young girl with soft eyes and fair hair.
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Museo della Civiltà Romana e Planetario
A proven kid-pleaser, EUR's most impressive museum was founded by Mussolini in 1937 to glorify Imperial Rome. A hulking place with huge echoing halls, it contains a number of intriguing displays. The best is a giant scale recreation of 4th-century Rome, but there are also detailed models of the city's main buildings, an absorbing cross-section of the Colosseum and casts of the reliefs on the Colonna di Traiano.
For something completely different, learn about the night sky at the on-site Museo Astronomico (Astronomy Museum; 06 820 59 127; adult/child around €7.50/4.40), complete with its own planetarium. You'll need to book for the planetarium shows.
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Villa Medici
This striking Renaissance palace has been home to the French Academy since the early 19th century. It was built for Cardinal Ricci da Montepulciano in 1540, but Ferdinando dei Medici bought it in 1576 and it remained in Medici hands until Napoleon acquired it in 1801 and gave it to the French Academy. Its most famous resident was Galileo, who was imprisoned here between 1630 and 1633 during his trial for heresy, though Keith Richards and Anita Pallenberg also hung out here, dropping acid in the 1960s.
These days, the only way to get inside is to visit one of the regular art exhibitions or take a guided tour of the finely landscaped gardens.
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Museo d’Arte Contemporanea di Roma (MACRO)
Along with MAXXI, this is Rome’s most important contemporary art gallery. Exhibits, which include works by all of Italy’s important post-WWII artists, are displayed in what was once a brewery. The sexy black-and-red interior retains much of the building’s original structure but sports a sophisticated steel-and-glass finish thanks to a revamp by French architect Odile Decq.
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Taste of Italy Food Tour to Chianti and Umbria from Rome
13 hours (Departs Rome, Italy)
by Viator
Head out of Rome and off the beaten track to experience a different side of Italy in Tuscany and Umbria. You'll visit the lovely towns of Cortona and…Not LP reviewed
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Capitoline Museums at Centrale Montemartini
This fabulous outpost of the Capitoline Museums (Musei Capitolini) is a treat. Housed in a former power station, it boldly juxtaposes classical sculpture against diesel engines and giant furnaces. The collection’s highlights are in the Sala Caldaia, where a giant furnace provides a suitably impressive backdrop. Two of the most beautiful pieces are the Fanciulla Seduta and the Musa Polimnia gazing dreamily into the distance.
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Il Convivio di Troiano
Michelin-starred Il Convivio, tucked away in a 16th-century palazzo (mansion) north of Piazza Navona, is run by the talented Troiano brothers. It's elegant, intimate and impeccable. Menus are seasonal and there's an accompanying wine list of more than 2000 labels. Booking is essential and an attitude of reverence recommended.
You could be eating maltagliati di farina kamut con ragù di quaglia, funghi porcini e mirtilli (homemade kamut-wheat egg pasta with quail ragout, porcini mushrooms and blueberries) or vermicelli di Gragnano all'amatriciana (Gragano vermicelli with bacon and tomato sauce).
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Circolo degli Artisti
One of Rome's nightlife venues that hits the spot, Circolo is the place for alternative music gigs. Friday night cracks open the electronica and house for gay night – Omogenic – and Saturday sees the fun-packed Screamadelica (punk-funk, ska and new wave), usually also featuring a live band. There's even a cool garden bar and admission is either free or a snip.
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Chiesa di Santa Maria in Aracoeli
Marking the highest point of the Campidoglio, this 6th-century church sits on the site of the Roman temple to Juno Moneta. According to legend it was here that the Tiburtine Sybil told Augustus of the coming birth of Christ, and the church still has a strong association with the nativity. Features include an impressive Cosmatesque floor and an important 15th-century fresco by Pinturicchio. Local football hero Francesco Totti got married here.
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Palazzo della Civiltà del Lavoro
Dubbed the Square Colosseum, the Palace of the Workers is EUR’s architectural icon, a rationalist masterpiece clad in gleaming white travertine. Designed by Giovanni Guerrini, Ernesto Bruno La Padula and Mario Romano, and built between 1938 and 1943, it consists of six rows of nine arches, rising to a height of 50m. According to some, these numbers are a homage to the project’s Fascist patron, with the six rows reflecting the six letters of Benito and the nine arches the nine letters of Mussolini. The palazzo is currently undergoing restoration and will house a new multimedia museum when it reopens.
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Skip the Line: Borghese Gallery and Gardens Walking Tour
3 hours (Departs Rome, Italy)
by Viator
Book your Skip the Line: Borghese Gallery and Gardens Walking Tour ahead of time to take advantage of jumping the queue with reserved tickets. The Borghese…Not LP reviewed
from USD$61.68 -
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Pizzeria da Vittorio
One of the few pizzerias in this neck of the woods to serve thick-crust Neapolitan-style pizzas, backstreet Vittorio is a consistent crowd-pleaser. The tiny interior is decorated with murals depicting appropriately Neapolitan scenes such an erupting Vesuvius, and heaves with happy eaters. There are also a few outside tables.
You'll find all the regular pizzas plus a few house specialities such as the Vittorio (fresh tomato, basil, mozzarella and Parmesan) and the Imperiale (fresh tomatoes, lettuce, cured ham and olives); football fans might like the Maradona, made in honour of Naples' favourite football superstar.
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Bar San Calisto
Those in the know head to the down-at-heel 'Sanca' for its basic, stuck-in-time atmosphere and cheap prices (a beer costs €1.50). It attracts everyone from drug dealers, intellectuals and pseudo-intellectuals to keeping-it-real Romans, alcoholics and American students. It's famous for its chocolate – drunk hot with cream in winter, eaten as ice cream in summer. Try the Sambuca con la Mosca ('with flies' – raw coffee beans).
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Piazza del Quirinale
A wonderful spot to enjoy a glowing Roman sunset, this piazza marks the summit of the Quirinale hill. The central obelisk was moved here from the Mausoleo di Augusto in 1786 and is flanked by 5.5m statues of Castor and Pollux reining in a couple of rearing horses.
If you’re in the neighbourhood on a Sunday you can catch the weekly changing of the guard (6pm in summer, 4pm the rest of the year).
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Papal Audience Ticket at Vatican City
3 hours 30 minutes (Departs Rome, Italy)
by Viator
Bookings are essential if you'd like to attend a Papal Audience with Pope Francis I at the Vatican. Tickets are free of charge but they are limited and you must…Not LP reviewed
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Skip the Line Private Tour: Vatican Museums and St Peter's Art History Walking Tour
3 - 3.5 hours (Departs Rome, Italy)
by Viator
Explore the art history of the Vatican Museums and St Peter's Basilica in style on a private walking tour with an art expert - and skip the queues. Accompanied…Not LP reviewed
from USD$113.97 -
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Foro Italico
At the foot of Monte Mario, the Foro Italico is a grandiose Fascist-era sports complex, centred on the Stadio Olimpico, Rome’s 70,000-seater football stadium. Most people pass through en route to the football, but if you’re interested in Fascist architecture, it’s worth a look. Designed by the architect Enrico Del Debbio, it remains much as it was originally conceived. A 17m-high marble obelisk, inscribed with the words ‘Mussolini Dux’, stands at the beginning of a broad avenue leading down to the Stadio dei Marmi, a running track surrounded by 60 marble nudes, and the Stadio Olimpico.
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