Finally, Rome

Roman Forum

Colosseum

Churches (lots, take your pick)

The Vatican

Borghese Gallery

Domus Aurea

Trevi Fountain

Baths of Diocletian

Pantheon

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

Transportation routing: /wwwemap.cgi?place=Rome">click here

Metro/bus tickets can be purchased at tabacchi (tobacco shops) and in terminals.

In the metro ticket machines, take bills as well as coins, and the machines "speak" several languages. For a single ticket you push the button for "ordinario" and you will still have the option to increase the amount. Each ticket is good for transfers from bus to metro within 75 minutes of first use, but you can only use the ticket for one metro ride.

Bus stops' signs indicate the stops along each bus's route. In front of Termini Station, at Piazza dei Cinquecento there is a bus information booth.

You board buses through the rear door, and have the ticket punched in the little machine. Before using a transit pass, you validate it by writing in the date you start using it. A blank pass is considered invalid.

With tickets or passes for the Metro, validate your individual ticket in the stamping machine above the turnstile before boarding the train.

More info:

/indexuk.htm">www.atac.roma.it/trasroma/indexuk.htm

Metro Map: www.welcomerome.it/busmetro/mappa_metro.html

Hotel Santa Chiara - about 1 1/2 blocks from the Pantheon, 10 minutes from Piazza Navona. Perfect little hotel as far as I''m concerned. My bathroom was larger than I would have expected, although the shower stall was only slightly larger than a coffin.

My single room was decent-sized, pretty small, but I have stayed in double rooms in Paris, for example, in rooms that were no larger than this one. There was a closet, a room safe, a small luggage rack, plenty of light, TV with cable. No drawer space so I basically lived out of my suitcase. Reliable same-day laundry and dry cleaning is available.

I had asked for a quiet room and mine faced a quiet courtyard. I would guess that front-facing rooms could be disturbed by motorcycle traffic. Air conditioned. Very good buffet breakfast with good coffee, hot milk, various forms of bread and delicious pastry, plus American dry cereals, fruit, cold meats, cheeses, yogurt.

If I had one hesitation it would only be that the Santa Chiara isn't very close to a metro stop. Relatively speaking, metro stops in Rome are few and far between. Walking, buses, and taxis are the way to get around. Walking and buses eat up a lot of time; taxis start to add up because the distances are longer than you might think from looking at the map.

Myosotis, www.myostotis.it, was excellent. Simple decor, inviting pink color scheme. Complete dinner for one with a glass of wine, L 62,000. If I'd had more time I would have gone there again. Pleasant and efficient service, very good food. A very good value.

Credit cards, closed on Sunday. Open from 12:30pm to 3pm, 7:30pm to 11pm. Popular location near the Pantheon.

Open Tues-Sat noon-2:30 and 8-10:30, Sun noon-2:30. Reservations recommended. Accepts credit cards.

I had one dinner at Piperno, a well-known place in the Ghetto area. Their famous carciofa alla giudecca (a deep-fried artichoke) was delicious, and the service was fine, but I thought the food otherwise unmemorable and almost twice the price of the much-better Myosotis, for example. Their menu is in both Italian and English.

closed Mon.
I had dinner two nights in a row at the same restaurant--I've never done that anywhere before. La Tartaruga, via Monte della Farina. That's a small street that starts next to the church of St Andrea della Valle, immediately south of Corso Vittorio Emmanuelle, near the Pantheon/Piazza Navona area. What a great little restaurant! It is family-run, and the same family owns a farm in Tuscany where they produce their own olive oil and wine vinegar. All the food was outstanding on both nights (the second night I went with some new acquaintances) and as simple as it sounds, the mandarine (tangerine) sorbet was to die for. Cost for one, full meal plus a glass of wine and coffee, was about $40 and worth twice that.

I had one very casual dinner on Piazza Navona, at Ai Tre Tartufi. Next door is I Tre Scalini, famous for its desserts and gelati, but doesn't offer much else in the way of food, at least not at the outdoor tables. Ai Tre Tartufi had very good pizza. Pizza not like what I'm used to--this was dinner-plate sized for one person, very thin and crisp crust, toppings were generous but light, not too much mozzarella, not too much sauce. Their gelato may not be dubbed the best, but it was plenty yummy as far as I was concerned. I don't think I've ever met a gelato I didn't like.

Galleria Borghese - Built around 1613 to house Cardinal Scipione Borghese's collection of paintings and sculptures and to be used for summer parties and musical evenings. The building and its contents was sold to the Italian government in 1902. Advance reservations are required.

When you call they'll give you a confirmation number (bring it with you) which you present when picking up your tickets. You pay for the tickets when you pick them up. The tickets are good only for 2 hours so arrive ahead of time since you'll need time to get the tickets and check your bags-only very small purses allowed, no coats, umbrellas, backpacks, etc. (about 20 minutes needed for these activities at peak times). No photography. There is a gift shop. After you get your ticket you proceed up to the top floor for the paintings and trompel'oeil rooms. The sculptures are on the floor below so allow enough time to see them. You have to go back into the museum to pickup your belongings. Your hotel may be willing to make the reservation for you.

Information, booking: tel. 06-32810 Guided tours in English available on request at certain times through 06 8555952 for an additional charge. Borghese does not accept credit cards.

Monday: closed. From Tuesday to Sunday: from 9.00am to 7.00pm in two-hour blocks.

I had reserved in advance for the Domus Aurea and the Borghese Gallery via Email service: Service@romeguide.it

They charge a commission of course. My reservations were there as promised, you pay for the actual ticket when you arrive at the venue.

The Borghese Gallery was, after the Colosseum and Forum, the next best thing I did in Rome, including the Vatican.

The museum's website www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/edefault.htm

I cannot sing loudly enough the praises of Context Rome (formerly Scala Reale) as a walking tour organization. Information on my pre-arranged tours was waiting for me when I arrived at my hotel--a nice welcome to Rome. The Orientation Hike, almost 2 1/2 hours rather than the advertised two hours, was very informative, helped me "get my feet wet", and also knocked off a couple of venues (Baths of Diocletian, S. Maria Vittoria church) that were on my must-see list. Their 4-hour tour of the Colosseum and Forum was absolutely essential and one of the best sightseeing activities I have ever done. Not boring for one second, our guide seemed to cover and know everything there was to know. Otherwise, I would have been wandering aimlessly looking at broken columns and trying to understand why one arch was different from another. Scala Reale was also very organized and reliable; when a change in schedule became necessary (due to a lot of English-speakers having canceled), they not only faxed the schedule change to my hotel but called to discuss it as well.

I had reserved in advance for the Domus Aurea and the Borghese Gallery via Email service (Service@romeguide.it). They charge you a reservation commission and you pay for your actual ticket at the site. Your hotel may also be able to arrange this for you. Advance reservations are recommended; they very occasionally still have slots available right on the spot. Tours are available in English, although my guide's English was very difficult to understand.

After the 64 AD fire, Nero took 200 acres and built a sumptuous palace. Everything about it was intended to symbolize the sun, with which Nero identified himself. The area that later became the Colosseum was a lake reflecting the grandeur of the Golden House. Some surviving sculptures are 2000 years old. phone 06 4815576. Open daily 9am to 8pm. Metro Colosseo. Most of the Domus Aurea is underground and the year-round temperature is about 60 degrees F, so dress accordingly. In nice weather the gardens are lovely and there are benches to sit on.

The Domus Aurea is mostly underground today, and there are only traces of the mosaics and wall paintings that Nero commissioned. Since I didn't get to go to Pompeii as planned on that trip, the Domus at least gave me a small taste of ancient ruins from the same era.

The web site is:
www.romeguide.it/domus_aureaeng/domus_aurea.htm
Email is:
ilsogno@romeguide.it

Reservations are required and you can also book at 011-39-06-4815576 or 3974907. Groups are limited to just 25 people for each of the 45-minute tours; three groups may be going at the same time. Tours are available in English, although when I went our tour guide spoke well-intentioned but incomprehensible English.

Pantheon - The first temple on the site was built in 27 BC by Agrippa and later rebuilt by Hadrian around 120 AD. Originally a pagan temple, the Pantheon became a church in 608, which is why it has survived relatively intact. In the early 17th century, Pope Urban VIII had his architect remove the bronze covering the portico's wooden beams to produce the canopy (baldacchino) covering the high altar at St. Peter's.

The dome, 43 meters across (the same as the height of the walls, thus creating architectural symmetry) is constructed from poured concrete without the support of vaults, arches, or ribs. The central oculus (hole at the top of the dome), a symbol of the "all-seeing eye of heaven," (30 feet in diameter) provides the only natural light for the building and was used as a sundial to show the hours and dates of the equinoxes and solstices. This building was the inspiration for the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC. The tombs of Raphael and Kings Vittorio Emannuelle II and Umberto I are here. Raphael's epitaph reads "Here lies Raphael; while he lived Nature feared to be outdone, and when he died, she feared to die with him."

Until 1960, this was the largest dome ever built. It is larger than the dome of St Peter's, and of St Paul's in London.
www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Pantheon.html

Tip : There are many great cafes and restaurants to get a snack around the Pantheon. For an Italian treat, head to Tazza d'Oro on Via deglia Orfani, 86, off the corner by McDonalds. Granita di Caffé con Panna is a combination of whipped cream, espresso and ice blended together to form a refreshing treat. Also Giolitti is nearby. For espresso and cappucccino, try Gran Café Sant'Eustacio.

Also nearby is Giolitti, via Uffizi del Vicario 40. Very busy gelateria. Pay the cashier first, and hand the stub to the counterperson when you order. Snacks are also available here.

www.travel.it/roma/insight/medieval.htm
a walking tour of Jewish ghetto in Rome

www.pariswoman.com/travel/romewalks1.htm
an article on the history of the Jewish ghetto in Rome

www.us-israel.org/jsource/vjw/Rome.html
article on Jewish history in Rome

http://www.emmeti.it/Arte/Lazio/ProvRoma/Roma/comunita_israelitica.uk.html
the Rome Jewish Community Museum

Museo di Arte Ebraica, Lungotevere Cenci, Ghetto, phone 06 6875051, open 9:30-2, 3-5 Monday-Thurs, Fridays 9:30-2, Sundays, 9:30-12:30. Admisssion includes visit to the Sinagoga Ashkenazita. Entrance is at via Plebiscito 112, phone 06 6795307. At the end of via del Portico is Ponte Quattro Quattro Capi, San Gregorio church. Bears an inscription in Latin and Hebrew asking Jews to convert to Catholicism. The Synagogue offers a brief guided tour in English but no photography is permitted, and security is very tight.

The Vatican Museums:
I had written to my local Cardinal' s office to see if they could offer any suggestions or assistance with visiting Vatican City. Even though I am not Catholic, they kindly responded with a letter telling me to arrive at the V. Museums on a particular day and time and to go to the ticket window labeled "Special Visits." That allowed me to entirely skip the quarter-mile-long line of people that were waiting to get in. What was reserved for me was a spot in the daily 11:00 am two-hour English-speaking tour of the Vatican Museums. Except for the skipping the line part, this arrangement was a mixed blessing, excuse the pun. Our tour guide was knowledgeable, but her heavily-accented English was not loud enough or clear enough to be understood over the general din of the crowds. By the time we reached the Sistine Chapel two hours later, let's just say I wasn't very moved. As we entered the Chapel I was first struck by the noise of the crowd and the oppressive crowd itself. Very few seats are available; most people mill about trying to stare at the ceiling. Once in a while a guard would shout "Quiet!" to the crowd, which had a 4-second effect.

I followed the sign that indicated both the Exit and the way to the Vatican cafeteria. It's a good place to eat, with quality food, lots of salads, and also freshly-roasted meats sliced to order. After regrouping a bit, I walked the 15 minute-walk back to the Sistine for another try. No problem by the way walking from the Cafeteria/restroom area, skipping the other museum areas I'd already seen, and going directly back to the Sistine Chapel. It was very slightly less-crowded at 2pm than it had been at 1:15, but only slightly. I did my best to look at it intently and try to engrave it on my brain, but I can't wait to take a quiet afternoon soon here at home and devote it to scrutinizing Michelangelo's great work by looking at the pictures in a good art book. The real thing was just not the spiritual or aesthetic experience I was hoping for.

Note: when I left the Sistine Chapel the second time, I took the exit that is marked "for tour groups only." If you walk out with a group, or even just a couple of other people, it doesn't seem to be a problem. I walked out past a guard who didn't seem to care that I wasn't following the rules. If you exit there, you come out right at St. Peter's Square (the Sistine Chapel is actually part of St. Peter's.) It saves you a 15-minute walk from the Vatican Museum exit to St. Peter's. If you take this group exit, you can't go back to the Vatican Museum's cafeteria or bookshop or bathroom.

St. Peter's was awesome, and my English-speaking guide was a British lady, so no language difficulties there. The Pieta is smaller than I expected, some distance from the viewers, and behind plexiglass, so it too was disappointing to me because I couldn't see the sculptural details.

The exterior, especially the setting of the dome, can be seen in the way Michaelangelo intended only by viewing it from further back on via della Conciliazione.

When I go to Rome the next time, I will not hesitate for one second to book Scala Reale's Vatican tour, which is what I should have done in the first place.

Vatican Information Office open Mon-Sat 8:30-7, phone 06 69884466. As you face St Peter's, it's on the left side of the Piazza. Can book tours of the gardens and of St Peter's. Vatican Bookshop weekdays 8:30-7, Sat 8:30-2. Can buy Vatican stamps and coins at the shop next to the information office. Any mail with Vatican stamps must be mailed in a blue Posta Vaticana mail box. Also next to the information office are public toilets. More toilets are opposite under the colonnade, and outside the exit of the crypt.

You might consider dividing up your Vatican visit into two days so that you won't be overwhelmed. Do Saint Peter's Basilica and Castel Sant' Angelo on one day, and the Vatican Museums on another day. St Peter's and Castel S.A. stay open later in the afternoon than the Museums do.

If you want a free map of the Museums get it at an information booth on the main floor before you head upstairs to buy your tickets.
See also:
www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/2680/vatican.htm

Articles on the Sistine Chapel's ceiling paintings and "the Last Judgment:
http://guides.travel.roughguides.com/content/19509/55571.htm
http://guides.travel.roughguides.com/content/19509/55570.htm

www.museionline.com
Search by city for museums of all types, get basic info, links to individual museum websites

www.italyguide.com
Not all of it is great, but the section on trains, airports, etc is helpful

www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/2680/museums.htm
List of museums in Rome, some little-known (e.g., Military)

www.travel-italy.com/library/
Hotels, travel tips

www.dolcevita.com
Events, fashion, wine, food - not much information really

www.wherenext.com

www.initaly.com
Commercial site, but some info on taking kids, tours, hotels, car rentals

www.itwg.com
Maps, city and town info for Italy, weather, tour operators

www.roma2000.it
Monuments, museums, dining, hotels, some photos

www.lainet.com/~initaly
Same as "initaly" website above

www.annells.demon.co.uk/main/busita/htm
Links to websites on Italian bus services

www.commune.roma.it

An awesome website, photos of ancient ruins in many locations, including Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Ostia Antica:

www.vatican.va

www.christusrex.org
Quite religious, but good photos and diagrams of Vatican museums, Sistine Chapel, etc.

www.wantedinrome.com
Concerts and other events

www.capitolium.org
The official Web site of the Imperial forums, with pictorial reconstructions of how the ruins would have looked in their day, as well as how they look now; material on life in ancient Rome; and even a live Web view of the Forum.

www.catacombe.roma.it
Official site of Rome's Christian catacombs, with visuals, historical descriptions, and explanations of ancient symbols

www.gamberorosso.it
Nice site in English, detailing walks around Rome that take in Gambero Rosso's speciality - wine, travel, food

www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/rome

www.timeout.com/rome/

www.twenj.com
Excellent for sightseeing info, restaurants, hotels, photos

www.inroma.it
Site is in Italian

www.travel.it
Lots on tours, a little bit of art and architecture information

www.santasusanna.org/default.ssi
Santa Susanna is the American Catholic church in Rome, the website has links and clicks for sightseeing, the Vatican, etc

www.expedia.com/daily/wg/rome.asp
Mostly on booking a trip, but some info on Rome with photos

home.earthlink.net/~richardab/Fly/Europe/Rome/Ro_Arrivals/FCO_Arrive.html
Good personal web page on Rome, includes clicks to Rome airport, restaurants, restaurant customs, sightseeing, a few hotels

www.nerone.co
Tours, itineraries, and guides for Rome, also names and addresses of some tourist sites

www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/2680/General.htm
A personal webpage on Rome, some very good practical information, including taking young kids to Rome

www.housingitlay.com
Hotels, restaurants, etc

Shoes
Never have the right shoes been as important to me as they were in Rome. It is not enough that they be comfortable, they have to be sturdy and do healthful things for your feet. If you tour the Forum, for example, you will be walking on broken pavement, slippery rocks, up and down inclines and steps, etc and your limb, if not your life ,will be in jeopardy if you are not sure-footed. For this trip I had bought Mephistos, and I loved them, but everyone's foot and budget are different. Rome, like other cities in Italy, doesn't make many if any adjustments for people who are disabled, low on stamina, or elderly. Most public sites in historic buildings don't have elevators, and most have lots of stairs to climb.

Water
Rome is renowned for the purity of its water which comes from underground springs. Outdoor drinking fountains are plentiful, they are often labeled "acqua marcia" and they have a little drinking spout. Do not drink the water from ornamental fountains as it is chemically treated--often it is labeled "non potabile."

Maps and books
Insight Map: Rome is very good for a macro-orientation and for metro stops, but it, as well as "Streetwise Rome", is lousy for finding your way when you are walking because too many small streets and alleys are not labeled on the map. On the other hand, Michelin's Roma Tascabile was my new best friend. It is a 5X8 spiral-bound book, and it has an alpha list of seemingly all streets. It doesn't however offer a city-wide view, so that's what the Insight Map or the Streetwise map can do for you.

on-line maps of Rome:
One is a zoomable one located at www.atac.roma.it/trasroma/indexuk.htm . The other is a clickable map located at http://mappe.virgilio.it/mappe/wwwemap.cgi?place=roma.

Guidebooks
For Rome, one recommended book is Fodor's Rome-The complete guide with walking tours. Very good for restaurant and hotel listings, and basic sightseeing information. Also, Time Out: Rome is full of facts but small enough to carry easily, and has some specialized topics like "Hidden Cloisters and Secret Gardens.". I've browsed and borrowed several guidebooks, and the ones I relied on for taking with me and walking around with (as opposed to pre-trip research)were Fodor's, and Michelin's Green Guide for Rome. It has no restaurant or hotel information, but excellent historical and cultural notes--more than some people want, perhaps. My criticism of it is that the index is awful: some listiings are under the Latin or Italian names, some are under the English translation names, and some important topics or sites are not actually listed in the index at all, but they do appear in the book. Topics are organized into walking itineraries. I bought A Companion Guide to Rome by Masson based on 5-star recommendations from Amazon, and for me it was not a worthwhile purchase. The authors (it has been revised several times) offer infinite detail and historical tid bits, but it actually offers little that wasn't already in the Green Guide, and it is too heavy and too much reading in my opinion to do on site, while walking around. It was a nice reference, but I should have looked for it in the library and just borrowed it.

I am a big fan of Earl Steinbicker's books, and his Daytrips Italy book not only has information on how to do 40 daytrips within Italy (transportation, what to see when you get there, even small maps) but it includes walking itineraries for Rome itself. You could photocopy just the pages you want to take with you.

There is a souvenir book with plastic overlays that you can get from street vendors or souvenir stands in Rome that is called Rome Past and Present: With Reconstructions of Ancient Monuments that has photos of various ruins inside the Forum, Trajan's Markets, the Palatine, the Coliseum, and the Catacombs with plastic overlays showing what these areas probably looked like during the Imperial Roman era that is well worth purchasing before visiting the the ruins. It will help you immensely visualize what you are looking at, before and after your visit. It is not expensive and is about a 4"x8" publication.

Some practical information:
American Express is at Piazza di Spagna 38. Travel service and tour desk is open M-F 9-5:30 and Saturday 9am to 12:30; from May through Oct tour desk also open Sat afternoon from 2-2:30.
Banks are open M-F 8:30 am to 1:30 and 3-4pm.
Most stores are open Mon-Sat 9-a and then from 3:30 or 4pm to 7:30 or 8.
Most shops are closed on Sunday.
G Eastman Dental Hospital, open 24 h ours viale Regina elena 287, tel 06 44831 24-hour
Drugstore: Farmacia Internazionale, Piazza Barberini 49, tel 06 6794680. Other pharmacies are usually open 8:30am to 1pm and then from 4-7:30.
Emergency medical services are available at hospitals (Rome American Hospital is sure to have English speaking MDs on duty 24 hours per day.) However, if you want to avoid waiting in an emergency room, you can call for a a personalized house call to your hotel. Contact Medi-Call, 06 8840113. Staffing is 24-7. Fees begin at around $100 per visit, more for specialists or additional treatments. website is www.olgiata.com/medi-call Eyeglasses: Vasari, Piazza della Repubblica 61, tel 06 4882240, next to the Grand Hotel, near Termini.
Luggage Storage is available at Termini Station---look for the "Left Luggage" sign. Open daily, closed during some of the wee hours. Charge is per piece of luggage for each 12-hour period.

The #110 Rome public bus has two special options: one is the basic tour, lasts about an hour and 3/4, goes around Rome in a loop. The other option gives you hop-on, hop-off priviliges. Bus is airconditioned. Bus leaves from outside Terminini station, Piazza dei Cinquecento side walk "C" . Stops include Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo, Vatican,Castel S. Angelo, Piazza Navona, Piazza Venezia/Campidoglio, Colosseum/Foro Romano/Palatino, Quirinale, and back to Termini Station. Departures every 30 minutes from 9am to 8pm April 1-Sept 30, at the rest of the year it begins at 10:00 am and last departure is at 6pm . Commentary is provided.

Tickets can be bought at the RomaVision stands in: Piazza del Colosseo, Piazza Cinquecento (Termini Station) sidewalk "C", Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore, Piazza San Giovanni , or on board the bus for an additional charge.
Telephone: 06.46954695
Email: info@romavision.it

Bus #64 links the railway station with most of the city's famous sites, including the Pantheon and St Peter's, although dense traffic can make things hard to see from the windows of a bus.

Website is www.atac.roma.it/trasroma/parade/linee.htm