A few tips from us if you are heading to Rome
Whether it is your first or fifth visit to the Eternal City, there is always something new to discover. With an almost overwhelming amount of art, history, and culture to explore, the best advice is to plan a selection of must-see stops interspersed with some gentle wandering.
First time? Acquaint yourself with Rome's greatness, from the curves of the Colosseum to the sculptures of the Vatican. But much more romantic (and far less crowded) are the old, cobbled central suburbs.
Ancient-meets-hipster Rione Monti steals hearts with its buildings of ochre-washed walls, peeling paint, sprouting weeds, and balconies. Adjust to the groovy vibes with an aperitivo at La Base (www.labaseristorante.it), then stroll around the vintage stores and boutiques.
Ancient-meets-hipster Rione Monti steals hearts with its buildings of ochre-washed walls, peeling paint, sprouting weeds, and balconies. Adjust to the groovy vibes with an aperitivo at La Base (www.labaseristorante.it), then stroll around the vintage stores and boutiques.
Secret garden in Rome
North of Monti, just 10 minutes on foot you'll find Villa Doria Pamphilj housing what could be described as the world's greatest private art collection, with works by Caravaggio, Titian, and Raffaello.
www.doriapamphilj.it
Adult: €12
8 euro for youngs between 6 and 26
Free under 6
It includes the audio guide subject to availability
10.00 / 19.00 (last admission 18.00)
Grab a taxi for the 15-minute ride to the Monte Celio (The Caelian Hill) where affluent Roman patrons had their lavish villas with orchards and vineyards. The area is still shady and green. An elegant gateway off the little piazza opposite the Basilica of Saints John and Paul opens onto Villa Celimontana, one of Rome's nicest parks.
Below the Basilica there is the entrance to the Case Romane, an example of earlier Roman villas with extremely well conserved frescoed rooms.
www.caseromane.it/en/
Adult: €8
Age 12 to 18: €6
Free for under 12
10.00 / 13.00 - 15.00 / 18.00 Closed Tuesday and Wednesday
www.doriapamphilj.it
Adult: €12
8 euro for youngs between 6 and 26
Free under 6
It includes the audio guide subject to availability
10.00 / 19.00 (last admission 18.00)
Grab a taxi for the 15-minute ride to the Monte Celio (The Caelian Hill) where affluent Roman patrons had their lavish villas with orchards and vineyards. The area is still shady and green. An elegant gateway off the little piazza opposite the Basilica of Saints John and Paul opens onto Villa Celimontana, one of Rome's nicest parks.
Below the Basilica there is the entrance to the Case Romane, an example of earlier Roman villas with extremely well conserved frescoed rooms.
www.caseromane.it/en/
Adult: €8
Age 12 to 18: €6
Free for under 12
10.00 / 13.00 - 15.00 / 18.00 Closed Tuesday and Wednesday
Take a stroll along Rome's grandest park, the Villa Borghese. Housed in an elegant mansion, the Borghese Gallery hosts the world's most beautiful art collection since 1607, most of the paintings and sculpture have never been moved since.
The collection has Caravaggios, Titians, and Raphaels but the Bernini sculptures are standout: the Aeneas and Anchises, the Rape of Proserpina, the David, and the Apollo and Daphne.
galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it/en
From Tuesday to Sunday
09.00/ 19.00 No entry after 17.00
Adult:€13 + €2 for the obligatory reservation
Age 18 to 25: €6 + €2
Villa Borghese
Continue to the bottom edge of the park and you'll find the Spanish Steps with its 24-hour tourist crowd. The steps were once home to English poet John Keats too. The Keats-Shelley House provides an intriguing insight into their Roman lives, not to mention being a bit different to the many Roman and Christian landmarks you will visit.
www.keats-shelley-house.org
Our opening hours are as follows:
Monday to Saturday 10.00/13.00 and 14.00/18.00
Sunday: Closed
Adults € 5.00;
Under 18s and 65s or over €4.00
If you are in search of Rome's best viewpoint, the Orange Gardens are a pulse-quicker. Next, to the Orange Gardens, the keyhole in the gate of the Priorate of the Knights of Malta offers a magnificent furtive peep straight onto St. Peter’s itself. The majestic dome of Saint Peter's Basilica stands in the centre, serenely framed by the Priory’s cypress bushes. The garden also has a number of eponymous orange trees and well-kept lawns that make a perfect picnic spot.
For a romantic finale, take a taxi or bus to the scented, cypress-shaded avenue of the Appian Way. Halfway along lie the ancient, macabre Christian and Jewish catacombs. Above ground, all is now peaceful, yet along this poetical lane, the rebel slave army of Spartacus was crucified. The crosses stretched 80km or more - thus ending one of the most passionate stories in history.
www.keats-shelley-house.org
Our opening hours are as follows:
Monday to Saturday 10.00/13.00 and 14.00/18.00
Sunday: Closed
Adults € 5.00;
Under 18s and 65s or over €4.00
If you are in search of Rome's best viewpoint, the Orange Gardens are a pulse-quicker. Next, to the Orange Gardens, the keyhole in the gate of the Priorate of the Knights of Malta offers a magnificent furtive peep straight onto St. Peter’s itself. The majestic dome of Saint Peter's Basilica stands in the centre, serenely framed by the Priory’s cypress bushes. The garden also has a number of eponymous orange trees and well-kept lawns that make a perfect picnic spot.
For a romantic finale, take a taxi or bus to the scented, cypress-shaded avenue of the Appian Way. Halfway along lie the ancient, macabre Christian and Jewish catacombs. Above ground, all is now peaceful, yet along this poetical lane, the rebel slave army of Spartacus was crucified. The crosses stretched 80km or more - thus ending one of the most passionate stories in history.
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