Rome is not a city like any other. It is a large museum, a living room to be crossed on the tip of your toes.
Alberto Sordi
Caput mundi
Rome: the eternal city
Rome:
the eternal city
traditional food specialties: carbonara (pasta with raw eggs, cheese and cured pork), gricia (pasta with cheese, cured pork and pepper), cacio e pepe (pasta with cheese and pepper), carciofi alla giudìa (deep fried artichokes), carciofi alla romana (artichokes stuffed with mint leaves and garlic), trippa alla romana (tripe with tomato sauce), coda alla vaccinara (oxtail in tomato sauce), supplì al telefono (deep fried stuffed rice balls), filetti di baccalà (deep fried cod fillets), rigatoni with pajata (pajata is the intestines of a calf only fed on its mother’s milk), abbacchio scottadito (grilled lamb), saltimbocca alla romana (thin slices of veal covered with raw ham and sage), maritozzo con la panna (sweet roll cut open and filled with fresh whipped cream).
wines: Cesanese, Malvasia, Trebbiano, Bombino bianco, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Merlot
must do’s: Archaeological Rome (Colosseum, Fori Imperiali, Piazza Venezia, Ara Pacis), Rome’s fountains (Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Piazza di Spagna), Rome’s squares (Piazza San Pietro, Piazza di Spagna, Piazza Navona), St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums.
recommended reads:
- Promenades dans Rome, by Stendhal
- History: A novel, by Elsa Morante
- A Day in the Life of Ancient Rome, by Alberto Angela
Defined as Caput mundi and Eternal City Rome was founded, according to tradition, in 753 BC. by Romulus.
During three millennia of history, Rome has been the first Western large city, capital of the ancient Roman state which extended its dominion over the entire Mediterranean basin and a large part of Europe.
Heart of Catholic Christianity, it is the only existing city holding an entire state, the Vatican City. Rome also counts the greatest number of monuments, turning out to be an unrivalled sightseeing destination. Walking along its streets means walking through history.
Beyond the Colosseum
If it is true that according to estimates it would take about nine months just to take a look at all 35,000 works exhibited in the Louvre in Paris, a lifetime would probably not be enough for Rome.
Planning visits according to personal interests is highly recommended, such as: Ancient Rome, Christian Rome, Jewish Rome, Baroque Rome, unusual Rome, Rome with children, museums, villas, castles, nature trails, paths, urban trekking, themed walks, Rome’s surroundings, etc.
Rome: art in food
If you are willing to immerse yourself in the Roman mood you must taste Roman cuisine and its strong flavours. This is where humble but joyful dishes showed up such as cacio e pepe, carbonara, gricia.
best time to go: The best time to visit Rome is from mid-April to mid-June and from September to early October. In June, the weather is usually good, but it can get very hot.
how to get there: Rome is served by two international airports, Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci (32 km from the city center) and Rome Ciampino G.B. Pastine Airport (15 km from the centre). The first one has a direct train to the city centre, whilst the second one is connected by buses and shuttles. Rome’s railway connects the city with almost any other destination. By car, you can reach Rome through the A1 Milan-Naples motorway if coming from north or south; the A12 Civitavecchia-Roma motorway if arriving from west; the A24 L’Aquila-Roma motorway if arriving from east.
how to get around: Unlike other major European cities Rome only has 3 main undergound lines (A, B and C), however, the best way to get around still is by Metro (undergound). Along line A there are crucial stations, such as Ottaviano-San Pietro-Musei Vaticani, Flaminio (for Piazza del Popolo), Piazza di Spagna, Barberini (for Trevi Fountain), and San Giovanni (Basilica of St’ John in Lateran). Along line B there are stops for Circus Maximus, the Colosseum and the Imperial Fora. The Rome Metro operates every day from 5.30 a.m. to 11.30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays until 1.30 a.m. The city also has a bus and tram service, essential to get around after 11.30p.m when the metro stops. Like any large city, it endures chaotic traffic and lack of parking space, especially in the central area where you can only park in the blue pay and display parking lines. Rome has the largest Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL) in Europe, therefore you’d better avoid driving.
where to stay: Rome is considered to be a rather safe city, however some suburbs and the areas around the railway stations may turn out to be unsafe for foreigners.
how long should i stay: If you are wondering how many days are necessary to visit Rome, you should consider that in three days you can cover all the milestones in a rush (1st day Vatican City, Castel Sant’Angelo, Piazza Navona, Campo de’Fiori; 2nd day Colosseum, Piazza Venezia, Roman Forum, 3rd day Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon) but staying at least 5 days is suggested.