Ten EPIC Destinations to See When Visiting Rome
Rome was once the capital of an empire that ruled most of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East for five centuries and built dozens of important cities in its image all around the Mediterranean. The Roman empire’s influence over architecture, politics, culture, and social practices continues to the present day. Equally important, Rome dominated the spiritual and sometimes the cultural affairs of western nations through the role of the religious leaders and later the Vatican in spreading Christianity. Finally, the modern city of Rome is a major contributor to the economy and tourism business of Italy. Over ten million people visit the city each year including many North Americans and Rome usually ranks among the top fifteen cities in the world for annual visitors.
There are numerous sites and experiences for travelers to enjoy in the Eternal City. So, whether you are interested in seeing the ruins of ancient Rome or religious sites, enjoying the food, arts, and culture of the city, or visiting key landmarks from the Renaissance and later periods, there is enough to do for a three-to-six-day visit there. Here are ten activities worth pursuing during your trip:
1. See the Coliseum
Near the end of the first century AD, imperial Rome had survived the reign of several emperors considered to be tyrants by most historians including Nero. Nero’s legacy included constructing a royal villa called the Golden House near the center of the city to the east of the Roman Forum. It included a bronze statue of the emperor believed to have been over one hundred feet tall. Nero and his extravagances were quite unpopular with the public so one of his successors Emperor Vespasian “redeveloped” the palace area into several public projects including building a huge stadium originally known as the Flavian Amphitheater s where Nero’s statue had been.
Vespasian’s son, the emperor Titus, inaugurated the Coliseum in 80 AD by holding one hundred days of public games where wild animals were killed for sport and gladiatorial combat was held among soldiers, slaves, and prisoners of war. This spectacle became wildly popular with the Roman people and 55,000 spectators of all rank and social position often crammed into the Coliseum for events. Over the succeeding four hundred years, an estimated 400,000 people including gladiators, criminals, Christians, and political prisoners were killed in the arena.
The four-story building was an architectural wonder rising over 165 feet with three different tiers of seating including a special box for the emperor. Built from travertine stone and concrete, the most interesting feature is the 240 exterior arches which circled the building using Doric, Ionic and Corinthian styles. Access to the seats inside was provided through eighty entrance corridors. To enhance the comfort of spectators, the Coliseum installed a large awning at the top which could be unfurled to shelter the audience from the sun or rain. The floor of the amphitheater also contained devices used to lift animals and combatants from the large underground chambers into the action.
The economic troubles and disintegration of the western Roman Empire in the late fifth century coupled with earthquakes and religious opposition to gladiatorial contests led to the decline and partial destruction of the Coliseum in subsequent years. Thereafter, it served as everything from a fortress to a church and a storage depot, and the valuable stonework was often quarried for building material. Preservation of the building began in the 18th century and today visitors see a restored building and can access the internal corridors, upper and lower levels of seating, and the arena floor. Future renovations are expected to open more of the “backstage” underground chambers and recreate a movable floor.
2. Visit the Capitoline Museums
The Capitoline Hill section of Rome located to the west of the Roman Forum contains interesting sites worth driving or walking by. Several of these landmarks date back to ancient times such as ruins of the Temple of Jupiter and the Tarpeian Rock which is believed to have been the site of executions. Another unusual structure there is the Victor Emmanuel Monument, a large white building dedicated in 1911 to the unification of Italy and the first Italian king. The buildings worth visiting are the Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuevo designed by Michelangelo in the 1500s which were gradually turned into a single museum of art, sculpture and archaeology called the Capitoline Museums. These museums display a famous statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius on horseback, Greek and Roman sculptures donated by several Popes, precious Renaissance artwork, jewels and coins, the large head of a statue of the emperor Constantine, mosaics from Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli, and other ancient artifacts. For most people, a short visit for an hour or two will be worthwhile.
3. Enjoy the Spanish Steps Area
The Piazza di Spagna is one of Rome’s most popular places since it is near the fashionable retail shops located on the Via Condotti, surrounded by restaurants and tea rooms, and lies beneath the picturesque white staircase of the Spanish Steps. Ever since the 18th century, this area has been frequented by ex-pats, artists, writers, and tourists seeking to socialize and enjoy a taste of the good life. Today, the fountains and majesty of the area provide a nice setting to relax in a café, window shop or just sit on the steps and look out on the city. However, the experience is tempered by the large number of selfie takers and hustlers trying to sell you flowers.
4. Walk on the Appian Way and into the Saint Sebastian Catacombs
Travelers to Rome who enjoys hikes or history should spend half a day at the Via Appian Way located just outside of the center city. The Appian Way is a ten-mile segment of one of the Roman empire’s original roads that was built in 312 BC from Rome to the important port of Brindisi some 330 miles away. Today, this stone road serves as the centerpiece of an archaeological and nature park with fifty-four attractions known as the Parco Regionale de Appia Antica.
When walking along the Appian Way, you can feel the history all around you and contemplate it in a peaceful setting. For almost a thousand years, the armies of Rome, local farmers and legendary historical figures passed along this toll-free public road which was marked with milestones and directions, and featured post stations for supplies and horses. History records that several thousand of Spartacus’ captured gladiators and slaves were crucified on this route, and the New Testament describes several inspirational experiences of the apostles which occurred there.
The road has a wide assortment of monuments and Roman ruins along it including a chariot racing stadium known as the Circus of Maxentius, the opulent Villa of the Quintillion, and numerous tombs and monuments to various Senators, generals, and dignitaries. The Via Appa also runs by the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian, a cemetery for early Christians and some martyrs that extends four stories underneath the road and surrounding fields for several miles. Unlike the catacombs beneath the streets of Paris, there are no piles of bones here but seeing the location is a moving experience.
Most people start out at the Visitor Information Center where you can rent a bicycle or pick up maps and information on sites to see in the park. The Appian Way is surprisingly never crowded and can be enjoyed on your own using the Visitor’s guide. I have found that walking along the tree lined road enhances the experience particularly if you can go on a Sunday when the entire route is restricted to pedestrians and bikes.
5. Explore the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and Trajan’s Market
Most of the political activity, religious functions and government of the Roman Empire took place in a small, low-lying area of the city known as the Forum and the adjacent residential palaces and houses on the Palatine Hill. The Roman Forum was the ceremonial center of the city. It is reached by a road leading from the Coliseum to the Capitoline Hill called The Sacred Way which was used for military and religious processions as depicted in numerous movies. The Forum was filled with everything from courts and the chambers of the Roman Senate to triumphal arches honoring the glories of various emperors to temples honoring various Gods which were later turned into Christian churches.
It can be confusing to visit the Forum since many important structures no longer exist or were replaced with other buildings by subsequent rulers. By the 18th century much of the Forum was buried and covered with rubble and it was excavated slowly over the past two centuries. Nevertheless, exploring this area on a walking tour is a chance to relive some of the great events of those centuries. Some of the best preserved or most popular places to see there are: (1) the Arch of Septimius Severus built in 203 AD honoring the military victory of that emperor and his sons over the Parthian enemies of Rome which is full of carvings and descriptions of those events, (2) the rebuilt structure which housed the Roman Curia where up to 300 Senators assembled and discussed policy and other concerns with two elected counsel during the days of the Republic and with the Emperor or his designee in the Imperial age; (3) the Basilica of Constantine and Maxentius which was a large court erected in the 4th century AD for legal and business activities; and (4) the “grave” of Julius Caesar, an unmarked cremation site next to the ruins of the Temple of Caesar, where visitors flock to leave flowers in his memory.
On the Palatine Hill towering over the south side of the Forum, there are some ruins of palaces and houses from the imperial age surrounded by pleasant gardens. This area was the home of emperors and aristocrats such as Augustus Caesar, the orator and philosopher Cicero, the Emperor Domitian, and Augustus’ powerful wife Livia. Emperor Septimius Severus’ large palace built into the hillside is the most impressive structure to look at but there are also some interesting courtyards and walls of ruined houses containing ornate paintings, marble floors, and other decorations. This area like much of the ancient city was abandoned for centuries but the Palatine Hill became a popular location for the nobility to build residences during the Italian Renaissance period.
Another site worth looking at when visiting this area is Trajan’s Market. Slightly to the north of the Forum, the Emperor Trajan built his own forum with libraries and a basilica. Around 110 AD, he added a large market and administrative complex which was three stories high. Called the first shopping center by many, the building had approximately 150 shops from which merchants sold basic food items along with luxury goods, spices, and specialty items from Rome’s far-flung provinces. Lest anyone forget who was responsible for these municipal improvements, the forum in front of the market features to this day a 100-foot column which depicts the story of Trajan’s successful military campaigns to conquer the land of Dacia.
6. Admire the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
In addition to acting as a sovereign state and serving as the religious center for 1.3 billion Catholic parishioners around the world, Vatican City displays one of the most important collections of art, sculpture and artifacts found anywhere in the world. Some of these works can be found in galleries which originally served as rooms and hallways in Vatican palaces built for various popes during the Renaissance. The rest can be viewed in the Sistine Chapel located behind the main museum buildings or in the Raphael Rooms adjacent to the chapel.
Empires and rulers come and go. Fortunately, the Vatican’s works of art and ancient artifacts have endured and made available for the public’s enjoyment since the 18th century. The major art exhibits in the museums include the restored ceiling of the Sistine Chapel showing Michelangelo’s emotional depiction of the Last Judgment, the side walls of the Sistine Chapel painted by 16th and 15th century masters, frescoes in the Raphael room painted by the young artist in the early 1500s to show the life and triumph of the Emperor Constantine and the Christian religion over paganism, along with other works of religious art from modern artists and early Christians.
History and archeology buffs will also find an amazing assortment of objects here. Over the centuries, Greek, Roman, and Etruscan statues, and artifacts recovered from tombs and ruined buildings in Rome and all over the Mediterranean were collected by the Vatican or gifted to the popes. Egyptian and Assyrian relics, mummies and other works that were brought to Rome during the imperial age have also been preserved in the museum. There is so much to see here that a full tour can easily take five hours although shorter visits are also worthwhile. The line to get in can be long and is outside so many people book a guided tour in advance that includes all three museum locations along with the St. Peters Basilica.
7. Relax at Villa Borghese Gardens
Some ruins in Rome are surrounded by pleasant trees and benches, but after trudging around the city many people enjoy visiting the 200-acre Villa Borghese Gardens located north of the Spanish Steps. Originally designed by a wealthy cardinal in the 17th century, the park was donated to the municipality in 1901. The park is known for its beauty, landscaped grounds, elaborate fountains, and views of the city. Another unique feature of this park is the different types of recreation activities. These include a small zoo, a lake with boat rentals, a puppet theater, a concert promenade, an arthouse cinema, restaurants and cafes, playgrounds, a small train, and bike rentals. Topping it off is the villa known as the Galleria Borghese which displays the sculptures and paintings of classical era masters and the French Academy palace.
8. Gaze at the Interior of the Pantheon
One ancient building in Rome that really conveys the grandeur and extensive history of the city is the Pantheon. It will be of particular interest to visitors who become tired of seeing random columns and piles of broken marble being described as important temples or imperial landmarks and want to be impressed. Initially constructed by Augustus Caesar’s friend and counsel Agrippa around 28 BC as a rectangular temple with Corinthian columns, the Pantheon was reconstructed by Emperor Hadrian around 120 AD into a “temple of all the gods”. Hadrian added huge bronze doors and a dome with wall indentations that rises 143 feet to a 20-foot-wide circular opening to the sky called the oculus. The architectural design and construction of the building were not matched until modern times, and it has survived without failure for 1900 years.
The uses of the building by the Romans and the Church are also interesting. Many historians believe that it was originally built to honor the deified members of the Julio-Claudian family and to honor Augustus. Hadrian later used it for governmental functions such as public announcements and imperial tribunals but rededicated the building to Agrippa. Eventually, after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 the building fell into disrepair. But it came to life again in 609 AD when the Byzantine Emperor gave the building to Pope Boniface IV. He turned it into a church and during the centuries that followed, it became a special burial place for Renaissance figures and Italian monarchs. The Pantheon served as a model for numerous buildings that followed in the western world including Thomas Jefferson’s home at Monticello and the U.S. Capital. Church services are still held there regularly but visitors can see the building for free on weekdays or reserve a ticket on weekends at least one day in advance.
9. Throw a Coin in the Trevi Fountain
Rome’s most famous fountain – the Trevi Fountain - is in northeast Rome. This site has been symbolically important to the city for thousands of years. It was the approximate end point for the ancient Aqua Virgo aqueduct, one of eleven aqueducts which brought water from the surrounding hills and springs into the city. The empire required a tremendous amount of water to supply an estimated one million residents with drinking water and to run the elaborate baths used by citizens for bathing and social activity such as the Baths of Caracalla built two centuries later. Augustus Caesar completed construction of a major aqueduct here in 19 AD. Unfortunately, the only remaining vestiges of one of the empire’s impressive aqueducts known as the Aqua Claudia lies alongside a golf course just north of the Appian Way.
Nevertheless, in 1762, the architect Nicola Salvi designed, and his successor completed, a large baroque style fountain at that location to mark the aqueduct’s terminus pursuant to a papal commission. Built out of travertine limestone, the fountain contains a 150-foot-wide pool which was built into the rear wall of the palace of the Dukes of Poliback. In the center underneath an arch is a statue of the God Oceanus. He is depicted standing on a shell-shaped chariot being pulled into the sea by two seahorses. Other carvings in the fountain include one showing a girl helping Roman soldiers locate a spring in the countryside.
The Trevi Fountain is one of the most popular stops for tourists in Rome because of its history and cultural identity as a landmark of Rome. Featured in movies like Roman Holiday and La Dolce Vita during the 1950s, it helped spread the tradition of throwing a coin into the fountain over your left shoulder so you will return to Rome someday. Crowds arrive there every day to photograph themselves and their companions doing the same.
10. Enjoy Your Favorite Gelato at a Gelateria
For several centuries, people have used the phrase “When in Rome do as the Romans do.” If you apply this principle to food, that means you should stop at a gelateria and enjoy a cup of gelato as often as possible. There are thousands of them in Rome. In addition, many retail stores will place a cooler displaying some gelato outside to draw customers.
North Americans, who may not be completely familiar with gelato, often ask how it is different than ice cream. They are both frozen desserts, but ice cream is creamier, has more air in it than gelato, a higher fat content, and a few more calories. Gelato is softer and consists of more milk than cream and has less sugar in it than ice cream. When it comes to flavors there are some similarities since both chocolate and strawberry (cioccolato and fregola) are popular in Rome, but Italians also like some special flavors like lemon, tiramisu, pistachio, and mint. My personal favorite is the Stracciatella which is a milk based vanilla flavor with chocolate flakes shavings inside. Whatever your preference there are numerous choices so look for an opportunity to savor some gelato during your tour of Rome.