Active Procrastination

Rome

January 27, 2009 at 2:44 pm | Posted in General, Italy, museum, Rome, Tourism, Travel | Leave a comment
Tags: Basilica San Clemente, Capuchin Crypt, Castel Saint'Angelo, Circus Maximus, Colosseum, Crime Museum, Free, Hotel, Italy, Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, Musei Capitolini, museum, Museum of Purgatory, Pantheon, photos, Piazza, review, Roman, Roman Forum, Rome, Santa Maria, Spanish Steps, St Peter's Basilica, Tourism, Trajan's Forum, Travel, Trevi Fountain, Vatican, Vatican Museum

At the beginning of December I travelled to Rome. Here’s an overview of the places to see and do:

The Colosseum
It’s obviously one of the most famous sites in the city. After about a 10 minute wait I bought my ticket and audio tour. Personally I found the guide less than great but it’s better than nothing. Equally so I was less than thrilled with the Colosseum. Somehow it just didn’t live up to expectation, perhaps I thought it would be grander. Then again I was wet and hungry when I went. Although really you still need to go even if it’s to cross it off your list.

 

The Roman Forum
You can buy a combined ticket from the Colosseum. I didn’t see any audio guides on offer and given the scale of the site a guide may end up taking up precious time. Admittedly I wasn’t always sure what I was walking next to but the ruins in of themselves are spectacular and very emotive of the fall of the Empire. I was soaked and starving throughout my walk but enjoyed it thoroughly.

 

Circus Maximus
You’ll have to use your imagination here as there’s really nothing here except for a green field with the odd bit of rubble.

Crime Museum
Tucked away at the side entrance of a police station is Rome’s crime museum. Most of the content is in Italian but there is the odd bit of English. Quite a few of the more gruesome torture and punishment exhibits need no real explanation. It’s really quite interesting (even if you can’t understand) and only costs a few Euros.

 

St Peter’s Basilica
Entering the Vatican City across the square took about 30 minutes (the longest wait I had the entire trip). While entry into the Basilica is free and you can wander around I’d recommend hiring an audio guide in order to provide a level of perspective. Although sometimes it can waffle it’s very helpful. As you’d expect it’s quite grand and presumably if you’re religious it will be very moving. Apparently you can also go onto Dome but it was closed when I arrived.

Vatican Museum
I’d heard that the queue here could be horrific but luckily I walked right in. Once again the audio tour is helpful. The museum is vast but reasonably easy to do in a few hours (as long as you don’t spend too long on each area). Featuring paintings, statues and even modern art the museum features a wide range of religious imagery. Its most famous exhibit is the Sistine Chapel. No photography is permitted in this room. I’d expected the chamber and the iconic image of the creation of Adam to be larger but that certainly doesn’t detract from the overall quality and splendour.

Museum of Purgatory
The museum is located inside a church and there’s an expectation to donate a few euros. I’d expected the small museum – meant to prove the existence of life after death or at least purgatory – to be dark and spooky but the side antechamber was well lit. There’s a brief description of each item in various languages. Overall I thought the stories interesting but don’t feel particularly swayed. If you’re looking for something a bit different pop in.

The Spanish Steps
Iconic site where you can look out over the city and on good days sit and watch the world go by.

Trevi Fountain
Another major site where you’ll have to take an obligatory photo. It is fairly impressive and the vendors and toursits make it an oddly cheery atmosphere.

The Pantheon
Formerly a Roman religious site it is now holds Christian services. There’s not much content inside but it is free to enter and marvel at the construction. Outside in the square you might want to grab a coffee and watch the people (granted mainly tourists) pass by – although the prices are a tad extortionist.

Castel Sant’ Angelo
A massive fortress on the banks of the river, formerly used to house the remains of the emperor Hadrian it was used by successive generations as a stronghold against attackers and had a passage leading to the Vatican in case the Pope needed to escape. Again the audio guide is recommended although it was a bit confusing. The changing uses for the castel and the artwork within is interesting and most notably at the top of the building you’ll be rewarded with wonderful views of Rome. It seems to be under visited but is worth it.

Santa Maria in Trastevere
Trastevere with its winding streets were a pleasure to wander around. Eventually I stumbled onto the square where the Santa Maria church is located and settled down at one of the cafes to watch the Romans and tourists. Afterwards I walked back into the old city via the Isola Tiberina, one of the islands located in the centre of the Tiber.

Trajan’s Forum
Another interesting site that you should try and see is Trajan’s Forum. It’s located opposite the Roman Forum and near Trajan’s Column. As per everywhere else the audio guide is a good investment. Ths forum was basically used as a marketplace and the ruins are quite extensive.

 

Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II
This massive structure is a monument to Italy’s first King as a modern unified country. It’s huge and dare I say over the top. There are displays about the unification and the King but I didn’t see any English so I can’t say whether this structure is valid. The museum plus several other exhibits are free. The monument has several opportunities to view the city. You can pay to go to the top via lift but when I went it was dusk and honestly I’m not sure whether the view would be significantly better than those of the lower levels or the Castel.

Musei Capitolini
While there is an entry fee and yet another audio guide it is a good museum to visit, not least because it has longer opening hours so you can push this one back to take advantage of the nearby ruins. Having said that it does have a colonnade that looks down on the Roman Forums and you may prefer it in daylight (I was there at night and the ruins looked even more impressive in their illuminated decay). The museum offers a range of classical and renaissance works over many floors and as long as you haven’t gotten your fill from other sites it’s another one to visit.

Capuchin Crypt
A macabre religious site tucked away in a Basilica. A number of priests were granted permission to exhume the bones of hundreds of their brethren in order to create the Capuchin Crypt. A series of chambers decorated with human remains. You’ll have to donate a few euros and a photography is banned. It’s sombre, creepy and just a bit different to the norm.

Basilica of San Clemente
Free to enter this Basilica has a wonderful range of artwork along its walls and ceilings.

Largo di Torre Argentina
While inacessible to tourists it’s still possible to wander around the edges of these former temples and marvel at the sheer number of cats that live there.

Campo de’ Fiori
A fresh produce market towards the south east.

Piazza Navona
A large piazza featuring many stalls, generally for tourists and children with sweets and toys. The main fountain was under repairs when I visited.

Piazza del Popolo
At the hotel they circled this piazza on my map. I arrived there at night and while large and filled with people milling around it wasn’t particularly impressive. Perhaps visiting during the day or with better weather?

Food
I ate at a number of restaurants and cafes throughout the city and on the whole I found the quality and price reasonable (although perhaps with a touch of tourist inflation added). Service was cheery and even those who didn’t speak English tried to help (English does seem to be widely spoken/understood). I’d advise just going into a place and giving it a try.

Accommodation
I stayed at Hotel Zara after cross checking it with Trip Advisor. For the price the quality was reasonable. My only complaint is the water pressure was not very good (that may or not be city-wide). Breakfast was complimentary and a good way to stock up before heading out to the tourist traps.

General
As I mentioned I came in December and it was an excellent time to visit because there were so few tourists to compete with and as a result I was able to access more sites more efficiently. The downside was the weather, generally during the day it was fine with perfect blue skies and the odd downpour but once dusk and nightfall set in it would storm. This was somewhat advantageous as Italians tend to go out later with most bars I found not really starting until 10 or 11 and as a result the wet weather kept me inside and enabled me to get a good night’s sleep for the next day.

While researching Rome I’d come across a number of sites that were fear mongering by basically implying that you’ll need extra security to deal with all the thieves that inhabit the city. It might have been the time of year but I had no problems whatsoever, certainly if you’re used to a big city I don’t think you’ll have too many problems.

At several sites there appeared to be free guides but admittedly I didn’t speak with them to find out what the deal was as my inborn and London cynicism kicked in and I assumed this was a scam. It may not be the case but I’d be cautious and check it out fully before proceeding. Although a tour will take take longer and potentially reduce your capacity to visit a number of sites.

I enjoyed my four days in Rome and was able to see the above highlights in about 3 – 3 and a half days. If I had more time I might have considered a day trip, possibly out to Pompeii.

Rome was a wonderful city and I enjoyed the trip immensely clearly millions of visitors can’t be wrong can they?

Photos on Flickr. Unfortunately, I had some problems with the upload and it lost all my tags and descriptions. If you’re interested in knowing about any specific shot let me know and I’ll update the individual details.
Map at Google.