Travel Guide

24 Hours in Rome

Colosseum Umberto Rotundo

Rome is an outdoor museum

and an indoor masterpiece says
Mary Ferry. Here are some not to
miss things to see and do in the
Italian capital.
Rome is a pretty compact city so you
naturally come upon many of the
famous sites just walking around.
This stylish city is a wonderful
juxtaposition of ancient and modern,
and with so much to see follow our
guide to get the most out of Italian
capital.

MUST VISIT
The Vatican museums and St Peters
Basilica
Even if youre not interested in the
religious heritage, a visit to The
Vatican museums and St Peters
Basilica is still worthwhile because it
has artworks and sculptures collected
by various popes over the centuries
and the wonderful Sistine Chapel,
painted ceiling by Michelangelo.
St Peters Basilica is home to Michelangelos breathtaking sculpture Pie-

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ta and the tomb of St Peter. You can

go down to the catacombs and see
more of it (if you are interested in catacombs head right out of the walled
part of Rome and marvel at La Catacomba di San Callisto and San Sebastian on the Via Appia Antica).
Outside St. Peters Square, the obelisk
in the centre dates from 13th-centuryBC Egypt and was brought to Rome
in the 1st century to stand in Neros
Circus nearby. Take time to check
out the monumental colonnade
surrounding the square and admire
its 140 beautiful statues of saints.

MUST BE SEEN AT
The Piazza Navona

where Sophia Lorens character

lived in 1964s Yesterday, Today and
Tomorrow. Excerpts for Dan Browns
Angels & Demons and the 1970
adaptation of Joseph Hellers novel
Catch-22 were also shot here.

MUST SHOP
The open-air market at Campo de
Fiori and via del Corso
The open-air market is held in the
mornings at Campo de Fiori and
offers great fresh fruit and vegetables.
The piazza has a formidable statue of
philosopher Giordano Bruno as well,
who was burned at the stake there in
1600.

The Piazza Navona is perfect for a

morning cappuccino. The view of
the three splendid fountains in this
stunning Baroque square more than
make up for the fact that the cafes and
restaurants are a bit pricey.
In the first century this square was
a stadium for athletics and chariot
racing but more recently it has been
the setting for several films. My waiter
pointed out the apartment opposite

March 2015

The Piazza Navaona Fczarnowski/wikimedia

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Shopping is, of course, a great Italian

pastime so enjoy the adjoining street
(via dei Giubonnari), which has many
clothing stores and further delights
await in the via del Corso.

MUST EAT
Gelato
Try Giolitti, an ice cream shop
(established 1900) in Via Uffici del
Vicario, just north of the Pantheon,
which was recommended to me as
the most popular place to have a
gelato.

MUST DO
Pantheon, Colosseum, Roman
Forum
The magnificent Pantheon which
was built between 27 and 25 B.C. by
the consul Agrippa, Prefect of the
Emperor Augustus, is reportedly the
most complete ancient building in
the city. The tomb of the great artist
Raphael is here and its still an active
church.
You havent seen Rome if you dont
make at least a short visit to the ruins
of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum
and Palatine Hill. You have to pay to
enter the Colosseum and the Forum
but you can see a lot standing just
outside.

MUST SEE THE VIEW

From Capitoline Hill and Il
Vittoriano museum complex
The Capitoline Hill, one of the seven

hills in Rome, offers splendid views

overlooking
the
Forum. Also, head
to the top of Il Vittoriano
museum
complex, for stunning panoramas of
the Piazza Venezia
and beyond. Piazza
Venezia is dominated by the Altar of
the Fatherland to
honour Victor Emanuel II, unified Italys first king. This
monument contains the tomb of the
First World Wars unknown soldier; a
museum of Italian Reunification and
a cafe.

MUST WATCH
The sun set by the Tiber river
The cool, green Tiber river offers a
wonderful setting in which to enjoy
the odd glass of Prosecco, whether on
a boat or in a bar. Outside, you can
catch an exquisite view of St Peters
Basilica from the Ponte SantAngelo,
which is adorned by statues of angels
and completed in 134 AD by Roman
Emperor Hadrian or the nearby
Ponte Umberto. Watching the sun go
down on these particular bridges and
pondering how so many incredible
sights can be squeezed into such a
small area is for incurable romantics
and the rest alike theres something
for everyone.

MUST STAY
The Hotel Indigo Rome

The sunset by the Tiber river RaSeLaSeD - Il Pinguino

This five-star hotel is in a central

location but in the Via Giulia, which
is relatively quiet. Its just 750 metres
from Piazza Navona and offers
elegant rooms, la carte restaurant, a
spa and mini-gym.
The gourmet Italian cuisine is
tasty and uses local and organic
ingredients. Its especially delicious
when enjoyed during the summer in
the rooftop bar & restaurant.
Prices from approximately 300 but
it is five star.

MUST GET AROUND

The bus and metro services in Rome
are frequent, inexpensive and easy to
use. The Metro currently has just two
lines named A and B. The Colosseum,
Roman Forum and Spanish Steps
have Metro stations next to them
and you can get within five minutes
walk of the Vatican Museums and
St Peters Square. I got a 100-minute
integrated ticket for 1.50, which got
me around when needed. The Foreign
Office website advises to Take care
on public transport and in crowded
areas in Rome, especially around the
main railway station Termini and
on the number 64 bus, which goes
to and from St Peters Square, due
to bag-snatching and pick pocketing.
Ignazio Marino, the mayor of Rome,
has rebuffed claims as being unfair
and says London is worse!
The OMNIA Vatican & Rome Card is
a sightseeing pass that gives holders
entry to top attractions in Rome and
the Vatican City, as well as a Fast Track
Entry, a hop-on-hop-off bus tour, free
guidebook and travelcard.

The Vatican musuems and St Peters Basilica Diliff/wikimedia

The Travel Magazine

March 2015

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