Rome city guide | Travel | The Guardian
THE ULTIMATE TRAVEL EXPERIENCES IN ROME
Forget Rome's picture as a way-too-relaxed or maybe lazy city. Its bustling nearby life is now as huge an attraction as its wealth of captivating antiquity. Trastevere, Campo di Fiore, and Testaccio entice younger and hip crowds, and there may be a thriving ahead-questioning artistic network. Trendy new shops, restaurants, and contemporary cultural sights which include the MACRO and MAXXI museums remind you that that is a metropolis of the prevailing and destiny, as a good deal as it's far from the beyond.
What to See and Do in Rome
Decide what you really need to see in Rome based totally on your interests -- whether or not it is art, architecture, street existence or absolutely snapping some pictures through the primary landmarks. We highlight the high-quality attractions in distinctive classes and, that will help you plan, hyperlink you to their area on Google Maps () or to their legit website or excursion alternatives.
THE LANDMARKS, ICONS, AND INSTAGRAM SPOTS
Join the opposite travelers and throw a coin into Fontana di Trevi to guarantee that you may go back to Rome. Then flow on to the remarkable Colosseum and feel the spirit of the gladiators. After that, look for the Pope and marvel at St. Peter's Basilica and its Pietà, one of Michelangelo's maximum astonishing works.
ANCIENT SITES
Grandiose arches and columns bear in mind the beauty of historic Rome on the Roman Forum. More captivating archaeology makes up the Basilica di San Clemente, adorned with brilliant mosaics and frescoes, and with the remains of the site in which the primary Christians might have secretly met to take Communion earlier than Christianity turned legalized in 313.
MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART
Rome appears to be all about antiquity, however, visitors should time-journey back to the destiny, to the MACRO Museum (Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Roma). The series of generally Italian artists from the 1960s onwards is exhibited in a commercial area that used to be a brewery. There is every other exhibition space off Piazza Orazio Giustiniani in Testaccio known as "Macro al Mattatoio" that similarly attracts modern-day artophiles for its exhibitions of international artists. And there may be the iconic MAXXI, the Museum of 21st Century Arts, showcasing and promoting the quality of current art and architecture with the aid of countrywide and global artists.
CLASSIC ART AND TOP MUSEUMS
Some of the Western Civilization's greatest art make up the Vatican Museums, first-rate recognized for Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel overshadowing all the exceptional Graeco-Roman treasures (skip the lines and get your Vatican Museums tickets right here). After the Vatican Museums, the opposite must-see gallery is that of Galleria Borghese. Set within the gardens of the Villa Borghese, the first building created mainly to show a private art collection (in 1608), it showcases dramatic sculptures with the aid of Bernini, and masterpieces using Caravaggio, Raphael, and Rubens (pass the lines and get your Galleria Borghese tickets right here). The Capitoline Museums (one of the oldest in the global, courting from the fifteenth century and open to the general public inside the 18th), is a fabulous series of sculptures, with the highlights being Bernini's snake-infested Medusa head and the first-century BC Capitoline Venus.
STRIKING ARCHITECTURE AND MAJOR MONUMENTS
The huge dome (the largest of its time) of the Pantheon has stood the test of time for nearly 2 millennia. As Rome's oldest structure, it remains an extraordinary feat of engineering.
SHOPPING
You consider shopping in Italy, and you observed Milan. But being the grand town that it's miles from, Rome can also be a notable purchasing experience. From the Spanish Steps, stroll straight into Via Dei Condotti, coated with the well-known luxurious names from Gucci to Prada. Similar excessive-quit clothier boutiques are discovered on the streets nearby (Via del Babuino, Via Borgognogna, and Via Frattina). Prices tend to be a little less expensive than in London or Paris, however, in addition, they have a tendency to provide the same merchandise you'd discover in the one's different towns. For some vintage purchasing, pedestrianized Via del Governo Vecchio is coated with satisfactory second-hand and avant-garde boutiques.
EATING AND DRINKING
Do as the Romans and opt for a panini or a cup of espresso at any of the cafés observed everywhere in the antique city. Have a slice of pizza, experience a fresh gelato, and pattern the exceptional Italian wines. Eating in Rome is experiencing the quality of what you assume from Italian cuisine.
