Rome: what to see and what to do, main places of interest in the capital

What to visit in Rome, places of interest: 25 things to do and see in the capital

A Rome things to see there are so many: archaeological finds, museums, ancient monuments make it an attraction for tourists who come from every corner of the world to visit it. Visit Rome in three days, five days, a month, it is possible with the knowledge that the capital of Italy has so many things to see that a lifetime is not enough.

With this awareness we have created a short list of things you cannot miss during your trip: what there is to see in Rome and what to do in order not to lose the curiosities of the capital.

Main things to see in Rome: curiosities of the eternal city

Among the numerous attractions that the city offers, the main things to see in Rome, the unmissable ones. If you are going to visit Rome the capital of Italy with your family or your partner, Roma it's a fantastic city to spend a weekend 2-3 days. Renaissance streets such as Via Giulia, shops, theaters in Rome every corner exudes history.

The historic center, and this is my advice, must be explored on foot or by bike because only in this way can you discover hidden corners of Rome. If you are looking for a guide on things to see in Rome or, simply, you want to be guided on what to see in the capital, follow me. I selected i best places to see in Rome, with all the attractions and places of interest not to be missed in the Capitoline city. So, what are you waiting for? Let's find out together what to see in Rome.

Places to visit Rome: the most important places of interest

1 Colosseum

An ancient saying says that “when the Colosseum falls, Rome will fall”. This demonstrates that it is the representative symbol of Rome, the one by which the city is known worldwide. Built between 72 and 90 AD, the Flavian Amphitheater commonly known asColosseum” hosted up to 50 thousand people. The Colosseum it was the meeting place of the fights between gladiators and animals. Symbol of strength and power as well as the Roman Empire. Wanted byemperor Vespasian il Colosseum was erected of Domus Area of one of the buildings of Nero. It is open every day from 9,00 to 19,30, with the exception of the winter closing time which is at 16,30. It is one of the first stops on the list “Rome: what to see".

2 Saint Peter Basilica

The dome of the Saint Peter Basilica created by Michelangelo and the colonnade created by Bernini are the main characteristics of this building, a global symbol of Christianity. Inside there are the tombs of several Popes and treasures of Renaissance art, such as The Pietà by Michelangelo. the Saint Peter Basilica it contains around 60 thousand people and is a building that dates back to the early XNUMXth century. Initially it was the Twine to have been called into the design but, upon his death, Raffaello (taking over from him) changed several things. Also Michelangelo, success made several changes. The Basilica was inaugurated in 1626 and has its typical Greek cross plan. The Basilica is open every day from 7,00 to 19,00, in winter (October-March) the closing time is 18,00. The dome of St. Peter's Basilica can be visited from 8,00 to 18,00 and from November to March, from 8,00 to 17,00. L'entrance to St. Peter's Basilica it must be done with respect, with little revealing clothes. Unmissable!

3 Trevi Fountain

The beautiful and imposing construction of Trevi Fountain represents the sea. She will leave you breathless. The Trevi Fountain was made known by Anita ekberg in the film "La Dolce Vita" by Federico Fellini and is a majestic Baroque style fountain designed by Nicola Salvi in ​​1730. It is the outlet of the Roman aqueduct Virgo water and it is always supervised by a large number of tourists. If you want to return to Rome, remember to throw a coin into the fountain! To be included among the first items on the list "Rome: what to visit".

4 Pantheon

Il Pantheon it is known for its colonnade and the imposing dome are the symbol of the temple dedicated to all the divinities, built between 118 and 125 AD during the empire of Adriano. Among the buildings of classical antiquity, the Pantheon it is certainly the best preserved, by virtue of its transformation into a church (Santa Maria ad Martyres) in 609. The original building was erected between 27 and 25 BC at the behest of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa in honor of Augustus and then dedicated to the main deities of the family Giulio Claudia. Its current forms date back to the early years of the reign of Adriano (118-125). An enormous cylindrical wall (the Rotunda) over 6 meters thick supports the monumental dome, the largest vault made of masonry, with a diameter of 43,30 meters and the same height. From the Renaissance onwards this place was used as a tomb for illustrious people including Raffaello. The Pantheon is located in Rotonda square and is open from Monday to Saturday from 8,30 to 19,30, on Sunday from 9,00 to 18,00. Free admission.

5 Navona Square

Navona Square it was built on the Stadium of Domitian (XNUMXst century AD) and owes its particular oval shape to it. The main attraction of the square is the fountain of the Four Rivers of the Bernini which represents the Danubio, Ganges, Nilo and the Rio de la Plata. Also worthy of mention Fountain of Neptune di Giacono at the Door located in the same square. Navona Square it is particularly loved by Romans and tourists and is the place where having a relaxing coffee turns out to be a truly pleasant experience. It is also the place where young people gather to animate the Rome nightlife.

6 Spanish Steps

Stunning scenery used for film and fashion events, thanks to its 135-step staircase, Trinità dei Monti, Spanish Steps it is an icon of Rome, known throughout the world. The staircase consists of 138 steps and was designed to connect the Spanish embassy to the Holy See. Sitting on this staircase for a few moments is among the things to include on the list."What to do in Rome”. It will allow you to observe the true soul of the city.

7 Altar of the Fatherland

Known as Altar of the Fatherland il Victorian is located in square Venice and is a monumental complex built in honor of the king Victor Emmanuel II, first king of Italy. Upon his death in 1878, it was decided to raise a monument to celebrate the Father of the Nation and with him the entire Risorgimento season. The Vittoriano was supposed to be a space open to citizens. The monumental complex was inaugurated by Vittorio Emanuele III on 4 June 1911. It was the culminating moment of the International Exhibition which celebrated fifty years of united Italy. The general model of the Vittoriano is inspired by classical Greek and Latin examples. The majestic monument is also known as the “typewriter” or “wedding cake” due to its shape. It preserves the remains of the “unknown soldier” next to which there is always a supervised burning flame. It is also the headquarters of Museum of the Risorgimento. The monument and the museum are open every day from 9,30 to 17,30. In winter it closes an hour early.

Rome what to see: the museums

8 Vatican Museums

Vatican Museums: they are among the most important museums in the world and contain priceless works of art, including the Judgement, of Michelangelo, in Sistine Chapel. Unmissable Raphael rooms but the entire route is to be done at least once in a lifetime. In summer i Vatican Museums they also make an evening entrance, during the weekend. The entrance of Vatican Museums it is in Vatican Avenue, at number 100. Museum opening hours Vaticans: in summer, from Monday to Friday from 8,45am to 16,45pm (last entry at 15,20pm); on Saturdays and the last Sunday of the month from 8,45am to 13,45pm (last entry 12,20pm): from November to February, from 8,45am to 15,45pm.

9 Capitoline Museums and Capitoline Hill

Fu Michelangelo to draw the Campidoglio square and museum buildings. THE capitoline museums are located in the Palace of the Conservatory and in New Palace which are connected to each other through the Conjunction Gallery. In Capitoline Museum, found in the Palace of the Conservatory, statues and artefacts are housed. On the second floor of the building there are works, among others, by Caravaggio, e Tiziano . Hours: from 9,00 to 20,00; closed on Sunday.

10 The Ara Pacis Augustae

The Ara Pacis Augustae, dedicated to the Pax guaranteed by the first emperor in the territories dominated by Roma, represents one of the highest examples of classical art that have survived to this day. The Altar was decreed by the Senate in 13 BC on the occasion of Augustus' return from the provinces of Spain and Gaul and was significantly built in the northern Campus Martius, already the scene of gymnastic and military exercises for the youth of the city. Buried and therefore forgotten for centuries, some large fragments of the altar were recognized at the end of the nineteenth century and then recomposed in 1938 within a structure that did not guarantee their correct conservation. The current Museum, completed and inaugurated in 2006, was designed by the American architect Richard Meier and represents the first architectural work created in the historic center of Rome after the last world war.

11 The Museums of Rome not to be missed

• Capitoline Museums;
• Vatican Museums;
• Museum of the Risorgimento;
• Museum of the Imperial Forums;
• Villa Doria Phampilj Museum;
• Museum of the Ara Pacis Augustae;
• Museum of Etruscan and Italic antiquities;
• Museum of vintage carriages;
• Wax museum of Rome;
• Borghese Museum and Gallery;
• Jewish Museum of Rome;
• Napoleonic Museum;
• National Museum of Arts;
• National Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions;
• National Museum of Castel Sant'Angelo;
• National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia;
• Mint Numismatic Museum;
• Historical Museum of the Carabinieri;
• Mastroianni Museum;
• Corso Museum.

12 The Wax Museum

The Wax Museum of Roma it is the only one in Italy and the third in Europe. It has about 80 life-size statues some dating back to 1958 and restored, others created in recent years. The statues represent characters from history, literature and poetry, music, sport, cinema and art.

13 The Mastroianni Museum

Il Museum Donation of Umberto Mastroianni, a bequest from the artist to the Pio Sodalizio dei Piceni, is currently managed by the Centro Studi dell'Opera di Umberto Mastroianni, and in it it is possible to admire many of his works, including two sculptures exhibited on the occasion of the great exhibition on the Italian twentieth century held in 2000 at Stables of the Quirinale or those that have been exhibited in Japan, China e United States to represent Italy.

14 Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

Il Roman Forum in one of the most famous streets of Rome: Via dei Fori Romani. The first settlement of Rome was certainly on Palatine Hill. And here is who the legend locates Romulus and Remus and the she-wolf who suckled them. The buildings were built on the hill, while the forum was built at the foot as we can see today. The visit to Roman Forum it's free. Here you will find: the Temple of Castor and Pollux,Arch of Septimius Severus,Arch of Constantine andArch of Titus. Entry is permitted every day from 9,00 am to one hour before sunset. The entrance to palatine there is a fee and the ticket also allows entry to the Colosseum.

Do not miss: Rome, the best itineraries

Roman forum

15 MACRO Museum of Contemporary Art

Il MACRO is the museum center in the city of Rome dedicated to Contemporary Art, committed to presenting to the public the most significant artistic expressions that the capital and the world offer. The MACRO circuit is made up of two museum locations: the first and main one in via Nice, at the former Peroni factory, while the second – MACRO Testaccio and Pelanda – in the area of ​​the former slaughterhouse.

16 Keats-Shelley house

Il Keats-Shelley Museum is based in the heart of the historic center of Rome, in an eighteenth-century building located in Piazza di Spagna, to the right of the Trinità dei Monti steps. The place, particularly loved and remembered by English painters, writers, poets and musicians, was the last stay of the poet Joh Keats who lived in the building for a few months and died there in February 1821. In 1903, a group of American, English and Italian scholars and scholars founded the Keats-Shelley Memorial Association which in 1906 purchased the building to preserve the poets' works romantics Keats, Shelley and Byron.

17 Lesser known museums in Rome

• Museum Archive of historical photography: the Museum/Archive of Photography historical section is made up of three sections: Permanent exhibition section of photographic equipment from the century. XNUMXth to century XX; Archive of Historical Photographic Funds; Library specialized in the history of photography composed of the bibliographic collection of the National Photographic Cabinet (GFN), part of the Becchetti Collection as well as subsequent acquisitions.
  The Museum is committed to the constant work of conservation, protection and enhancement of the photographic heritage. It acquires new funds and archives otherwise removed from public use.
• Civic Museum of Zoology: with its spectacular exhibitions and around 3 million preserved artefacts, the Civic Museum of Zoology is one of the main reference centers for the knowledge and conservation of biodiversity. Located in Rome, in the heart of Villa Borghese, recounts the central themes of the world of animals through an interactive and multimedia journey: from the strategies implemented to reproduce and guarantee the survival of species, to the extraordinary adaptations to the most extreme environments - such as deserts, caves or polar ice - with complex of life in a coral reef, to the secrets of our home in the room dedicated to the wetlands of Lazio. The itinerary is completed by some important historical collections on display to the public. There is also a rich calendar of activities and events for all ages.
• Dario Argento's Museum of Horrors: the museum, founded in 1989 by the famous director Dario Argento, houses reproductions of environments and special effects related to horror and fantasy cinema. The museum is located in the basement of a horror items shop called "Profondo Rosso" (identical name to the famous director's film) and is accessed via a spiral staircase. The structure consists of a single corridor at the sides of which are of dark cells. Inside the cells you can admire the reproductions of scenes from the most famous horror films, as well as memorabilia (many of which are original) that belonged both to films directed by Dario Argento and to those directed by other Italian and foreign directors. During the visit you will be accompanied by a guiding voice and various sound effects that help keep the suspense alive.
• Torquato Tasso Museum: Dedicated to the poet Torquato Tasso, was inaugurated in 1939 in the premises of the Convent of S. Onofrio al Gianicolo, managed by the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. The poet died in this building on 25 April 1595: his tomb is located in the chapel of the church.
  Some of his relics are kept there such as the urn which preserved his ashes for many years, an autograph letter and some personal objects including a crucifix and ancient ceramics. Ancient editions of La Gerusalemme Liberata and other works by him are also displayed in display cases. In addition to the museum it is also possible to visit the convent and the cloister.
• Museum of the Ancient Near East: Vicino Oriente is part of the La Sapienza Museum Complex. The PmS constitutes an integrated system of university museums that preserve a wealth of collections capable of illustrating different fields of knowledge, in relation to both scientific and humanistic disciplines.
  Founded in 1962 to conserve finds from excavations conducted in the Near East, it was then significantly enriched with collections that have both an important educational and scientific significance.
• Museum of the walls of Rome: The Museum is housed inside the Porta S. Sebastiano of the Aurelian walls and offers visitors an educational itinerary which was created in 1990 but the history of the use of the monument for uses more or less in keeping with its importance began a long time ago Before. In 1939, despite the contrary opinion of the Antiquities and Fine Arts Division, which opposed the transformation of the monument into an artistic studio, which had already been open to the public for years, some work was carried out in the internal rooms of the Gate to adapt them to the home and private studio of the secretary of the fascist party Ettore Muti, who remained there from 1941 to '43. New floors were rebuilt since the masonry vaults had collapsed, new rooms were created with dividing walls, wooden and masonry stairs were installed, and the travertine and brick floors were also redone, with the insertion of two mosaics on the first floor.
• Museum of crystallographic instrumentation and information: the civic museum of Campagnano displays materials relating to the mansio of Vacanas (31th century AD) found near km XNUMX of the Via Cassia. The archaeological exploration of the site has brought to light the remains of the Roman consular road and a series of buildings, including some tabernae and a thermal complex. The find is of considerable interest, since it is the only Roman post station currently under excavation in Italy.
• “Giuseppe Sergi” Museum of Anthropology: in 1984, the Anthropology Museum belonging to the Museum Center of La Sapienza University was named after Giuseppe Sergi who had founded it exactly a century earlier. The museum preserves finds and collections that are of interest for anthropology, paleoanthropology and the natural history of primates. The exhibition sector hosts an audio-visual room and two educational paths regularly open to the public.
• Physics Museum of Rome: The Museum of the Department of Physics at Sapienza University preserves the instruments used in teaching and research in the physical sciences sector from the end of the 700th century to the 900s, including the mechanical calculator used by Enrico Fermi. The Museum, a concrete testimony to the evolution of physics in Rome, was opened in 1978.

Things to do in Rome

18 Field of flowers

During your stay in Rome you will have to make a stop in Field of 'Fiori also just called "Field“. A lively square during the day, with a rich open-air market, and packed in the evening, with all its bars and clubs. Field of flowers is the alternative to Navona Square as it is more popular even if today it has also become a less free-range square. At the center of the square stands the statue of Giordano Bruno, philosopher burned alive for his ideas that placed philosophy above religion.

19 Trastevere

The district of Trastevere it is best known for its nightlife. Located beyond the Tiber, hence its name, Trastevere it is animated by young people, tourists and Romans. The trattorias, the trendiest bars and the streets are always full of people who liven up the neighborhood. It is certainly one of the most loved places by Romans and tourists. A place of places. Worth visiting is the Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere, located in the square of the same name.

20 ghetto ebraico

In ghetto ebraico, located on the banks of the Tiber river, there are places with Jewish cuisine (note i Giudia artichokes), the Synagogue with museum and typical Jewish shops. It is here that the Jews were deported by the Nazis during the Second World War and it is here that they took refuge from centuries-old harassment by the Vatican. Rome's Jewish community dates back over 2000 years and is the oldest in Europe.

21 Villa Borghese

Villa Borghese: it is the green soul of Rome, an ideal place for a relaxing walk away from the chaos of the city, but still remaining in the center of the city. A walk among the groves, along the artificial lake or in the biopark contained within it are to be included in the list "Rome: what to do".

Quick information on Rome: where to eat, how to get there, how to get around

22 How to get to Rome

As well as by car, you can reach Rome by train, arriving at the train station Rome Termini, or by plane arriving at theRome Fiumicino airport or at Ciampino Rome Airport.

23 How to get around Rome

 move to Rome we recommend using the metro service (faster and avoiding traffic) or the bus service. However, using the car is inadvisable due to the constant traffic. The alternative is taxis which, however, are not entirely cheap. If you want to travel by car you can also take into consideration the different services of car sharing that you can find on site but watch out for traffic!

24 Where to eat in Rome

Walking around the city you will realize how many restaurants and pizzerias there are on every corner, especially in the more touristy areas. The typical Roman cuisine is really very good, so we advise you not to leave it out on the list."Rome: what to eat” the following dishes: amatriciana, gricia, cacio e pepe and carbonara, four very famous and truly tasty first courses; Lamb Alla Romana as second e cream cheese like sweet. Avoid the most crowded places with a strong tourist presence. At the Garbatella, south of Rome, for example, you can find places with "authentic" Roman cuisine while in ghetto ebraico you can enjoy artichokes Giudia style.

25 Where to sleep in Rome

For your choice hotels in Rome we recommend areas that are not very central and therefore cheaper, but still well connected by the subway, such as the area Colosseum, Garbatella, etc. There Prati area it is very expensive as are the other areas of the centre. Rome has a few days of low season, in the winter or in August. Therefore it is always difficult to book. Move early.

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