A Walk Around Rome

Rome is one of the most vibrant, exciting cities we’ve ever been to. We were fortunate to visit Rome, once again, for a short visit. Like most cities in Europe, with some good shoes, the best way to see the city is to get out and walk. Since we’d been there before, we decided to hit some of our favorite stops walking through the city over two short days. This, by no means is a comprehensive list, just a few interesting, historical stops, good to give a taste of all Rome has to offer.

Stop #1 - The Roman Forum

Right in the middle of the city there is this glimpse into real ancient history. The Roman Forum dates back to the 8th century when it was the center of probably one of the most important cities of it’s time. It was a marketplace and a gathering place. There were churches, shrines and government buildings. Julius Caesar himself had a temple built called, Basilica Julus in 54 BC.

It is just stunning to look at the ruins of these ancient buildings right in the middle of this bustling city. The arch to the left is the Arch of Septimius Severus, a pretty well preserved arch from 203 AD that commemorates an ancient Roman victory.

This part of Rome actually sits low in a bit of a bowl, as it was a marshy area before it was built. As Rome grew, one way they dealt with the water that continued to flow was to simply build over it. That created ruins beneath the ruins, that archeologists discovered over the years.

The Roman Forum is part of the Coliseum National park. You could spend all day just inside this part of the park. This is a definite “must stop” while visiting Rome.

Stop #2 - Victor Emmanuel II Monument

In contrast to the Roman Forum, just down the road is a relatively “new” monument, the Victor Emmanuel II. The massive complex took almost 50 years to build, completing construction in 1935. It it is a monument to Victor Emmanuel II the first king of a unified Italy. Oddly enough, it’s nickname is “The Wedding Cake,” because of its color, shape and size.

As you can see in the above picture, the building was built right on the site of some of the ancient ruins of the Roman Forum.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is here as well. It is guarded 24 hours a day, with an “eternal flame,” commemorating those lost at war. It was added during construction after WWI and sits below the statue of Roma.

As you ascend the stairs one of the massive bronze statues sits atop a monument. This statue is of Victor Emmanuel II himself riding his horse.

A view from the top of Victor Emmanuel II monument, looking down on Piazza Venezia. The church is the Santa Maria di Loreto, a 16th century Catholic Church. The tall column just in front of the 2nd dome is the Trajan's Column, which commemorates Emperor Trajan’s win during ancient Roman times. The column dates back to 113 AD. What makes this structure unique, are the carvings of Roman battles along the entire 93 ft height of the column. Oh, and the fact that something this old has stood for such a long time in one place.

A broader panoramic shot from a top the monument. In this shot there is the Roman Forum and the Coliseum off to the right. To the left are the ruins of Trajan’s Market built in around 110 AD.

A closer look at Trajan’s Market, which is thought to be essentially the first shopping mall.

Basilica of St. Mary of the Altar of Heaven

Perfectly named, this church sits at the highest point of the entire Capitoline Hill area, where many of these monuments lie. It’s noted for these very steep stairs. How you would you like to climb these 124 stairs for church every week?

Stop #3 - Trevi Fountain

Oh you have to stop here! A lot of people complain about the crowds, but like everything, they ebb and flow allowing everyone to get their perfect picture. Relative to a lot of Rome, the Trevi Fountain is old but not ancient, as it was constructed in the 18th century. On our last visit the fountain was undergoing restoration work so it was great to see it again.

In 1732, the Pope, started a competition among artists to design a fountain where “three streets'“ met, thus the name “Trevi.”

And of course, do not forget to leave a coin in the fountain. It means you will once again return to Rome.

Stop #4 - The Pantheon

The Pantheon is my very favorite stop in Rome. I am just fascinated by this ancient building that has been continuously used since the 7th century. This is probably why it remains in such good shape. There are still services held here every week, as it welcomes thousands of visitors every year.

The unique architecture of the Pantheon is striking inside. The rotunda itself is the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, 2000 years after it was constructed. The opening at the top, the oculus, at one point provided the only light, other than the doors into the building. Oh, and the oculus opening does not close, making it challenging when it rains.

Throughout the round building there are many fine works of art. There are also many famous Romans and Italians buried here. From Roman times, burials include artists Rafael and Annibale Carracci. Italian Kings Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto are both buried here. It is an official church, with services throughout the week.

Looking out from the Pantheon at the massive granite columns in the portico. A visit to the Pantheon is free, but you do have to cue up in a line. The day we were there we waited no more than 5 minutes to enter.

From Ancient Roman Building to Catholic Church and Monument

The exterior of the building was a sharp contrast of the thick concrete to the ornate granite portico.

I could have stayed here all day. There is so much incredible history in this ancient building. But our next stop was just a quick walk away.

Stop #5 - Piazza Navona

In the center of this piazza (above) sits Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers). Like so many works of art and architecture in this part of the world, the design of the fountain was the product of a an artist winning a design competition. This monument is just one of 3 fountains and 6 monuments inside the piazza.

Below is one of the other famous fountains, The Fountain of Neptune. The fountain is much older than the center sculpture where Neptune is wrestling an octopus. This sculpture was added years after the fountain’s original construction.

Piazza Navona is not actually a square but a long rectangle shape. It is said to have hosted ancient Roman games inside and then later, served as a large marketplace.

Stop #6 - The Tiber River

Throughout Rome there are many bridges that cross the Tiber river. There is actually a very nice trail along the river for walking and biking, much of it in the trees. The bridges themselves are mostly historical as well. We crossed the Ponte (bridge) Umberto I, named for one of the early Kings of a unified Italy.

From this bridge look what you can see…yes, that’s St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. We had been to the Vatican on another trip. I would highly recommend a stop in Vatican City if you have time.

At the end of this bridge is the Supreme Court of Italy. This beautiful building was completed in 1910 but the baroque style makes it look much older. Construction started in 1888 as Rome was made the Capital City in the newly formed “Kingdom of Italy.”

Just getting out and walking we found so much history and beautiful things to see!

Stop #7 - Any Outdoor Cafe

Starting around lunchtime, and running until well into the night, the hosts at the outdoor cafes will all be out trying to lure tourists in. They will promise food from their “grandmother’s recipe,” the best of any dish in town and good, cheap wine. The good news, is that in the heart of Rome, most streetside cafes are usually pretty good. We try to stay off of the main piazzas as prices are usually higher and look for side streets with busier cafes. That formula tends to work pretty well in finding delicious, authentic, yet not too expensive, food.

In season, never turn down grilled artichokes. They are so tender, much different than the oversized, sometimes bitter, US versions. On this trip, I was in search of the perfect carbonara. Rome was the spot to find it as it’s the birthplace of carbonara, according to some. In this tiny streetside cafe down a small ally I found the most delicious carbonara of our entire trip. And it was less than $10 USD. And who doesn’t want a pizza with a hard-boiled egg on top?

All this delicious food in small streetside cafes.

Stop #8 - The Coliseum

On a first trip to Rome going inside the coliseum for a tour is a must. Since we were on a short stay and we’d been to the coliseum, we enjoyed it in a new way, in a beautiful bar for happy hour and appetizers. The place is called The Court and it is part of a small boutique hotel. They have 4 timed seatings a night. We chose 6PM to get a pretty sunset view. But it was hot, so we chose a table in the shade.

As a part of the cover charge a delicious 3 tiered tray of appetizers is served. It was so much food. Steve asked our bartender if she could make a Manhattan for him. He said it was delicious. I made reservations six weeks in advance. There is also a restaurant upstairs but we are happy we opted for the just drinks and appetizers. The website for The Court can be found: HERE

A memory that will never be forgotten. On the last night of our bucket-list month long visit to Europe, this was our final stop.

As the sun sets on another beautiful night in Rome, the monuments, ruins, museums and sculptures all fade into the dark in this incredible city. There was so much more to see in this city, but our time in Rome was up.

Cheers Rome!

You are such an exciting, ancient city with so much to see and do. We are grateful to have visited once again and hope to be back someday.

This was the perfect ending to our long bucket list European adventure.