Contents: Caput Mundi, Baroque, jewelry, La Dolce Vita, Trevi fountain, Anita Ekberg, Colloseum, Vatican City Museum, Maria Maggiore, River Tiber, Apennine Mountains, Tyrrhenian Sea, Roman Catholicism, Romulus and Remus, Princess Rhea Silvia, Palatine Hill, Railroad Station, Stazione Termini, and the Tiburtina Station, Eurostar trains, Tiburtina, by bus and by metro, Trenitalia, Leonardo da Vinci, Taxi, Stanze and the Sistine Chapel, Pantheon, Porta Portese Flea Market, Shopping, Giolitti, Piazza Navona, Galeria Borghese, Gay and Lesbian, pasta, wine and pizza, Centro Storico, along Via Cavour and around Stazione Termini, Borgo district, gelaterie and pasticcerie, bars restaurants panini and tramezzini, "La Tradizione" and "Franchi", Campo dei Fiori, clubs, nightclubs, discoteche, Testaccio, Piramide metro station

Rome Travel Guide

Rome Caput Mundi, Rome the ageless City. A different city around the world because of the absolutely opposite styles of art and life that manage to live side by side there: Imperial Rome and Baroque Rome, sophisticated Rome and working-class Rome.

Rome has a long and tempestuous history. No other city had the attention center of the world for such a long period. The city more loved of the Roman Empire, lavished with architectural jewelry by her emperors, but also often seized raided and destroyed. Also fires and earthquakes left their scars, but each time the eternal city recovered from her injuries.

Rome's history is strongly related to the history of Europe. Not just the Roman emperors, but also medieval emperors and kings like Charlemagne or Otto I saw Rome as the true seat of power. They confronted the new rulers, the popes for the supreme power. It was the dispute about who was the true representative of God. Both emperor and pope claimed to be true inheritors of the Roman Empire.

It is said that one life is not enough to get to comprehend Rome. Maybe you'll require about ten, as much as the countless stray cats that also occupy the city, but a week will do for a first introduction. At each corner of each street there’s a story to tell. Thousands of stories together tell the history of a three thousand year old city. Two weeks may be enough for a hasty tour through most everything; a month would be better. Fortunately, Rome (population 2.900.000) is compact enough to skim the best in three (full) days, and if you have more time we guarantee you will find delightful and fulfilling ways to use it.

The most impressive features in Rome comprehend the Trevi fountain (remind Anita Ekberg in the classic scene in La Dolce Vita) and the Spanish Steps, the Roman heritage sights such as the Pantheon, the Colloseum and the Forum Romanum, at least some of the world famous churches such as Il Gesu, S. Giovanni in Laterano or Sta. Maria Maggiore. Make sure not to miss a stroll through the Vatican City with the incredibly huge St. Peter's Cathedral and the unrivalled Vatican Museum.

The City of Rome

Located on the River Tiber, among the Apennine Mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea, Rome, the capital of Italy, this place is one of the world's oldest cities as well as one of the principal centers of European culture. With the enclave of the Vatican City within its territory, Rome is also the center of Roman Catholicism.

The city was founded during the eight century BC on an important trade route between the Etruscans to the north and the Greek colonies to the south. The legendary origins of Rome are related in the tale of Romulus and Remus. Princess Rhea Silvia, ravished by Mars (the God of War), gave birth to the twins and abandoned them to fate. The River Tiber carried them to the Palatine Hill, where a she-wolf mothered the babes until their discovery by a shepherd. Romulus later killed Remus, before going on to found Rome in the marshy lowlands of seven hills. As the centre of a massive Roman Empire, Rome was already a large city by the second century A.D. At its peak in the 3rd century, Rome had a population of 2 million! Its fortune fluctuated with the times and its population dropped in the middle Ages until the renaissance ushered in a new era of growth.

The city was chosen as capital after the unification of Italy in 1870. Rome has stayed as the political, administrative and cultural center of Italy. Situated among Italy's North and South, and thoroughly detested by both, Rome is perhaps the perfect capital for a country like Italy. Once the seat of a great empire, and later the home of the papacy, which governed its dominions from here with a distant and autocratic hand, it's still seen as a place somewhat apart from the rest of Italy, spending money made elsewhere on the corrupt and bloated government machine that runs the country. Romans, the thinking seems to go, are a lazy lot, not to be trusted and living very nicely off the fat of the rest of the land. Even Romans find it hard to disagree with this analysis: in a city of around four million, there are around 600,000 office-workers, compared to an industrial workforce of one sixth of that.

As other large cities, the inner city deteriorated somewhat but most city inhabitants who fled this deterioration did not completely sever their ties with Rome. Rather, they commuted to their jobs and took advantage of the many cultural and social opportunities offered by the city.

The economy of Rome is characterized by the deficiency of heavy industry, but commercial activities especially banking and the development of tourism are exceptionally important to its economy. Universities, national radio and television and the movie industry in Rome are also important elements of the economy. A phenomenon particular to Rome is the widespread incidence of double employment, people working two jobs.

Getting Rome

Rome is situated almost in the center of the Italian peninsula and therefore is easily accessible either from the north or from the south of the country. The capital is well related to the rest of Italy and the world, thanks to the two airports and the excellent highway and train systems.

By train
Regular trains from the central Railroad Station, Stazione Termini, and the Tiburtina Station connect to the major cities in Italy and Europe. The capital's main station is Roma Termini: from here depart the majority of fast long distance trains (Eurostar, Intercity, Espressi) to all points in Italy. The Eurostar trains are the most rapid, next are the intercity trains and last are the local trains. From Termini buses take off for all destinations and there is a subway stop also. Some trains, particularly night ones, come and go from Roma Tiburtina. It is the second train station in Rome and is reachable from Termini by bus and by metro. For times please consult the Trenitalia site or call the green number 89 20 21.

By plane
The main airport, Leonardo da Vinci (also known as Fiumicino), is located 26km (15 miles) southwest of the city center, with flights for Italian, European and Intercontinental destinations. The airport is very well linked to Roma Termini station by the Leonardo Express train, with departures every 30 minutes or by metro FM1, with some stops, to Roma Tiburtina. Between 11.30pm and 5am there is a Cotral night bus linking Fiumicino to Stazione Termini and Stazione Tiburtina. A shuttle bus connects the parking with arrivals and departures from terminal A, B and C. Ciampino (CIA) is the second airport of Rome and is mainly used by low-cost airlines. To get to the city you must first take a Cotral bus (every half hour) and then subway A from Anagnina station. Also available is the Terravision Shuttle in conjunction with Ryanair and Easy-Jet flights.

By car
Rome is circumscribed in its entirety by a ring road (Raccordo Anulare) where highways coming from all parts of Italy meet. Those coming from Naples and from the South generally must travel the whole length of highway A1. For those coming from the North of Italy, from Tuscany or Umbria, follow A1 "Autostrada del Sole" up to the capital. From Genoa, Pisa and from the Tyrrhenian coast take A12 up to Rosignano and continue on Superstrada S1 "Aurelia" up to Rome. From Pescara and from the Adriatic coast you must take A24/A25 up to destination.

Getting Around Rome

Driving and parking in Rome can be quite difficult. When you're not walking a solution for getting around Rome, is to use public transportation. The bus lines comprehend the entire city and give you a chance to mingle, though at times a little too closely, with Romans and other tourists.

The metro can be useful if you're remaining near a station. The 2 lines don't cover much of the city but it can be a very fast way of getting around if you happen to be going near a station. The metro also connects with some of the train stations and the Cotral buses that go out of town.

By Bus
Bus is the most popular way of transport in Rome; the buses are managed by ATAC and Cotral, with ATAC buses generally serving the city centre and most of the suburbs while COTRAL buses service the outer suburbs and outlying regional areas. Buses and trams generally run between 6am and midnight every day, with popular routes served every 10 minutes and with night buses. You get on the bus by the front or back doors and you get off by the middle doors. You'll see many people breaking this rule. Sometimes the front or back are so crowded, the only choice is to try the middle. Unless you have a pass, you'll need to stamp your ticket immediately.

The bus lines connect the entire city. They can be crowded and can get stuck in traffic, but it still beats driving and searching for parking. The vast majority of buses don't run on a schedule, so you never really know when they are showing up. In the historic center, you don't usually have to wait too long, unless you're tired and it's raining. There are a few buses, called Linea Esatta that runs on a predetermined schedule. They generally only run during the week.

Press the buzzer to signal the driver to stop at the next bus stop for you to get off. And at times, while you stay at the bus stop, you will need to flag down a passing bus to get them to stop. Some stops are optional and they will only stop if you wave at them. This usually only applies to stops out of the center and when there aren't any other people at the bus stop.

By Metro
The metro is generally much faster than the bus system since there is no traffic, but it has some disadvantages too. In Rome there are only 2 lines and at times they run a bit parallel so they don't include a lot of destinations. Many of Rome's major sites are not that convenient to metro stations. The exceptions are the Spanish steps and the Colosseum. It's also a bit noisy and you don't get to see any sights as you travel.

The 2 lines are the Linea A, or red line and the Linea B, or blue line and you can change from one line to the other at the main train station, Termini. The red line runs from Battistini to Anagnina and includes stops near the Vatican Museums (Cipro), the Vatican (Ottaviano), the Cola di Rienzo shopping area (Lepanto), Piazza del Popolo (Flaminia), the Spanish Steps (Piazza di Spagna), via Veneto (Barberini) and San Giovanni.

The blue lines runs from Rebibbia to Laurentina and includes stops near Eur, St. Pauls Outside the Walls (Basilica S. Paolo), Piramide (also the Ostiense train station), Circus Maximus (Circo Massimo), the Colosseum (Colosseo) and the Tiburtina train station. You must know the last stop of the direction you're going to get to the right platform. There will be signs in the station showing the stops along the way and also onboard the metro. On the blue line, you'll have to push a button to get the doors to open. On the red line, the doors open automatically.

By Taxi
When we only possess a few days to visit Rome, we do a combination of walking and taking taxis instead of using the buses. Taxis are not that expensive and are very convenient. Taxis in Rome are white, have a "Taxi" sign on the roof and have sign on the side of the car. Taxis have a meter. The meter starts at a preset amount which differs by time of day. The easiest way to get a taxi is at a Taxi Stand. You will see them around the historic center. If there are taxis waiting, go to the taxi at the front of the line. If there are no taxis waiting, people make a line at the Taxi sign and cabs come by and pick people up.

You are not guaranteed to have an English speaking operator when you call for a taxi. If you do not speak Italian, and cannot find a Taxi Stand, go into a bar/café, order a drink, and have the bar person call a taxi for you.

Best of Rome

The Vatican Museums The Vatican Museums make up the richest and most extensive museum collection in the world. The Raphael Stanze and the Sistine Chapel are worth the price of entrance alone.

Pantheon The most complete ancient Roman structure in the city, the Pantheon, finished around 125AD, is still to be marveled at for its enormous dome. Inside, you can visit the tomb of Raphael.

Porta Portese Flea Market The Porta Portese flea market straggles all the way down Via Portuense to Trastevere train station, a riot of antiques, bric-a-brac, old clothes and pure junk.

The Church of Sant'Ignazio In the centro storico, the church of Sant'Ignazio has a marvelous and often overlooked trompe l'oeil false cupola, covered in figures in various states of action and repose.

The Church of San Clemente With a Mithraic temple in its lower levels, an earlier Christian church above, and a medieval basilica above that, San Clemente is Rome's unique history in microcosm.

The Galleria Borghese Just opened after a drawn-out (even by Italian standards) refurbishment, the Galeria Borghese is one of the city's finest small collections, with a fantastic array of Bernini statues.

Giolitti In the heart of the old city, Giolitti may be Rome's best place to enjoy great ice cream, with no fewer than seventy flavours on offer until 2am each morning.

Piazza Navona Piazza Navona is perhaps the closest Rome has to a central square: go to be a tourist, stroll past the pavement artists and check out Bernini's typically grandiose Fountain of the Four Rivers.

The Church of Immaculate Conception A must for fans of the macabre, the Church of Immaculate Conception has the bones of some 4000 Capuchin monks set out in patterns on the walls or simply left as skeletons and wrapped in their original gowns.

Gay and Lesbian in Rome

The year 2000 was a progress year for gay and lesbian Rome. In direct opposition with the pope's officially homophobic policies, the Eternal City was declared the official site of "World Pride 2000". The first week of July saw an inundation of the Rainbow Coalition from all over, come to celebrate their love among the ruins - which was interesting, considering that the city also hosted hundreds of thousands of Catholic pilgrims.

Peculiarly, Italy has never had anti-same-sex laws; it was presumably always enough simply to create an aura of massive disapproval around same-sex love. Consequently, gay and lesbian life in Rome is still conducted a bit on the sly, with gay venues hidden away and blacked-out from the street. There isn't any danger, Rome is a remarkably safe city, just a pervasive feeling of original sin.

There's a full range of same-sex offerings in Rome, although the city is certainly no Barcelona or Amsterdam The number of clubs, bars, saunas and such, is relatively limited, and you have to be on guard for the considerable presence of trade, usually recent arrivals from Eastern Europe, who cater largely to Vatican officials and other closet cases. However, you can certainly find a good time; there are also outdoor cruising/sex areas and some clubs have dark rooms, too, for those who prefer their encounters to be anonymous. There is no particularly gay part of town; clubs and bars are spread far and wide. Also, choices exclusively for women remain very few, although most places welcome both gay men and lesbians

Eating and Drinking in Rome

Eating in Rome

Romans are still very much in touch with the land, the people have small farms of their own in the countryside nearby, or they return to their home villages regularly. So the city's denizens know a good deal about freshness and authenticity, and can be very demanding when it comes to the quality of the dishes they are served.

Rome, pasta, wine and pizza. Here, it is not necessary to search for restaurants. Everywhere you will find small and cheap but nice trattorie, osterie and ristoranti. Prices, even in the centre, are reasonable and the quality remains of a fair standard. Many nice places are to be found in the Centro Storico, along Via Cavour and around Stazione Termini. Similarly, you can eat cheaply in the Borgo district around the Vatican.

In consequence, eating out is a major, often hours-long, activity in Rome, and the meals you'll enjoy generally range from good to truly remarkable. You'll find that most city-centre restaurants offer standard Italian dishes, although a few more adventurous restaurants have been popping up of late. Rome is also blessed with an abundance of good, honest pizzerias, churning out thin, crispy-baked pizza from wood-fired ovens. House wine is usually drinkable, but rarely memorable, but there are also any numbers of enoteche - wine bars - who really know their business. We've also listed a range of places serving snacks, though most bars serve panini and tramezzini and, at the end of the chapter, the best of the city's gelaterie and pasticcerie.

Vegetarians will find plenty of options in virtually all Italian eateries. Many pastas and pizzas, of course, are made entirely without meat; lentils and other beans and pulses are a part of traditional cookery; and wonderful fresh vegetables and cheeses are always available. Even so, there are a number of restaurants that specialize in vegetarian cuisine, and some of them are among the most appealing places in Rome.

One final caveat: generally speaking it's hard to find truly bad food and rip-off prices in Rome. However, it may be wise to avoid places that are adjacent to some major monuments, such as the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, or the Vatican. The food in these places can be poor, and the prices truly outlandish, sometimes as much as three times the going rate.

Drinking in Rome

For the people who wish to enjoy of wine, many wine cellars in the city organise wine tasting courses and information-giving meetings about vineyards, harvesting, fermentation and all the processes related to the production of this nectar of the gods. Among some of the places in the city that organize such events, we can name "La Tradizione" and "Franchi".

Drinking is not something Romans do a lot of, at least not in public. Despite that, you'll find plenty of bars in Rome, and, although, as with the rest of Italy, most are functional daytime haunts and not at all the kinds of places you'd want to spend an evening, due to the considerable presence of Anglo-Americans, there are plenty of more conducive bars and pubs - there's now an Irish pub practically on every corner in central Rome. Many drinking spots are slick and expensive excuses for people to sit and pose, but most have the advantage of having late opening hours - sometimes until 4am in summer, and almost always until around 1am.

A recent phenomenon is the rise of wine bars (enoteche or vinerie). The old ones have gained new cachet and newer ones, with wine lists the size of unabridged dictionaries, are weighing in too, often with gourmet menus to go with the superb wines they offer. There's also been a recent proliferation of wine-tastings ( degustazioni), a chance to sample some interesting vintages, often at no cost. Those that still concentrate on the fruit of the vine, however, are many in number and we've listed the best here.

Nightlife in Rome

Roman nightlife retains some of the smart ethos, Romans like taking it easy; and nightlife of Rome may seem rather tame to those accustomed to the cutting-edge buzz of other European cities. A typical night out for Romans usually involves a long dinner with a group of friends, starting after 9pm and continuing until after midnight.

Bars in the centre of town are good places to start. Most have tables outside where you can sit around and people-watch until the small hours. There have lately been initiatives oriented at reducing noise by earlier closing hours, but this isn't yet widespread. Campo dei Fiori, the Piazza Navona area, and Trastevere are some of the best places for an evening out. Locals and tourists alike stroll around the streets all evening, or sit at the many welcoming bars, which range from the stylish to the homely. If you want drunken good times, meeting other foreigners and predatory locals, head for one of the hundreds of Irish/Scottish pubs.

Rome's clubs run the gamut. There are vast brightness palaces with stunning lights and sound systems, predictable dance music and an over-dressed, over-made-up clientele - good if you can afford it and just want to dance (and observe a good proportion of Romans in their natural Saturday-night element). For nightclubs, discoteche, the best area to head for is Testaccio. The area around Piramide metro station and spreading down the Via Ostiense contains the highest concentration of nightclubs. In the summer most nightclubs close down, and nightlife relocates to the seaside and to 'villages' around the edge of town. Visitors from the UK will be surprised and maybe shocked at young people's night-time reliance on cars and scooters - and the cavalier attitude to drink-driving. Be prepared for venues surrounded by traffic chaos, which are hard to reach by public transport. Research your transport options; take taxi funds.

Some recommended Rome bars:

Bar del Fico: (Centro Storico) Tel: 00 39 668 65205.
Description: Formerly a neighbourhood coffee bar, now a street-side institution that gets so packed on summer nights you may think you’re queuing for a Roma game. There are few cooler places to order a long-glass drink and soak up the sun while watching the beauties pass by.

Jonathan's Angels (Centro Storico, Via della Fossa, 16) Tel: 00 39 6689 3426.
Description: Nothing to do with bikers or Charlie's but a cult spot all the same. Located in Centro Storico, you enter an extraordinary space decorated in all manner of colourful kitsch, with pop art and plastic furniture scattered around like it’s Warhol’s Factory. A large variety of beers and cocktails lubricate the atmosphere and before long you've made friend's with everyone around you. Check out the outlandish loos before you leave.

Zest - Es Hotel (Termini, Via F. Turati, 171) Tel: 39 06 444 841.
Description: Miami chic wings its way to Rome at the seventh-floor roof top bar of the ultra-sexy Es Hotel. With an interior of sleek ergonomic chairs, polished black surfaces and a clean-lined bar counter, it’s definitely got a touch of Ian Schrager, which you may or may not approve of.