Rome in five days (Part 2)

This is part 2 of my suggestions on how to spend five days in Rome.

Day 3: Altare della Patria monument, Capitoline Museums, Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum

Our third day was the most exhausting and we must have walked miles even though the actual area we covered is comparatively small. We started our day by making a short stop at the Altare della Patria, or Victor Emmanuel monument (also known as the Vittoriano), for a few photos and then hurried up the stairs, known as the Cordonata, past the statues of Castor and Pollux, to Capitoline Hill. The present layout was designed by Michelangelo but this hill has been settled by humans since the Iron Age. Capitoline Hill is flanked by palaces on three sides: Palazzo Nuovo and Palazzo dei Conservatori, which house the Capitoline Museums, and Palazzo Senatorio, the city hall of Rome.

The collection of classical art at the Capitoline Museums is quite breath-taking and is a must-see for anybody interested in ancient sculptures. The massive, bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, the Dying Galatian, the Capitoline Venus and remnants from the Colossus of  Constantine are among my favourites. The Capitoline Museums also boast a fine collection of paintings by artists such as Caravaggio, Titian, Rubens and others.

Both the palaces have sumptuously decorated interiors with stuccoed ceilings, crystal chandeliers, frescoes and tapestries, that all contribute to making the visit a rewarding experience. An under-ground passage connects Palazzo dei Conservatori with Palazzo Nuovo and a corridor on the right will take you to the Tabularium (the place that used to house the archives of the Empire). From the back of the Tabularium there is a spectacular view of the Roman Forum.

Since we were running rather late, lunch consisted of pizza a taglio (a slice of pizza for which you pay by weight) from one of the very few eateries in this area, that we ate hurriedly while perched on the bottom of the steps leading to the Aracoeli church – surrounded by pigeons and the ever-watchful gulls. Be warned that it is illegal to eat on the steps of many Roman monuments. Nobody told us off but be aware that it can happen.

After our brief break we went back up the Cordonata to explore Piazza del Campidoglio in a bit more detail and then took the passageway on the left-hand side that eventually led to the Mamertine Prison. According to tradition, the apostles Peter and Paul were imprisoned here (not at the same time). In typical Roman fashion, not one, but two superimposed churches are built on top of the prison.

From the ancient prison we made our way to Via dei Fori Imperiali, so called because Trajan’s Forum is on one side of it and the Roman  Forum on the other, and walked all along it till we came to what is perhaps Rome’s most familiar and iconic landmark: the Colosseum. This immense ancient structure obviously needs no introduction so I will not go into too much detail. This is one place for which we had pre-booked tickets and it was definitely a good idea as the lines can be overwhelmingly long (tickets to the Colosseum also give you access to Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum).

The Colosseum is a marvel of ancient architecture and two thousand years later it has lost none of the visual impact with which its creators wanted to stun the onlooker. Time after time its sheer size and ostentatious display of splendour, even if partially in ruin, leaves me speechless, even a little bit giddy and breathless. This is proof, if proof is needed, that Rome was the capital of a huge and glorious empire. The Colosseum is also the best surviving reminder of Rome’s cruelty: thousands of Christians, gladiators and wild animals are estimated to have met their end in this arena of death.

After we were done ogling the Colosseum we walked past the Arch of Constantine to Palatine Hill. In the days of the Empire, Palatine Hill was the favoured abode of the Imperial family and of Rome’s elite and nobility. Not much is left of these once-lavish residences, yet there is one particular abode at the very top of the hill that cannot be missed. A small plaque identifies it as the Domus Augustana (formerly known as the Palace of Domitian) – the palace of the emperors of Rome. Even in ruins, the sheer size and scale of residence of the Caesars is unmistakable. In its heyday it had several rooms on two levels, including reception and banquet halls, a huge pool, gardens and terraces; the back part overlooks Circus Maximus – ancient Rome’s hippodrome. Entrance into the Domus Augustana is prohibited. There are various other interesting ruins on Palatine Hill but, before I end up writing a history book instead of a blog article, I will move on to the Roman Forum. If you’re interested you may find more information about Palatine Hill here.

The Roman Forum was the centre of Roman life and most day-to-day activities took place here. Temples, the Curia (the main seat of the Roman Senate), markets and shops were all crammed into the area between the Palatine and Capitoline hills. Apart from a couple of temples that were later turned into Christian churches. most of the forum buildings are in now ruins, except for the Curia that was rebuilt, the Arch of Titus and the Arch of Septimius Severus. Tired out from walking on cobble-stones the size of my head, I sat on some ruins and watched the setting sun paint the last-standing columns of the Temple of Saturn a rosy hue. It is at this magical hour, when the crowds have left and you get to experience a brief moment of absolute tranquillity, that Rome takes a hold of you and overwhelms you with her history and her beauty.

And so, we ended our day where we  had started, in Piazza Venezia at the foot of the Vittoriano, contemplating supper. We decided to go to the Jewish ghetto and dined at Il Giardino Romano, a restaurant that was highly recommended by chef Anthony Bourdain. I’ve come across many bloggers that have called the restaurants in this part of the Jewish Ghetto, touristy and mediocre but my Carciofi alla Giudia (Jewish-style artichokes i.e. fried artichokes) and fresh pasta al tartufo tasted pretty decent and there were no complaints from my husband or my son. But then, maybe our tastes are not quite as exacting as those of people who spend their time reviewing restaurants.

Day 4: Fontana di Trevi, Fontana del Tritone, Piazza di Spagna, Piazza del Popolo, Mausoleum of Augustus

Taking a side road off of Via del Corso (called Via dei Sabini) soon brought us to the most famous fountain in Rome, and maybe the world – Fontana di Trevi. Fontana di Trevi is one of those unexpected surprises that only Rome can spring on you: a narrow maze of shaded streets that are suddenly filled with the splashing sound of cascading water and, before you can say ‘Julius Caesar’ you find yourself in a piazza (I will not call it a square because it is anything but) thronged with people and dominated by this huge fountain in white marble that has been buffed and cleaned until it seems to luminesce ever to slightly in the bright Roman sunshine. It is a dizzying spectacle and, already in the early morning, we have to wait for the special moment when, left hand over right shoulder, we throw our coin into the water to ensure our return to Rome. In spite of all the crowds I always find it hard to leave this Baroque concoction that somehow reminds me of a wedding cake created for some giant race. But there’s more to see, so leave I must.

From Fontana di Trevi we  headed to the very busy Piazza Barberini to admire Bernini’s Triton Fountain.

About 10 minutes later we hit the bottom of Via Veneto, got lost for a few minutes because I was holding the map the wrong way round and notoriously hate to ask for directions and, after a little detour, arrived at the top of the Spanish Steps. We admired the view and descended to the more crowded lower steps at the bottom of which is the Barcaccia  fountain, created by Bernini’s less famous father, Pietro.

Then we did what most other people do, sat on the steps and people-watched. The Spanish Steps are flanked by the Keats-Shelley house, where English poet John Keats died at the age of 25 in 1821, on one side and Babington’s Tea Rooms on the other. Babington’s was founded by two English spinsters in 1896 and is the go-to place in Rome if you’re craving a pot of specially blended tea.

Refreshed from our rest we walked down Via dei Condotti, lined with designer boutiques (like Armani, Louis Vuitton and Burberry) and jewellery shops. Everything was out of our price range but we were looking for the Magistral Palace of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. We came across it about half-way down the street – there is no mistaking the eight-pointed cross that, to this day, is so synonymous with Malta.

Our next stop was Piazza del Popolo and we reached it by walking down Via del Babuino (which actually translates to Baboon Street), instead of the more chaotic Via del Corso. On our way we stopped at one of the many little cafeterias for lunch. Piazza del Popolo was designed by architect Giuseppe Valadier in the early 19th century. At its centre is a huge Egyptian obelisk brought to Rome by Emperor Augustus in 10BC, with four lions at its base. To the north of the piazza is the Porta del Popolo which formed part of the  old city walls. It was redesigned by Bernini in 1655. To the left of the Porta del Popolo is the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo that was allegedly built over the tomb of Nero and is home to two paintings by Caravaggio, the Conversion of St Paul and the Crucifixion of St  Peter. To the south of the square, on either side of Via del Corso, are the almost-twin churches of Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria di Montesanto. Piazza del Popolo and the upper part of Via del Corso have been pedestrianised and the latter makes for a great shopping and gelato-eating area.

Once back on Via del Corso we took a right on Via Antonio Cavour to go and visit the Mausoleum of Augustus. Unfortunately, it is currently closed for restoration. Across the road from the mausoleum is the Ara Pacis museum. The Ara Pacis, or altar of peace, was built in 13BC to commemorate the return of Emperor Augustus to Rome. I am afraid that, at this point, we just flopped down on the steps close to the museum and watched some Roman youths practising their dance moves. I wonder what Augustus would have thought.

We spent the rest of the evening leisurely taking a tram to Trastevere where we ate supper at Da Lillo. I tried the very traditional pasta al cacio e pepe (pecorino cheese and pepper) which I really enjoyed but my husband’s comments about the meat ball sauce that accompanied his spaghetti were not so positive.

Day 5: San Giovanni in Laterano, San Pietro in Vincole, Giovanni Barracco Museum

We decided we would try and take it easy on our last day in Rome. We started off by taking a bus to the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano. San  Giovanni is dedicated to Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. It is considered to be the oldest church in Rome and, to this day, is the cathedral of Rome. A church has stood on this site since 312AD when the first building was constructed by Emperor Constantine. The interior of the current basilica was designed by Francesco Borromini whilst the façade was the work of Alessandro Galilei, in neo-classical style. We arrived at San Giovanni early enough not to have to wait in line for security. People who arrived by the time we were ready to leave were not so lucky. Having said that, the lines to enter San Giovanni are nowhere as long as the ones for St Peter’s.

San Pietro in Vincoli (St Peter in Chains) is around a 15 minutes bus ride away from San Giovanni and is worth a visit. This church is most famous for the majestic, marble statue of Moses sculpted by Michelangelo for the tomb of Pope Julius II. The tomb never materialised and the sculpture ended up in this church instead.

We returned to the Pantheon area and had lunch somewhere (can’t remember the name) but there are many restaurants to choose from in this area. I do remember that we bought gelati from Ciuccula’, located just off of Piazza della Rotonda. Next door to Ciuccula’ is one of those unforgettable Roman institutions: a coffee shop, but not just any coffee shop, it’s one of those places where you order coffee and drink it at the bar. La Casa del Caffe Tazza d’Oro was BUSY and had an old-time feel about it that we really liked. It was also noisy and full of life and really different from these coffee shop chains (I won’t mention them by name) that are all the rage. You will not get any fancy flavours here. Just coffee as it should be drunk.

Since we had apparently not had our fill of ancient sculptures, we decided to visit the Museo di Scultura Antica Giovanni Barracco that is conveniently located between Piazza Navona and Campo de Fiori (on Corso Vittorio Emanuele). This museum is free of charge and has a wonderfully-curated collection of sculptures and art from the ancient world including Egyptian, Assyrian, Phoenician, Cypriot, Etruscan, Greek and Roman. Throughout his lifetime Giovanni Barracco, an aristocrat, was a passionate student of the ancient world and archaeology, amassing an impressive private collection of sculptures and artefacts that were displayed around his home. In 1902 Barracco donated his collection to the City of Rome. Unlike the huge Capitoline or Vatican Museums, the Giovanni Barracco museum is small enough to be covered in less than two hours and, since it is still somewhat unknown, there are no lines or crowds to contend with. So it was a perfect, intimate conclusion to our stay in Rome.

I hope you have enjoyed my suggestions for a five-day stay in Rome. There are other facets of this fascinating city that I will share in the coming weeks. Until then, you can find part 1 of the itinerary here and my confession on why I love Rome so much here.

Location: Rome, Italy (March 2018)

All images ©Sincerely, Loree