When in Rome...

By M.J. Cryan

Very few people manage to visit Rome without falling in love with it, and many who come just for a few weeks end up staying for the rest of their lives. There seems to be something magical in the air. 

 Rome is also very chaotic – no use denying that. The traffic is a free for all, cars park all over the sidewalks and the average Roman is as undisciplined as he is creative in his driving. 

But then, what can you expect of a city with a population of four million built on a series of hills along a meandering river, centuries before the invention of the automobile.

If you can come to terms with the confusion it can be the most beautiful city in the world, a treasure chest of artistic and architectural jewels built by popes, kings and emperors over a period of thousands of years. The last thing any of these people worried about was practicality. 

They wanted a spectacular city that would glorify God, the empire, the regime and often just themselves.

What to See

Everybody knows about the famous sights of Rome -the Colosseum, St. Peter’s and the Vatican museums, Castle St. Angelo. 

There are also hundreds of churches and palaces that are worth seeing. One great way of looking at the city, though is from the river Tiber –either walking along its banks or from atop a bridge. 

One of the most fantastic views in the world is from the Bridge of the Angels in front of Castle St. Angelo. 

Take a look inside the castle itself, which houses a beautiful collection of armor. You might enjoy wandering through the small side streets of Trastevere and the old center to watch the craftsmen at work Rome is a city built on hills and from the tops of several there are fantastic views.

 Try having a drink at the Zodiaco bar at the top of Monte Mario with an excellent view of the city. See the Vatican museums stopping for lunch at the inexpensive modern cafeteria. 

The museums are free on the last Sunday of each month and the lines are long. Bring your student card for student discounts.

The Changing of the guard at the Palazzo del Quirinale, the president’s official residence, takes place at 4 p.m. every day. On Sundays it is even more spectacular with band music and the tall Corazziere guards on horseback.

The perfectly round Pantheon, Rome’s famous temple-church with a hole in the dome, may give you a surprise if you are there when a musician is playing the organ –the acoustics are fantastic. 

If it’s a day of light, intermittent rain you be lucky enough to see the rainbows which form inside the building.

Be sure to visit the Trevi fountain. Tradition holds that if you throw a coin into the fountain you will return to Rome someday, and there’s hardly a tourist who has not tossed a coin into this fountain.

Parks and Courtyards

Rome is full of gardens and parks of all sizes, but there are three that are particularly impressive. 

The best known and most central is Villa Borghese. 

Villa Pamphili is located above the Trastever quarter and Villa Ada is near Via Salaria. 

Villa Borghese is carefully laid out, full of buildings and paths, while Villa Pamphili and Villa Ada are much wilder and much closer to open countryside. 

All three are excellent places to go jogging or take a bike ride. Some of the courtyards you’ll want to see are at the Palazzo Taverna on via di Monte Giordano, Palazzo Spada and Palazzo Mattei.

All Rome’s parks especially Borghese should be avoided after dark, especially if you are alone