Uncovering the hidden stories of Rome and the Vatican, one tale at a time.
Blog with handy tips about Rome and the Vatican
If you visit Rome of course you will visit the Vatican museums. On the last Sunday of each month the entrance to the Vatican museums which include the Sistine chapel is for free. It would be recommended to be there very early, because there are always a lot people going on the free Sunday. So be prepared to wait in line before you can enter. The museum is opening at 9 the last entrance is at 12:30.
Did you know? We offer daily tours into the The Vatican museums and the Sistine chapel if you would wish to join or get more detail about the tour scroll down and find the tour below.
This is a must ones you are in Rome. The Saint Peter's church has the name from the bible figure Peter according the history he was crucified right there on the very spot. It has been build starting in the early 15th century. To complete the church it took about 120 years. The entrance is for free at all time, pay attention how you dressed (especially in the summer) because you have to cover up your shoulders and knees otherwise they will not let you enter.
The Pantheon is certainly worth a visit. The entrance is for free. Every day from 9 till 19:30 except Sunday then it is open from 9 till 18:00. The pantheon was ones a temple to all the gods of ancient Rome. The original one dates back to 27 BC it got destroyed in a big fire of Rome in the year 80 AC. Emperor Hadrian let it rebuilt in the year 125 this is the building what even stands today. It is still in a very good condition, but it is missing the bronze roof covering the dome. This bronze has been taken away and melted down in order to build the canopy (by Bernini) in the saint peter's church. The catholic church was well famous for recycling. Most of the people were not happy about it so this led to a famous statement "quod non fecerunt Barbari, fecerunt Barberini", freely translated "what the barbarians have not demolished, the Barberini be aborted" It is one of the best preserved of all Roman buildings also it is the most famous pantheon in the world.
Looking for a nice place to eat or to hang around? Well you will find it in the neighborhood called Trastevere. Especially in the evening it is a nice place to go and enjoy one of the many (typical Italian) restaurants and pubs there. Most of the restaurants have some seats outside so you will get the real roman feeling. They in general charge normal price. It is also a nice place to go for some different entertainment like street artist who in the summer preform many different acts. Nice tip for families with children for sure they will love it.
"Campo de' Fiori" translated ''Field of flowers'' it is called like this since the middle ages because it used to be a meadow. One of the famous squares in Rome. A lovely place to have a break and/or a drink. In the nighttime there are some busy pubs around also many people hang around in the middle of the square with friends for a good time, underneath the statue from Giordano Bruno who got burned on a stake in the 1600th The Roman inquisition found him guilty of heresy for his pantheism. The square is also know from the movie '' Campo de' Fiori '' made in 1943.
Like to visit Trastevere and Campo de' Fiori? Join our ("Jewish ghetto and Trastevere tour") if you would wish to join or get more detail about the tour scroll down and find the tour and make your booking today!
This is a baroque fountain considered for sure one of the most famous fountains in the world. It is 26 meters high and 20 meters wide. It is standing on one of the ancient aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome. The fountain at the junction of three roads (tre vie) which means : tre = 3, vie = roads. So there you go ''3 roads''. That is where the name comes from. It is a nice site to visit also at night, it is one of the highlights of Rome. Ones you there you will see people throwing in coins over their shoulder. The story is that if you throw coins in the Trevi Fountain, you will one day return to Rome. There is always police around because there are regular attempts to steal coins from the fountain.
Vittorio Emanuele II is a monument to the formal king of Italy named Victor Emmanuel II it has also another name ''Altare della patria'' in English : Altar of the Fatherland. It is a nice landmark to visit and is for free as well. It is open for visitors every day in the summer from 9:30 till 16:30. The building holds the tomb of the unknown soldier with an eternal flame after world war 1. The body was chosen in 1921 from among 11 unknown remains, and buried in a state funeral on the 4th of November 1921. If you go upstairs you will have a nice overview on the forum Romano.
La Bocca della Verita (English : The Mouth of Truth) is a famous sculptured image of a human head. The face probably represents a river god. It is depicted on a large marble disc which comes from Roman antiquity and presumably as part of a fountain or pit cover was used. Since the 17th century it is in the porch of the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. The Mouth of Truth is known as an ancient lie detector. A medieval legend tells that whoever puts his hand in the mouth and speaks a lie, he will lose his hand. So you better think twice:-D the opening hours are 9:00 till 13:00 and 14:30 till 18:00.
All roads lead to Rome. A 560 kilometer road, the ''Highway to Brindisi.'' Very famous by the tourist for sure worth to have a look. There are many historian sites along the way. The road ran straight through the hills around Rome to the southern city of Terracina 56 km away. The Via Appia began at the Circus Maximus and walked past the Baths of Caracalla and later the Aurelian Wall. along the site of the road there are ancient tombs many of these ruins and monuments are still visible even today. The road ran along the west coast to Capua, the end of the original road. The road was a 210 km long. Thanks to the Via Appia was the Roman army faster with military equipment and troops to the south what helped them in achieving several victories. Around the year 295 BC. the road was extended in just five years, Eventually walked the Appian way to the port of Brindisi, on the east coast from Italy, 560 km from Rome.
After wondering around the city you can relax on the beach it is for free and ''Yes'' Rome has a beach. It is about 40 kilometer from Rome the far easiest way to go there is to take the metro line B (Blue line) hop off on the pyramid have a look outside there is the only pyramid of Rome. Then take the train from there direction ''Ostia'' hop off at ''Ostia'' or any stop after. The beach from ''Ostia'' is for sure not the best beach but is the one what is the closest to Rome. If you want to spend a day we would recommend to hop off on the stop ''Stella polare'' or the last stop ''Cristoforo Colombo''. Anyways whatever stop you go off from there it is a little walk to the beach.
Hope you did enjoy the article, scroll down to find links to many other subjects and thank you for your support :-)