The Mini Rough Guide to Rome (Travel Guide eBook)

By Rough Guides

This pocket-sized guide is a convenient, quick-reference companion to discovering what to do, what to see and how to get around Rome. It covers top attractions like the colosseum, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain as well as hidden gems, including campo de' Fiori and the Carlo Bilotti Modern Art Collection. This will save you time, and enhance your exploration of this fascinating city.

This Mini Rough Guide to Rome covers: Piazza Venezia and Capitoline Hill, Ancient Rome, Centro Storico, Spanish Steps and Tridente, the Trevi Fountain and Quirinale, Villa Borghese, the Vatican, Trastevere, the Aventine and Testaccio, Monti and Esquilino and further afield

In this travel guide you will find:

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EVERY TYPE OF TRAVELLER
Experiences selected for every kind of trip to Rome, from cultural explorations in Testaccio to family activities in child-friendly places, like Villa Borghese or or chilled-out breaks in popular tourist areas, like the Spanish Steps.

TOP TEN ATTRACTIONS
Covers the destination's top ten attractions not to miss, including Villa Borghese Park, Villa D'Este and the Sistine Chapel, and a Perfect Day itinerary suggestions

COMPACT FORMAT
Compact, concise, and packed with essential information, with a sharp design and colour-coded sections, this is the perfect on-the-move companion when you're exploring Rome.

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS
Includes an insightful overview of landscape, history and culture

WHAT TO DO
Detailed description of entertainment, shopping, nightlife, festivals and events, and children's activities

PRACTICAL MAPS
Handy colour maps on the inside cover flaps will help you find your way around

PRACTICAL TRAVEL INFORMATION
Practical information on Eating Out, including a handy glossary and detailed restaurant listings, as well as a comprehensive A-Z of travel tips on everything from getting around to health and tourist information.

STRIKING PICTURES
Inspirational colour photography throughout

• Language: English
• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Release date: Oct 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781839058776

Rough Guides

Rough Guides are written by expert authors who are passionate about both writing and travel. They have detailed knowledge of the areas they write about--having either traveled extensively or lived there--and their expertise shines through on every page. It's priceless information, delivered with wit and insight, providing the down-to-earth, honest read that is the hallmark of Rough Guides.

Book preview

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HOW TO USE THIS E-BOOK

Getting Around this e-Book

This Rough Guide Mini e-book is designed to inspire you and help you plan for your visit to Rome, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip.

The guide begins with our selection of Highlights, plus a Perfect Itinerary feature to help you plan an unforgettable trip. The Introduction and History and Culture chapters give the lowdown on Rome, past and present, while the Out and About chapter is a comprehensive guide to all the best sights. You will find ideas for getting active in Things to Do, while the Food and Drink chapter introduces you to the local cuisine and gives listings of our favourite restaurants by area. Travel Essentials offers just that; practical information to help you plan your trip. Finally, Where to Stay provides a special selection of hotels for every budget.

In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights in Rome are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Rome. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.

About Rough Guides:

Published in 1982, the first Rough Guide – to Greece – was created by Mark Ellingham and a small group of friends who couldn’t find a guidebook to meet their needs. Combining a contemporary, journalistic style with a thoroughly practical approach to travellers’ needs, the immediate success of the book spawned a series that rapidly covered dozens of destinations. These days, Rough Guides include recommendations from budget to luxury and cover more than 120 destinations worldwide, all regularly updated by our team of ever curious, roaming writers. These Rough Guide Minis may be small, but they are packed with information and inspiration and offer amazing value for money.

© 2022 Apa Digital AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd.

Table of Contents

10 Things Not To Miss

A Perfect Day In Rome

Overview

Public Works

Daily Life

Opening Hours

History and Culture

The Republic

The Empire

The Fall Of Rome

Papal Power

The Renaissance

The Habsburgs

The Modern Era

Post-War ‘Miracle’

Out and About

Piazza Venezia and Capitoline Hill

Capitoline Hill

Ancient Rome

The Imperial Fora

The Roman Forum

The Palatine Hill

The Colosseum

Baths of Caracalla

Centro Storico

The Pantheon

Piazza Navona

East of the Pantheon

South of the Pantheon

Around the Campo de’ Fiori

The Jewish Ghetto

Spanish Steps and Tridente

Via del Corso

Piazza del Popolo

Pincio Gardens

Augustus’ Altar of Peace

The Trevi Fountain and Quirinale

Quirinale

Villa Borghese

Galleria Borghese and Museo Carlo Bilotti

Villa Giulia

The Vatican

Castel Sant’Angelo

St Peter’s Basilica

The Vatican Museums

Trastevere, The Aventine & Testaccio

Trastevere

The Aventine

Testaccio

Monti and Esquilino

Diocletian’s Baths and Palazzo Massimo

Santa Maria Maggiore

San Giovanni in Laterano

San Clemente

Further Afield

Via Appia Antica

The Catacombs

Ostiense

Excursions

Tivoli and the Sabine Hills

Ostia Antica

Cerveteri

Things To Do

Shopping

Where To Shop

What To Buy

Entertainment

Music Venues

Nightlife

Children’s Rome

Food and Drink

Where To Eat

Opening Times

What To Eat

Drinks

To Help You Order…

Menu Reader

Where To Eat

Colosseum

Piazza Navona and Pantheon

Campo De’ Fiori and Ghetto

Piazza Di Spagna and Tridente

Via Veneto and Trevi Fountain

Vatican and Prati

Trastevere

Further Afield In Rome

A–Z Travel Tips

A

Accommodation

Airports

B

Bicycles and Scooters

Budgeting for Your Trip

C

Camping

Climate

Clothing

Crime and Safety

D

Driving

E

Electricity

Embassies and Consulates

Emergencies

G

Getting there

Guides and Tours

H

Health and medical care

L

Language

LGBTQ+ Travellers

M

Maps

Media

Money

O

Opening Hours

P

Police

Post Offices

Public Holidays

R

Religion

T

Telephones

Time Zones

Tipping

Toilets

Tourist Information

Transport

Travellers with disabilities

V

Visas and entry requirements

W

Websites

Y

Youth Hostels

Where To Stay

Roman Forum and Colosseum

Piazza Navona and Pantheon

Campo De’ Fiori and Ghetto

Piazza Di Spagna and Tridente

Via Veneto and Trevi Fountain

St Peter’s and The Vatican

Trastevere

Around Termini Station

10 THINGS NOT TO MISS

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1. THE COLOSSEUM

The largest ancient amphitheatre ever bult. For more information, click here.

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2. VILLA BORGHESE PARK

Home to the excellent Galleria Borghese, the Etruscan Museum and a modern art museum. For more information, click here.

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3. THE TREVI FOUNTAIN

Legend has it that using your right hand to throw a coin over your left shoulder will guarantee a return to Rome. For more information, click here.

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4. THE SPANISH STEPS

The monumental stairway has been a popular meeting place for centuries. For more information, click here.

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5. VILLA D’ESTE

Around 20 miles east of Rome, this 16th century villa has one of Italy’s greatest gardens. For more information, click here.

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6. THE SISTINE CHAPEL

The official residence of the pope, the iconic ceiling by Michelangelo is truly aweinspiring. For more information, click here.

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7. CAMPO DE’ FIORI

Rome’s colourful open-air market, known for its fruit, vegetables and flowers. For more information, click here.

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8. THE ROMAN FORUM

Imposing ruins mark the hub of the ancient city that ruled a vast empire for centuries. For more information, click here.

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9. VATICAN CITY

The tiny papal state is at the heart of the Catholic church. For more information, click here.

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10. THE PANTHEON

The ceiling of Ancient Rome’s best-preserved monument is an astounding feat of engineering. For more information, click here.

A PERFECT DAY IN ROME

9.00am

Breakfast. Start your day in Trastevere at Caffè di Marzio (Piazza di Santa Maria, Trastevere 15), for breakfast with a view of the pretty cobbled square with a fountain at its centre. Along with a great selection of coffees and baked goods, they’re also known for their proper carbonara, and flavourful tomato and basil bruschetta.

10.00am

Janiculum Hill. Take Via Garibaldi to Piazzale Garibaldi at the top of Janiculum Hill for splendid views of the city and the dome of St Peter’s. On your way up, veer off towards San Pietro in Montorio church for a peek at Bramante’s Tempietto.

11.30am

Galleries. Head down through Trastevere’s winding streets towards Piazza Trilussa and the Tiber, checking out the boutiques and galleries as you go.

12.30pm

Cross the Tiber. Cross pedestrian Ponte Sisto and go straight up Via Pettinari. Turn left on Via dei Giubbonari and stop for lunch on Campo de Fiori where the city’s most picturesque market has been held for hundreds of years.

1.30pm

Piazza Navona. Cross busy Corso Vittorio Emanuele and take Corso Rinascimento. To the left is the sprawling Piazza Navona, where you’ll find Bernini’s fountain in the centre. Here you can grab a classy, if pricey espresso, or better still, the dark chocolate ice cream tartufo at Tre Scalini.

2.15pm

Pantheon. To the right of Corso Rinascimento on parallel road Via Di S. Giovanna D’Arco, you’ll find the San Luigi dei Francesi church at No. 5. Inside are three of Caravaggio’s most famous paintings, including The Calling of Saint Matthew. Take Via del Seminario, at the end of which you’ll be confronted with the colossal Pantheon.

3.00pm

Spanish Steps. Walk east along the narrow Via dei Pastini and follow the high-end shopping streets Via del Corso and Via Condotti to Piazza di Spagna. Have a nose around the Keats-Shelley House at the base of the Spanish Steps, and then head down Via del Babuino to the sculptor Canova’s old studio at No.150, which has been transformed into a café with marble masterpieces in every corner.

5.00pm

Art in the park. Amble through Villa Borghese Park and check out the Carlo Bilotti Modern Art Collection.

7.30pm

Dinner. Catch bus 490 or 495 and get off at the last stop inside the park. Cross under the arch and into Via Veneto. Dine at Chef Claudio Mengoni’s Michelin-starred Assaje Restaurant for unforgettable Italian cuisine; it’s worth booking a seat on the patio if it’s sunny.

10.30pm

On the Town. Continue up the street for fancy drinks at Doney, which is as posh and popular today as it was when Federico Fellini's cinematic masterpiece La Dolce Vita was released in 1960.

Overview

The saying ‘all roads lead to Rome’ is not just a figure of speech. It is thought that the phrase comes from the fact that the Ancient Romans built an awesome network of roads such that all routes did indeed radiate from the capital of the Roman Empire. During the time of Ancient Rome, which stretches from the founding of the city the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, the Eternal City was seen as the caput mundi – ‘capital of the world’, the base of an empire stretching from Gaul and Spain in the west to Egypt and Asia Minor in the east.

Throughout history, Rome has attracted all kinds of different peoples and engendered many legacies. Not only was