The Pantheon and other Rome, Italy Things to Do Tips

The Pantheon is one of the most fascinating buildings I've seen in all my trips and even though it was built between A.D. 118 and 125 it looks immaculate. First it was a pagan temple and later was turned into a Catholic Church. Still nobody knows who built it. Michelangelo and the world's greatest architects studied its famous opened dome.

The porch has huge bronze doors that faces Piazza della Rotonda. The interior is a great circular room above which rises the hemispherical dome. It has an oculus through which natural light enters illuminating the walls, statues and marble floors with surrealistic patterns.

The tombs of Raphael and of King Victor Emanuel are here. Don't miss this place and try to visit it at least twice. Some days it looks much better than others and the sunbeam effects are more striking.

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The dome is 43.2 m (142 feet) wide and is the largest one until Brunelleschi's dome at the Florence Cathedral of 1420-36. The unglazed oculus has a diameter of 8.7 m (29 feet) at the top of the dome.

The interior volume is a cylinder above which springs the half sphere of the dome. A whole sphere can fill the interior volume, with the diameter at the floor of the cylinder of 43.3 m (143 feet) equaling the interior height.

As the sun moves, a magical sunbeam illuminates the walls and floors of granite and marble.

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Look the sunlight striking on the walls and statues. That day the effect was incredibly sharp.

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Just a few people know about this unforgetable tour to the Vatican Necropolis underneath San Pietro's Basilica. For an hour an a half, an archeologist will guide you in your own language through the excavations carried out below the church until the exact location of San Peter's grave. What you see during the normal visit of the church is not the actual grave site.

You have to book this tour a few weeks in advance and the procedure may result a bit tricky. You must apply for a tour by sending an e-mail to scavi@fsp.va or by fax to 39-06-6988-5518. In your message you must include the full names of all people in your party, the language in which you wish the tour to be conducted, the date and time frame during which you prefer the visit and the name and phone number of your hotel in Rome. You should receive a confirmation by email within 10 days or less. We were 10 people in our tour which lasted hour and a half. The cost is 9 Euros. When in Rome you may apply for the tour at the Superintendenza degli Scavi ("Excavations office") located behind the Arch of the Bells, custodied by the Swiss guards, to the left of the church as you stand facing it in the square.

Before showing up you must leave bags, purses and cameras at the deposit located on the other side of the fachade. Do this with time because you'll have to wait in line along with the crowd entering San Pietro's church.

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At the far end of the Via dei Fori Imperiali lies the Coliseum, an icon of Rome. It was built by Vespasian in 72 AD. It could hold more than 50,000 spectators who gathered to watch fiercy contests between gladiators and wild animals. You can see the remains of the underground network of corridors along which the animals were freed into the arena. The cross was erected to commemorate the early Christians who are believed to have died here.

The audiotour is boring to say the least. Try to get on a guided tour in your language.

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The Fontana di Trevi is marvelous and a great place to relax. Nearby buildings are pretty close giving the place a more cozy feeling comparing to other fountains located in the middle of huge squares. We went to the fontana many times. It's a fun people watching experience too.

The fountain's spectacular tritons, gods and animals bursting out of the wall behind them were designed by Nicola Salvi in 1762 employed by Clement XII and started in 1732.

Don't forget to throw a coin into the water if you want to make sure of a return to Rome.

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Nero's Golden House had been closed for 20 years. This underground palace has more than 150 rooms but only 25 rooms have been open to public after a millionaire digging and restoring job.

IMPORTANT TIP: Underground is very cold and humid. Approx. 10°C less than outside. So don't forget to bring a coat.

Reservations are required but I suggest you to avoid agencies fees and go directly to the ticket booth early in the morning before visiting the nearby Coliseum. Otherwise call 39-06-4815576. The tour lasts for 45' and groups are limited to 25 people. Better if you get a guided tour, there are no signs inside to understand what you see.

Daily from 9.40 am-6.40 pm. Last entrance at 6.40 pm. Closed on Tuesday. Tram 8 and 30 Metro : LINE "B" - Station Colosseo. Euro 5.00 tickets price + Euro 1.50 (booking fee)+ Euro 4.00 (prebuy fees ).

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Phone: 39-06-4815576.

The Campidoglio is atop the Capitoline Hill, the site of the major Roman temples to Jupiter and Juno, the king and queen of the Roman gods. The Capitoline Hill, with its important religious and political functions, is the only one in Rome which has maintained its role over the centuries. The current layout of the square is based on the design Michelangelo drew up for Pope Paul III Farnese, with construction undertaken by various artists up to 1651 when the Palazzo Nuovo was built. To the left and right of the square are two interesting museums (one admission for both.) At the rear of the square is the Palazzo Senatorio, the center of the Roman municipal government (City Hall).

Museums: Weekdays 9 a.m.- 2 p.m.; Holidays 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Tuesdays and Saturdays also 5 p.m.- 11 p.m.; Closed Mondays.

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Piazza Navona is usually full of strolling Romans and tourists. I had already read that it was the most beautiful square in the world but I think it is far from deserving such pretentious title. In fact, I found it a bit dirty, full of annoying street vendors, no place to have a sit (do Italians know what a bench is?) and the area is overpriced. However, it is still a must see....

The piazza gets its shape from Domitian's 1st century stadium. In the middle of the square you'll find Bernini's fountain of the four rivers (the Nile, the Danube, the Plate and the Ganges). The figures are symbolic, one of which is said to be recoiling in horror from Borromini's façade for the Church of Saint Agnese in Agone.

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The medieval square of Campo dei Fiori takes its name from the flowers meadows which were until the 15th century, when it became a marketplace. A market is still held in the square. Executions used to place here, and one of the victims commemorated with a bronze statue was the philosopher Giordano Bruno, burnt alive for heresy in 1600 by order of the Pope. The statue dates from 1870, when the unification of Italy liberated Rome from direct papal rule.

We found this place charming even though it is not specially beautiful. A matter of tastes I guess.

TIP: At the right side of the square you can find Ruggeri, an alimenti store, with low prices for soft drinks and sandwiches.

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Address: Campo de Fiori
Directions: Coming south from Piazza Navona, cross Corso Vittorio Emmanuelle.