Just like in the movies and other Rome, Italy Things to Do Tips

Along with some friends, we walked to the Trevi Foutnain one afternoon. As you come down a small alleyway, you are suddenly confronted with this massive stone fountain in the side of a wall. Large steps lead down the water and people surround it taking pictures.

The fountain served a practical purpose in ancient Rome, aside from just being pretty. It was the final point of one of the largest auquaduct systems (three auquaducts join and end here). Originally built in the 19th century, in the late seventeenth century the Pope was unimpressed with the design and commisioned Bernini to create a grander fountain, the one we see today.

Legend has it that if you throw a coin over your shoulder (backwards) you will return to Rome again one day, two coins and you will find love and marry...but don't push it, a third coin means heartbreak.

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One of the must-see sights of Rome. The Pantheon was built in 25 BC as a temple to the seven deities of the seven planets (according the religion of ancient Rome). Today it is a Christian church, and has been since the seventh century.

The only natural light admitted into the temple comes through the oculus, the round opening in the center of the dome. This also makes it a difficult place to visit in the rain.

The outside of the dome was originally covered in bronze, but the artist Bernini used it to create the main altar of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

The Pantheon is also star-studded with the tombs it contains. The painters Raphael, Peruzzi and Caracci are all buried here.

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I originally thought that a visit to the Vatican was a visit to see Vatican Square and St. Peter's Basilica. I was very wrong. As the Pope was once the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, the Vatican really does have a palatial feel.

Begin your tour in the Vatican Museum, filled with paintings, frescos, sculptures and tapestries. Move on into the Sistine Chapel...but be warned, the rights to the images in the Chapel belong to the Fujifilm Corporation so pictures are not allowed. I'm not kidding. I was disgusted to learn that. They didn't teach me that in Catholic School. Anyways...moving on, you'll come into the famous Vatican Square and enter St. Peters Basilica. From here, you can wander the chapels of the Basilica, see the preserved body of Pope John XXIII (the coffin is air-tight, hence there is minimal decay). Downstairs, under the Basilica, you will find tombs of past popes, including Pope John Paul II (d. 2005).

Much of the Basilica was designed by Bernini in the 17th century and it is believed that the bronze on the main altar actually came from the Pantheon.

The artwork inside includes sculptures by Michelangelo and monuments to various popes and saints. It really is an amazing spectacle, from the cupola to the tiled floors.

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The Musei Vaticani displays the Vatican's large holdings of art, including sculptures, paintings, frescos and tapestries. The museum contains seven separate galleries; all usually open to the public. Once you have moved through the galleries, most visitors enter the next area of the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel.

From the windows of the museum, you can get a great view of the Basilica's cupola and the Papal Gardens (where the public is not permitted).

Walking through the galleries, you will see works by Raphael, Michelangelo, Caracci and da Vinci.

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My visit to the Coliseum was the highlight of my time in Rome. Along with our friends was a six-year-old little boy who had been excited to see the Coliseum for days. Once we got inside, he broke into tears. He didn't understand that there had been lions and tigers inside the amphitheater centuries ago, not today.

The Coliseum is open so that visitors can see the intricate passageways that were located under the main floor. A part of the floor has been rebuilt to give visitors an idea of what it once look like. The building is believed to have had a retractable clothe roof, but engineers today cannot figure out how it worked.

The theater is amazingly large once you are inside, which you cannot tell from the outside. So a visit to Rome needs to include waiting in the line (or hopping on with a tour guide) to see the interior.

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The Spanish steps are exactly what they sound like...large steps. They lead from a church (Trinita dei Monti) down to the Piazza below. All along the steps you'll find musicians and artists, as well as people just hanging out. The Piazza contains a beautiful fountain (as most piazzas in Rome do) and the one-time home of the poets Percy Shelley and John Keats.

Along the top of the steps you'll find ecelctic shops and cafe-style restaurants while around the piazza are some of the most expensive stores in the world...it's Rome's fashion district.

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If you are interested in the history of Rome and its place in the history of Europe as a whole, you can’t skip the catacombs. Prior to Charlemagne and Constantine, the government of Rome persecuted those who chose not to practice the religion of the state. Early Christians were one of these groups (which eventually gained enough following and power to take over the Empire). The Christians were forced to practice their faith in hiding, literally underground.

The catacombs are not just tombs, as many believe. These intricate tunnels were built to include chapels, meeting areas, dining rooms and places to sleep. Today, you can tour the various catacombs around the city.

We bought a ticket (5 euro) into the catacombs and scheduled an English speaking tour (there were numerous languages offered). After climbing down a narrow staircase of approximately 60 feet and walked single-file through the tunnels below. This catacomb was built in the 2nd century and covers and area of about 90 acres, with a network of galleries about 12 miles long, in four levels.

The tour itself lasted about an hour (and was a nice, cool break from the August heat). It was fascinating. I would highly suggest one of these tours to anyone who enjoys history, religious or otherwise.

Warning: Do not go in if you are claustrophobic. My mother freaked out and knocked over a young couple on her way up the stairs at the end of the tour

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Phone: 0039 - 06 - 513 01 580
Address: Via Appia Antica, 110/126 - 00179 ROMA
Website: http://www.catacombe.roma.it/welcome.html
Other Contact: scallisto@catacombe.roma.it

I'm not usually a tour person, but I took a tour three years ago with Insight Vacations and it was really nice. My mom came with me and we had a blast. It was a fairly small group by tour standards (less than 20 of us) and the bus was quite comfy. I think the theme of the tour was food...that or we just ate a lot :).

We started in Rome, went to Pisa, Florence, Lucca, Venice and back to Rome. It was about 12 days traveling and we saw a lot with fairly short bus rides. I liked the little extra stops the best: a vineyard in Tuscany, a spa in Montelcino, the island of Burano in Venice. We made some great friends with the other people on the tour and our guide was very personable (a Dutch girl who spoke fluent English and Italian). I'd certainly suggest it for a first-time view of Italy.

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Website: http://www.insightvacations.com/us/