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sions3 Rome has the most generous supply of artistic, architectural, and archaeological attractions of any place in the world. 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 80
80 That generosity, however, can be pretty overwhelming for first- time visitors. We’re the first to trumpet the virtues of all of Rome’s ruins, churches, museums, fountains, and palaces (see our superlative-heavy descriptions below), but don’t feel you have to get to all of them. You won’t have the time—or the energy—anyway. Non basta una vita (a lifetime is not enough), it has been said more than once, to see Rome. So, instead of overdoing it with the sightseeing (and spending more time around tourists than locals), pick and choose from our list of sights below, and take time out for aimless wandering, people- watching, and cafe-sitting. What the locals refer to as la dolce far niente (the sweet doing of nothing)—not racing from the Colosseum to St. Peter’s and back—is what the Roman experi- ence is all about. And most likely, that cafe you’ve chosen to sit at is in the shadow of a masterpiece of Western art anyway.
Getting Your Bearings All roads lead to Rome—and then, they lead to confusion. Unlike Paris, Rome is not a planned city but rather a winding mass of cobbled streets and narrow alleys, grimy thoroughfares and traffic circles. Piazza Venezia, the most central of these INTRODUCTION traffic circles, is where five busy roads converge, causing a lane- less snarl of intertwining traffic and unclear right-of-way rules that understandably intimidate the newcomer. The main archi- tectural feature here, the locally despised Vittoriano, makes a good point of reference for dazed and confused tourists—once you’re here, you’re pretty close to everything on your sightseeing
DIVERSIONS list. Just south of it is the heart of Ancient Rome, from the Capitoline Hill to the archaeological areas of the Roman Forum, Palatine, and Imperial Forums. At the end of umbrella pine–lined Via dei Fori Imperiali is the Colosseum, beyond which rises quiet Celio Hill, with its rustic churches, and the cathedral of San Giovanni in Laterano. Tourist-thronged sights like the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps lie north and northeast of Piazza Venezia, while Termini Station is about 1.6km (1 mile) due east. Northwest and west of Piazza Venezia is the Centro Storico, including the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Campo de’ Fiori, and Ghetto areas. Occupying the zone within the river Tiber’s slightly C-shaped bend, the Centro Storico is home to some of the city’s greatest pedestrian squares, scads of churches and fountains, and tons of hip restaurants and bars. Rome also has a dirty, largely unnoticed river—the Tiber—which snakes 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 81
81 its way through the city from north to south, separating the Centro Storico from the picturesque Trastevere (“across the Tiber”; pronounced tras-teh-veh-reh) neighborhood, Vatican City to the west, and the tony Prati district to the north. On a slope to the east of the Spanish Steps, tree-lined Via Veneto is luxury hotel central, but apart from the Crypt of the Capuchin Monks, there’s little reason to visit this La Dolce Vita street, unless you enjoy sipping overpriced cups of cappuccino at cheesy, glass-enclosed sidewalk cafes. Via Veneto today is over- run with American and German tourists who, in their search for Marcello Mastroianni types, stumble upon the Hard Rock Cafe—and each other—instead. Spreading out from the top of Via Veneto, the Villa Borghese park is a handy “green lung” when all that sightsee- ing gets to be too much. The Quirinale and Esquiline areas south and east of here form “uptown” Rome, whose main streets (Via Barberini, Via Nazionale, and Via Cavour) feature a con- glomeration of government buildings, tacky tourist shops, and smog-stained hotels and apartment houses. Farther afield, the Aventine Hill and Testaccio areas lie to the south of the Centro Storico and are overlooked by most tourists. Precisely for that reason, we highly recommend a trip down here, as you’ll INTRODUCTION be rewarded by quiet, leafy luxury on the Aventine, and a slice of real Roman life in Testaccio—all at a safe distance from the tourist hordes. EUR (Esposizione Universale di Roma; pro- nounced ay-yur) is about 8.05km (5 miles) south of central Rome, at the tail end of Metro Line B. EUR was Mussolini’s
grand project to show off “La Terza Roma” (the Third Rome, DIVERSIONS after that of the emperors and of the popes), and it’s full of cold, imposing Fascist architecture. It’s kind of an island unto itself, not a part of town you’d wander into—it’s only accessed by highway-type boulevards—but it is the home of a large sports/entertainment arena (see “Entertainment” chapter) and a couple of good museums. Finally, the only tourist sight that isn’t walkable from the centro is the Appian Way (Via Appia Antica), the southbound queen of Roman roads and home of the catacombs. Note: Beware of fly-by-night “tour guides” at the main tourist areas who pose as “architecture students”—these young Americans, Australians, and Brits are operating illegally and often haven’t a clue what they’re talking about. For truly infor- mative, entertaining walking tours of Rome’s top sights, contact Enjoy Rome (tel 06/4451843; www.enjoyrome.com). 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 82
82 For a map of Rome neighborhoods, go to p. 4, following the “Introduction” chapter.
Getting Around Rome’s graffiti-tagged Metropolitana subway (Metro for short) consists of two lines, A and B, which intersect at Termini Station, on the northeast side of the city center. Having only two lines, the Metro is easy to use and will get you close to many of the major sights, although it skirts the most character- istic parts of the city (Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Campo de’ Fiori), where ancient ruins beneath street level were too dense for city authorities to deal with when they built the Metro in the 1980s. In the future—as in, when pigs fly—they might dig tunnels right through this archaeological mother lode to create Metro Line C, with underground stations showcasing the ruins behind glass panels, a la the Athens subway system. If you’re pressed for time or are claustrophobic, avoid rid- ing the Metro in the early evening, when it seems every gel- coiffed Roman youth is heading to the Spanish Steps. Rome’s bus system is quite reliable, and traveling aboveground will give you the chance to sightsee while getting around. One of the INTRODUCTION most useful lines for tourists—but definitely not the most scenic—is the 40 Express (Termini–Via Nazionale–Piazza Venezia–Largo Argentina–Castel Sant’Angelo and back the same way). Bus 64 does the same route, making many more stops, but it is always packed with pickpockets and pervs and best avoided altogether. Note: Bus stops, trains, and train plat-
DIVERSIONS forms in general are the gypsies’ favorite haunts, so always keep an eye—and a hand—on your bags. (For more on public trans- port, see “Hotlines & Other Basics.”) To help you get your bearings, see the Rome Metro map on the inside back cover of this guide.
Discounts, Passes, and Reservations You can actually see every major sight in Rome—except the Sistine Chapel—for free. But if you start to get a hankering for entering monuments and museums, it gets pricey—tickets at most admission-charging sites range from 4€ to 8€. Almost all student discounts are reserved for E.U. citizens, but U.S. stu- dents can try their luck with ticket booth staff, who might bend the rules if they like you and no supervisors are around. State- owned sites usually have reduced rates for children and seniors. A number of sites run by the Archaeological Superintendent also offer joint tickets for other related attractions—20€ gets 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 83
83 you a 7-day pass to the Colosseum, the Palatine, the Baths of Caracalla, the Appian Way’s Tomb of Cecilia Metella and Villa of the Quintili, and the four buildings that make up the Museo Nazionale Romano. If you’re really lucky, you’ll visit Rome dur- ing Settimana dei Beni Culturali (Cultural Heritage Week), when admission to all publicly owned museums is free. This annual event is usually scheduled for early May; check ahead. To visit the Galleria Borghese or the Domus Aurea (Nero’s Palace), you’ll need to make reservations. It’s a good idea to take care of this as far in advance as you can, but as long as you’re not a big group, you can almost always get away with booking just 2 or 3 days ahead of time. The Lowdown
Must-sees for first-time visitors... Few modern Romans have actually been inside the Colosseum—and what’s the point, really, now that the gladiators and wild animals are gone? In any case, tourists besiege the 1,900- year-old Flavian Amphitheater all day, taking cheesy pho- tos with the self-described centurioni (locals dressed up in THE LOWDOWN a faintly gladiator-ish ensemble of plastic bristle-crested helmets, tin cuirasses, and red socks). A poignant graveyard of Rome’s Golden Age, the Roman Forum was essentially the center of the world for about 700 years. The ruins here—of temples, assembly halls, military monuments—
merit multiple visits (and a good tour guide to explain the DIVERSIONS mess of marble). Time-warping ahead to the Renaissance, St. Peter’s Basilica has everything you’d expect from the largest church in Christendom, with gold, marble, and Michelangelo’s Pietà. The majority of the galleries in the Vatican Museums underwent restoration in the years pre- ceding the 2000 Jubilee. Frescoes that were coated with soot, such as those in the Raphael Rooms, have been cleaned, and statues like the ancient Laocoön have been polished. Of course, most visitors pay little attention to these treasures, instead heading straight for the Sistine Chapel. Fortunately, the most hyped chapel in the world— even more astounding now after the 1980s restorations— never disappoints. Unfortunately, unless you have the $5,000 it takes to rent out the chapel privately, you’ll have to endure standing-room-only crowds if you really want to give the brush strokes of Michelangelo and other Renaissance artists a good once-over. 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 84
84 With its porch of gargantuan granite columns, its original bronze doors and polychrome marble revetment, and its 43m (143-ft.) wide, unsupported dome, the Pantheon is one of Rome’s—indeed, the world’s—most impressive architectural spectacles. The “temple of all the gods,” completed about 50 years after the Colosseum’s debut, houses the tomb of Raphael and the tombs of the kings of modern Italy. Two of Rome’s biggest baroque public spaces—the Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona—are great places to take a load off and people-watch. During sun-drenched days, both are flooded from dawn to dusk with lounging tourists and locals (as well as those inevitable by-products, annoying vendors and street performers). Legend has it that if you toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain, you’re guar- anteed to return to the Eternal City. (Please remember, it’s just a toss you’re going for, not some kind of over-the- shoulder sinking fastball—I’ve seen people actually get hurt.) One of Rome’s more romantic tourist traps, the fountain is at its most spellbinding at, oh, around 4am, when all the tourists and vendors have finally gone home. THE LOWDOWN The rest of the time, the steps in front are swamped with coin-hurling tourists, scam artists, and roving Casanovas.
Only in Rome... For Catholics and other curious tourists, a trip to Rome means a papal audience, held on Wednesday mornings in St. Peter’s Square or the modern auditorium
DIVERSIONS just to the south. So what if the gathering is slightly more intimate than a high school graduation ceremony? It may be your last chance to catch J. P. II before he leaves the fir- mament and checks in at the pearly gates. Contact the Prefettura della Casa Pontifica (tel 06/698-83-017; fax 06/698-85-863; mailing address Città del Vaticano 00120) several weeks before you want to visit. (In a pinch, you can sometimes gain last-minute admission by applying at the Portone di Bronzo—the big bronze door—located in the right colonnade of St. Peter’s Sq. On Tues afternoon, the Swiss Guards start giving out any leftover “invitations.”) An attraction that drives kids and Japanese tourists wild is the Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth), located at the entrance of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Legend says that if you’ve been untruthful, the mouth of the ancient sewer cover clamps down and cuts your hand off. When you get your picture taken, don’t just stand here and smile, for 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 85
85 God’s sake—ham it up like that gorgeous Gregory Peck did in Roman Holiday and pretend that your arm is being sucked in.
Remains of the day... Whether it’s a random bit of aque- duct under which cars now race indifferently, or a graffiti- tagged brick wall that used to belong to a temple, reminders of Rome’s ancient history are everywhere— there’s even a McDonald’s with a sizable chunk of 2,400- year-old fortifications in its dining area. With those unforgettable superimposed arches curling around into decadence, the Colosseum is still a potent demonstration of all that Rome was, even though only half of it is intact. Earthquakes, barbarians, and popes have had their way with the “Rome Bowl” over the years, so you’ll need to use your imagination to reconstruct the monument’s interior. The crowds to get into the amphitheater are about the same as they were back then, but the entertainment, alas, was cut off in A.D. 523. Tourists can now walk across a wooden platform over the substructures and see where gladiators and animals were kept and brought up to arena level through 32 elevator shafts and trapdoors. More THE LOWDOWN important historically but a lot more difficult to visualize, the ruins of downtown ancient Rome are in the greater Forum area, where commercial, political, and religious activities all took place around a public square. The marble skeletons of the mightiest civilization the Mediterranean
has ever known are at their most haunting after dark, when DIVERSIONS all the columns and arches are floodlit. For the best view, go to the terraces of the Capitoline Hill. Above the Forum valley to the west is the Palatine, the hill on which wealthy Romans—and later, emperors exclusively—built their palaces. The plebes still don’t tend to make it up here, so you can visit the ruins without having to contend with those phalanxes of tour groups. What’s more, the Palatine’s groves of fragrant orange trees and trickling fountains (part of the Farnese Gardens) will make you feel as if you’ve escaped the city altogether. From the western edge of the hill (in the ruins of the Domus Flavia), there’s a view of the Circus Maximus below, ancient Rome’s 300,000-specta- tor-capacity chariot-racing venue. Most of the other notable ruins in Rome, including the Imperial Forums, Trajan’s Markets, the Area Sacra, the Theater of Marcellus, and the Porticus of Octavia, can be seen well 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 86
86 enough from the outside. Parts of the Appian Way (Via Appia Antica), the superhighway that stretched from Rome all the way to Brindisi on the southern Adriatic coast, are still open to traffic, though public transportation to this famous road is unreliable. The Archeobus (tel 06/ 469-54-695; see the chapter, “Hotlines & Other Basics”), on the other hand, costs about 10 bucks and does a hop- on, hop-off service to most of the sights on the Appian Way, including the catacombs.
How to do the Vatican... First of all, the biggest myth about the Vatican is that you should go at the crack of dawn. Any guidebook that prints such advice is deliberate- ly trying to sabotage you and force you to contend with 2,400 passengers from the MV Brilliance of the Seas. From Easter to late October, go at noon or later; the rest of the year, go in the late morning, as the Vatican Museums close early in the winter. For the average visitor, “seeing the Vatican” is synonymous with getting to the Sistine Chapel, realizing how crowded it is, and then getting the hell out of there. Yes, the Sistine Chapel is all it’s cracked up to be, but THE LOWDOWN it’s a shame to rush past the Vatican Museums’ other, more ancient treasures in your hurry to see those famous frescoes. Hoarded by popes in the Renaissance, some of the greatest Greek and Roman sculpture in the world lies in the Pio- Clementine section of the museums: Don’t miss the Apollo Belvedere, the Laocoön, and the Belvedere Torso. Upstairs,
DIVERSIONS before making that beeline to the Sistine Chapel, take the detour to the left and check out the Raphael Rooms, where you can get up close and personal with the other High Renaissance genius’s best work. Off the Sistine Chapel fast- track, the Vatican’s Etruscan and Egyptian collections are top-notch—and closed half the time. Traumatized by crowds inside the museums, many tourists make the mind- boggling mistake of not going inside St. Peter’s Basilica— the right-hand door out of the Sistine Chapel leads you straight there! The exterior view, with the dome, is a bit of a cliché, but the interior of St. Peter’s has a vastness—not to mention kilotons of marble, bronze, and gold, plus the Pietà—that takes everyone by surprise.
Victory columns... Painstakingly sculpted from A.D. 107 to 113 to commemorate the Romans’ victory over Dacia (modern-day Romania), the Column of Trajan stands 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 87
87 30m (100 ft.) tall, in Trajan’s Forum, erect as ever—any phallic resemblance is, of course, coincidental. The spiral relief depicts 2,500 individual figures going about the busi- ness of war—bivouacking, catapulting, and hacking each others’ heads off. The column’s height prohibits a good view of the uppermost reliefs, but plaster casts of each scene are on display at the Museo della Civilta Romana (see below). A knockoff of the original, the Column of Marcus Aurelius, recalls Roman military exploits in Germany—you know, the opening scene in Gladiator.
Hot-tub hedonism... As important a part of the Romans’ daily life as going to the Forum, the bathing ritual in ancient times was a big deal. All classes and both sexes could avail themselves of the many low-cost yet luxurious halls of hygiene around the city (and you’ll lament the demise of this institution when you find yourself on a hot and stinky bus in July). Rome’s thermal complexes had multiple pools of different temperatures, gyms, libraries, and the all-important beauty center—pedicures were essential in the days of the Caesars. Though nowhere near as well-preserved as the structures at Bath, England, or THE LOWDOWN even Pompeii, the 3rd-century-A.D. Baths of Caracalla are well worth a visit. Here, in a gorgeous valley of grass and pine trees just south of the Aventine Hill, floor mosaics are still intact, massive brick walls still tower overhead, and it doesn’t take too much imagination to picture the original
splendor here. It’s also a great place to picnic, nap, lounge DIVERSIONS in the sun against a fallen granite column, or catch an evening concert in the summer. Near the Termini train sta- tion, the Baths of Diocletian were Rome’s most extensive network of baths, accommodating up to 3,000 bathers simultaneously. Today, the best-preserved sections of the complex house Michelangelo’s Santa Maria degli Angeli church and the Museo Nazionale Romano, which has a vast but repetitive store of artifacts from Etruscan and Roman times. Unfortunately, those damn Visigoths sev- ered the city’s aqueducts in A.D. 537, and Rome’s baths have been dry ever since.
Egypt-o-mania... It doesn’t take long to notice that there are a lot of granite spires sticking up in the squares of Rome. In fact, Rome has more obelisks—13 total—than Egypt itself. Nine of these monoliths are actually Egyptian—that 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 88
88 is, 3,000+ years old, pillaged from the land of the pharaohs after Rome conquered it in the 1st century B.C. The other four are fakes, cut and carved with hieroglyphics by ancient Roman emperors who wanted to make their subjects think they’d gotten more loot from Egypt than they actually had. Popes in the 16th and 17th centuries had all the obelisks moved from their ancient locations, re-erected in front of churches (surprise, surprise), and crowned with Christian symbols in bronze. The biggest obelisk is at Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano. The most famous one is at the Vatican, brought to Rome by the emperor Caligula (and packed in lentils to keep it from busting its cargo ship apart); the first to be imported (by Augustus in 31 B.C.) is the dramatic centerpiece of Piazza del Popolo. The obelisk at Piazza Montecitorio was once the hand of an ancient Roman sundial. Mussolini revived the ancient practice of stealing tall, thin pieces of granite from Africa when in 1938 he had the Axum Stele (at the southern end of the Circus Maximus) brought from Ethiopia. (The Ethiopian government wants it back, and when the Italian govern- ment said no, in May of 2002, lightning struck the obelisk, THE LOWDOWN shattering the tip of it. It has since been restored.) If you’re dying to see mummies and mini-sphinxes and don’t want to go all the way to Cairo, the Egyptian collection at the Vatican Museums will not disappoint.
Michelangelo was here... In The Innocents Abroad, Mark
DIVERSIONS Twain comically relates that wherever he went in Rome, his tour guides would repeat the same phrase: “Thees by Michelangelo.” They were only stretching the truth a little bit. Though he’s associated more with the city of Florence, Mr. Buonarroti was plenty busy in Rome. Debuting with the Pietà at St. Peter’s in 1499, he later moved on to the Sistine Chapel, where he spent more than 4 years getting a backache so that tourists could go in and gawk for 15 minutes. As Michelangelo saw it, sculpture (a subtractive art) was far superior to painting (an additive art), and those ceiling frescoes were one big waste of time. An easy detour from the Colosseum is the church San Pietro in Vincoli, which houses the stern Moses statue—terribilità was a favorite theme of Michelangelo’s. The 2m (7-ft.) tall sculp- ture underwent extensive renovation in 2001. Much less spectacular is Christ Carrying the Cross, which stands to the left of the altar in Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. The 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 89
89 genitals of the statue were later covered with a ridiculous golden loincloth, which perhaps takes away from the beauty of the work. Of course, his most jaw-droppingly awesome sculpture is the David, which is at the Accademia in Florence. When he wasn’t chipping away at marble, Michelangelo also took on a few architectural projects during his stay in Rome. Buonarroti laid down the plans for the wide stairs of the cordonata (a passageway meant for both humans and horses) leading up to the Campidoglio, as well as the black-and-white, geometrically patterned marble piazza at the top designed to beautify the Capitoline Hill, the most sacred of Rome’s famous seven. Although Michelangelo saw only the cordonata through to completion, the piazza design remained largely true to the original. Michelangelo also drew up blueprints for the Baths of Diocletian’s transformation into the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli. Unfortunately, when the artist died in 1564, later architects trashed his plans, favoring their own schemes. An exhibition in the church’s sacristy details the original design.
A Bernini bonanza... The florid, theatrical period of art THE LOWDOWN known as the baroque exploded in Rome in the early 17th century and is still today the most characteristic style in the Centro Storico. The most extraordinary exponent of this period was, without a doubt, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. You can hardly walk down the street without coming across a
sculpture, fountain, or church by this Naples-born golden DIVERSIONS boy of the baroque. One of Bernini’s most famous works, the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, is the oft-photographed centerpiece of Piazza Navona. Commissioned by Pope Innocent X, the Four Rivers Fountain is a wonderful play of rock, reclining figures, and water, and is best enjoyed in the early morning, before all the junk vendors invade the space. Along with papal patronage came courtesans—that Bernini was a ladies’ man is evident in several of his sculptures around town. Voyeurs should stop in at the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria (near Termini), where Bernini’s eye- brow-raising Ecstasy of Santa Teresa unabashedly blurs the line between religious and sexual rapture. Similarly, Bernini’s Blessed Ludovica Albertoni, in San Francesco a Ripa (in Trastevere), shows the saint clutching her breast and rolling her eyes back in a moment of (cough) spiritual ecstasy. After dark, the beauty of the Bernini-copied angels 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 90
90 along Ponte Sant’Angelo, with Castel Sant’Angelo in the background, will make you swoon, too. In traffic-choked Piazza Barberini, named for Bernini’s biggest patrons, you can check out the Fontana del Tritone; just across the Via Veneto, the Fontana delle Api (Fountain of the Bees) fea- tures the Barberini symbol of bees, found all over Rome. Bernini’s best stuff arguably rests in the Galleria Borghese, where Cardinal Scipione Borghese gave the young Bernini his big break. In Apollo and Daphne and The Rape of Persephone, the virtuosity of the sculptures is the ultimate demonstration of what is possible with a hunk of marble, a good set of chisels, and a steady hand. It’s hard not to get emotionally involved with the David—a self-portrait of Bernini—whose knitted brow and pursed lips make you form the same determined grimace on your own face.
Holy heavy hitters... Rome’s four “patriarchal” basilicas are St. Peter’s in the Vatican, Santa Maria Maggiore, St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, and St. John Lateran. Only Catholic pilgrims tend to make it to all four, since the lat- ter three are kind of out of the way from everything else. THE LOWDOWN Well, actually, Santa Maria Maggiore is only a stone’s throw from Termini station, but it’s in such an unattractive neighborhood that people often skip it. Inside, however, you’ll find dazzling, recently restored 5th-century mosaics and a spectacularly coffered ceiling, supposedly decorated with gold that Columbus brought back from the New
DIVERSIONS World. San Paolo Fuori le Mura (St. Paul’s Outside the Walls) lies over the tomb of St. Paul, on the Via Ostiense, near nothing of interest. You don’t really need to go out of your way to see this one, but if you’re on your way to or from EUR, the church is an easy stop-off from the Metro. A reconstruction of a 5th-century church that was mostly destroyed by fire in 1823, St. Paul’s features tondi (round paintings) of all of the popes, in chronological order, along the upper walls of the basilica, and there are spaces left for only a few more—it’s said that once the spaces run out, the apocalypse is nigh. San Giovanni in Laterano (St. John Lateran) is clear on the other side of town from the Vatican, but it is this church, and not St. Peter’s, that is the cathe- dral of Rome and mother church of the world. The first Christian church ever built in Rome stood on this spot (today’s basilica is a baroque building), and every pope from the 4th through the 14th centuries lived in the 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 91
91 adjoining Lateran Palace. Two other pilgrimage sites near San Giovanni are also worth noting. The Scala Santa, or “Holy Stairs,” are said to be the steps that Christ ascended in Pontius Pilate’s house during his trial. No feet are allowed to touch the Scala Santa, and true pilgrims are expected to get on their knees in order to climb the 28 marble steps (long since fitted with wooden planks). Also in the building that houses the Scala Santa is the mysteri- ous-sounding “Holy of Holies” (Sancta Sanctorum)— once the popes’ private chapel, it’s now open to anyone willing to pay 3€. Santa Croce in Gerusalemme isn’t one of the “Big Four,” but pilgrims-in-the-know stop here to view what are believed to be actual pieces of Christ’s cross, a nail, two thorns from Christ’s crown, and St. Thomas’s doubting finger.
Fine-art freebies... The advent of the euro has sure made that old Europe-on-a-shoestring concept obsolete, but in Rome, some of the greatest masterpieces of Western art can be enjoyed for free. Rome’s Centro Storico churches are packed with works by Michelangelo, Raphael, Caravaggio, and Bernini, just to name a few. If you’re a fan THE LOWDOWN of trompe l’oeil design, go to Sant’Ignazio (just east of the Pantheon). Bowing to a request by Dominican neighbors, who were worried that a domed church would block the sunlight, Andrea Pozzo got creative and designed a flat- roofed church with a ceiling that appears to curve upwards
into a dome. Stand on the inlaid yellow marble disc DIVERSIONS halfway up the nave for the best effect. Another Jesuit church not far from here is the Gesù. Over-the-top baroque sculpture by Pozzo and lesser-known Jesuit artists dominate the church and, like Sant’Ignazio, the nave and dome feature illusionistic decoration. From the outside, Santa Maria del Popolo—just to the left of the piazza entrance of the Porta del Popolo—doesn’t look like much, but inside lies a treasure trove. Raphael’s ornate Chigi Chapel is tucked away in the back, while two of Caravaggio’s finest works—Crucifixion of St. Peter and Conversion of St. Paul—are in the Cerasi Chapel. Three more Caravaggios—some of his best, and best-lit, works in the city—can be found in San Luigi dei Francesi, near Piazza Navona. Raphael’s Sybil frescoes, featured in Santa Maria della Pace (also near Piazza Navona), were restored in 2000. 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 92
92 Among gods and emperors... It’s been said that for every living resident of imperial Rome, there was a statue—a claim that’s easy to believe if you start to delve into the city’s collections of ancient sculpture. The stately Capitoline Museums contain a slew of satyrs, Bacchuses, and expressive emperors, but the most famous pieces are the star bronzes—the 5th-century-B.C. Capitoline She- Wolf, and the 2nd-century-A.D. equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. The museums’ two buildings, the Palazzo Nuovo and the Palazzo dei Conservatori, are now linked by an underground passage that showcases the ancient Tabularium (Archive Hall), which offers dramatic views over the Forum. On the back side of the Palazzo dei Conservatori, the Terrazza Caffarelli snack bar has great views. Not far from here is the Tarpeian Rock, the famed precipice off which traitors were hurled from Republican times right up through the Renaissance. The overflow from the Capitoline’s collection is on display at the ACEA–Centrale Montemartini, an old power plant near Testaccio. The visual effect of the marble against the machinery is very cool indeed. Traipse around any of the THE LOWDOWN four locations that make up the Museo Nazionale Romano—Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Palazzo Altemps, Terme di Diocleziano, and Crypta Balbi—and you’re like- ly to see enough naked Apollos to last you a lifetime. High on the list of “Best Museums Tourists Never Go To” is the national Etruscan museum at Villa Giulia. Originally a
DIVERSIONS suburban retreat for Pope Julius III, the villa now houses a vast store of relics from early towns like Veio and Cerveteri, including a 6th-century-B.C. his-and-hers sarcophagus, myriad vases, and intricate gold jewelry, with unbelievably minute granulated work.
Private collections for public viewing... Quite a few aristocratic families still live in some of Rome’s palazzi, or at least keep their art collections in them. The most exten- sive private art collection is the Galleria Doria Pamphilj, with works by Titian, Caravaggio, Correggio, Velázquez, and Dutch and Flemish masters. The bonus here is the free audio guide, narrated by the living Doria Pamphilj princes themselves, who tell you which paintings they love and which they hate. The painting collection at the Galleria Spada can’t quite compete, but the star here is the visually deceptive Borromini corridor—it’s only 9m (30 ft.) long but it looks like it’s 30m (100 ft.). Cardinal Scipione Borghese, 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 93
93 who was responsible for the founding of the Galleria Borghese, packed so many Caravaggios and Berninis (plus the odd Titian and Raphael upstairs) into his collection that you have to make a reservation to see them. Palazzo Barberini, the former home of the baroque’s best patron, Pope Urban VIII, has the standard array of 16th- and 17th- century masters, the highlight being Raphael’s bare-breast- ed Fornarina (supposedly a portrait of his mistress, a baker’s daughter). Some may find the price of admission a bit steep, considering that only three rooms are open to the public, but others say Raphael’s lovely Triumph of Galatea, in the Villa Farnesina, makes it worth the money. It’s a good thing that most of the Farnese collection of ancient sculpture has been moved to the Naples Archaeological Museum—the Palazzo Farnese is now the French embassy, and they’re not very nice about letting the riff-raff in to ogle the now-dead family’s objets d’art.
Marble muckrakers... It all started in the early 1500s when a shopkeeper named Pasquino was so fed up with papal rule that he decided to air his beefs about the system and the events of the day by posting anonymous, satirical com- THE LOWDOWN ments on an old statue outside his store. The phenomenon grew, and soon Pasquino (the adopted name of the statue) began “talking” to other statues around town via anony- mous notes, often written in Latin or Roman dialect. Other members of the Renaissance “chat room” were
Madama Lucrezia, near Piazza Venezia; Marforio, a DIVERSIONS reclining river god in the Capitoline Museums; and Il Babuino, a simian-looking character on the street of the same name near the Spanish Steps. Still yammering away today—though not as eloquently—Pasquino most often takes issue with Italy’s prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, as well as those darn “fascisti americani.”
Architecture Romans love to hate... Tourists snap away at it just as much as they do at the Colosseum, but no Roman will admit that he or she actually likes Il Vittoriano, the garish heap of white marble that squats at the southern side of Piazza Venezia. Often referred to as the “wedding cake,” the “typewriter,” or even “the dentures,” the grandiose monument to Italy’s first king is a neoclassical confection of festoons, equestrian statues, and winged victories, complete- ly out of proportion with and tone-deaf to the harmony of the rest of Rome’s ochre-toned buildings. The whole thing 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 94
94 is on such an exaggerated scale that in 1911, when the mon- strosity was inaugurated, a banquet for 20 was held inside the stomach of the bronze horse in the center of the monu- ment. The Vittoriano’s terraces have been open (free) to the public since 2000, and the views from up there are undeni- ably stunning. Another equally despised structure is the neo- baroque Palazzo di Giustizia (nicknamed the Palazzaccio: “awful, offensive palace”), an oversize court building on the Vatican side of the Tiber. It’s considered too ornate for its nearby surroundings, especially with respect to its venerable neighbor, Castel Sant’Angelo. To make things worse, the Palazzaccio began sinking under its own hulking weight in the 1970s. Not yet a century old and already falling apart? Tut, tut. In this town, there is no sympathy for such short- comings. Go back to the minor leagues.
A river runs through it... The Isola Tiberina (Tiber Island) will get you as close as you’ll probably want to get to the dirty Tiber. Connected on one side by the Ponte Fabricio, Rome’s oldest bridge still in use, and the slightly younger Ponte Cestio on the other, the island is the site of THE LOWDOWN one of Rome’s hospitals, a church, and a medieval tower. Isola Tiberina is low-key and not especially exciting— except when the odd local lunatic decides to dive off one of the bridges—but it is a great spot to soak up some rays. Take the stairs down to the travertine walkway for views across the river to Trastevere. The ship-shaped island was
DIVERSIONS in fact sculpted with the prow of a ship in ancient times— some of this is preserved off the port bow. While you’re down there, you can also get a closer look at the Ponte Rotto, one of Rome’s earliest bridges, now broken, and an island unto itself. For a boat ride on the Tiber, see “Kid stuff,” below.
Going medieval... Filled as it was with hard times—Goths, plagues, having to go to church instead of the Colosseum— the medieval period is one era that Rome has mostly man- aged to make disappear from its architectural record. An exception to this rule is Castel Sant’Angelo, a veritable hamburger of history. Rome’s castle started out as the squat, cylindrical mausoleum of the emperor Hadrian. Later, it was fortified to defend the papal strongbox against barbar- ian hordes. In troubled times, the pope could scurry across the Passetto, a crenellated corridor from the pope’s quarters to the castle (not open to the public). The latest additions 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 95
95 were made in the Renaissance, when lavish apartments were added to the uppermost terraces—hey, if the popes had to spend months here waiting out sacks and sieges, they were gonna do it in style. The Borgo neighborhood, between the Castel Sant’Angelo and the Vatican, still retains its medieval layout and feel to some extent. Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, built in the 13th century, is the best exam- ple of Gothic architecture in Rome. Dedicated in 2000, the Crypta Balbi is actually an excavation of several layers of Roman history, including a medieval street. Rather sober but extensive collections of artifacts from the Middle Ages are on display in Palazzo Venezia and the Museo dell’Alto Medioevo (Medieval Museum).
Visiting the Jewish Ghetto... Passing by church after church, you would hardly know that Rome is home to the largest Jewish community in Italy and the oldest in Europe, period. About 16,000 Jews still live in Rome, many in the original Ghetto area (around Via del Portico d’Ottavia) that was established by papal bulls in the 16th century. For a small entrance fee, you can visit the handsome, 20th-centu- ry Synagogue and a smallish museum that houses priceless THE LOWDOWN parokhets (decorative curtains that hang within holy arks), old photos, and other valuable items. Some traditional Roman dishes originated in the Ghetto, including carciofi alla giudia (deep-fried artichokes) and filetti di baccalà (deep-fried codfish), and quite a few restaurants in the
neighborhood do these dishes serious justice (see the DIVERSIONS “Dining” chapter). And while Rome’s Christian catacombs get all the publicity, the ancient Jews also buried their dead in underground tunnels along the Via Appia—see “The X- Files,” below, for more on the Jewish catacombs.
My feet hurt... Wandering aimlessly is by far the best way to see Rome, but those cobbles do a number on your tootsies after a few hours. Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us. To give your feet a rest and see the city, go for a ride on tram 3, which gives you views of the Villa Borghese, the Colosseum, the Circus Maximus, and the Aventine Hill. Bus 271 goes from St Paul’s Outside the Walls to Piramide, the Colosseum, and the Theater of Marcellus; along the river to the Vatican; and up to the Fascist-era Foro Italico. Feeling lazy after dinner but don’t want to go back to your hotel yet? Have a taxi take you for a panoramic drive past the Colosseum and other major monuments—these 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 96
96 sights take on a whole new, breathtaking beauty when they’re floodlit.
The city’s top views... Since Rome’s rooftops max out at about six stories, you don’t have to climb too high to get a good view of everything. The most popular viewing spot is the Pincio Gardens, just above Piazza del Popolo and a short stroll from the top of the Spanish Steps. This is where you’ll see the clutter of towers and domes—including that of St. Peter’s—that is so often photographed for picture books. Right smack in the middle of things, the Vittoriano provides almost 360-degree views of the city from its upper terraces. Not nearly as comprehensive a panorama, but a hell of a lot more dramatic, the Capitoline Hill’s southern face offers stunning views over the Forum. Seeing it in the evening, with a little wine in you? Even better. The other Roman lookout point par excellence (neck and neck with the Pincio for top make-out spot) is the Janiculum Hill above Trastevere, a tree-filled refuge with early morning views that’ll blow you away—if you wake up in time. The Aventine Hill’s Orange Garden provides low-key viewing THE LOWDOWN pleasure over the Tiber and points north (seek out the key- hole in the bronze door of the headquarters of the Knights of Malta for a perfectly framed view of St. Peter’s). Castel Sant’Angelo’s Terrazza dell’Angelo will bring you even closer to St. Peter’s and the popes’ fortified corridor—just don’t pull a Tosca and do a swan dive into the river below.
DIVERSIONS The highest point in Rome is St. Peter’s itself, but here, you’re pretty far west of most things a tourist wants to see. Pay 5€ for the elevator halfway up, then walk about 250 steps to the top. (If you choose to be a hero and forgo the lift, you still have to fork over 4€.)
What lies beneath (or, Why the subway system sucks)... Only 35% of ancient Rome has been excavated, and an entire other city of roads, homes, and places of wor- ship is buried under modern-day Rome. No one knows for certain the extent of what’s beneath the surface. (Some Romans even go so far as to hide the fact that they can access antiquity from their basement, lest the government claim the subterranean discoveries for the state.) The phenomenal underground cities that comprise the Catacombs of San Callisto, the Catacombs of San Sebastiano, and the Catacombs of Domitilla contain miles of musty tunnels whose soft walls are gouged out with tens of thousands of 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 97
97 burial niches, including crypts of popes and a few bones. A new-found appreciation for what lies beneath has been spurred on largely by the excavations of Nero’s Domus Aurea (Golden House) and the Crypta Balbi. The infa- mous he-fiddled-while-it-happened fire in A.D. 64 enabled Nero to build his enormous palace on the Oppian Hill (now overlooking the Colosseum). Today, no fewer than 145 fres- coed and stuccoed rooms of the Golden House have been unearthed, including the famed octagonal dining room. The Crypta Balbi, opened in 2000 as part of the National Roman Museum, contains layers of artifacts from the Roman to Renaissance ages. Rome’s original multilayered site is the basilica of San Clemente. Here, a 12th-century church sits on top of a 4th-century church, which sits on top of a 1st- century-A.D. Christian meeting place, which sits on top of a 1st-century-B.C. temple dedicated to the cult of Mithras!
Pay dirt for bookworms... It’s no coincidence that the big names of the Romantic Movement spent some time in Rome, and you can easily make up a short itinerary designed to hit Rome’s most interesting and important literary land- marks. The Keats-Shelley House, at the bottom of the THE LOWDOWN Spanish Steps, is usually the first stop for lit-lovers.The small home has a few relics from the pair and some original man- uscripts. True literary pilgrims should skip the house and head to the lovely Protestant Cemetery, where the two are buried. Goethe wrote much of his Italian Journey travelogue
in his apartment on Via del Corso. The Casa di Goethe fea- DIVERSIONS tures exhibits on the life and times of the German author.
The X-Files... Would-be archaeologists should familiarize themselves immediately with Ripartizione X, the crypti- cally named division of the city heritage department that oversees off-limits archaeological sites. This office, located in the Ghetto area (Via del Portico d’Ottavia xx; tel 06/671-03-819; fax 06/689-21-15), holds the keys to the Area Sacra at Largo Argentina, Ludus Magnus (gladia- tors’ barracks), Jewish catacombs, Excubitorium (ancient fire station), Aqua Virgo aqueduct, and underground basilica at Porta Maggiore—all normally closed to the public. You’ll also need to contact Ripartizione X for access to the mithraea under the Circus Maximus, under Santa Prisca on the Aventine, and under the Baths of Caracalla. (A mithraeum is a subterranean chamber where adherents of the Persian cult of Mithras used to meet for rituals and 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 98
98 sacrifices.) The gears of Roman bureaucracy grind slowly, so if you’re interested in seeing one of these or countless other obscure subterranean sites, get your request in as soon as possible—you’ll need to send a fax indicating what sites you want to see, and when.
Where the famous are buried... People often don’t real- ize that Castel Sant’Angelo owes its round shape and its massive bulk to the 2nd-century-A.D. Mausoleum of Hadrian, upon which the medieval fortress was built. Along the river just south of Piazza del Popolo, the Mausoleum of Augustus was the resting place of Rome’s first emperor. Mussolini dreamed of having his own remains deposited here—hence the Fascist look of the piaz- za around it—but history had a change of plans. On the Appian Way, the Tomb of Cecilia Metella featured promi- nently in many early sketches of the Roman campagna. One of the best views is from the middle of the Circus of Maxentius, an ancient chariot racetrack nearby. A real gem, and probably the most tranquil spot in all of central Rome, is the Protestant Cemetery, where non-Catholics like Keats THE LOWDOWN and Shelley and Communists like Antonio Gramsci rest in peace amid docile cats and meticulously landscaped envi- rons. Right next door, looking as absurd today as it must have when it was built, is the white marble Pyramid of Caius Cestius, tomb of a 1st-century-B.C. Roman magis- trate (not open to the public). Dozens of popes are
DIVERSIONS entombed in the crypt under St. Peter’s Basilica, but the actual tomb of St. Peter himself lies even lower than crypt- level in the Vatican Necropolis. The burial spots of some of Italy’s great artists are in Rome as well: Raphael’s tomb is in the Pantheon; Fra Angelico’s grave is at Santa Maria Sopra Minerva; and the modest gravestone for Gian Lorenzo Bernini is at Santa Maria Maggiore.
Morbid Rome... Rome has seen her share of war, torture, and death over the years, so it’s not too surprising that you can plan a fairly gory itinerary. If you can fit in only one grue- some attraction, by all means make it the Crypt of the Capuchin Monks, beneath the church of Santa Maria della Concezione. Here you will find the skeletal remains of some 4,000 Capuchin monks affixed to walls, arranged into chan- deliers, and combined to form some of the most beautiful (and bizarre) crypt decorations you’ll ever see. Each chapel has a theme—pelvises, skulls, and so on—and a few feature 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 99
99 mummified monks, still in their cassocks, who stare back at you quizzically. A plaque at the end of the crypt reminds you of the grim reality that you, too, “will be what we are now.” Less morbid but still pretty freaky is the tiny Museum of Purgatory, which features bibles, pieces of cloth, and other items “touched” by souls waiting to enter heaven (significant scorch marks are the proof ). While it’s not certain that St. Peter was indeed incarcerated here, many prisoners of Caesar’s Rome, with formidable names like Vercingetorix, were tortured and executed in dark, dank Mamertine Prison above the Roman Forum. Relic-hunters can view St. Thomas’s finger at Santa Croce in Gerusalemme; the head of St. Agnes preserved in a glass case at Sant’Agnese in Agone; or the very gridiron on which St. Lawrence was bar- becued, at San Lorenzo in Lucina.
Roaming around Trastevere... Residents of village-y Trastevere claim to be the “true Romans,” as a community has lived in this area across the Tiber since the city’s incep- tion in 753 B.C. This is the neighborhood to visit if you want to dine under clotheslines of laundry, listen to aging hippies strum their guitars, stumble over drunken punk THE LOWDOWN rockers and their mangy mutts, or visit funky, one-off art galleries. According to Trastevere’s old-timers, the unique appeal of the community has faded over the past few years as expats have taken over rent-controlled lofts and tourists have invaded once-secret side streets. Visitors usually come
here to visit the charming streets between Piazza Santa DIVERSIONS Maria in Trastevere and Ponte Sisto. The quieter, south- ern side of the area offers the churches of San Francesco a Ripa (with Bernini’s racy Ludovica Albertoni) and Santa Cecilia (whose sculpture is based on the position of the saint’s body when her tomb was opened in 1599).
A brush with the modern world... In their rush to see ancient Rome, many tourists completely miss the wide range of museums and galleries, big and small, that make up the modern and contemporary art scene. (And they’re not all wrong—it’s not as if we’re overflowing with Picassos and Warhols here.) First and foremost is the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea,the high palace of mod- ern art at the top of the Villa Borghese. For those who aren’t well-versed in 19th- and 20th-century art, there are few standouts here, save for a van Gogh, a Klimt, and a relaxing little cafe that looks onto the park. The majority of the 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 100
100 collection features works by Modigliani, de Chirico, and other Italian artists you may have never heard of. The city’s modern art gallery, the Galleria Comunale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, is smaller and features much of the same. Meanwhile, a more ambitious municipal modern art space, MACRO, recycles the old Peroni brewery to make room for about 4,000 works of contemporary Italian art. The huge industrial complex, which opened in 1999, is sometimes host to larger traveling exhibitions. The Chiostro del Bramante, a cloister revamped as a cultural complex, opened in 1997 with a large Andy Warhol retrospective. Since then, the gallery has hosted exhibits by such bigwigs as Roy Lichtenstein and Keith Haring. Larger spaces that often host contemporary art shows are the Complesso del Vittoriano, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, and Museo del Corso.
Away from the tourist traps... Now that Trastevere has been discovered by out-of-towners, the neighborhoods of Testaccio and San Lorenzo are in direct competition with each other as the current hot hangouts of hip young things. Populated by young families, retirees, and struggling artisti, THE LOWDOWN Testaccio has a wonderfully authentic, working-class Roman feel by day, but by night the area is club central. Bars, lounges, and discos surround Monte Testaccio, the mountain made of pottery, where ancient Romans dumped their empty amphorae for hundreds of years. San Lorenzo has a left-wing chip on its shoulder and has long been
DIVERSIONS home base for Rome’s Communists and anarchists, not coincidentally a result of its proximity to the campus of Rome’s La Sapienza University. Visually speaking, the area is ugly, with few fancy public spaces and charmless archi- tecture; but its tattoo parlors, cheap pizza joints, pubs, and college-town personality add to San Lorenzo’s down-to- earth appeal. A complete U-turn from San Lorenzo is EUR (Esposizione Universale di Roma), Mussolini’s fan- tasyland, replete with imposing Fascist architecture. The few tourists who make the trip out here visit the Museo della Civiltà Romana, which features scaled-down ver- sions of some of imperial Rome’s most adored monuments; or the Museo dell’Alto Medioevo, crammed full of arti- facts from the Middle Ages—a time when people worked hard. Also cutting a sharp image in EUR is the Palazzo della Civiltà del Lavoro, known locally as the “square Colosseum.” Largely an office building, the square Colosseum is one of the most unmistakable landmarks 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 101
101 you’ll see on your way from Fiumicino Airport. Another Fascist-era set of buildings is the Foro Italico, a huge sports complex along the river north of central Rome. Still here is a huge marble obelisk with MVSSOLINI DVCE inscribed on it vertically. Adjacent to the Stadio Olimpico, Rome’s professional soccer venue, is the entertaining Stadio dei Marmi, rimmed with dozens of ridiculous- looking, muscle-bound marble studs clutching various sports apparati. As you walk around this area, don’t forget to look down—the black-and-white mosaics depict the glories of the cult of athleticism, along with rhetorical DVCE DVCE DVCE panels here and there.
Kid stuff... Children with even an ounce of imagination ooh and aah when confronted with such landmarks as the Colosseum, but that doesn’t mean they’re gonna want to waste their pent-up energy spending hours at ruins or all day in a museum. Wide-open spaces, like those found at Villa Borghese, are sure to keep them busy. Here, you can rent bikes or in-line skates, or kick around the soccer ball. Also tucked away on this swath of parkland is the zoo, today known as the Bioparco—which is slowly revamping THE LOWDOWN the cramped quarters where it keeps its animals—and the Museo Civico di Zoologia (Museum of Zoology), which features a 15m (50-ft.) long whale skeleton as well as exhibits on local flora and fauna. Wildly popular with younger tykes but visible only from the exterior is “Monster
House,” otherwise known as the Palazzetto Zuccari on DIVERSIONS Via Gregoriana—its entrance looks like a monster’s gaping mouth and its windows look like eyes. Brand new for 2003 is the Battelli di Roma riverboat service, with two types of craft—di turismo and di linea (the latter costs 1€)—that ply the waterway between Tiber Island and the Foro Italico. No, the Tiber is not the Seine, but on a sunny day it’s a nice river on which to unwind, and the younger set can keep busy monitoring the waters for nutrias (big ol’ water rodents) and unlikely refuse (scooters). The riverboat makes hourly stops along the banks below several bridges in the heart of town. One warning: Do not attempt to take a river cruise on Sundays. It’s no Six Flags, but Roman kids make do with LunEUR (aka Luna Park), a hokey little amusement park in the suburbs. The Explora children’s museum was inaugurated in 2001, with interactive exhibits suitable for under-10s. Check the weekly guide Roma C’è for more information on kid stuff. 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 102
102 Rome Diversions
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