05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 78 diver s 05 539248 Ch03.qxd 10/24/03 10:26 AM Page 79 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).