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Visting Rome
#1
There is a good chance that I have posted this in the incorrect section, but I was wondering how many of you have visited Italy, and more specifically the eternal city itself. Dad is going to be on a business trip, and has indicated that I might be able to tag along. It was looking like it would be in march, but the meetings were switched to Paris, the next round should still be in Rome however and I want to be prepared!

What are the sites to visit, beyond the obvious forum and collesium. What is the best way to get around the city, how big of an issue will language be.

I will likely be there for a week, what are some of the essential sites outside the city, pompeii comes to mind, and possibly hadrians villa.

All suggestions welcome!
Keegan Chetwynd
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#2
Quote:What are the sites to visit, beyond the obvious forum and collesium.

I went for two weeks last October (9 days in Rome and then the rest staying in Pompeii.
In the Rome area, my personal favourites were:-
Ostia(allow a whole day to wander around. Easy to get to by train).
The Baths of Caracalla (my favourite building in Rome)
Trajan's Market and Forum
The Palatine (especially getting into the house of Augustus...beautiful wall paintings)
Just wandering around in general, which is how we found the Theatre of Marcellus.


Quote:What is the best way to get around the city
Walk. The metro is great for getting into the city from the suburbs but currently useless for movement inside the city centre itself...but then it's not that big. Starting at the Colloseum, you can walk down to the Baths of Caracalla (via the side of the Palatine, past the Circus Maximus) in about 30 minutes.


Quote:how big of an issue will language be
It won't. The city is geared for tourism; most people working in bars, restaurants and shops speak English and all menus we found (both in the centre and the suburbs) are in English. Make the effort to learn a few of the basics and you'll be fine.

Quote:I will likely be there for a week, what are some of the essential sites outside the city, pompeii comes to mind, and possibly hadrians villa.


Well, I suppose Ostia is outside the city but it really is well worth the short train ride. We enjoyed it much more than Hadrian's Villa (which was, frankly, a bit of a disappointment as it lacked any sort of vitality. Very impressive but very sterile). Allow a whole day for just wandering thorugh it's streets. A wonderful place and mostly empty.

I also enjoyed spending a day walking down the Via Appia. We got the tourist bus down to the St Sebastian Catacombes and then walked down as far as the villa of the Quintilli at the 5th milestone, seeing the villa of Maxentius, the tomb of Cecilia Metella and lots of monuments along the way.

Pompeii is possible as a daytrip. There's a fast train from Rome to Naples which takes about an hour, then you can get the local train from Naples to Pompeii, about another hour I suppose.
However, unless you're really, really certain that you'll never go back, I wouldn't do it. Pompeii needs more than a day to do it justice. Go to Herculaneum instead. Much closer to Naples than Pompeii, in better overall condition (but then it wasn't bombed during WWII) and it only takes 4-5 hours to walk around. Less crowded too.

It's really worth planning a seperate trip to the region though. Pompeii is, like I said, worth at least two days of your time, Herculanium is brilliant and then there are the smaller sites (the clifftop villas of Stabiae, the Villa of Popaea at Oplontis etc) as well as Naples Museum...you need a week in the region really.
"Medicus" Matt Bunker

[size=150:1m4mc8o1]WURSTWASSER![/size]
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#3
I have not been there but I understand that the Museum of Roman Civilisation is worth a visit. However, I have the feeling that the opening times are a bit peculiar, so you may need to check those.
Michael King Macdona

And do as adversaries do in law, -
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
(The Taming of the Shrew: Act 1, Scene 2)
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#4
If the Vatican museum is open you must go and visit it as there are a number of interesting Roman tombs there, including Constantine the Greats that was actually used in the end for his mother Helena.
Adrian Coombs-Hoar
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#5
Most museums are closed on Monday's. Always check in advance on any day if the sites are open. Buy an archeology pass. It gets you the big three: Palatine, Forum and Coliseum for one price and its valid for 2 days. The shorter line to buy tickets is around the back by the Palatine enterence. The Capitoline Museum is great. The bronze Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius is inside with a replica outside between the two buildings. It's simply amazing.

The Pantheon is a must and its completely free located near the Piazza Navona. At the back of the Piazza there is the remains of Domitians "race track" which gave the shape to the piazza.

For a nice relaxing day head over to Via Appia Antica. Take a bus near the Circus Maximus to the catacombs and then just walk down the ancient road. Lining the road are the remains of ancient tombs and if you walk far enough you'll get to the aquiducts. You can also rent bikes at the beginning of the Via Appia. No cars allowed except those who live there.

I would suggest buying the book " Let's Go: Italy". It has all the current prices, times and things to do with a brief history and description of the sites both modern and ancient and places to stay and eat. It also tells you which buses and trains to take.

I try to go each year and still feel like i'm just scratching the surface. You'll be hooked for life! Have fun!

Try not to cram too much in, it's easy to fly through And not absorb what you're seeing.

I will second Ostia. If you can't get to Pompeii it's the next best thing.
"The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones"

Antony
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#6
All of this info is great - thank you everyone. Italy is the first western European country I think I'll go to. Only problem will be convincing the Mrs. that we really need to go over everything in detail.

What are the recommendations for best season to travel to Italy? I would assume winter is least crowded, but then the weather might diminish the trip? Yes? No? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Alexander
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#7
Well its -5°C and snowing now. I would go in Spring or Autumn.
Sulpicius Florus

(aka. Steve Thompson)

"What? this old Loculus? had it years dear."
"Vescere bracis meis" (eat my shorts)
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#8
I go in early September. Great weather and fewer crowds.
"The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones"

Antony
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#9
If you're up for a slightly longer excusion than Pompeii I'd recommend Tiberius' villa on Capri - It was deserted when I went there last year and that was in early September. You can walk around the whole place and even see the promontary bit where he'd throw people off he didn't like. The views of the southern tip of the bay of Naples are excellent too.

If you do head out to Pompeii take a lot of water - the central cafe was closed when I went and i was dying of thirst before I'd even got half way around :|
Arma virumque cano
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#10
Quote:All of this info is great - thank you everyone. Italy is the first western European country I think I'll go to. Only problem will be convincing the Mrs. that we really need to go over everything in detail.

What are the recommendations for best season to travel to Italy? I would assume winter is least crowded, but then the weather might diminish the trip? Yes? No? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I went December 1981. Saw Pope John Paul II give his Merry Christmas wishes from the balcony of the Vatican. Weather was beautiful. Have a blast!!
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#11
If you're into seeing the Pope he usually gives a public address every Wednesday in St Peter's Square if he is in town. If you get there early enough you'll even get a seat up front.
"The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones"

Antony
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#12
Thank you all for the valuable input, I will let you know how it goes if I make it over there! Tongue
Keegan Chetwynd
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#13
I suggest you to visit this museums:

http://www.pigorini.beniculturali.it/
http://www.museociviltaromana.it/
http://www.itnw.roma.it/ostia/scavi/show...fldAuto=14

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=41.8319916&lon...0%BD%D0%B8
(don't know why is in Russian)

The Pigorini Museum is side by side to the Hight Medieval Museum (Not medieval at all. It's focused on the Migration Period).
The Museum of Roman Civilization is a little distant from the other's two. But if you have a map you can easily reach it walking (about ten minutes far)

All of this museums can be visit in one day. The Pigorini is beautifull for the preistoric and proto-storic section, but is famous for the etnographic collection (Oceania, Africa, ecc)
Ah... no photos allowed. Just in the Museum of the Roman civilization you can make all the photos that you want (because all the pieces exposed are replicas and huge models).

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=41.8304647&lon...%A0-Romana

Unfortunately the Hight medieval museum is close on Monday. So if you want to visit you have to go another day (if i remember well the other's two are opened) just for it.
This 3 museums are all located in EUR (it's a neighborhood) you can get there easily with the metro. EUR-FERMI stop if i remember well. All the reenactors that have participated to the Rome's Dies Natalis know this stop because from there we reached the "Faboulous" camping.

http://www.rome-museum.com/it/?gclid=CKW...3god80762w
I Musei Vaticani.

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=41.9032512&lon...i-Vaticani

I passed almost a day in the Etruscan section (there is located the famous, well-preserved, aspis shield)
Photos allowed!!! (but NOT in the Sistina Chapel)

http://archeoroma.beniculturali.it/musei...zo-massimo
http://wikimapia.org/#lat=41.901223&lon=...alle-Terme

http://archeoroma.beniculturali.it/musei...iocleziano
http://wikimapia.org/#lat=41.901223&lon=...iocleziano

These two museums are exactly in front of the Termini Station. The ticket is cumulative (if you ask so).
In palazzo massimo there is the famous boxer statue, and an incredible collection of roman coins. (photos allowed)
In the Diocletian's Bath there are lot of statues and roman artifacts.
(photos allowed).




http://villagiulia.beniculturali.it/
http://wikimapia.org/#lat=41.9198742&lon...lla-Giulia
No-photos museum, but a lot of interesting things to photograph. Very sad.

Well, think it's all. I visited also the Zoo, the botanist park, the natural history museum, and so on. But i guess this could not interesting you. This is my planning for a three-days research/vacation trip. With all the museums selected nearby to optimize times.

Hope this could be usefull to you.
Cheers!

P.s.
In Rome right know the weather is terrible and there are a lot of problems with trains and taxi drivers. I suggest to wait untill the springs comes and visit Rome maybe...during the Dies Natalis!!
my warrior blog:
http://sardinianwarrior.blogspot.com/
My Sardinian archeology blog: http://archeosardinia.blogspot.com

Alessandro Atzeni. Nuragic, Roman and Medioeval reenactor.

my Family http://memoriaemilites.weebly.com/
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#14
Hello,

I've been there for one week (what a short time!). What I liked most (apart from museum's exhibitions) were the arches – Arch of Constantine, Arch of Septimius Severus, Arch of Titus. They are all located in or near the Forum Romanum, which is also great, so you should certainly see them. The other fora are also very near to Forum Romanum, so I would recommend to see them as well (especially Trajan's forum with the Trajan's column). Column of Marcus Aurelius is also worth a visit. On the other hand I personally didn't like Palatine that much.

You MUST visit the Vatican museums and the Capitoline museums. They are simply great. Take at least half a day (but rather more) for the Vatican museums (sure, depends on what you want to see).

Outside of the city – I very much agree that if you do not manage Pompei you should go to Ostia. Wonderful place, indeed.

Matt is right that the best way how to move in the city is walking. Most of the sightseeings and museums are in the centre not far away one from another. I only used the public transportation when going to see the walls of castra praetoria, the Milvian bridge and when visiting Ostia.

We bought the Roma pass, which saved us some money. It enables you to use the public transportation for free for a few days. Moreover you have a free entrance to two museums or archaeological sites and discounts for the others. There are other similar passes (for example the Archaeology pass mentioned above). It is good to think about what you want to see and then count, what is best for you.

Greetings,
Alexandr
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#15
Other users have made ​​a good list of places to visit ... I personally recommend the National Museum in Rome (especially Palazzo Massimo) and I was impressed by the Etruscan museum ... then Palatine and much more :mrgreen:

However, I want to add a news that is probably very good if some of you decide to visit Rome: If you decide to visit Rome on the day of your birthday museums are free!!
CIAO from Italy

Marco
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