By Margaret M. Johnson

During the summer months, the crowd in St. Peter's Square often exceeds 5,000 people for the Pope's general audience.

Rome, Italy's capital, and largest city, has nearly 3 million inhabitants in an area of 580 square miles.

With more churches than there are days in the year; monuments dating back to the 1st century; ancient, medieval, renaissance, and baroque art and architecture; some of the richest museums and galleries in the world; breathtaking fountains and obelisks; and Vatican City, the center of Christianity.

Rome is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. At least 7.6 million people visited in the first five months of 2008 alone.

If you're planning a visit anytime soon, the operative word for the visit should be "plan," as in plan ahead, plan your days, and by all means, plan to wear comfortable shoes.

Another suggestion to take seriously, if you're only thinking about a daylong visit is to change your plans immediately and schedule at least three. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day and it shouldn't be visited in a day either.

On our recent visit, we spent three nights and, frankly, I should have taken my own advice and spent at least a week. However, it you agree to the three-day plan, start, as I always do, with an open-top bus tour.

The Colosseum is the centerpiece of the Forum, the area that was the seat of judicial, political, and commercial life in ancient Rome.

I take these city tours wherever I go, and in a place as large as Rome with so many "must-see" places -- Colosseum, Circus Maximus, Piazza Navona, Catacombs, Villa Borghese, Vatican City, Spanish Steps -- it's nearly essential.

Two of the many bus companies operating here -- Ciao Roma and Green Line Tours -- stop at all the major historic sites, and you can spend as much or as little time at each spot. Both tours are priced at 24 EUR ($37).

When the bus reaches the area of the Forum, plan to stay at least a few hours. After all, you won't run into an amphitheater like the Colosseum in too many parts of the world -- others built during the Roman Empire are in Nimes and Arles in France and in Verona in northern Italy -- and this is the real deal.

Built in AD 80, it's been the scene of gladiatorial combats, chariot races, mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on classical mythology. It's also the centerpiece of the area that was the seat of judicial, political, and commercial life in ancient Rome.

If you're traveling with children, they'll love the idea that more than 200 cats call the Colosseum home.

After the Colosseum, wander up Palatine Hill, the birthplace of Rome, for a panoramic view of the Forum and on to nearby Capitoline Hill. Here you'll find Michelangelo's glorious Piazza del Campidoglio and the Capitoline Museums.

Back on the bus, you'll drive past the immense, white marble wedding cake-like Monument to Victor Emmanuel II.

Church groups, like these in traditional costume from Pulsano, Italy, folk performers, choirs, and the general faithful throng St. Peter' Square for the Pope' general audiences.

If your visit includes a Wednesday, make this the day you visit Vatican City, a sovereign state since 1929, when the Pope presides over his weekly General Audience (10:30 a.m. either in St. Peter's Square or in Audience Hall, depending on the weather and the size of the crowd).

You can e-mail a request for tickets to the Church of Santa Susanna (www.santasusanna.org), home of the American Catholic Church in Rome, and pick them up the night before at the church (Via Venti Settembre, 15).

If you do get tickets, plan to arrive at St. Peter's at least two to three hours in advance.

During our visit in May, we took part in Pope Benedict's weekly audience with about 5,000 other members of the faithful from around the world.

It's a fascinating and colorful experience.

If your visit doesn't include the General Audience, get there early anyway to beat the crowds. Plan to spend the entire day visiting the Vatican Museums, buildings that house one of the world's most magnificent art collections, the Sistine Chapel, Raphael Rooms and the Basilica itself.

If time permits, wander over to Castel Sant'Angelo, which offers a 58-room museum that chronicles the history of the fortress that has served as a medieval citadel, prison, and occasional residence of the popes.

The Papal Swiss Guard in the Vatican, seen here in traditional uniform before Pope Benedict's recent general audience, was founded in 1506 and is the only Swiss Guard that still exists.

When "formal" sightseeing is finished -- although there's always something wonderful to see in Rome -- be sure to wander off the beaten path to Rome's many charming neighborhoods.

Two to see are Piazza Campo De' Fiori, between Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and the Tiber, a cafe-lined square with open-air market and Renaissance palazzi, and Trastevere, a neighborhood on the Vatican side of the Tiber filled with great family-run restaurants, pizzerias, and wine bars.

Throw a coin into the Trevi, the city's most famous fountain, sip an espresso at Caffe Eustachio or Caffe Antico Greco (near the Spanish Steps and Piazza di Spagna, Rome's most famous square), and grab a gelato at Giolitti (near The Pantheon).

Remember, you're in the world's biggest open-air museum, so wherever you go, there's something to discover.

 

If you plan a visit at Christmas, despite the advantage of an off-season visit, think twice before you make your reservations! Christmas is a family holiday for Romans. They often leave the city to gather with their families or go to the countryside.

From Christmas Eve until the day after New Year's, the city is very quiet and a lot of shops and restaurants are closed.

The Vatican and its museums are closed during this period of time, as are many of the bigger sites, and public transportation runs on a limited schedule.

ROME - WHERE TO STAY

The Scalinata della Trinita dei Monti, most commonly known as the Spanish Steps, links the beautiful 17th-century church with Piazza di Spagna below. The sumptuous Hassler Hotel is situated next to the church.

If you're looking to splurge, stay at the turn-of-the-century Hotel Hassler, 6 Piazza Trinita dei Monti.

Consistently ranked in travel magazines' "top" lists, the 82-room / 13-suite palace sits theatrically at the top of the Spanish Steps overlooking Piazza di Spagna and Via dei Condotti, Long a favorite of royalty and celebrities (Tom and Katie occupied the presidential suite for their wedding), ordinary folk are also made very welcome.

Best time to splurge is during low season (November, January, February, and August) when doubles start at 550 EUR ($870), not including breakfast.

Phone 699-340 or visit www.hotelhassler.com.

Hotel Visconti Palace, 37 Via Federico Cesi, is located on the right bank of the Tiber, within walking distance of the Vatican.

More contemporary in style and affordable in price, the hotel has 247 rooms, a bar and lounge that offers all-day dining, and a parking garage, rather unusual for a city center hotel. Striking the right balance between a business and leisure hotel, Visconti Palace offers money-saving Internet rates, especially in low season.

In general, doubles start at 340 EUR ($530) and include a buffet breakfast.

Phone 594-848 or visit www.viscontipalace.com.

The Hotel de Russie, 9 Via del Babuino, is perfectly located between Piazza del Popolo and Piazza di Spagna.

Originally an antique building built in 1814, Sir Rocco Forte brought it back to life and added it to his hotel collection in 2000. Most of the stunning 122 bedrooms (including 34 suites) overlook the terraced secret garden, a tranquil space in the heart of Rome that houses a butterfly oasis.

Double room rates start at 450 EUR ($700), not including breakfast; a special "unbeatable Sunday" offer (arrive on a Sunday or Monday through February 28, 2009) that includes buffet breakfast is a deal at 395 EUR ($615).

Phone 328-881 or visit www.roccofortecollection.com.

ROME - WHERE TO EAT

La Rosetta, Via della Rosetta 8, was Rome's first restaurant to serve fish and seafood exclusively.

Founded in 1966 by the Ciccioli family, their son Massimo continues his parents' Sicilian seafood traditions with dishes like warm seafood salad, string beans, and baby tomatoes; grilled octopus with salmoriglio and potatoes; risotto "pescatora" style; scallops in red wine sauce; and a wide selection of fish-laden pasta dishes. Main courses range from 25 EUR to 35 EUR ($38 to $55), not including wine. Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Phone 686-1002 or visit www.larosetta.com.

Le Jardin de Russie in Hotel de Russie, 9 Via del Babuino, offers classic Roman cuisine in the glorious surroundings of the "giardino segreto."

Starters from chef Nazzareno Menghini's menu range from inventive combinations like cream of salt cod with chick peas to fried zucchini flowers and prawns; entrees from sea bass, Roman broccoli, and anchovies to grilled veal with morels and black truffles. Two-course lunches or dinners will cost about 65 EUR ($100), without wine. Phone 328-881 or visit www.roccofortecollection.com.

Guests of the Hassler Hotel can enjoy a panoramic view over Rome, including St. Peter' Basilica, from the rooftop terrace.

Imago, the rooftop restaurant at the Hotel Hassler, 6 Piazza Trinita dei Monti, offers panoramic views of Rome to complement chef Francesco Apreda's induction cooking, which varies according to season.

Summer time primi piatti (first course) offerings included yellow and green taglioni, gnocchi with peas in squid sauce, and fusilloni with quail ragout 27 EUR to 33 EUR ($42 to $51); equally inventive fish and meat courses ranged from scorpion fish and mussel stew to duck glazed with limoncello (38 EUR to 45 EUR ($59 to $70).

For a sumptuous meal, try the five-course fish, meat, or vegetarian degustation menu.

Phone 699-34726 or visit www.hotelhassler.com.

ROME VISITOR INFORMATION

For tourist information on Rome, visit www.italiantourism.com, the official site of the Italian government tourist office.

The official tourist agency in Rome is the APT (Azienda Promozionale Turistica di Roma), whose offices supply a list of hotels, maps, a brief guide to the city, and up-to-date openings times.

You'll find information kiosks throughout the city, as well as at the international arrivals terminal at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport and at Termini Railway Station.

Some useful Internet sites are www.aboutrome.com, www.enjoyrome.com and www.tours-italy.com. (Avventure Bellissime provides walking tours lasting between four and seven hours, 70 EUR to 120 EUR.)

The currency in Rome is the euro.

All phone numbers are for local calls. From the United States, dial 011+ 3906+ local number.

 

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Travel | Travel Rome - Plan Ahead for a Memorable Roman Holiday