Whoever comes to Rome for a visit will find something to their liking. The entire historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and so are a number of other monuments in the city. The Vatican City, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and the Sistine Chapel are among the most famous tourist attractions in the world. There are beaches nearby and the food is of course excellent.
All about Rome
Public transport strike in Rome on Monday October 11, 2021
For the second time in about one month there will be a public transport strike in Rome. It will follow the usual hours (8 AM till 5 PM and 8 PM till 5 AM the following morning). All Rome public transport will be involved, from ATAC (metro, tram and most bus lines), TPL (bus lines in the suburbs) and Cotral (bus connections to, from and between the small towns in the province of Rome).
Green Pass
For all visitors to Italy, note that as of August 6th, 2021, you need a “Green Pass” to visit museums, cinemas and theatres, gyms, swimming pools, amusement parks, spas and wellness centres, festivals and fairs, casinos and sports stadiums. The pass is also required for indoor dining. You are, however, allowed to eat outside a restaurant and to have a coffee at the counter of a bar and you do not need it on public transportation. You can geet the Green Pass if you have been vaccinated, recovered from Covid or tested negative recently. It does not apply to children under the age of 12.
Banksy in the Chiostro del Bramante
Banksy is probably the most famous incognito artist in the world. The exhibition hosted at the Chiostro del Bramante is the second within a year in the same space. The title of the exhibition is “All about Banksy: Exhibition 2”. The exhibition consists of some 200 works on loan from private collections. It will continue until January 9th 2022.
Damien Hirst in the Galleria Borghese (June – November 2021)
“Archaeology Now” is the title of a Damien Hurst exhibition that opened on Tuesday 8 June 2021 at the Galleria Borghese. The exhibition contains 80 of the artist’s sculptures and will last until 7 November. Hirst’s art is juxtaposed with the permanent exhibition of this beautiful museum. Part of the exhibition consists of a set of new paintings.
Rose Garden opens from October 10th till 24th, 2021
From October 10th till 24th the Roman Rose Garden (Roseto Comunale) will be open for the annual autumn period. Admission is free and, apart from the beauty of the garden itself, there is the added attraction of the view over the Circus Maximus and the Palatine Hill skyline.
Tourist offices in Rome are reopening
First some major museums reopened, then most attractions did, and now the first three tourist information offices in Rome are opening their doors again. Not that there are many tourists yet, but it is a start. People visiting Rome will find a city without smog, without queues at the attractions and with some interesting exhibitions going on, including Raphael at the Scuderie del Quirinale. And accommodation rates are at low season levels right now!
San Gregorio Magno al Celio Church
The San Gregorio Magno al Celio Church is also known as the Santi Andrea e Gregorio al Celio and was built in the middle ages on top of the house that belonged to Pope Gregorio the Great and used to serve as a convent. Highlights are the Salviati Chapel inside the church and the Sant’Andrea Oratorium in its garden.
All about Viterbo
Viterbo is the capital of the province of Viterbo in Lazio, Italy and lies slightly more than 100km north of Rome. Unofficially the area where Viterbo is located is called Tuscia, however. Some of its main attractions are the Museo Civico, which has its seat in the former convent of the Santa Maria della Verità Church, and the Santa Rosa Church.
Raphael’s Tapestries on Display in the Sistine Chapel
Apart from Michelangelo’s ceiling, Raphael’s tapestries constitute the most famous works of art in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Museums in Rome. In order to better protect the tapestries, they are usually not on display in the chapel itself, but in the Vatican Pinoteca. From February 17th till February 23rd 2020 they will be on display in their original position.
Clivo di Scauro, picturesque street, spanned by arches
The Clivo di Scauro is one of few streets in Rome that has retained its original Roman name. Main attractions along this street are the Santi Giovanni and Paolo Basilica and the Roman Houses under the Celio. Part of the street is covered by arches.
All about Rome
An abundance of tourist attractions, a pleasant climate and the best food in the world equals a popular tourist destination and tourists need places to stay: We have made a list of Rome hotel accommodations, from cheap B&B’s and hostels near Termini, to luxury hotels in the historical center of Rome.
Other sections deal with practical information, including public transportation in Rome, day trips, entertainment, eating and drinking and activities.
Initially this guide was meant for guests at my Little Italy B&B, located in the center of Rome, but more and more pages were added, so the information accumulated after 10 years of having answered questions about Rome is now available to everybody.
Rome Guide
Practical information and public transport
Before you arrive: Everything about the Leonardo da Vinci International Airport of Fiumicino and the smaller Ciampino Airport. There are separate pages for the best public transport connections between the main station Roma Termini and the two airports. For connections from/to Ciampino it is generally easiest to take a bus, whereas for connections from/to Fiumicino the train is quickest. There are fixed taxi rates between the airports and the center of Rome.
Strikes: Public transport strikes are a fairly common occurrence in Rome and the rest of Italy. At the moment no strikes have been announced.
Getting around: The public transport system in Rome consists of metro, bus and tram. The ticket system is the same for all means of transport.
Museum passes: Rome has a number of different museum passes. The Roma Pass and the Omnia Vatican & Rome Card are the most famous ones, but are less convenient than they would seem to be.
City tax or tourist tax: A couple of years ago Rome was the first Italian city to start applying a special tax for tourists in the city. The amount you pay depends on the kind of accommodation you choose.
Tourist information: Just in case this website is not enough for you, there are various tourist information points near the city’s main attractions.
Tourist attractions
The whole historical center of Rome is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The miminum time you should spend in the city is 3 days, which will give you slightly more than a tip of the iceberg.
Churches
The number one church in Rome is of course Saint Peter’s Basilica, which is the most important Catholic church in the world and one of the four so-called Papal Basilicas. The other three are Saint John in Lateran, Saint Mary Major and Saint Paul’s Outside the Walls.
Archeological Monuments
The best known monument is the Colosseum. A ticket for this attraction also gives access to the excavations at the Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. Other important buildings and other constructions left over from the ancient Roman times are the Pantheon, the Baths of Caracalla and the ruins of the Fori Imperiali.
Museums
Rome has more than one hundred museums, of which the Vatican Museums are the most famous ones. Its highlight is the Sistine Chapel, one of the most famous works of art ever created. Other important museums are the four seats of the Museo Nazionale Romano and the Capitoline Museums. Renaissance art can be viewed in the Galleria Borghese and for modern art the MAXXI and the MACRO are your best bets.
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Fontana della Navicella
The Fontana della Navicella (“Fountain of the Small Boat”) can be found on the Via della Navicella in front of the church of Santa Maria in Domnica in the rione Celio in Rome. It was built in 1519 and probably replaced an earlier damaged version.
