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Rome - Italy
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| About Rome |
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Legend has it that Rome was founded in 753 BC by the sons of Rhea Silvia and the god of war, Mars. The sons, Remus and Romulus who were brought up by a she-wolf after being abandoned on the side of the Tiber. Remus was killed his brother in a fight for control of Rome.
Upto 510 BC, Rome was ruled by the Etruscan kings. The city of Rome controlled most of the country around 2 BC, when it became a republic, but had it's fair share of civil wars to contend with. Then came the era of the Roman Empire.
Rome today, is world renowned for it's art, history and religion. A lot of the city's past can still been seen today.
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| Places to visit in Rome |
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Baths of Caracella (Terme di Caracella)
Dating from the 3BC, these Roman baths are a peaceful haven from the hustle bustle of modern-day Rome. The complex the baths are housed in once contained a library, shops, gymnasiums and a garden area.
Open Sun-Mon 9am-1pm, Tue-Sat 9am-two hours before sunset.
Castel Sant'Angelo
Work began on this fortress from 135AD by Emperor Hadrian. . Throughout history the structure has been extensivly modified and has been closely connected with the Vatican, to which it is connected by an underground passage.
Open 9am-1pm daily except the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month.
Catacombs of Rome
in Rome there is miles of catacombs holding thousands of dead. Many of these date from the 4 BC and the bones of early saints and popes are held in some of them. Like the catacombs found in Paris, this is a popular visiting place. The most popular of these are San Callisto and San Sebastiano, both located on the old Appian Way.
Catacombs of San Callisto.
Open Thu-Mon 8.30am-12noon & 2.30pm-5.30pm. Via Appia Antica 110. Catacombes of San Sebastiano
Open Fri-Wed 9am-12noon & 2.30pm-5.30pm.
Circus Maximus
From the 4th century BC, Circus Maximus was the place where the chariot races were held, holding up to 300,000 people. Today, all that remains are ruins
Colosseum
The Colosseum has got to be Rome's most famous and impressive monuments. This was once the venue where gladiators fought and Christians where fed to the lions. Although much of the Colosseum was destroyed during the Middle Ages and the Rennaissance, what remains is still a remarkable monument to ancient Rome.
Open Mon-Tue & Thu-Sat 9am till two hours before sunset, Wed & Sun 9am-1pm.
Imperial Forum
The Imperial Forums, around 1AD, where the centre of Roman society and consisted of temples and public squares. Nowadays all that remains are ruins, although it is still a very impressive site.
Palatine
Anumber of palaces dating from the 1st century can be found on the hill overlooking the Roman Forum.
Open: Mon & Wed-Sat 9am till two hours before sunset, Tue & Sun 9am-1pm.
Pantheon
Built in 27BC,as a temple the Pantheon has been also used as a church and a market. It's main feature of what is the best preserved of all the ancient Roman buildings, is the 9 metre circular hole in its dome which casts down a beam of light.
Open: Apr-Sep Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 9am-1pm; Oct-Mar Mon-Sat 9am-4pm. Piazza della Rontonda. Bus: 119.
Pyramid of Gaius Cestius
Built in the 1 BC for a lawyer who was a lover of the pyramids in Egypt.
Roman Forum
This used to be the centre of life in Rome during the Roman Empire with public squares, temples and law courts. Although much of it is in ruins, it is still very interesting and much more accessible than the nearby Imperial Forum.
Open: Apr-Sep Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 9am-1pm; Oct-Mar Mon-Sat 9am-3pm, Sun 9am-1pm.
Saint Peter's Basilica
To the Catholics, Saint Peter's is the most important building in the world and the pope's local church. Since the 4th century, this famous church has always been an important site , one thousand years later Pope Julius II took the bold move and tore down the old church, commissioning the architect Bramant to rebuild it as a larger and more imposing structure. Michelangelo also worked on the Basilica and is credited with much of the present design including the world's largest dome ever constructed.
Open: Summer 7am-7pm daily; Winter 7am-6pm daily.
Theatre of Marcellus
As a theatre completed by Augustus in 11BC, this is now an upmarket apartment complex. A fine example of ancient Roman and Renaissance architecture.
Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi)
The famous fountain which has been a star of film. This Baroque fountain is worth a visit and as legend goes, if you toss a coin in the fountain, you will return to Rome.
Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel
If you are interested in Renaissance art, this is a must see attraction. The Vatican Museums contain one of the world's greatest collections of art from the Renaissance period, but the real attraction is Michelangelo's ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Other museums in the complex include the Egyptian Museum , Etruscan Museum and the Raphael Rooms.
Open: Jan-Jun & Oct-Dec (excluding Easter) Mon-Sat & last Sun of the month 8.45am-1.45pm; Jul-Sep & Easter Mon-Sat & last Sun of the month 8.45am-4.45pm.
Villa Borghese
This is Rome's Central Park and a great escape from the fast-paced city outside. In the park is you will find a zoo and a number of museums.
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| Things to do in Rome |
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Cycling
There is a 15 km long track for cycling that runs from up-town at the Castel
Giubileo dam in Rome's northern side to Ponte Risorgimento near the
city's historic centre. The route mostly takes you along a natural
beauty on the edge of the Tiber; with the last three km taking you
into downtown Rome.
Rome by air
For a different view of Rome try a flight across the city. This tour, by Cityfly - starts daily, including holidays from Aeroporto dell'Urbe.
Their planes can carry from two to eight people. The fare is is reasonably priced with hildren under 10 are allowed a 10% discount.
These flights are around 20 minutes where you will enjoy on air view of the most interesting sights of Rome. After take-off the aircraft flies over Ponte Milvio, the Olympic Stadium and leads towards the historic centre passing over Piazza del Popolo, Piazza di Porta Pia, the Colosseum, Piazza S.Pietro flying as far as Villa Albani and the Mosque at an height of about 450 meters above the sea level.
www.cityfly.com
Boating Tours
Take a boat tour on the Tiber and pass under the bridges of Rome. This is a different and original way to visit the city. Tours operate from March to November.
The tour starts at Ponte Umberto I which faces Piazza Cavour or at Scalo de Pinedo and finishes at Ponte Duca d'Aosta , which connects the district of Flaminio to the Foro Italico.
This tour lasts about one hour and a half and will take you back to your starting point. You will see some of the most attractive sights of Rome like Castel Sant'Angelo, Ara Pacis, the Foro Italico, the famous "Albergo dell'Orso" where Dante Alighieri, Rabelais et Goethe stayed. With large groups of 25 people or more are offered the choice to dine on board.
www.tourvisaitalia.com
Eating & Drinking in Rome
Rome offers a good choice of restaurants in including some reasonably price places
to eat.
The best bet is to eat Italian food as most ethnic restaurants tend
to modify their food to suit the tastes of the Italians. You should
find a large choice of Italian fast food places to choose from, including
pizzerias and caffè-bars.
You will find quite a few Irish pubs around the city, although the
citizens do not tend to be that much of beer lovers. Most visitors
purchase wine or beer from a supermarket.
Shopping
There is a lot to offer in Rome when it comes to shopping. . The city has loads
of quaint shops and stores that offering great value as you visit
the less touristy parts of Rome. Since the rents on these shops are
high, so are there wares, but bargains can still be found.
Trajan's Markets
This is the city's oldest shopping complex that used to have 150 traders.
Open: Apr-Sep Tue-Sat 9am-7pm, Sun 9am-1pm; Oct-Mar Tue-Sat 9am-1.30pm,
Sun 9am-1pm.
There is a 15 km long track for cycling that
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| Useful Contacts |
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Emergency
- First Aid: 118
- Italian Red Cross Ambulance: 06 5510
- Chemist's Open On A Holiday 06 228941
- Municipal Veterinary Surgery - 06 5800340
- Urgent Blood Transusion: 06 4456375
- Urgent Blood Transusion - Policlinico Umberto I: 06 49970860 - 06 49970861
- Urgent Blood Transusion - S. Giovanni: 06 77055563
- Helicopter Ambulance: 06 5344478: 06 58702696
- Permanent First Aid Station: 06 4826741 - 06 58201030
- Roman Green Cross: 06 24302222
- Centre Against Drugs Intoxication - Gemelli: 06 3054343
- Centre Against Drugs Intoxication - Policlinico Umberto I: 06 490663
- Car Breakdown Service ACI: 116
- Police: 113
- Carabinieri: 112
- Traffic Police: 065544
- Fire Brigade: 115
- Local Police: 0667691
- Customs: 117
- Police Station: 064686
Utilities
- Disabled Persons Info Point - Rome For Everyone: 0623267695
- Lost Property Office For Bus And Tram: 065816040
- Lost Property Office For Metro A: 064874309
- Lost Property Office For Metro B: 065754295
- Towing Away: 0667692838
- Motorway Company: 0643632121
- Park Service: 0657902245
- Parking Information: 0657118333
Traveller's Cheques
- AMEX: 800.872 000
- Thomas Cook Mastercard: 800.872 050
- Visa: 800.874 155
Credit Cards
- AMEX: 800.073973
- Diner's Club: 800.864064
- Mastercard: 800.870866
- Visa: 800.877232
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| History of Rome |
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From 387BC, Rome began it's empire building and ending up controlling
the western world for over one thousand years .
The Romans built the city to the most advanced of the ancient world,
and the largest empire of the era. Many of the project built at that
time, like the roads, bridges and aqueducts are still used today.
The roads built by the Romans made it easier for them to travel and
trade with faraway provinces. It also made it easier to collect taxes.
These roads were straight and followed an common design.
Water was supplied to Rome through it's aqueducts. Nine of these aqueducts
provided the people of Rome with 38 million gallons of water every
day. Fountains in Rome are also supplied this way.
The Romans built large stadiums known as amphitheaters where they
would gather to watch shows with clowns, jugglers, and acrobats. Some
of Roman entertainment was to watch fights between wild animals and
Gladiators. These Gladiators were usually slaves or criminals who
fought with swords against animals or each other. A skillful gladiator
might win his freedom by defeating an opponent. More often, the gladiators
were killed.
The largest amphitheater built is the Colosseum, that seated about
45,000 people. Earthquakes destroyed some of the structure, only a
part of the Colosseum remains standing today. Also, some of the stone
from the Colosseum to build later Roman buildings, like St. Peter's
Basilica, the church where the Pope resides.
Since Rome is situated in a valley there is nowhere for sewage to
go. The introduction of sewer system made it possible for Rome to
become the largest city in the world. It was the first city to house
more than one million people. After the fall of Rome the population
declined, but today, more than six million people still reside there.
The Roman empire expanded so rapidly since it extended the rights
of citizenship to the people it conquered. As soon as these new people
became citizens, they often joined the Roman army. By 265BC, Rome
managed to unify most of of Italy.
. It is located along the banks of the Tiber River, Rome is an ideal
place for a city. The river makes travelling to and from the sea easy
and near the city it is very shallow . The city has seven hills surrounding
it. These hills made it harder to invade and easier for the Romans
to keep lookout. Rome is also close to excellent farmland and an abundance
of wood and stone. Rome is nicknamed "the Eternal City."
since Civilizations have grown and prospered in there for thousands
of years.
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