Welcome to our new blog series where we dive into a different city of Italy every week.
Our first post will be exploring Rome, the capital of Italy and one of our favourite cities in the world.
Although you may not be able to travel to Rome in the near future, there’s no reason you can’t plan ahead for your next trip or just enjoy learning about what Rome has to offer.
Rome is nicknamed The Eternal City or La Citta Eterna, a term coined by Tibullus, a Roman poet, in the 1st century B.C. It’s easy to see how it got this name on account of its timeless charm. When you walk through Rome, you’re walking through countless years of history and breathtaking beauty.
Whether it's your first time in Rome or you've been before, there is alway new things to discover. Read on to learn more about our favourite parts of this beautiful city. This is not a definitive list as there’s so many things to see in this city whether you love art, history, fashion, or all of the above. This is just a short list of some of our favourite things to see:
The Colosseum
The Colosseum is a Roman amphitheatre that was built between 70 and 80 AD. In Roman times, the amphitheatre could hold 50,000 to 80,000 people and was used for gladiator battles and other spectacles.
The Roman Forum
Walking through the Roman Forum is like traveling back in time and walking through ancient Rome. The Roman Forum was considered the heart of every day life in Rome and it includes many important ancient Roman buildings.
The Pantheon
The Pantheon is an ancient Roman temple which is now a Catholic Church. It is one of the best preserved Ancient Roman buildings in the whole world. What makes it truly unique is its grandeur and its oculus ceiling. It also includes the tombs of two Italian Kings: Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I, along with Umberto’s Queen, Margherita (yes, like the pizza, which was named after her).
The Trevi Fountain
One of the most famous fountains in the world, the Trevi Fountain was built in 1762. Though the fountain was not built during Ancient Roman times, it does have Roman origins tied to its location. The fountain was built on a Roman aqueduct that dates back to 19 B.C.. The legend behind this aqueduct is that thirsty Roman soldiers were led to a source of water by a young girl. The name Trevi comes from the fact that it is located at the meeting point of three roads (tre-vi).
Want to throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain on your next trip? You absolutely should as all the money that’s thrown into the Trevi Fountain is donated to charity. However, you need to learn a few rules before you do. You must always throw using your right hand and over your left shoulder. And the amount of coins you throw matter too; throw one coin to return to Rome and two to fall in love.
Image via Pinterest
The Vatican
Technically the Vatican is not IN Rome and this is because Vatican City is its own independent city-state (the smallest one in the world). St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museums hold some of the most important and beautiful art in the world so it’s definitely worth a visit even if you aren’t particularly religious. It is definitely time consuming though so plan to spend half a day here at least.
Piazza di Spagna
The gorgeous Spanish Steps were built from 1723 to 1725. This Piazza also features a fountain and church. Climb these steps for a great workout post pasta or gelato or visit this site before indulging in the amazing shopping this area has to offer.
Image via Pinterest
Piazza Navona
Piazza Navona is a cute little piazza with many beautiful fountains, an obelisk, and a church. It has a unique Baroque Roman architecture style. This piazza used to be the location of a Roman amphitheatre called the Stadium of Domitian and you can still see some remains of this ampitheatre at the end of the square. Although there is plenty of historical reasons to love this piazza, the reason we love it is because of the many artists that paint and sell their work in the square every day.
Piazza del Popolo
One of our favourite piazzas in Rome, Piazza del Popolo (the People’s Square) includes a gateway (Porto del Popolo), an Egyptian obelisk, the Fontana del Nettuno and beautiful twin churches, Santa Maria in Montesanto and Santa Maria dei Miracoli.
Image via Pinterest
Trastevere
Trastevere is, in our opinion, the hippest and most fun part of Rome. It’s the perfect place to spend your evenings once you’re done sightseeing and are looking for a fun cocktail or a delicious dinner. You can get to the Trastevere neighbourhood via the Ponte Sisto. We love staying in Trastevere as it’s a short walk to the city centre and has a great nightlife.
Finally, no Italian city guide would be complete without a list of places to eat! A few of our favourite Roman places to indulge include the following:
Armando al Pantheon
Our favourite restaurant in Rome, Armando al Pantheon is not to be missed. This place is close to the Pantheon (hence the name) and serves delicious, traditional Roman dishes. To visit their website click here
Antica Pesa
For something a little more upscale and quite famous, Antica Pesa is the place to go. This restaurant serves a good mix of traditional Roman fare and more modern dishes. To visit their website click here
Della Palma
Just a short walk from the Pantheon is a gelateria where you can find 150 flavours of gelato. You can find your favourite traditional flavour or try something a bit more experimental or both! We love this gelateria for the variation and the fact that it’s a famous Roman establishment. To visit their website click here
Our last trip to Rome together, we got stuck in a huge rainstorm!
Yet even in the rain, Rome is always stunning ❤️
Sources:
Wikipedia
https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/all-you-need-to-know-about-piazza-navona.html
https://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/art-culture/9-surprising-facts-trevi-fountain-rome
