visit Rome in 2 days
- 1st day
- 2nd day
visit Rome in 4 days
- 1st day
- 2nd day
- 3rd day
- 4th day
visit Rome in 3 days
discover Rome:
- Water in Rome
- Along the Tiber
- Medieval Rome
- Egyptian Obelisks
- The historic squares
- Baroque Rome
- Renaissance in Rome
- Villas and gardens
- Arches ancient Rome
- Castelli wine
- Colli Albani wine
- Colli Lanuvini wine
- Frascati wine
- Montecompatri wine
- Velletri wine
Rome travel guides
Rome in 96 hours - second day
The
Vatican City:
Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica
Castel
Sant’Angelo,
brief boat ride on the Tiber up to the Isola
Tiberina (Tiber Island), walk in
Trastevere.
The
Vatican City
The Vatican City, independent sovereign state since 1929 (Lateran Pacts), rises on the site where St. Peter was martyred and buried. The first Christian Emperor Constantine, built a splendid basilica there in the 4th century AC which was in later times demolished and rebuilt over a period of almost 120 years (1506-1614). The greatest architects of the period, including Bramante, Michelangelo and Maderno, collaborated in the project of the new church, the largest in the world with its surface adding up to a total of 22,000 square metres. The Basilica of St. Peter’s offers one of the most impressive experiences of architectural space available anywhere. Photographs cannot convey the impact on the visitor of the vastness of the structure, of the splendid decorations and works of art it contains.
The alternation, during the construction phase, between the Greek cross and Latin cross plan, and the definitive choice of the latter, explains why one must proceed significantly along the central nave before coming in full view of Michelangelo’s extraordinary dome (which measures 136 m in height and 42m in diameter) The artistic treasures contained in St. Peter’s include the celebrated Pietà by the same Michelangelo, the only work he ever signed, and which he made when he was only 24, using a single block of marble; the baldacchino above the main altar, the authentic visual focus of the church, created by Bernini with bronze taken from the Pantheon, and the bronze statue of St. Peter by Arnolfo di Cambio.
The church is also famous for its almost total absence of paintings, substituted with mosaics by the Vatican School.
St. Peter’s Square can contain 300,000 people; it defines the border with Italy and welcomes visitors with the embrace of the colonnade designed by Bernini. It is the site of important ceremonies tied with the pope’s direct relationship with the people, such as audiences and blessings.
The Vatican Museums and their immense wealth of art, resulting from centuries of papal collections and commissions, offer an extraordinary experience in which the relevance of the works on display is heightened by the splendour of the structures in which they are displayed, and that are in themselves worth a visit. We do not proceed through buildings designed specifically to allow the large numbers of contemporary visitors to see artistic objects in a functional manner, but we walk through the galleries and rooms of papal palaces, at one time reserved for a small elite. The Museums offer a great variety of collections, including ancient Greek as well as Roman art (of which the Vatican owns the largest collection in the world), Egyptian and Etruscan art and, of course, the great masterpieces of Renaissance art with the frescoes of the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel. This is a great opportunity to realize how coming to Rome often has more to do with remembering what we have always somehow known, than with discovering things for the first time. Images that are strongly related to the identity of Western artistic culture are here. The restoration of the Sistine Chapel lasted 20 years and revealed the brilliance of the original colours, allowing us to fully enjoy the details of the biblical episodes on the ceiling and of the Last Judgement by Michelangelo, with its almost 400 figures captured in the most dramatic moment in the history of humanity. The Sistine Chapel also contains the famous 15th century frescoes by Botticelli, Perugino and Ghirlandaio, among others.
In order to avoid long lines, check the opening times that are longer in the summer and, if possible, plan your visit after 12:00am, when the Museums are less crowded.
Castel
Sant’Angelo
Via della Conciliazione leads to Castel Sant’Angelo, the fortress of the popes built in the Middle Ages above the remains of the tomb of the Emperor Hadrian (2nd century AD). Its structure is an example of the continuity between past and present in the urban fabric of Rome, where ancient buildings were often reused and adapted to serve new purposes, thus maintaining an active role in the history of the city. The location of the emperor’s mausoleum on the right bank of the river Tiber, close to the Vatican, determined its use as a defensive rampart, connected to the papal palaces by a passageway, known as the “Passetto”, and endowed with a moat surrounding it, drawbridges and cannons. In the past the castle was famous for its terrible dungeons, described by Benvenuto Cellini who made an adventurous escape from them. It was also a place of public executions, as recalled by the opera Tosca, that sees its tragic ending here. Walking through the 58 rooms the Museum of the Castel Sant’Angelo today is a journey through its 1800 years of history, and the many terraces offer extraordinary views of the city.
Don’t miss the Bridge of the Angels, with the statues by the Bernini school that in the past announced to pilgrims on their way to visit the tomb of St. Peter, that the goal of their journey was near.
We suggest reaching Trastevere by boat with the navigation service on the Tiber, and to get off at the Isola Tiberina. The boat ride will evoke the fundamental role the river used to have in the life of the city, when buildings and gardens went right down to the river banks, that also had ports, water mills and platforms for fishing. The Tiber often flooded causing great damage to the neighbouring areas. This led to the construction of modern embankments in the 1870s that have profoundly modified the appearance of the river and its relationship to the city.
Trastevere
The area of Trastevere is ideal for a walk through narrow streets, squares and colors that still maintain an authentically Roman character and offers a pleasant contrast with the solemn splendor seen at the Vatican. In antiquity Trastevere – “beyond the Tiber” – was the first district established on the right bank of the Tiber and was inhabited by artisans, fishermen, merchants and communities of foreigners, connected with the activities of the nearby port. Trastevere was also famous for its magnificent villas and vast gardens, the most important of which belonged to Julius Caesar who may have hosted Cleopatra there and left them in his will to the people of Rome.
In the Middle Ages the neighborhood acquired the aspect it still preserves today in its narrow alleys and small squares that often defy any idea of a rational overall urban design, and give the impression of having adapted to preexisting structures. Sites that should not be missed include the ancient Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere, with the 13th century mosaics by Pietro Cavallini, and of Santa Cecilia, with the touching statue of Cecilia herself, patron saint of music, by Stefano Maderno. To find the magnificence of the Renaissance even in Trastevere, the ideal place is the Farnesina, the suburban villa of wealthy banker Agostino Chigi, containing frescoes by Raphael, Baldassarre Peruzzi and Sebastiano del Piombo.
Trastevere offers a great variety of restaurants and bars for a fun evening.
Courtesy of romaturismo.com Azienda Promozione Turistica Comune di Roma