The Offbeat Traveler
Ten Things to Do in Rome When You Tire of Monuments and Churches
It's easy for visitors to be overwhelmed with everything to see in the Eternal City. Sometimes the tourist needs a breather from the traditional sites.
Here is a short list of interesting things to do that will broaden your appreciation of this Eternal City.
1. Stroll through the Borghese Gardens on Sunday and watch the families with children and pets enjoying the area. If you have kids, there are a number of things to do there. You can enter the Borghese by walking up the Via Veneto, where the American Embassy is located. At the top of the Veneto, you walk through the Pincian Gate (Porta Pinciana) in the old wall of Rome, crossing the Corso d’Italia. Just be careful to cross only at a light because this is a heavily travelled street and in Rome, and autos and scooters do not slow down.
2. If you can’t resist the urge to visit another museum, while you’re in the Gardens, stop in at the Borghese Museum. While there are several others museums in the park, this is my favorite. The museum houses works of major artists from the Sixteen and Seventeenth Centuries. Many describe it as the most beautiful museum in Italy. If you came in through the Porta Pinciana (there are other entrances), take the first right, the Viale del Museo Borghese. If you think visiting the museum is definite, you’ll need to reserve tickets in advance, which you can do on the Web. Current costs are €8.50 per person plus a reservation fee of €2.00. At the exchange rate in effect March 4, 2007, for one person this would equal just under $14.00. If you are a cat person, sit down on one of the benches outside and wait for the cats to approach. Rome is a city for cats with laws to protect them. If a kitten is born on your property, it has the right to live there. At the time of a census, there were 300,000 stray and abandoned cats in Rome. There is even a sanctuary for them in one of the ancient temple areas.
3. As long as you are in the Borghese area, why not visit the zoo? There are differing viewpoints about keeping wild animals confined in zoos. Many people feel this is wrong. Others enjoy the chances to see and learn about wild animals in person. Some zoos, such as the one in Rome, are involved in important research projects into animal health and disease. For that reason, I’m suggesting the Rome Zoo (Bioparco), which is in the Piazzale del Giardino Zoologico, located in the center of the Borghese area, for a relaxing afternoon
4. If you’re still in the Borghese Gardens around sunset, and still up for more walking, head west towards the setting sun until you come to the edge of the park. Eventually you will come to the Piazzale Napoleone I, which overlooks Piazza di Popolo and a good deal of Rome itself. Here you can see one of the most beautiful views in Rome.
5. On another day, if you are in the viciinity of the Via Veneto, head for the Church of Santa Maria della Concezione at number 27.. In the basement of the church (there is an entrance directly from the street) you wil find one of the most unusual sights in Rome. It contains the bones of 4,000 Capuchin monks, many arranged in artistic designs. Admission is by donation, but don’t make the mistake of trying to stiff—pardon my pun—the Capuchin monk who guards the entrance. You will regret it if you do. Hours of opening in many sites in Rome do change. At latest report the crypt is open (except for an extended lunch hour) between March and December except for Thursdays.
6. Rent a table (by buying a drink) at the Café de Paris. This place is on the Via Veneto and just a couple of blocks up from the American Embassy. Don’t sit inside, even though the drinks may be cheaper there. Instead, pick a table and watch the height of Roman fashion stroll by. The best viewing times are in the early evening hours. In the wintertime, the sidewalk tables are enclosed with portable glasss walls, with heaters on tall poles.
7. On Sunday, visit the Flea Market in Trastevere. Gather what the Italians call coraggio (courage) and negotiate prices with some of the seller, but keep a firm watch on your valuables! Trastevere is perhaps the closest area in Rome, other than Vatican City, that is in attitude at least, practically an independent city. Although there is no separate government, the residents believe they are the only bona fide Romans. Over the years, popular restaurants have drawn more tourists so that the essential character of the area is changing. However, the medieval churches still exist and small side streets can seem to transport one back in time.
8. If you are romantically involved with a fellow traveler, visit the Bocca della Verità (the Mouth of Truth). You can get here by first taking a taxi or bus to the Piazza Venezia. Buses 64 or 170 from the central train station (Termini) or 56, 60, 95 from Piazza Barberini will get you there. This is piazza is a stop that probably was already on your agenda, because at one end you can see the huge monument to Victor Emannuel II, which some Romans call the “Wedding Cake” and others an enormous typewriter. The monument houses Italy’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
If you enter the north end of the square from Via del Corso, the large building on the right is Palazzo Venezia, from the balcony of which Mussolini used to give speeches. You should immediately see an element of high drama if there is any traffic at all—a police officer on a pedestal directing traffic who could double as an orchetral conductor. If it is close to the Christmas season, sometimes you will see gifts piled around the base of his little pedestal.
If you walk around the right of the Victor Emmanuel II monument and follow the Via del Teatro Marcello, which then becomes the Via Luigi Petroselli, eventually you reach the Piazza della Bocca della Verità . Here you will see what originally may have been a drain cover with the face of a god carved into it. According to legend, if someone tells a lie while holding his or her hand in the mouth of the god, the hand will be cut off. Even the most honest of individuals may have a bit of a qualm about inserting their hand.
9. Shop where the Romans shop—here are three different levels of shopping at Roman department stores. The most upscale is La Rinascente with two locations, Piazza Fume and Piazza Colona. Years ago the Standa chain of department stores offered mid-range clothing and household items. Now, as many of these stores have closed, there was still one on Viale di Trastevere with a supermarket in the basement. It was slated to close early this year but may still be open. For lower prices (but not high fashion), there is an Upim department store on Via del Tritone.
10. Finally, if you’re in Rome in warmer weather, particularly August when any Roman who can afford to escape goes to the beach, cool off by a visit to the Villa d’Este, in Tivoli. You can reach it by car, train, or bus---and it’s only about 45 minutes from Rome. The view, the gardens, and particularly the many water fountains provide some cooling relief to the heat of the city.
