Rome Journey

Rome's hidden treasures

You may think you as a tourist you’ll never see the true side of Rome, and that local hot spots and secrets will never be yours. But this is just not the case. For one, if you befriend a Roman, one of their greatest pleasures is to take you to the less touristy areas and show you a bit the lesser known Rome. However, if your not this lucky, you can find some of these locales on your own. Here are a few hidden secrets of Rome.

Sites

Of course you need to see St. Peter’s Basilica while in Rome. However, expect crowds. Upwards of 20,000 visitors flock to the gargantuan church each day. Don’t end your basilica tours at St. Peter’s. There are dozens and dozens of churches in Rome that are just as spectacular and noteworthy. Located on Via Ostiense (take the Metro) is San Paolo Fuori le Mura. It’s considered the 3rd largest church in all of christendom and you will probably not find 19,999 other tourists shuffling past. In fact, on many days the church is empty.

Another less visited but equally magnificent church is San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura, located in the Piazzale San Lorenzo.

Also, near to the Spanish Steps is the Museum Missionario di Propoganda Fide. Here you will be standing in a building designed and built by baroque masters Bermini and Borromini. The museum offers a huge collection of items that priests have brought from overseas trips and missions. But just as exciting, is the chance to peek into Bernini’s wood lined library and Borromini’s Chapel of the Magi.

Food

Also near the Spanish Steps is a small and quant pasta shop called Pasticcio, located on the Via della Croce. Monday through Saturday, rom 1 to 3, fresh pasta dishes are served up and wise locals know to get there early in order to get the freshest, most delicious dishes. Also, just as enticing as the fresh pasta is the price. Each dish runs only 4 euro.

Also, it should be considered a sin to leave Rome without trying a slice of tiramisu. At Bar Pompi, located near Re di Roma (one stop from San Giovanni) it’s clear that this place serves some of the best tiramisu in the city. It’s evident because young locals and their little motor bikes are lined up outside eating the light cake.

Record snowfall damages historic Roman site

Romans were excited by the heaviest snowfall in a twenty five years earlier this month. However, the snow has melted and in its wake has left some damage on the city’s most popular historic site.

The Colosseum, one of Rome’s best preserved sites has begun to show signs of damage after a heavy snow fall battered Rome in early February. Officials were forced to close doors to visitors after chunks of the upper parts of the structure began to give way and fall; creating obvious hazards. The same freezing and thawing cycle that breaks our midwest highways apart, causing cracks and pot holes, has similarly affected the plaster masonry and stone walls of the Colosseum. Although average winter temperatures in Rome rarely dip 40 degrees, the first half of February saw continuous ten degrees or lower. Because most nights in Rome have reached sub-zero temperatures, water or wet snow accumulates on top of the Colosseum walls, freezes, then becomes liquid during warmer temperatures in the day. This repeated freezing and thawing expands the walls and weakens the entire structure and has caused crumbling in some areas.

Besides the fact that most popular historic site in Rome is under threat, officials are also concerned about the financial cost of closing the site. It’s estimated that on any given day, no matter the season, roughly 7,000 people visit and tour the Colosseum. Each of these visitors pays about 15 dollars. There is no indication of when the site will be re-opened but till then, the opportunity for profit is wavering.

Although Rome’s winter season only sees these temperatures and snow fall levels about ever twenty five years, there still needs to be quick action on the part of officials and preservationists regarding how to best maintain and protect the Colosseum's structure.

When dining in Rome

Food in Italy is more than just food, it’s a part of the cultural fabric that makes everyday Italians who they are. There are so many restaurants in Rome that tourists could spend weeks on end researching where the best slice of Roman pizza is or where the freshest and quality pasta is served. When you find yourself in Rome, try one of these local favorites and get a sense of the importance that food holds in the Italian culture.

Also, just a heads up but Italians don’t typically eat dinner till around 8:30 or 9 and dinner with friends will surely be a multiple hour event. So if you don’t want to scream tourist, head to one of these restaurants towards the tail end of the night.

Fine Dining

Mo Mo Republic is a converted palace that now seats around 600 guests. The villa and its decor is reminiscent of the 1930s and both the atmosphere and food is impeccable. Best known for their meat and fish dishes, Mo Mo Republic also serves up quality pizzas and pastas as well as vegetarian options (a rarity in Italy). During the summer dine on the wooden terrace outside or enjoy yourself and company in the garden with an after dinner espresso (and watch as little dwarf rabbits hop about the grounds).

Average price

Il Cortile is hands down one of the best trattoria’s in Monteverde, located on the Janiculum Hill and overlooking St. Peter’s Basilica . The dishes are not all that fancy but where they lack in elegance they make up for in quality, simplicity, and fresh ingredients. Most go for the antipasto buffet with its selections of veggie plates, Roman style artichokes, breaded fennel, and a variety of cheeses. Although it may be a bit difficult to reach this restaurant it’s worth the taxi ride. After dining, walk over to the belvedere located on top of the Juniculum and feast your eyes on one of the best panoramas of the city.

Roman pizza

Yes pizza is the glory of Naples. However, Rome has it’s own take on the dish and there are plenty of pizzerias in the city. Expect the crust to be a bit thinner and crispier than traditional pizza in Naples. Still, it’s excellent. If you’re out and about by the Colosseum and get a twinge of hunger, pop into Pizzeria Li Rioni or Pizzeria Panattoni. If you’re shopping for produce in the Campo de Fiore, head into Forno di Campo de’ Fiori and have you’re pick between pizza bianca, or any number of other varieties.

Rome gets heaviest snow fall in 24 years

It’s been nearly twenty five years since Rome saw this much snow fall and if you’re lucky enough to be in the city during this wacky weather, take the opportunity to venture outside of your hotel and see the sights under a blanket of white. It’s a rare opportunity to see the city under three feet of snow and it won’t present itself again for some time.

Don’t bother hailing a taxi to your destination, roads are clogged due to the slushy mess and traffic jams are blocking most roads. Slip on a pair of good boots instead and take on that walking tour you’ve been telling your spouse and kids about.

Be sure to wonder over to the Colosseum and ancient Roman forum. Although these sites are closed for security reasons and you’re not allowed to enter inside, you can still marvel at their beauty from outside as snow covers the ruins.

For one of the best views of the city, hall your tush up the Janiculum Hill, on the west side of the city (same side as the St. Peter’s basilica). All of those church steeples and rooftops covered in white is sure to be breathtaking. Afterwards, head on down to the Piazza san Pietro in front of St. Peter’s basilica. You may even catch a glimpse of the Pope in the Vatican window watching the white stuff fall.

Directly from St. Peter’s, walk along the Via di Conciliazione until you reach the Castel Sant’Angelo whose ramparts are sure to be a marvel if viewed from the bridge.

Rome's open air markets

Rome’s open air markets are a local tradition that dates back to antiquity. In the 3rd century (before common era) the Marcellum Market stood in the Roman Forum and provided citizens of Rome, from all classes, numerous goods and services. It was considered one of Rome’s public epicenters were all people gathered to sell and trade and connect with each other. If you’re planning on visiting Rome, than checking out an open air market is a must. It’s where locals and visitors gather alike and it offers a true sense and spirit of the city.

Campo de’ Fiori

Probably one of the most famous markets in Rome, the Campo de’ Fiori offers produce and history in one quant location. Located near the Piazza Navona, this enclosed piazza is where locals gather every morning to buy their fresh produce. Tourists, can purchase scarves and jewelry from nearby hawkers or pop into one of the many restaurants that line the outer limits of the piazza. Try Il Forno, a bakery that provides great lunch and sweet treats. This is also a historic site. Although it has been a public market for many years, this was also the location for Rome’s executions for many centuries. In the middle of the piazza is a statue of Giordano Bruno, a philosopher and the last “heretic” to be burned by the church in this spot.

Piazza Testaccio

Testaccio is a quirky and hip neighborhood. In the Piazza Testaccio there is a tented market that offers trinkets, fruits, vegetables, clothing, and about anything else you may ever need. It’s like one large swap meet and the prices are considerably cheaper than Roman shops.

Circo Massimo

Along the Via San Teodoro is a weekly farmers market selling organic and non-organic foods like fruits, meats, and pastas as well as cheeses, honey, and flower bouquets. It’s similar to the bustling market found in the Campo de’ Fiori, however crowds are smaller and its a bit more manageable.

Carnival in Rome

If you’re in Italy this February then you’ll get to celebrate Carnival the Italian way. Instead of booking the next train to Venice, where many flock for the biggest celebration in the country, stay in Rome, avoid the crowds, and party just the same.

Carnival is the festival directly before Lent. Celebrations typically last throughout the month of February and you can bet that most major Italian cities will offer parades and events. Rome’s calendar is sure to be packed with enough events for you to get your fill of the party season. Usually, Romans kick off Carnival in the Piazza Navona with a traditional children’s masked ball including a parade and floats. The event starts around three in the afternoon and is popular so get there a bit early. If you happen to miss this opening event, no need to worry. Floats and daily activities return to Piazza Navona throughout the month.

Probably the most popular event takes place in Piazza del Popolo. An equestrian show features acrobats on horseback and a unique game of basketball, aptly called “horseball” where you guessed it, people play basketball on horseback.

Also, the last night of Carnival is marked with a firework show from the Pincio. Be sure to check for exact dates in the paper for these traditional events.

And no Italian Carnival would be properly celebrated without popping a few Castagnole in your mouth. These bite sized fried and sugar covered dough balls can be found in any local bakery. They’re usually sold a few weeks before Carnival and are a delicious and cheap treat that lets you know the festive season is just around the corner.

Rome's Jewish ghetto

Rome’s Jewish ghetto was once a place of horrors and persecution. Now, this region of the city is quickly attracting locals and tourist alike, not just for its history, but for the fabulous nightlife, restaurants, and of course, fried artichokes.

In 1555, a papal bull by the Catholic church was issued, stating that all Jews in the city (who for many centuries enjoyed relative freedom) gathered up and forced to live within a walled neighborhood. This site, next to the Tiber river was less than ideal, as the river constantly flooded, damaging the ghetto every time. From this date till the unification of Italy in the mid 19th century, all Jews were forced to live in this confined, poor, and dirty neighborhood. Thousands of people lived literally on top of one another in the worst conditions in the city for over 300 years.

Today, most of the ghetto has been torn down. However, there are still remnants of the old ghetto, with its old gated entrances, Rome’s main synagogue, and a Jewish museum. The ghetto, or at least the area where it once stood is now home to a bustling and vibrant neighborhood. With fabulous restaurants and wine bars, it has turned into a hot spot for many to visit.

If you plan to visit Rome, be sure to take a walk through the ghetto, and don’t leave without trying the traditional fried artichoke. It’s a specialty in Rome and a traditional of the Jewish culture. Order the Carciofi alla guidia at any restaurant. The artichoke is smashed down on its face, the leaves are left on, and the whole artichoke is fried in olive oil and spices until the leaves become crisp and crunchy.

There are many walking tours through this part of the city. Learning about the history and partaking in the activities of this area is a great experience for visitors.

Capitoline Hill

Works like David, the Sistine Chapel’s frescoes and Last Judgment are among some of the best known works of Michelangelo. We knew him as a painter and sculptor primarily but his architectural works are less known or familiar. Some of his greatest architectural works can be found at St. Peter’s Basilica where Michelangelo was head architect for a number of years, up until his death. However, there is one site in Rome that many tourists pass daily without ever realizing they had stood in a space created by a renaissance master.

The space I’m referring to is on top of the Capitoline Hill and rises directly in front of Rome’s ancient Forum which are now mostly in ruins. Before Michelangelo was called to redesign the grounds the ancient foundation of the building once used by senators still stood. Today these are office buildings that overlook the Forum. Also standing was the Palazzo dei Conservatori whose facade Michelangelo was commissioned to redesign. But he realized that the vast piazza that lay before the Senate building and the conservatory would still be an unfinished and miss proportioned space after he finished his work. Instead, he decided to construct an entirely new building, the Museo Capitolino (not a museum but rather office buildings) and position its angel the same as the opposite conservatory. The entire space was now structured in the shape of a trapezoid with the piazza positioned centrally.

Michelangelo was also responsible for the oval shaped piazza that now sits in front of the three buildings. It’s distinguishable by the lines running through the ground as well as the ancient work of art that sits in the center. This statue is the only bronze equestrian statue to survive ancient Rome and be rediscovered. It depicts the 2nd century (C.E.) Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius on horse back. It was re-located to this spot by the same pope commissioning Michelangelo. For many years after the statue was discovered, it was thought to depict emperor Constantine who was responsible for legalizing Christianity in Rome. For Catholics the statue represented the emperor who allowed Christianity to reign supreme. Although interpretations were wrong, the statue still sits in its location in the middle of Michelangelo’s piazza and faces out towards the Vatican.

So when in Rome, be sure to visit the Capitoline hill. It’s an amazing space the incorporates art spanning from ancient to renaissance times.

Ostia Antica

Rome’s ancient port city, Ostia Antica is about an hour outside of the city. Though it dates all the way back to the 3rd century B.C.E and was sacked and rebuilt numerous times, its buildings, streets, mosaics and frescoes have remained very well preserved over these many centuries.

When I visited Ostia soon after arriving in Rome, my initial feeling was of being inside the secret garden (you know, the popular English story about the girl who discovers an old locked away garden that has become overgrown and untouched for years but still holds some sort of magic in it). It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to picture what this bustling trade city must have been in its better days. Once you pay the small entrance fee into the site you’re basically free to wander the maze of ruins as you please. The city is large and much of it still overgrown with bushes and vines (2 thirds of the town have been entirely excavated.

When you first enter be sure to look around the amphitheater and nearby market stalls. You can still see the inlaid mosaics on the ground, once used to indicate what good was being sold at which stall.

Continue further down the road to enter into the main part of the city. You will be able to see what used to be shops, a public bathing facility, and go on a scavenger hunt for the public latrines. You’ll know when you find them by the holes cut out of stone slabs for which people used to sit.

Now, because Ostia’s preservation is so intact, it is a popular training grounds for young archaeologists conducting research as well as history buffs who want a glimpse of ancient Rome’s past.

Etruscan Tombs

If you’d like to see some of Rome’s darker history, check out the network of underground catacombs. These Christian tombs once sat outside the Roman walls (Christians were not allowed to be buried in the city limits prior to 313 C.E.) and have preserved some of the earliest depictions of Christ, painted on their walls.

If you’re looking for even earlier burial sites, like those of the early Etruscans (society before Romans), visit Cerveteri, in the Lazio province. This city and its remaining necropolis date back to the 3rd century B.C.E and the tombs that are preserved shed fascinating light onto the history of a civilization less known.

Many know that Egyptians buried their dead underground and left offerings such as food and miniature statues that would keep their loved ones company in the after life. Etruscans took this one step further. Often, elaborate underground chambers were carved out of soft tufa rock. The tombs imitated the interior of real Etruscan houses and were outfitted with chairs, shields, windows, beds, and columns carved all carved to resemble the everyday objects and architecture in Etruscan society. This ensured that family members would be laid to rest in a familiar environment.

Also, these tombs were used as collective burial sites. For economic purposes, the Egyptians would bury family members in the same complex, but rarely within the same burial chambers. Etruscans however, buried several family members in a single chamber and were used by a single family over several generations. Tombs were not closed off like Egyptian pyramids. Instead, they were entered easily and new furnishings were carved for the next person to feel right at home.

You can still enter some of these sites today and see the elaborate tombs and possible gain your own insights into this fascinating culture.