Tag Archives: sightseeing

Vatican City

The Vatican is a landlocked city-state that occupies a large region of eastern and central Italy and is located at the southern part of Europe. It is a state within a state and is considered as the smallest independent state of the world. Vatican City has merely a total land area of 44 hectares and a population of 840. It is headed by a Pope- the Bishop of Rome and is known as a sacerdotal-monarchical state.

People in Vatican City speak Italian, Latin, French and some other languages. The weather of the city is just the same as that of Rome. They experience a temperate, mild and rainy winters from the month of September to May while the city experiences hot, dry summers on May to September.

The Vatican is not merely known as a Papal residence but it is likewise recognized as the home of the Baroque and of the Renaissance art. Among the work of art that can be seen are Michelangelo’s famous paintings at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Although small in size, Vatican City offers various sightseeing attractions that you will surely enjoy. Some of these sites are the St. Peter’s Square, St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museum.

St. Peter’s Square

The St. Peter’s Square is a gargantuan square that is situated in St. Peter’s Basilica. The square features gigantic St. Peter and Egyptian Obelisk as well as the twin fountains. The square was designed and was constructed by Bernini during Alexander VII’s pontificate which was between 1656 and 1667.

St. Peter’s Basilica

The St. Peter’s Basilica, which is known as the center of Christianity, is a Late Renaissance church that is situated within the city of Vatican. It can be seen at the Vatican hill, just across the River Tiber. It is recognized as the most renowned architectural work of art of the Renaissance era. It is likewise considered as the holiest and the largest catholic church of the world.

St. Peter’s Basilica is widely known not merely because of its religious importance but also because of the impeccable masterpieces of the great Baroque and Renaissance artists. The building structure itself is really impressive. The dome of the basilica measures 132 meters high and 42 meters in diameter, making it to the list of the world’s largest basilica dome.

The Vatican Museum

The opening of the Vatican Museums to the public started with just an artwork collection. Pope Julius was the first one to collect a group of valuable sculptures. His collections are well preserved and are still displayed at the Cortile Ottagono, inside the Vatican Museum. The Vatican Museum features one of the finest art collections of the world.

Tips For Preparing Your Weekend Trip To Rome

If you are given a weekend to enjoy Rome, how would you plan your trip? Before we try to answer such query, let us first take a look at some interesting information about Rome that you should not miss when planning to visit this eternal city.

While having a trip to Rome is exciting, thinking of how you can maximize your stay and adventure is one of the things that you may want to consider. If you are planning to visit Rome in a weekend, and you want to make your Rome adventure worth remembering, you may need to have your trip properly planned ahead of time.

Did you know that? The Do’s and Don’ts when visiting to Rome

  • Don’t just buy ice cream in street without asking for the price. You may find it surprising if the vendor will charge you a much higher price than buying an ice cream at the nearby store.
  • Don’t ride in a taxi asking for a fixed rate especially when travelling from and to the airport. Fixed rate taxis may charge you twice more than the fare you will have to pay with metered taxis. Instead, go for a taxi with an official label. Generally, marked taxis are those painted with white.
  • Don’t have your bills changed in money changers along the streets. In case you encounter people in the street offering you a good exchange rate, keep going and never mind them. They are likely to cut off as much as 10% commission.
  • Do bring with you always a bottle of water that is enough to quench your thirst and replenish lost fluids from your body when you are touring around Rome. Buying water from the streets or even from a nearby store can break your pocket. Bottled water sold in the streets and stores is relatively highly priced.
  • Do bring with you a scarf when visiting churches in Rome. The scarf or shawl will be used to cover up parts of the bodies like the shoulder, midsection and knees.

Planning to visit Rome

You may wonder why you have to iron out specific plans before visiting Rome. Well, there are lots of things you need to consider when you are planning to have a tour. Among the reasons why you need to plan your visit to Rome are:

  • Rome is such a huge city and is definitely not a compact city as well. If you tour around Rome unplanned, you may end up being exhausted and unsatisfied with the trip you just had.
  • Rome offers a lot of tourist attractions. Without proper planning, you may just end up wasting your time, effort and money visiting Rome. Or perhaps you may not enjoy much about your stay in Rome.
  • You can find a large number of hotels and accommodations in Rome. Some of which can be found along the major attractions while others are located near the center of Rome and others can be found anywhere around Rome. To save your valuable time, plan ahead of time where you intend to stay while you are in Rome.
  • Rome is flooded with tourists all year round. This would obviously mean that there is no low season in Rome.

Planning your Rome activities will help you save more money and energy. It will likewise help you get rid of being stack in the middle of very long lines. Also, you need to know about the climate and the clothing to be used when you are in Rome. Getting more information about the transportation services and hotels available in Rome is likewise equally important to avoid mess ups.

To help you make your Rome trip a successful one, we have come up with a 30 pages e-book that will surely be of great benefit for you. Our main objective of sharing this e-book is to help aspiring visitors get fully prepared before visiting and while being in Rome. You will find the e-book very helpful when planning a short time trip to Rome.  The e-book will help you decide when to best visit Rome and what are the appropriate clothing to wear while in Rome. Also included in the e-book are the best places to stay, the do’s and don’ts to remember while in Rome, the transportation services available as well as the best tourists’ spots and activities that you should not miss when visiting Rome in a short period.

These are just a glimpse of what you can learn from the e-book. To know more about Rome and about what else you need to prepare when planning to visit Rome in one weekend, you may please click on our e-book link.

Get your copy of our e-book now. It is absolutely FREE and you will not be charged any cent when downloading it. You can have the whole e-book downloaded and printed anytime you want. You may even have it with you and make it as your guide while you tour around Rome because our e-book can be accessed using e-reader.

 

Historic Centre Of Rome

The historical centre of Rome was declared by the UNESCO as a world heritage site in 1980. It was bounded by the Aurelian walls and is also the center of Rome’s political life.  The western part of the historic centre of Rome is bordered by the Tiber River and the eastern part by Via del Corso.

Rome is a huge city that is divided into several districts. The historical centre, also known as centro storico, is one of the smallest districts and comprises merely about four percent of the total land area of the city. Rome is believed to exist since the 4th century B.C and was deemed established in 753 B.C. by Remus and Romulus. The city is known for its vast collection of impressive monuments and structures of Roman antiquity. Its rich papal history likewise contributed to how we know Rome today.

There are approximately 25, 000 interesting historical and archeological places just around the heart of the city. You may appreciate the greatest chef-d’oeuvres of Bernini, Raphael, Caravaggio and Michelangelo which can be seen around almost every corner of the centre.

Despite the test of time and challenges, there are numerous historical remains that can still be witnessed in this modern city. These remains had been thought to exist from the time of the Classical Roman Empire. The Forum Romanum, which is used as a political center during ancient Rome, withstands its title as the city’s historic centre. Also situated at the heart on the city are the Colosseum and the Triumphal Arch which are just a short walk away from the Roman Forum.

The historic centre of Rome is also enclosed with a wide array of restaurants, smart coffee bars, lively squares, renaissance palaces, huge museums and popular Roman baroque churches. You can also enjoy the majestic beauty of the ancient structural ruins at Rome’s hub. Among the ancient ruins that can be found around the historic centre of Rome are the Campo de Fiori, Piazza Navona and the Pantheon.

You should also not miss visiting the southern area of the historic center. There you can relish sightseeing attractions that will bring you back to the glorious days of the Roman Empire. Among these attractions you can see at the southern part are the Capitoline Hill, Domus Aurea, Inperial Fora and the Palatine Hill.

Also seen at the historic centre is the Vatican City where the Vatican Museums, Saint Peter’s Basilica and Castel Sant’Angelo are located.

If you are fond of shopping or you just want to spend some time buying souvenir items, you can stroll around Trident. It is in Trident where you can find various smart boutiques and ateliers of well-known designers. You can also see luxury hotels and cozy restaurants along the streets of Trident.

Just around the corner, you can see the Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo, Via del Corso and the Trevi Fountain where you can toss a coin to the fountain for a chance to have a return in Rome someday.

If you want to enjoy the most your Rome excursion, the very best way to go around is by walking. However, if you prefer not to tour on foot, you can also utilize the public transportation.

 

Top 10 Sightseeing Places In Rome

Every time we hear about Rome, the first two things that come to our mind are “history” and “art”. Undeniably, history comes to life when you are in Rome. Every corner of this enchanting city talks about its long history. Virtually, almost everything that you can see in the city whether they are monuments, churches, or restored ruins of ancient sculpture and structures conveys how life had been during the time of the great Roman Empire.

The eternal city of Rome has a vast collection of sightseeing places; each of them is astounding, each has its unique historical foundation and value. Should you want to enjoy fully your tour, I suggest you take a quick look of the top 10 must see sightseeing places in Rome.

The Pantheon

The Pantheon is Rome’s best preserved ancient structure, in fact, the oldest to still support a dome. It is nearly 2, 000 years old and was constructed for all the Roman gods. It served as a catholic church since 7th century. It is likewise well known as Rome’s greatest treasure.

The Colosseum

The Colosseum, also known as Amphitheatrum Flavium, is well recognized worldwide as the symbol of Rome. It is a huge amphitheater that was capable of accommodating nearly 50, 000 people. It is located at the heart of the city and was considered as the largest architecture ever built during the era of the great Roman Empire. Initially, the arena was utilized for public executions, gladiator battles and other public spectacles. It was also in the Colosseum where acrobatic and flute performances as well as other entertainment shows were held.

The Roman Forum

The Roman Forum, also called Forum Romanum, was once the center of city life. During the ancient Rome, most of the celebrations, funerals and rituals as well as hosting of festivals are held in the Forum. It also served as a market place and a public square during 500 B.C. It is located at Via dei Fori Imperiali, just adjacent to the Colosseum.

Palatine Hill

The Palatine Hill is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. It is situated at one the oldest areas of the city. You can enjoy the astonishing panorama of Circus Maximus and Roman Forum from the Palatine Hill. Also found in the area are several ancient temples like the Temple of Magna Mater and the Temple of Apollo.

The Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain is the most photographed sightseeing place in Rome. No matter what time of the day, you can surely enjoy touring to the Trevi Fountain. The fountain is just magnificent whether its day time or night time. At night, the fountain is illuminated with captivating lighting and romantic ambiance despite the large crowd. If you are planning to visit Rome, be sure to include in your list visiting the Trevi Fountain. Also do not forget to throw a coin into the fountain to ensure that you can visit again the eternal city at least once in your life.

St. Peter’s Basilica and The Vatican

The Vatican is known as the state within a state and is headed by the pope. It is the smallest state of the world both in terms of population and size. On the other hand, St. Peter’s Basilica is the main church in Rome and serves as the papal residence. It was erected during the Late Renaissance era and was built with a mixture of Baroque and Renaissance architectural styles. Also, Saint Peter’s Basilica is the first among the seven pilgrimage churches in Rome.

The Spanish Steps

The Spanish Steps, also popularly known as Scalla di Spagna, is the longest and the widest steps in Europe. It joins together two of the enthralling piazzas in Rome- the Piazza Trinita dei Monti and the Piazza di Spagna. It takes a lot of courage, patience and energy climbing the 138 looping steps of the Spanish Steps but the scenery from the top is very rewarding.

Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is probably the most famous church in the world. It can be found at the heart of the Vatican City. Sistine Chapel is known for Michelangelo’s paintings in its ceilings. The painting features nine scenes from the Book of Genesis including The Creation of Adam that was painted way back the year 1511.

Castel Sant’Angelo

The Castel Sant’Angelo is a large cylindrical structure that is located at the banks of Tiber River. It is crowned by an angel statue and was originally designed by Emperor Hadrian to serve as the mausoleum for his own family. However, over the centuries, this historical structure served as a prison, a fortress, a castle and a site for execution. You can enjoy the glorious views of the Vatican from the windows at the top of Castel Sant’Angelo most especially the bird’s eye view of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona is the remains of the former sporting stadium in Rome called Circus Agonalis. It is the largest and the most famous public squares in Rome. It is also the must visit place for artists and photographers. With its well illuminated fountains and streets at night, added with the enjoyable street performances, you will surely have a one of a kind evening just sitting at Piazza Navona. Not to mention the other attractions found in the area which includes a wide array of churches, cafes, palaces, restaurants and fountains.