Today we’ll visit Rome, the capital of Italy. I spent there only three days but I really want to come back there someday. It’s an enchanting city, full of surprises hidden in its narrow streets. Here’s a list of things you should do when you go there:
1. Take a walk along the Tiber River
It’s obligatory! The Tiber River winds through Rome so that pedestrians can admire it walking at the level of it or from the streets above the walls that protect Rome from flooding. The river goes along with a number of bridges and fascinating lamps.
In the evening, plenty of restaurants, pubs and cafes open to let you enjoy your beer or coffee just from the riverside. It makes a unique atmosphere and it’s a great plan for a calm, summer night.
In the picture you can see la Isola Tiberina, the Tiberian Island. It’s really popular place among the young people because lots of concerts and open- air festivals are organised there. It’s such a charming place to have fun, don’t you think? 😉
2. Visit the Vatican
Whether you’re catholic or not, you’ll be amused by the amount of artistic masterpieces which you find in Saint Peter’s Basilica. The most emblematic place is for sure the Sistine Chapel (and it’s marvellous, of course), but there is also a great many of museums, such as Egyptian Museum, Etruscan Museum, and the one I liked the most, Pius- Clementine Museum, which collects the most important Greek and Roman masterpieces in Vatican. There, you can find one of my favourite sculptures, the celebrated Laocoon group:
The sculpture was found in Rome on the Esquiline Hill in 1506 and it’s a 1st century Roman copy from the Greek original. It was admired by the same Michelangelo, so Julius III had set it in the Vatican. It represents the myth about the Trojan priest Laocoon who warned his citizens about the ruse of the wooden horse, a gift of the Greeks, so he was condemned to die by the wrath of Athena with his two sons, victim of some serpents emerging from the sea.
While passing through the museums, you’ll see gardens, richly decorated ceilings and, at the end, you’ll find yourself in the interior of Saint Peter’s Basilica.
3. Discover the squares and fountains
Le piazze (the squares) of Rome are, without any doubt, the best way to discover the life and history of the city. They’re a place of gathering and cultural exchange. Suggestives, romantic, vivid and colorful, they influence the every day life of the citizens.
Some of the most recognised squares are:
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Piazza Fontana di Trevi
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Piazza della Rotonda and the Pantheon
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Piazza Venezia
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Piazza Navona
4. Dive in the history of Colosseum and the Palatine Hill
Colosseum, an iconic amphiteathre, is a symbol of Imperial Rome. It was used for gladiatorial contests, public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts or dramas based on mythology.
The Palatine Hill, located in the surroundings of Colosseum, is one of the most ancient parts of the city. According to Roman mythology, the Palatine Hill was the location of the cave (known as the Lupercal), where Romulus and Remus were found by the famous she- wolf Lupa, the animal that kept them alive.
So here are some of, in my opinion, the best places in Rome. Nevertheless, the city is huge and its historical heritage is just shocking, so I hope to go there again some day and discover other unknown places.
Happy Corner 