Italy Family Travel Guide Part 3 – Rome
“A fool is one who admires other cities without visiting Rome.”
-Francesco Petrarca, Italian Poet
The Eternal City
We arrived into the storied history and the glorious chaos of Rome in the early evening via the Frecciarossa high speed train. The ride from Venice is just a few hours and is easy to navigate with children. Our apartment was situated a few blocks from Piazza Navona (the site of the ancient Stadium of Domitian) with a view of the dome of the Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone. We unloaded our luggage then walked to dinner at Osteria da Fortunata, a 100-year-old restaurant where we dined on amatriciana, pesto pasta, and the most delectable carbonara (made authentically with guanciale). Gelato naturally followed. I would tag a gelateria for reference, but they are on every corner, and every one is delicious.
We then wound the narrow streets and marveled at the people, the maddening, fascinating traffic that squeezes its way down narrow vias, the sounds of Roman life, and the sights of an ancient city teeming with modernity. It is impossible to describe Rome; one must encounter it. The city must be absorbed by every sense. There are no words for its vibrancy, its architecture, its history. It is a city with a beautifully complex, animated tableau that one must simply sink into.
We walked, turned a corner, and then suddenly … there it was. Rising from the middle of the dense city structures, the 2,000-year-old Pantheon stood regal and timeless. I gasped. Then through the night air, opera wafted to us. A musician was holding sway under the portico. A crowd surrounded him, chiming in when the lyrics were familiar. We stood, rapt with attention at the beauty of this quintessentially Roman moment.
Day 2 – Cooking and Wandering
We woke early on day 2 to the tinkling of bottles being dumped into trash carts followed by the noise of rattling wheels over ancient cobblestones. Then more tinkling glass, more rattling wheels. This was the first sound of the slumbering city waking, and it will echo in my mind as the melody of early Roman mornings We started the day with cappuccino and croissants at Bar Farnese. This petite cafe and bar is tucked into a corner near Campo de Fiori and features cocoa-dusted cappuccino and the most charming older gentlemen behind the counter.
A walk to Campo de Fiori followed where we met Gianni to begin our cooking class. We spent the next several hours mixing up handmade cavatelli, simmering tomato sauce, rolling out pasta all’uovo, and blending the enticing aroma of marsala, coffee, whipping cream and marscarpone for tiramisú and a host of additional delights. The staff of Cook With Us in Rome was incredibly gracious with our group of 12, and they were exceptionally accommodating and patient with the children. If you find yourself in Rome, do not miss this experience!
After indulging in the meal, we wandered down the Via della Conciliazione and into St. Peter’s Square, the majestic space situated at the foot of the Vatican Palace. We then caught the Metro from Vatican City to Piazza di Spagna (the Spanish Steps) and climbed the famed 135 steps. We ended the evening at Sacred Area of Largo di Torre Argentina, the excavated site where Julius Caesar was murdered on the Ides of March in 44 BC.
Day 3 – Roman Landmarks
Day 3 began with a walk through the Pantheon followed by cappuccino and croissants at a cafe. We then headed to Trevi Fountain. Despite it being 10 am on an October morning, Trevi was packed. I recommend going to the site early for the best viewing. We then made our way to the Piazza Sant’Ignagzio and wandered by the imposing Church of Saint Ignazio before grabbing lunch at Cantina & Cucina.
With the afternoon sun high overhead, we walked to Piazza Venezia and wandered the grounds of The Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II. This impressive structure (known as the wedding cake to locals) houses the Institute for the History of the Italian Risorgimento and the Central Museum of the Risorgimento, as well as the tomb of the unknown soldier. We toured the site and then made our way down the Via Dei Fori Imperiali toward the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.
The Colosseum
The Colosseum loomed large as we walked the via. Stone pines (also known as umbrella pines) lined the road and drew our eye to those ancient remains, a testament to the history of the ancient empire.
We toured the site with a private guide, and I can’t imagine navigating it without the expertise or knowledge of a guide. It’s impossible to synthesize the experience of the Colosseum and the Forum into a post. We spent three hours trodding that historical ground, and even then it wasn’t enough. The historicity and archeological remains of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum (adjacent) and Palatine Hill rising above are astounding.
“As long as the Coliseum stands, Rome shall stand; when the Coliseum falls, Rome will fall; when Rome falls, the whole world will fall.”
– The Venerable Bede
Day 4 – The Vatican
Our final day in Rome started with a 1.5 mile trek to the Vatican where we met our private guide. She led us through security and into the Pinecone Courtyard where a second-century bronze pinecone sits atop a double ramp staircase designed by Michelangelo. We then entered the Chiaramonti Museum, which features more than one thousand antique sculptures, and wandered the Pio Clementino Museum. We wove our way through the labyrinthian halls, from one museum to the next, and then into the Sistine Chapel. I did not expect to be so impacted, but walking into this hallowed space evicted a visceral response. I was overwhelmed. We took our time in that revered space (pictures are not allowed). Then we exited the Sistine Chapel, left the museums and made our way to St. Peter’s Basilica and the heart of Vatican City.
The original St. Peter’s was constructed in 329 AD atop the burial site of Peter, the apostle. In 1506, construction began on the current basilica. Today St. Peter’s is considered the largest church in the world and still sits atop the final resting place of Peter.
After thanking our guide, we took one final look back, then made our way down the Via della Conciliazione. We returned to our apartment one last time to retrieve our luggage before heading to the train station and embarking on the trip to Florence. We were leaving Rome, but there’s a part of Rome that will never leave us. (Stay tuned for the Italy Family Travel Guide Part 4 – Florence & Tuscany.)
ROME TRAVEL RESOURCES
SEE:
Piazza Navona
The Pantheon
Piazza di Spagna (the Spanish Steps)
Sacred Area of Largo di Torre Argentina
Trevi Fountain
Church of Saint Ignazio
The Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II
The Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
Vatican
St. Peter’s Basilica
EAT:
Osteria da Fortunata
Bar Farnese
Cantina & Cucina
Various neighborhood pizza vendors
Various gelaterias
DO:
Cook With Us in Rome
SHOP:
Campo de Fiori
“How is it possible to say an unkind or irreverential word of Rome? The city of all time, and of all the world!”
– Nathaniel Hawthorne, American novelist
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