Piazza della Bocca della Verità and around
Santa Maria in Trastevere and around
Head away from busy roads up Via Claudia to the Celian Hill, where animals destined for the Colosseum were kept in a zoo. The quietest of the city’s seven hills, it has a park with a playground in the Villa Celimontana.
For more on the Colosseum visit www.howstuffworks.com/search.php?terms=ancient+rome&gallery=1&media=video, which has several excellent short videos for children. Visit www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/games/terrible-treasures-game for a game developed by the Horrible Histories team based around the Colosseum.
Watch Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck ride past the Colosseum – and many other famous city sights – on a Vespa in Roman Holiday (1953).
A 5-minute walk away is Rewind Rome, Rome’s most fun multimedia museum. It has interactive scale models and offers the chance to dress up as an ancient Roman.
The Colosseum gives a strong impression of what life was like for the masses in ancient Rome. Walk up to the Palatine Hill to get an impression of how the wealthy lived. Alternatively, walk over to Via Labicana, behind the Colosseum, to peer down at the barracks where the gladiators lived and trained. Continue to the Ludus Magnus (Via San Giovanni in Laterano, 00184), the ruins of the largest gladitorial school and barracks in Rome.
Walk accross the road to the lovely park of Villa Celimontana where children can run around and play games.
If it rains during a trip to the park of Villa Celimontana, duck into the Case Romane del Celio and check out their colourful frescoes.
Either visit Villa Celimontana or walk down to the playground on Largo della Sanità Militare.
Across the road from the Via San Gregorio entrance is the Circus Maximus where children can tear down the slopes, kick a ball or fly a kite. Or take the Piazza del Campidoglio exit at the other end of the Roman Forum to avoid exiting into heavy traffic, where kids can run around the piazza or along the wooded paths of Monte Caprino park (Via Tempio di Giove, 00184).
Check out the digital reconstruction of Nero’s vast palace on www.tinyurl.com/7p7qpoa.
To shelter from the ferocious summer sun, stretch out beneath an umbrella pine. In winter rain, escape the elements in the Houses of Livia and Augustus if they are open. The only other option is the museum.
Experience luxury on the top floor of the Palazzo Massimo with its collection of frescoes and mosaics from the homes of ancient Rome’s elite. See portraits of Imperial families in the Capitoline Museums. Walk on to the Parco del Colle Oppio (Via Labicana, 00184) and try to imagine the extent of Nero’s shortlived palace, Domus Transitoria.
Leave by the main exit for a run around the Parco del Colle Oppio (Via Labicana, 00184).
Visit www.historyforkids.org/learn/romans/architecture/forum.htm for a clear explanation of the Forum’s history. Younger children can check out www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/games/ for a Terrible Treasures game set in a Roman sewer.
Stop by Rewind Rome, the virtual museum that will help bring the ancient city alive for grown ups and children alike. For children who want to know more about how people lived, a visit to the actual remains and digital reconstructions of Roman houses under Palazzo Valentini should go down well. For an aerial view of the Forum, take the glass elevator up Il Vittoriano.
Run races up and down the many flights of stairs near the Piazza del Campidoglio.
Little Big Town (Via C Battisti 130, 00187; 06 6992 4226; open daily), a toy shop housed in a three-storey building, has a fantastic selection of toys and games.
For fun facts about the Piazza del Campidoglio, visit www.tinyurl.com/8x34zsv.
Watch an entertaining film about Michelangelo on www.tinyurl.com/mqdxyjh. Woody Allen’s romantic comedy To Rome With Love (2012), starring Jesse Eisenberg, features the Piazza del Campidoglio and 69 other sights in Rome.
If the children are not in the mood to visit the Capitoline Museums, take cover in Il Vittoriano or go to the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli on the Piazza del Campidoglio to see the replica of the miraculous Bambino Gesù (baby Jesus).
After visiting the Piazza del Campidoglio and the Cordonata, carry on to see the other works by Michelangelo, in the Sistine Chapel, St Peter’s, Santa Maria sopra Minerva and San Pietro in Vincoli.
Head across to Il Vittoriano, where kids will enjoy taking the glass elevator to the terrace.
Carefully cross the busy Piazza Venezia to Il Vittoriano and take the glass elevator to the terrace for views of ancient Roman ruins.
Walk to the Piazza del Campidoglio, behind Il Vittoriano, where children can run up and down the many staircases. Then head to the garden of Villa Aldobrandini (Via IV Novembre, 00197), which offers ample space for kids to run around and also to enjoy a picnic lunch.
Walk along the Tiber footpath, or explore the mainly traffic-free Jewish Ghetto.
The palms and orange trees in the walled garden of Villa Aldobrandini, across the street from Trajan’s Markets, soar high above Via IV Novembre. The garden offers space for children to run around and there are benches for picnics too.
Watch videos reconstructing the markets and Fori Imperiali on www.mercatiditraiano.it. For something less academic, the PlayStation game Tomb Raider Chronicles 5, level 2, is set in Trajan’s Markets. If not a game player, watch Lara Croft breaking into the markets at www.tinyurl.com/88dwcyo. Also check out the Horrible Histories Roman Kitchen Nightmares at www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyNRpTNYADQ.
Walk down to see Trajan’s Column and the remains of the Fori Imperiali, and then make a visit to the fabulous museum underneath Palazzo Valentini.
Visit the walled gardens of Villa Aldobrandini, where there is enough space for children to run around, plenty of trees for adults to sit under and several benches where picnic lunches can be consumed.
Walk up to the gardens of Villa Aldobrandini or to the playground at Parco del Colle Oppio (Via Labicana, 00184).
Go for a walk around Monti and let the children run around and play on traffic-free Piazza Madonna dei Monti.
The cloister of San Clemente is a nice place to sit and unwind after touring the church. The nearest green area is the little playground at Largo della Sanità Militare, and just a little further away is the pine-shaded park and playground of Villa Celimontana.
Learn about the Mithras cult, its Asian origins and how it became popular with Roman soldiers at www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyNRpTNYADQ.
See more evidence of early Christianity at Santa Sabina, Santa Cecilia in Trastevere or Santa Pudenziana. Also stop by the Catacombs of Priscilla, which contain the world’s earliest known image of the Madonna and Child.
Unwind at the playground in the Parco del Colle Oppio (Via Labicana, 00184). Children can also run around and play in the park and playground at Villa Celimontana, which is a 10-minute walk away.
A 5-minute walk away is Rewind Rome. This multimedia museum has been designed to make different aspects of ancient Rome come to life using 3D films and interactive computer programmes among other media.
The nearest park is the Parco del Colle Oppio, which is peaceful and ideal for children to enjoy some ball games and have fun.
The church is a short walk away from the Parco del Colle Oppio where there is a playground for kids.
Go to Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, which has a central garden and play area for kids – in the heart of Rome’s most vibrant multi-ethnic area.
Head to the Parco del Colle Oppio or the playground on Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II to unwind.
This is a busy and traffic-congested part of Rome, but the gardens around the Baths of Diocletian (Viale Enrico De Nicola, 79, 00185) – another branch of the Museo Nazionale Romano – are accessible without a ticket and a good place for children to run around. There are benches for picnics or weary parents.
The Cambridge Latin Course on www.tinyurl.com/7hhjbyq is a lively resource in English, with links to photos, information, videos, articles and reconstructions of all aspects of Roman life, and is likely to be of interest to children.
Built in AD 298–306 under Emperior Diocletian, the Baths of Diocletian were the most extensive in Rome, with room for up to 3,000 bathers at a time and a swimming pool that measured 3,500 sq m (37,674 sq ft). Its collection is currently undergoing major reorganization but exhibitions are often held in the surviving halls of the baths.
Head towards the grassy Parco del Colle Oppio, which has plenty of space for children to kick a ball around or play a game of tag.
Selli International Food Store (Via dello Statuto 28/30, 00185; 06 474 5777; open Mon–Sat, 9am–7:30pm) sells exotic ingredients and also goods such as Marmite and peanut butter for the homesick. Città del Sole (Via Buonarroti 6, 00185; 06 4893 0292; closed Mon am & Sun; www.cittadelsole.it) stocks colourful toys for kids as well as gadgets and games for young adults.
Download the smartphone app iView Santa Maria Maggiore by D’Uva Workshop from www.duvaws.com and carry it along to explore the basilica with a unique multimedia guide. After a real-life visit, take a virtual tour at www.vatican.va under the Basilicas and Papal Chapels section to learn more about this big, glittering church and see fantastic photographs.
Visit Santa Prassede and Santa Pudenziana to see more brilliant mosaics. Then head to Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and search for the Magic Door inside the piazza’s gardens. Once the entrance to an alchemy studio, this ancient door is believed to have mystical powers.
The nearest park is the Monte Caprino park (Via Tempio di Giove; 00186) and the quickest way to get there is along Via del Teatro di Marcello. Alternatively, take a walk up the Aventine Hill, where children can run around in the Parco Savello.
Inspired by the swirly Cosmati mosaics in Santa Maria in Cosmedin? If so, make a geometrical mosaic on www.tinyurl.com/672a4u, or download free photo-mosaic-making software such as Shape Collage or Mosaic Maker to create one with photographs taken of Rome.
Visit San Clemente for more mosaics. Then visit the Museo Criminologico to see the methods used by the authorities – ancient, medieval and modern – to force people to tell the truth.
The lovely pine-shaded park of Villa Celimontana in central Rome is ideal for a picnic after seeing ancient sites. There is a playground with pony rides and a small roller-skating and cycling ring. It also hosts a jazz festival in summer.
Cool down in the church of Santa Sabina, known for its fascinating moonstone windows and its carving of the Crucifixion.
Visit the Parco Savello, where children can run around in the shade of the orange trees while adults take in the fantastic views of Rome.
The church of Sant’Anselmo, just behind the piazza, has a shop (Tue–Sun) that sells soaps, honey, conserves, sweets, liqueurs and various other things made by the church’s Benedictine monks.
If there is nothing going on at MACRO, stop by the several ecologically minded children’s clothes boutiques and toyshops.
Visit the Centrale Montemartini, a museum of classical sculptures housed in an old electricity plant.
Relax under a tree, while children prance around in the Parco della Resistenza dell’Otto Settembre (Viale Manlio Gelsomini, 00153).
There is plenty of space on Piazza Navona, but it can get extremely crowded. Escape the throngs by walking down Via dei Coronari and Via del Panico to the Ponte Sant’Angelo. Cross the Tiber and join the river path on the other side of the bridge, or play in the Parco Adriano near the Castel Sant’Angelo.
Berté (Piazza Navona 108, 00186; 06 687 5011) is one of the best toy-shops in Rome, selling dolls, dolls’ houses and enough furry animals to open a fluffy zoo. Libreria Fanucci (Piazza Madama 8, 00186; 06 686 1141) has a delightful selection of illustrated books for children in several languages.
Learn how gravity fountains work and how to make one at www.tinyurl.com/767snte, www.tinyurl.com/y9tqbjh and www.howstuffworks.com.
Several scenes of Angels and Demons, based on Dan Brown’s thriller of the same name, were filmed on the piazza.
The Museo Nazionale Romano’s Palazzo Altemps is a great place to spend a rainy day. Alternatively, spend hours browsing the toys at Berte.
Visit the Fontana delle Tartarughe in the Jewish Ghetto, which shows Bernini working on a less monumental scale… designing tortoises!
Walk to Piazza Navona or cross the Tiber to the Parco Adriano by the Castel Sant’Angelo.
Head to Piazza Navona or Campo de’ Fiori where children can run around and have fun. At the end of the day’s sightseeing, cross the Tiber to the Parco Adriano.
Stroll along the Tiber on the pedestrian pathway and stop at one of the grattachecca kiosks to pick up a fruit-syrup-flavoured ice.
Cross the Tiber and head to the Parco Adriano near the Castel Sant’Angelo for ice-skating and games.
Walk either to Piazza Navona or Campo de’ Fiori where children can run around.
Visit the Palazzo Altemps and enjoy some quiet moments in a place steeped in history.
Have fun on Piazza della Rotonda in front of the Pantheon, where kids can dance to the buskers or run after a laser whizzy toy.
Poggi (Via Pie’ di Marmo 38–9, 00186; www.poggi1825.it) is a great art shop, a 2-minute walk away from the Pantheon. Città del Sole (Via della Scrofa 65, 00186; www.cittadelsole.it) is a stimulating toyshop with an emphasis on creative and educational toys.
Download the official Pantheon app for an iPhone or iPad from www.pantheonroma.com before visiting. Alternatively, www.tinyurl.com/d3rmwe2 has facts on the history of cement and concrete – frothy volcanic pumice was used in the Pantheon’s dome, because it was so light. Kids can get more information on www.cement.org/cement-concrete-basics or make cement from sand, water and cornflour following instructions on www.tinyurl.com/726jopv.
The obelisk on Piazza della Rotonda comes from the Temple of Isis that once stood on the site of the nearby Collegio Romano. There is another obelisk on Piazza della Minerva; a marble foot of Isis on Via di Pie’ di Marmo and a stone cat from the temple on Via della Gatta. The eroded head of Isis is outside the church of San Marco off Piazza Venezia. For more Egyptian finds head to the Capitoline Museums.
The Piazza della Minerva is traffic-free and great for a run around. Picnic on the flight of steps up to the church, or perch on the cannonballs that surround the square.
Return to Piazza della Minerva or cross busy Piazza Venezia to run around the Piazza del Campidoglio.
The Piazza di Pietra behind the temple is a pedestrianized square, perfect for a quick rest or bite to eat.
Shelter from rain in the Galleria Alberto Sordi (Piazza Colonna, 00186; www.galleriaalbertosordi.it), which has a toyshop, clothes shops and a bookshop.
Visit the Piazza della Rotonda, where kids will find lots of entertainment.
The Piazza del Campidoglio and the Monte Caprino park are the nearest places for a traffic-free run around.
If Campo de’ Fiori itself gets too hectic amidst the market stalls, stroll down to the more tranquil Piazza Farnese.
www.tinyurl.com/ce9rx8 shows Caesar’s murder through interesting clay animation.
Visit the Burcardo Theatre Museum (Via del Sudario 44, 00186; 06 681 9471; open 9:15am–4:30pm Tue & Thu), which covers 500 years of theatre history. Alternatively, visit Palazzo Spada, or spend time browsing the books and toys at the Feltrinelli International bookshop (Largo di Torre Argentina 11, 00186; 06 6866 3001; open daily).
Carry on to the Palatine Hill, scene of more Imperial Roman murders, or cross the Tiber for another great fresh-produce market in Piazza San Cosimato.
To escape the streets for a while, cross the Tiber at Ponte Sisto and walk along the riverside cycle path to relax and unwind.
Spot the cats in the palazzo’s formal gardens or spend some time browsing for books, toys and music in the Feltrinelli International bookshop (see Campo de’ Fiori).
Shelter in Bar Giulia (Via Giulia 84, 00186; 06 686 1310; open daly), or peep inside one of the churches.
Head towards Piazza Farnese and enjoy a walk or run around the fountains there.
Children can play safely in the car-free streets of the Jewish Ghetto, or dive back into the bustle of Campo de’ Fiori.
Let the kids enjoy a game of Pooh-sticks on Ponte Fabricio (Lungotevere de’ Cenci, 00186), Rome’s oldest bridge. Built in 62 BC, this Roman bridge leads to the Isola Tiberina, or Tiber Island, from the end of Via del Portico d’Ottavia.
Wander the streets of the Jewish Ghetto where kids can enjoy a game of hide-and-seek.
Children can usually find space to run up and down the steps, even at busy times! It is a pleasant and short walk from Trinità dei Monti to the Pincio Gardens, and beyond to Villa Borghese.
Il Pesciolino Rosso (Via Bocca di Leone 49, 00187; 06 6992 2059) is a lovely upmarket toyshop with plenty of small toys and craft activities suitable for trying in a hotel room. Vertecchi (Via della Croce 70, 00187; www.vertecchi.com) is one of the city’s best-equipped art supplies and stationery shops.
Read the news report on one of the people who drove down the Spanish Steps at www.tinyurl.com/7k4v39x, or complete a digital jigsaw puzzle of the Spanish Steps at www.tinyurl.com/7bwqwp5.
In the romantic comedy Roman Holiday (1953), runaway princess Audrey Hepburn sits on the Spanish Steps eating an ice cream. It is here that journalist Gregory Peck “accidentally” runs into her, starting a day-long romance.
Shelter in Babington’s Tea Rooms or at the Antico Caffè Greco, making an expensive cup of tea or coffee last as long as you can, or see how long it is possible to keep the kids interested at the Keats-Shelley Memorial House.
The best place for families after Piazza di Spagna is the Villa Borghese, a short walk away. Choose between its museums, the zoo or just a run around the park.
Hire go-karts and skates in the Pincio Gardens to have some fun with kids.
The Pincio Gardens are just along the road from here, an ideal place to unwind with kids.
Less than a 5-minute walk away are the Pincio Gardens, one of the best places to relax in the whole of central Rome.
There is space to run around and fountains for cooling fingers and toes outside the Ara Pacis.
Run around the Piazza del Popolo, climb up to the Pincio Gardens for a bike or go-kart ride, or walk to the nearby gardens of Villa Borghese.
There are no shops in the immediate vicinity, but the shopping areas of Piazza di Spagna and Via del Corso are just a short walk away.
Check out more Caravaggios at Sant’Agostino and at San Luigi dei Francesi. See Sibyls – this time by Raphael – at the church of Santa Maria della Pace.
These days Piazza del Popolo is traffic-free and perfect for a run from fountain to fountain. For extended outdoor play or a picnic head to Pincio Gardens.
There are activities for children in the Casina di Raffaello, an indoor play area, in the nearby Villa Borghese.
The nearest places where children can have a run around are Piazza del Quirinale and the small garden with a playground next to Sant’Andrea al Quirinale. The Pincio Gardens and Villa Borghese are further away, but worth the walk for anyone with a few hours to spare.
www.tinyurl.com/ltaxurd is an online shuffle puzzle game that uses an image of the Trevi Fountain.
The fountain sprang to fame after its role in the 1950s film La Dolce Vita by Federico Fellini. Film star Anita Ekberg is shown walking home at night with a stray cat on her head. She comes across the fountain and decides to go for a swim! The fountain also featured in the 1954 film Three Coins in the Fountain, which revolved around three American women searching for romance in Rome.
Time Elevator is the ideal place to go to on a very hot afternoon or a rainy day.
For a quick, cool trip underground, visit La Città dell’Acqua (Vicolo del Puttarello 25, 00187; 339 778 6192; closed Mon & Tue) to see a short section of the Acqua Vergine aqueduct and the ruins of an ancient Roman apartment block discovered in 2001.
Kids can run about in the gardens of Villa Aldobrandini (Via IV Novembre, 00187), Piazza del Quirinale or in the garden on Via del Quirinale.
Head to Piazza del Quirinale for a run around or continue along Via del Quirinale to the garden with a playground next to Sant’Andrea al Quirinale.
Visit Time Elevator and enjoy looking at Roman history, with the family, through the prism of interactive technology.
Head to Trinità dei Monti and the Spanish Steps, or visit the Pincio Gardens for more open space and greenery.
There is a small playground in the gardens next to Sant’Andrea al Quirinale where children can have some fun.
There is ample space for kids to run around in the gardens of the Baths of Diocletian.
Those who dare can seek shelter among the bones in the spooky catacombs of Santa Maria della Concezione.
The open spaces of Villa Borghese park, about 5 minutes away from Via Vittorio Veneto, is a great place for kids, with lots of space for running.
With biking, roller-skating, go-karting and boating on offer, there is no shortage of ways in which kids can burn off excess energy. Best of all is the wilder, wooded part of the park between Viale di Valle Giulia and the Bioparco, where kids can run free.
Duck into Casina di Raffaello, a children’s play area and activity centre or catch a film at Cinema dei Piccoli.
Relax in or wander around the villa’s gardens or walk across to Villa Borghese (entrance on Via Valmichi). Hire a bike from near the entrance or play a game of hide-and-seek and picnic in the nearby woods – this is one of the wilder parts of the Borghese estate.
Find out more about the Etruscans at www.kidspast.com/world-history/0077-etruscan-rulers.php or at www.tinyurl.com/c4ylwvl. There is more about illegal excavations and trade in looted objects at www.tinyurl.com/cnvgo79.
Some of the action in The Twilight Saga: New Moon (12 plus) is set among the Etruscan sights of the Tuscan town of Volterra, and features a coven of Etruscan-inspired Volturi vampires.
Villa Giulia’s vast collection continues in the adjacent Villa Poniatowski (Piazzale di Villa Giulia 9, 00196; 06 322 6571; www.villagiulia.beniculturali.it). It opened to the public in January 2012. Exhibits include finds from Umbria and northern Lazio, including a tomb carved from a tree trunk, exquisite gold jewellery and elaborate containers for make-up and perfume.
There are bicycles for hire at the nearby entrance to Villa Borghese, and the wooded part of the park – perfect for fun games such as hide-and-seek – is just a short walk away.
Go for a row on the lake, or to the Casina di Raffaello playground for a run around.
Explora has a café, a restaurant-pizzeria and a small, but good, adventure playground where kids can play, eat and relax before or after shifts.
Let kids have a spin on Villa Borghese’s carousel, play in the playground at the Casina di Raffaello or enjoy a dodgem car session in the little playground near Cinema dei Piccoli. Those visiting the gallery in the morning may find the Bioparco perfect for an absorbing afternoon.
www.mrdonn.org has simple, appealing retellings of Greek myths, including several stories about Pluto and Persephone (the Greek name for Proserpine). There are also some entertaining Ancient Greek-themed games, including a personality quiz to find out which Greek god or hero kids most resemble, as well as a link to a game which helps kids create their own Greek myth.
For a child-friendly indoor experience after a visit to the gallery, head for the Casina di Raffaello, or take in a film at the Cinema dei Piccoli.
To see more works by Bernini, take bus 52 to Piazza Barberini to see Fontana del Tritone and Fontana delle Api. Continue on foot to Sant’Andrea al Quirinale and Santa Maria della Vittoria to see architecture, paintings and sculptures created by him. For a full Bernini extravaganza, visit St Peter’s to see his curly-wurly baldacchino.
The Arca della Conservazione is a wooden boat with slides, swings, climbing frames and ropes, and may turn out to be as popular with children as the animals themselves. Adjoining this is a small open-air theatre where there are temporary exhibitions and occasional theatre performances and workshops.
The Bioparco website (in both English and Italian) has excellent sections (in Italian only) for children, including a puzzle and wallpaper downloads – older children will find plenty to interest them throughout the site. There is also a Bioparco app for smartphones, currently in Italian only, downloadable from the website.
The Reptile House, a conservation centre for reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates, is home to terrifying giant millipedes and brilliant-green tree frogs as well as crocodiles and chameleons. Its tropical forest zone is a great place to take cover on a cold, rainy day.
La Valle dei Cuccioli (06 3211 1651; 10am–5pm Mon–Wed & Fri–Sat), just outside the zoo, is a home for stray dogs and a dog adoption centre. Go armed with strategies for not being talked into adopting a dog!
There is plenty of space for a run about and picnic in the beautiful tree-shaded park of Villa Torlonia.
Pick up lunch and find a shaded spot to relax and picnic in the surrounding Villa Torlonia park.
Enjoy the traffic-free spaces on Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, or go to the playground and market in nearby Piazza San Cosimato (00153). Buses 44 and 75 go up to the park at Villa Sciarra, not far away.
The Open Door Bookshop (Via della Lungaretta 23, 00153; closed Sun) has a good selection of second-hand books for kids, mostly in English. The Centro Didattico (Via della Luce 32, 00153; closed Sun) specializes in construction toys such as Kapla and Lego, and has a nice range of craft kits. Vetro Soffiato (Via della Scala 11, 00153; closed Sun) is an Aladdin’s cave of glass beads – buy them individually to string at home, or have a necklace made to order on the spot.
Kids can learn a lot from the wise virgins, though they may have to make different kinds of preparations. For inspiration, listen to “Be Prepared” from The Lion King at www.tinyurl.com/yf2goyg. “Be Prepared” is also the motto of the Scout Association; adults may prefer the Tom Lehrer version of the song at www.tinyurl.com/5to4sm.
There is a fresco by Pietro Cavallini in the nearby church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. Visit Santa Maria in Domnica and Santa Prassede and Santa Pudenziana to look at more mosaics. Or get some fresh air and good views by walking up the Janiculum Hill.
Piazza Trilussa on the left bank has space for kids to run around and have fun, and there is a basic playground in Piazza San Cosimato.
Walk to Piazza di Santa Cecilia, which is a great place for children to let their hair down.
Kids with plenty of excess energy to burn off, even after walking up the Janiculum Hill, can run around safely on Piazzale Giuseppe Garibaldi and around the picnic area on Belvedere Salviati (near Tasso’s Oak).
To read about the exploits of Garibaldi, go to www.tinyurl.com/cwnbgq2.
Roberto Rossellini’s drama Garibaldi (1961; released as Viva l’Italia! in English), is a historical drama based on the life of the hero.
There is nowhere to take cover on the hill. If it rains, jump on bus 870 to Castel Sant’Angelo and spend a couple of hours in the castle.
Head down into Trastevere along Via Garibaldi, taking in views from the Fontana dell’Acqua Paolo and Bramante’s Tempietto on the way. Head to Il Vittoriano and take the elevator to the top for more views of Rome.
Carry a picnic lunch to the Botanical Gardens, where kids can run around and play games.
Stroll around the villa’s formal garden, laid out in geometrical patterns with trees, box hedges and rose bushes, and across to its lawns, shaded by pines and cedars and overlooked by the glassed-in loggia.
If it rains, make a dash for the Villa Farnesina, with its beautiful paintings and frescoes by Raphael and his pupils.
If it starts raining, jump on to bus 125 or run down the steps that cut across the bends of Via Garibaldi to Trastevere and shelter in a café or visit Villa Farnesina or Santa Maria in Trastevere.
Walk down to the Villa Sciarra (Via Calandrelli, 00153; open dawn–dusk daily). Shaded by ancient trees and set on a hill above a steep valley, it is Rome’s most romantic park. With a small children’s playground, a scattering of follies and fountains, and an ornamental pond, it is the perfect place for a picnic on a hot summer day.
Find shelter in Vivi Bistrot if it drizzles or rains for a short period of time. If the weather gets really bad, take bus 115 from Via di Porta San Pancrazio to the heart of Trastevere.
Run around the Piazza San Pietro or go to the playground in Parco Adriano below the Castel Sant’Angelo.
For more information about the Vatican check www.vaticanstate.it, which includes a virtual tour of the gardens and heliport, links to Vatican Radio and allows access to the webcams on the roof of St Peter’s.
We Have a Pope (2011) is an engaging film about a newly elected pope who is too beset by panic and doubt to take office.
The colonnades offer ample shelter from the rain or hot mid-day sun. If the weather takes a turn for the worse, the nearest indoor sight is the Castel Sant’Angelo.
Follow the pilgrims’ route in reverse – cross the Tiber at Ponte Sant’Angelo and walk up Via dei Coronari to Piazza Navona. To make the walk fun for kids, get them to document their pilgrimage on a camera, and reward them with an ice cream in Piazza Navona.
Play hide-and-seek in the shade of the colonnade on Piazza San Pietro. Then head for Parco Adriano or go for a walk up the Janiculum Hill.
Via della Conciliazione has many shops selling gawdy icons and other religious souvenirs. Follow humorous writer Bill Bryson’s advice and buy a set of dinner plates stamped with a portrait of the pope.
A virtual tour of the basilica is available on www.vatican.va. The website also offers a Vatican app for download.
Certain movies featuring St Peter’s such as Pope Joan (1972) have not met with Vatican approval. However, the Vatican has published a list of movies it recommends at www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican's_list_of_films, which includes some surprising choices, such as 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Fantasia (1940).
If papal culture becomes too much to absorb, take the tram to Villa Borghese, a paradise for families.
Children can take a break in the Cortile della Pigna, or in the green area near the Carriage Pavilion, although they cannot run wild here. For that, leave the museums and jump on to bus 23, which goes straight to the wooded hills of the Monte Mario Nature Reserve and Park (Via Gomenizza 81, 00195; 06 3540 5326; www.romanatura.roma.it/i-parchi/r-n-monte-mario).
The official Vatican website, www.vatican.va, offers a virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel. When back home, follow the instructions and photographs on www.tinyurl.com/77boswp to make your own fresco.
The Michelangelo Code (2005) is a fascinating documentary by Waldemar Januszczak on the hidden meaning behind the frescoes on the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
Take tram 19 to Technotown or to Explora, the children’s museums in Villa Borghese.
There is space to play in the Parco Adriano, at the foot of the castle, where an ice-skating rink is set up in winter (8 Dec–late Feb: 10am–midnight daily). Or skip across the pedestrianized Ponte Sant’Angelo spotting river boats on the way.
Go to www.tinyurl.com/cacxve7 for links to a wonderful selection of medieval-themed and castle-defending online activities as well as a create-your-own-coat-of-arms game.
Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck go dancing at a bar below the castle in Roman Holiday, and end up falling into the river as they fight off security men.
St Peter’s and the Vatican City are close by. And a short walk across the river leads to the grand monument of Ara Pacis. Alternatively, take the metro to Flaminio, or tram 19, to the Villa Borghese.
There is plenty of space outside MAXXI between the main building and the barracks housing MAXXI21. In winter, go ice-skating at the Auditorium Parco della Musica nearby. Alternatively, go for a walk on the path along the Tiber – best accessed, while finishing touches are being added to the Ponte della Musica, from the Ponte Duca d’Aosta, a little futher upstream.
Look at the floorplans of MAXXI at www.tinyurl.com/8a7pmuo. There are great photos and digital drawings of MAXXI at www.tinyurl.com/82vnr3x.
To see more contemporary and modern art as well as contemporary architecture, head to MACRO.
There is plenty of space outside the concert hall, but for a greener alternative, the Villa Glori park (Viale Maresciallo Pilsudski, 00197; open dawn to dusk daily) is just a short walk away.
Kids will enjoy a run around the stadium, and could even stage a mini-Olympics.
Villa Ada (Via Salaria 265, 00199; 060608; www.060608.it) is one of Rome’s loveliest parks, with a pleasant playground with endless wooded hills to explore in the centre and picnic tables near the entrance on Via Salaria, and another in the valley by the lake.
Part of the protected Parco Regionale dell’Appia Antica (Parco Regionale dell’ Appia Antica, 00179; 06 513 5316; www.parcoappiaantica.it), the Parco della Caffarella is more open countryside than park, with plenty of space to run around. The park office (see Via Appia Antica and around) rents out bikes, including children’s bikes (€3) and toddler seats (€15). On Sundays, there are often events for children, including nature trails, insect-spotting and bird-watching.
www.learn4good.com/games/simulation/timemanagement.htm is an online game in which kids build their own Roman road in a race against time, Caesar and Barbarians.
If it rains or gets too hot, take shelter in one of the many catacombs that line the road.
Children with a keen interest in the defences, roads and bricklaying techniques of Rome should visit the Museo delle Mura (Via di Porta San Sebastiano, 00100; 06 7047 5284; www.museodellemuraroma.it), housed inside the Porta di San Sebastiano in the Aurelian Walls, at the beginning of Via Appia Antica.
Visit the Horti Scipioni (entrances on Via di Porta San Sebastiano and Via di Porta Latina), a lovely park with a superb playground.
There is plenty of open space around EUR’s vast lake for kids to let their hair down and for families to enjoy picnics. In summer, make a beeline for the complex’s open-air Olympic swimming pool, the Piscina delle Rose (Viale America 20, 00144; 06 5422 0333; www.piscinadellerose.it; May–Oct).
A major portion of Cinecittà si Mostra is outdoors. For shelter, head for the Cinecittà Due shopping centre (Viale Palmiro Togliatti 2, 00173; 06 722 0902; www.cinecittadue.com).
There is plenty of space around the ruins for children to run about and play games.
Check out the clickable plan of the site on www.ostia-antica.org, which has photographs and interesting information in English.
The TV version of Caroline Lawrence’s popular children’s books called Roman Mysteries (2007) is set in Ostia and available on DVD.
If there is a brief shower, shelter in the museum, which displays ancient Roman objects. But if the heavens open up, it is probably wiser to head back to Rome and visit the Centrale Montemartini or the Museo Nazionale Romano’s Palazzo Massimo.
For a touch of sea breeze head to the seaside resort of Lido di Ostia (get off the train at Lido Centrale), just a couple of stops from Ostia Antica. The water there has a reputation for being polluted, so it is best to limit the kids to playing on the beach and splashing.
Kids can have fun on swings and slides in the playground opposite Caffè Morelli.
Interactive maps – using photos of the 3D replica of the villa and satellite images – and information about the villa are available on www.villa-adriana.net.
Watch Hadrian (2008), a BBC documentary which tells the story of Emperor Hadrian.
The site museum, which displays archaeological finds (if open), and the room housing the replica of the villa are the only places to shelter from the heat or rain.
Head to Villa d’Este (Piazza Trento 5, 00198), a summer retreat where people from the arts’ world met and exchanged ideas in the 16th century. Although the villa is lovely, the extravagantly frivolous fountains in the gardens steal the show – looking like something Disney might have designed had he been a Renaissance prince. For something wilder, there is plenty of open space and gardens to enjoy at Villa Gregoriana (Largo Sant’Angelo, 00019 Tivoli, Lazio). Go for a walk down the wooded paths here.
If driving, and in need of an antidote to Mannerist madness, head for the various terme (hot baths) outside the nearby town of Viterbo. These are a legacy of the area’s volcanic origins – try them out at the free public pools at the Piscine Carletti on Strada Terme (3 km/4 miles west of Viterbo) where the temperature can reach up to 58°C (136°F), perfect for a dip on a cool day! Check www.termediviterbo.it.
Spend time splashing around Lake Nemi and pick up local produce for a delicious picnic.
Duck into the beautiful Castello Odescalchi fortress for lake views, ancient sculptures, ceramics, medieval furniture, armour, frescoes and paintings.