Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo
oBasilica di Santa Maria MaggioreBASILICA
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; 
%06 6988 6800; Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore; basilica free, adult/reduced museum €3/2, museum & loggia €5/4; 
h7am-7pm, loggia guided tours 9.30am-5.45pm; 
gPiazza Santa Maria Maggiore)
One of Rome's four patriarchal basilicas, this monumental 5th-century church stands on the summit of the Esquiline Hill, on the spot where snow is said to have miraculously fallen in the summer of AD 358. To commemorate the event, every year on 5 August thousands of white petals are released from the basilica’s coffered ceiling. Much altered over the centuries, it's an architectural hybrid with 14th-century Romanesque belfry, 18th-century baroque facade, largely baroque interior and a series of glorious 5th-century mosaics.
Outside, the exterior is decorated with glimmering 13th-century mosaics, protected by Ferdinand Fuga's baroque loggia (1741). Rising behind, the belfry – Rome's tallest – tops out at 75m.
The vast interior retains its original structure, despite the basilica's many overhauls. Particularly spectacular are the 5th-century mosaics in the triumphal arch and nave, depicting Old Testament scenes. The central image in the apse, signed by Jacopo Torriti, dates from the 13th century and represents the coronation of the Virgin Mary. Beneath your feet, the nave floor is a fine example of 12th-century Cosmati paving.
The baldachin over the high altar is heavy with gilt cherubs; the altar itself is a porphyry sarcophagus, which is said to contain the relics of St Matthew and other martyrs. A plaque embedded in the floor to the right of the altar marks the spot where Gian Lorenzo Bernini and his father Pietro are buried. Steps lead down to the confessio (a crypt in which relics are placed), where a statue of Pope Pius IX kneels before a reliquary containing a fragment of Jesus' manger.
The sumptuously decorated Cappella Sistina, last on the right, was built by Domenico Fontana in the 16th century and contains the tombs of Popes Sixtus V and Pius V.
Through the souvenir shop on the right-hand side of the church is the Museo del Tresoro (Treasury Museum) with a glittering collection of religious artefacts. Most interesting, however, is the Loggia delle Benedizioni (upper loggia), accessible only by 30-minute guided tours (in English; book at the basilica entrance), the extraordinary creation of Ferdinando Fuga. Here you can get a close look at the facade's iridescent 13th-century mosaics created by Filippo Rusuti, and Bernini's magnificent baroque helical staircase.
Basilica di Santa PrassedeCHURCH
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GOOGLE MAP
; %06 488 24 56; Via Santa Prassede 9a; h7am-noon & 4-6.30pm; gPiazza Santa Maria Maggiore)
Famous for its brilliant Byzantine mosaics, this tiny gem of a 9th-century church is dedicated to St Praxedes, an early Christian heroine who hid Christians fleeing persecution and buried those she couldn’t save in a well. The position of the well is now marked by a marble disc on the floor of the nave.
Basilica di San Pietro in VincoliBASILICA
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MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Piazza di San Pietro in Vincoli 4a; h8am-12.30pm & 3-7pm summer, to 6pm winter; 
mCavour)
Pilgrims and art lovers flock to this 5th-century basilica for two reasons: to marvel at Michelangelo's colossal Moses (1505) sculpture and to see the chains that supposedly bound St Peter when he was imprisoned in the Carcere Mamertino (near the Roman Forum). Access to the church is via a flight of steps through a low arch that leads up from Via Cavour.
Domus AureaARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
(Golden House;
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 3996 7700; www.coopculture.it; Viale della Domus Aurea; adult/under 6yr €14/free; h9am-4.45pm Sat & Sun; mColosseo)
Nero had his Domus Aurea constructed after the fire of AD 64 (which he is rumoured to have started to clear the area). Named after the gold that lined its facade and interiors, it was a huge complex covering up to a third of the city. Making full use of virtual reality, superb state-of-the-art guided tours shed light on just how grand the Golden House – a lavish villa with porticoes – was. Advance online reservations are obligatory.
Piazza della RepubblicaPIAZZA
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MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; mRepubblica)
Flanked by grand 19th-century neoclassical colonnades, this landmark piazza was laid out as part of Rome’s post-unification makeover. It follows the lines of the semicircular exedra (benched portico) of Diocletian’s baths complex and was originally known as Piazza Esedra.
oMuseo Nazionale Romano: Palazzo Massimo alle TermeMUSEUM
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MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 3996 7700; www.coopculture.it; Largo di Villa Peretti 1; adult/reduced €7/3.50; h9am-7.45pm Tue-Sun; mTermini)
One of Rome's great unheralded museums, this is a fabulous treasure trove of classical art. The ground and 1st floors are devoted to sculpture with some breathtaking pieces – check out the Pugile (Boxer), a 2nd-century-BC Greek bronze; the graceful 2nd-century-BC Ermafrodite dormiente (Sleeping Hermaphrodite); and the idealised Il discobolo (Discus Thrower). It's the magnificent and vibrantly coloured frescoes on the 2nd floor, however, that are the undisputed highlight.
These vibrantly coloured panels were originally used as interior decor and provide a vivid picture of the inside of a grand ancient Roman villa. There are intimate cubicula (bedroom) frescoes focusing on nature, mythology, domestic and erotic life; and delicate landscape paintings from a dark-painted winter triclinium.
Particularly breathtaking are the frescoes (dating from 30 BC to 20 BC) from Villa Livia, one of the homes of Augustus' wife Livia Drusilla. These cover an entire room and depict a paradisiacal garden full of a wild tangle of roses, pomegranates, irises and camomile under a deep-blue sky. They once decorated a summer triclinium, a large living and dining area built half underground to provide protection from the heat.
The 2nd floor also features some exquisitely fine floor mosaics and rare inlay work. That these mosaics carpeted the floors of plush villas of aristocratic Romans in the 13th and 14th centuries is really quite extraordinary.
In the basement, the unexciting-sounding coin collection is far more absorbing than you might expect, tracing the Roman Empire's propaganda offensive through its coins. There's also jewellery dating back several millennia, and the disturbing remains of a mummified eight-year-old girl, the only known example of mummification dating from the Roman Empire.
Note that the museum is one of four that collectively make up the Museo Nazionale Romano. The ticket, which is valid for three days, also gives admission to the other three sites: the Terme di Diocleziano, Palazzo Altemps and the Crypta Balbi. Count €5 for an audio guide.
Museo Nazionale Romano: Terme di DioclezianoMUSEUM
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; %06 3996 7700; www.coopculture.it; Viale Enrico de Nicola 78; adult/reduced €7/3.50; h9am-7.30pm Tue-Sun; mTermini)
The Terme di Diocleziano was ancient Rome's largest bath complex, covering about 13 hectares and able to accommodate some 3000 people. Today its ruins house a branch of the impressive Museo Nazionale Romano. Exhibits, which include memorial inscriptions, bas-reliefs and archaeological artefacts, provide a fascinating insight into Roman life. Outside, the vast cloister, constructed from drawings by Michelangelo, is lined with classical sarcophagi, headless statues and huge sculpted animal heads, thought to have come from the Foro di Traiano.
San Giovanni & Celio
1Sights
4Sleeping
5Eating
6Drinking & Nightlife
San Giovanni & Testaccio
oBasilica di San Giovanni in LateranoBASILICA
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; Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano 4; basilica/cloister free/€5 with audio guide; h7am-6.30pm, cloister 9am-6pm; mSan Giovanni)
For a thousand years this monumental cathedral was the most important church in Christendom. Commissioned by Constantine and consecrated in AD 324, it was the first Christian basilica built in the city and, until the late 14th century, was the pope’s main place of worship. It's still Rome’s official cathedral and the pope’s seat as the bishop of Rome.
The basilica has been revamped several times, most notably by Borromini in the 17th century, and by Alessandro Galilei, who added the immense white facade in 1735.
Surmounted by 15 7m-high statues – Christ with St John the Baptist, John the Evangelist and the 12 Apostles – Galilei’s facade is an imposing example of late-baroque classicism. The central bronze doors were moved here from the Curia in the Roman Forum, while, on the far right, the Holy Door is only opened in Jubilee years.
The cavernous interior owes much of its present look to Francesco Borromini, who redecorated it for the 1650 Jubilee. It’s a breathtaking sight with a golden gilt ceiling, a 15th-century mosaic floor, and a wide central nave lined with muscular 4.6m-high sculptures of the apostles.
At the head of the nave, the Gothic baldachin over the papal altar is said to contain the relics of the heads of Sts Peter and Paul. In front, a double staircase leads down to the confessio and the Renaissance tomb of Pope Martin V.
Behind the altar, the massive apse is decorated with sparkling mosaics. Parts of these date to the 4th century, but most were added in the 1800s.
At the other end of the basilica, on the first pillar in the right-hand aisle, is an incomplete Giotto fresco. While admiring this, cock your ear towards the next column, where a monument to Pope Sylvester II (r 999–1003) is said to sweat and creak when the death of a pope is imminent.
To the left of the altar, the beautiful 13th-century cloister is a lovely, peaceful place with graceful twisted columns set around a central garden.
oBasilica di San ClementeBASILICA
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MAP
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; www.basilicasanclemente.com; Piazza San Clemente; excavations adult/reduced €10/5; h9am-12.30pm & 3-6pm Mon-Sat, 12.15-6pm Sun; gVia Labicana)
Nowhere better illustrates the various stages of Rome's turbulent past than this fascinating multilayered church. The ground-level 12th-century basilica sits atop a 4th-century church, which, in turn, stands over a 2nd-century pagan temple and a 1st-century Roman house. Beneath everything are foundations dating from the Roman Republic.
The street-level basilica superiore features a marvellous 12th-century apse mosaic depicting the Trionfo della Croce (Triumph of the Cross) and some wonderful 15th-century frescoes by Masolino in the Cappella di Santa Caterina showing a crucifixion scene and episodes from the life of St Catherine.
Steps lead down to the 4th-century basilica inferiore, mostly destroyed by Norman invaders in 1084, but with some faded 11th-century frescoes illustrating the life of San Clement. Follow the steps down another level and you'll come to a 1st-century Roman house and a dark, 2nd-century temple to Mithras, with an altar showing the god slaying a bull. Beneath it all, you can hear the eerie sound of a subterranean river flowing through a Republic-era drain.
Aventino & Testaccio
1Top Sights
1Sights
3Entertainment
Basilica di Santa SabinaBASILICA
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; %06 57 94 01; Piazza Pietro d’Illiria 1; h8.15am-12.30pm & 3.30-6pm; gLungotevere Aventino)
This solemn basilica, one of Rome's most beautiful early Christian churches, was founded by Peter of Illyria around AD 422. It was enlarged in the 9th century and again in 1216, just before it was given to the newly founded Dominican order – note the tombstone of Muñoz de Zamora, one of the order’s founding fathers, in the nave floor. A 20th-century restoration returned it to its original look.
oVilla del Priorato di MaltaHISTORIC BUILDING
(Villa Magistrale;
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta; gLungotevere Aventino)
Fronting an ornate cypress-shaded piazza, the Roman headquarters of the Sovereign Order of Malta, aka the Cavalieri di Malta (Knights of Malta), boasts one of Rome's most celebrated views. It's not immediately apparent, but look through the keyhole in the villa's green door and you’ll see the dome of St Peter’s Basilica perfectly aligned at the end of a hedge-lined avenue.
oTerme di CaracallaARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 3996 7700; www.coopculture.it; Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 52; adult/reduced €6/3; h9am-1hr before sunset Tue-Sun, 9am-2pm Mon; gViale delle Terme di Caracalla)
The remains of the emperor Caracalla’s vast bathhouse complex are among Rome’s most awe-inspiring ruins. Inaugurated in AD 216, the original 10-hectare site, which comprised baths, gyms, libraries, shops and gardens, was used by up to 8000 people daily.
Most of the ruins are what’s left of the central bathhouse. This was a huge rectangular edifice bookended by two palestre (gyms) and centred on a frigidarium (cold room), where bathers would stop after spells in the warmer tepidarium and dome-capped caldarium (hot room).
But while the customers enjoyed the luxurious facilities, below ground hundreds of slaves sweated in a 9.5km tunnel network, tending to the complex plumbing systems.
The baths remained in continuous use until AD 537, when the Visigoths cut off Rome's water supply. Excavations in the 16th and 17th centuries unearthed important sculptures, many of which found their way into the Farnese family's art collection.
In summer, the ruins are used to stage spectacular opera and ballet performances.
STREET ART IN THE SUBURBS
Street art in Rome is edgy, exciting, progressive and a fabulous excuse to delve into the city's gritty southern suburbs when Ancient Rome's tourist crowds and top-billing sights tire. Tourist kiosks have maps marked up with key street-art works, and online street-art itineraries can be found at www.turismoroma.it and www.ostiensedistrict.it.
With over 30 works, ex-industrial and alternative Ostiense is one of the best parts of Rome to lap up the outdoor gallery of colourful wall murals. Highlights include the murals at Caserma dell’Aeronautica (
GOOGLE MAP
; Via del Porto Fluviale; mPiramide), a former military warehouse where Bolognese artist Blu (www.blublu.org) painted a rainbow of sinister faces across the entire building in 2014. He transformed the 48 arched windows into eyes, apparently to represent the evils of homelessness on a building that has been a long-term squat. Walk around the side of the building to admire a fantastical mural of a boat topped by cranes and robots.
Further up Via Ostiense is another work by Blu, depicting interlocking yellow cars, that covers the entire facade of a now-derelict building. Known as Alexis (
GOOGLE MAP
; Via Ostiense 122; gVia Ostiense), the mural immortalises Alexis Grigoropoulos, the 15-year-old student who was killed, allegedly by a police bullet, during demonstrations in Greece in 2008 – the mural incorporates his portrait and the date of his death.
The signature stencil art of well-known Italian street artists Sten & Lex (http://stenlex.com) is well-represented in Ostiense with a B&W wall mural of an anonymous student at Via delle Conce 14 (neighbouring a menacing bald gangster spray-painted by French artist MTO, guarding the entrance to the now-closed Rising Love nightclub next door at No 12) and the giant Peassagio Urbano XVIII (2016) emblazoning the pedestrian entrance to Stazione Roma-Ostiense next to Eataly on Piazzale XII Octobre. Nearby, on Via dei Magazzini Generali, a line-up of larger-than-life portraits by Sten & Lex provide an admiring audience for the iconic Wall of Fame by Rome's very own JBRock (www.jbrock.it).
Two experimental museums give Rome's street-art scene instant street cred and bags of buzz. East of the Appian Way, in the off-beat district of Quadraro, M.U.Ro (Museo di Urban Art di Roma;
GOOGLE MAP
; www.muromuseum.blogspot.it; Via dei Lentuli, Quadraro; walking/bicycle tour €10/20; mPorta Furba Quadraro) runs highly recommended guided tours – on foot or by bicycle – of the wealth of murals, many by big-name international artists, decorating its streets. More recently, in 2017 the ruins of 19th-century soap factory Mira Lanza (1899) in Ostiense opened its doors as a museum (
GOOGLE MAP
; %351 031 75 63; www.999contemporary.com/exmiralanza; Via Amedeo Avogadro; h24hr; mStazione Trastevere), the result of a public-art project by 999Contemporary which invited French globe-painter Seth (www.seth.fr) to spruce up the site in 2016 with a series of large-scale art installations and murals. Home to a handful of squatters today, the ruined factory-turned-museum is open 24 hours and free guided tours with museum curator Stefan Antonelli can be reserved in advance. The advertised address: Via Amedeo Avogadro, first hole in the net behind garbage bins.
Southern Rome
Museo Capitoline Centrale MontemartiniMUSEUM
(Museums at Centrale Montemartini;
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 06 08; www.centralemontemartini.org; Via Ostiense 106; adult/reduced €7.50/6.50, incl Capitoline Museums €16/14, ticket valid 7 days; h9am-7pm Tue-Sun; gVia Ostiense)
Housed in a former power station, this fabulous outpost of the Capitoline Museums (Musei Capitolini) boldly juxtaposes classical sculpture against diesel engines and giant furnaces. The collection’s highlights are in the Sala Caldaia, where ancient statuary strike poses around the giant furnace. Beautiful pieces include the Fanciulla Seduta (Seated Girl) and the Musa Polimnia (Muse Polyhymnia), and there are also some exquisite Roman mosaics, depicting favourite subjects such as hunting scenes and foodstuffs.
oBasilica di San Paolo Fuori le MuraBASILICA
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; %06 6988 0803; www.basilicasanpaolo.org; Via Ostiense 190; adult/reduced €4/3; h7am-6.30pm; mBasilica San Paolo)
The largest church in Rome after St Peter’s (and the world’s third-largest), this magnificent basilica stands on the site where St Paul was buried after being decapitated in AD 67. Built by Constantine in the 4th century, it was largely destroyed by fire in 1823 and much of what you see is a 19th-century reconstruction.
However, many treasures survived, including the 5th-century triumphal arch, with its heavily restored mosaics, and the Gothic marble tabernacle over the high altar. This was designed around 1285 by Arnolfo di Cambio together with another artist, possibly Pietro Cavallini. To the right of the altar, the elaborate Romanesque Paschal candlestick was fashioned by Nicolò di Angelo and Pietro Vassalletto in the 12th century and features a grim cast of animal-headed creatures. St Paul’s tomb is in the nearby confessio.
Looking upwards, doom-mongers should check out the papal portraits beneath the nave windows. Every pope since St Peter is represented here, and legend has it that when there is no longer room for the next portrait, the world will fall.
Also well worth a look is the stunning 13th-century Cosmati mosaic work that decorates the columns of the cloisters of the adjacent Benedictine abbey.
Appia Antica
1Sights
5Eating
oVia Appia AnticaHISTORIC SITE
(Appian Way;
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 513 53 16; www.parcoappiaantica.it; hInfo Point 9.30am-sunset summer, 9.30am-1pm & 2-5pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-5pm Sat & Sun winter; gVia Appia Antica)
Named after consul Appius Claudius Caecus, who laid the first 90km section in 312 BC, ancient Rome’s regina viarum (queen of roads) was extended in 190 BC to reach Brindisi on Italy’s southern Adriatic coast. Via Appia Antica has long been one of Rome’s most exclusive addresses, a beautiful cobbled thoroughfare flanked by grassy fields, Roman structures and towering pine trees. Most splendid of the ancient houses was Villa dei Quintili (
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 3996 7700; www.coopculture.it; Via Appia Nuova 1092; adult/reduced incl Terme di Caracalla & Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella €6/3; h9am-1hr before sunset Tue-Sun; gVia Appia Antica), so desirable that Emperor Commodus murdered its owner and took it for himself.
The Appian Way has a dark history – it was here that Spartacus and 6000 of his slave rebels were crucified in 71 BC, and it was here that the early Christians buried their dead in 300km of underground catacombs. You can’t visit all 300km, but three major catacombs – San Callisto, San Sebastiano and Santa Domitilla (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 511 03 42; www.domitilla.info; Via delle Sette Chiese 282; adult/reduced €8/5; h9am-noon & 2-5pm Wed-Mon mid-Jan–mid-Dec; gVia Appia Antica) – are open for guided exploration.
The most pleasurable way of exploring the Appian Way is by bicycle. Rent a set of wheels (with helmet and lock) and pick up maps (€1.50) at the Info Point Appia Antica (
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 513 53 16; www.parcoappiaantica.it; Via Appia Antica 58-60; h9.30am-sunset summer, 9am-1pm & 2-5pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-5pm Sat & Sun winter; gVia Appia Antica) at the northern end of the road. Alternatively book a guided tour by bike, on foot or by electric golf cart. The Info Point also sells the Appia Antica Card (€6), valid seven days and covering admission to three key sights along the way (Villa dei Quintili (
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 3996 7700; www.coopculture.it; Via Appia Nuova 1092; adult/reduced incl Terme di Caracalla & Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella €6/3; h9am-1hr before sunset Tue-Sun; gVia Appia Antica), Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 3996 7700; www.coopculture.it; Via Appia Antica 161; adult/reduced incl Terme di Caracalla & Villa dei Quintili €6/3; h9am-1hr before sunset Tue-Sun; gVia Appia Antica) and Terme di Caracalla).
oCatacombe di San SebastianoCATACOMB
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MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 785 03 50; www.catacombe.org; Via Appia Antica 136; adult/reduced €8/5; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat Jan-Nov; gVia Appia Antica)
Extending beneath the Basilica di San Sebastiano (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Via Appia Antica 136; h8am-1pm & 2-5.30pm; gVia Appia Antica), these underground burial chambers were the first to be called catacombs – the name was derived from the Greek kata (near) and kymbas (cavity), because they were located near a cave. They were heavily developed from the 1st century and during the persecutory reign of Vespasian they provided a safe haven for the remains of Saints Peter and Paul.
The 1st level is now almost completely destroyed, but frescoes, stucco work and epigraphs can be seen on the 2nd level. There are also three perfectly preserved mausoleums and a plastered wall with hundreds of invocations to Peter and Paul, engraved by worshippers in the 3rd and 4th centuries.
Above the catacombs, the basilica, a much-altered 4th-century church, preserves one of the arrows allegedly used to kill St Sebastian, and the column to which he was tied.
Catacombe di San CallistoCATACOMB
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MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 513 01 51; www.catacombe.roma.it; Via Appia Antica 110-126; adult/reduced €8/5; h9am-noon & 2-5pm Thu-Tue Mar-Jan; gVia Appia Antica)
These are the largest and busiest of Rome’s catacombs. Founded at the end of the 2nd century and named after Pope Calixtus I, they became the official cemetery of the newly established Roman Church. In the 20km of tunnels explored to date, archaeologists have found the tombs of 16 popes, dozens of martyrs and thousands upon thousands of Christians.
Villa di MassenzioRUINS
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MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 06 08; www.villadimassenzio.it; Via Appia Antica 153; h10am-4pm Tue-Sun; gVia Appia Antica)
F
The outstanding feature of Maxentius’ enormous 4th-century palace complex is the Circo di Massenzio (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Via Appia Antica 153; gVia Appia Antica), Rome’s best-preserved ancient racetrack – you can still make out the starting stalls used for chariot races. The 10,000-seat arena was built by Maxentius around 309, but he died before ever seeing a race here. Above the arena are the ruins of Maxentius’ imperial residence. Near the racetrack, the Mausoleo di Romolo (Tombo di Romolo;
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 06 08; www.villadimassenzio.it; Via Appia Antica 153; h10am-4pm Tue-Sun; gVia Appia Antica) was built by Maxentius for his 17-year-old son Romulus.
Rome Convention Centre La NuvolaARCHITECTURE
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GOOGLE MAP
; %06 5451 3710; www.nellanuvola.it; Viale Asia, entrance cnr Via Cristoforo Colombo; mEUR Fermi)
Contemporary architecture buffs will appreciate Rome's brand-new congress centre, designed by Italian architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, and unveiled with much pomp and ceremony in late 2016. The striking building comprises a transparent, glass-and-steel box (40m high, 70m wide and 175m long) called Le Theca ('The Shrine'), inside of which hangs organically shaped La Nuvola ('The Cloud') containing an auditorium and conference rooms seating up to 8000 people. A separate black skyscraper called La Luma ('The Blade'), with a 439-room hotel, spa and restaurant, completes the ambitious €270 million ensemble.
EUR DistrictAREA
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GOOGLE MAP
; mEUR Palasport)
This Orwellian quarter of wide boulevards and linear buildings was built for an international exhibition in 1942, and although war intervened and the exhibition never took place, the name stuck – Esposizione Universale di Roma (Roman Universal Exhibition) or EUR. The area's main interest lies in its rationalist architecture, which finds perfect form in the iconic Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (Palace of Italian Civilisation;
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 33 45 01; www.fendi.com; Quadrato della Concordia; h8am-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-7pm Sun; mEUR Magliana), aka the Square Colosseum, where Italian fashion house Fendi has had its global headquarters since 2015.
Trastevere & Gianicolo
4Sleeping
5Eating
6Drinking & Nightlife
Trastevere & Gianicolo
oBasilica di Santa Maria in TrastevereBASILICA
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MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 581 4802; Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere; h7.30am-9pm Sep-Jul, 8am-noon & 4-9pm Aug; gViale di Trastevere, 
jViale di Trastevere)
Nestled in a quiet corner of Trastevere's focal square, this is said to be the oldest church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Rome. In its original form, it dates to the early 3rd century, but a major 12th-century makeover saw the addition of a Romanesque bell tower and glittering facade. The portico came later, added by Carlo Fontana in 1702. Inside, the 12th-century mosaics are the headline feature.
In the apse, look out for Christ and his mother flanked by various saints and, on the far left, Pope Innocent II holding a model of the church. Beneath this are six mosaics by Pietro Cavallini illustrating the life of the Virgin (c 1291).
According to legend, the church stands on the spot where a fountain of oil miraculously sprang from the ground. It incorporates 21 ancient Roman columns, some plundered from the Terme di Caracalla, and boasts a 17th-century wooden ceiling.
oVilla FarnesinaHISTORIC BUILDING
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MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 6802 7268; www.villafarnesina.it; Via della Lungara 230; adult/reduced €6/5, guided tour €4; h9am-2pm Mon-Sat, to 5pm 2nd Sun of the month; gLungotevere della Farnesina)
The interior of this gorgeous 16th-century villa is fantastically frescoed from top to bottom. Several paintings in the Loggia of Cupid and Psyche and the Loggia of Galatea, both on the ground floor, are attributed to Raphael. On the 1st floor, Peruzzi’s dazzling frescoes in the Salone delle Prospettive are a superb illusionary perspective of a colonnade and panorama of 16th-century Rome.
oGalleria CorsiniGALLERY
(Palazzo Corsini;
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 6880 2323; www.barberinicorsini.org; Via della Lungara 10; adult/reduced €5/2.50, incl Palazzo Barberini €10/5; h8.30am-7.30pm Wed-Mon; gLungotevere della Farnesina)
Once home to Queen Christina of Sweden, whose richly frescoed bedroom witnessed a steady stream of male and female lovers, the 16th-century Palazzo Corsini was designed by Ferdinando Fuga in grand Versailles style, and houses part of Italy's national art collection. Highlights include Caravaggio's mesmerising San Giovanni Battista (St John the Baptist), Guido Reni's unnerving Salome con la Testa di San Giovanni Battista (Salome with the Head of John the Baptist), and Fra' Angelico's Corsini Triptych, plus works by Rubens, Poussin and Van Dyck.
Orto BotanicoGARDENS
(Botanical Garden;
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %06 4991 7107; Largo Cristina di Svezia 24; adult/reduced €8/4; h9am-6.30pm Mon-Sat Apr-Oct, to 5.30pm Nov-Mar; gLungotevere della Farnesina, Piazza Trilussa)
Formerly the private grounds of Palazzo Corsini, Rome’s 12-hectare botanical gardens are a little-known, slightly neglected gem and a great place to unwind in a tree-shaded expanse covering the steep slopes of the Gianicolo. Plants have been cultivated here since the 13th century and the current gardens were established in 1883, when the grounds of Palazzo Corsini were given to the University of Rome. They now contain up to 8000 species, including some of Europe’s rarest plants.
oBasilica di Santa Cecilia in TrastevereBASILICA
(
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; %06 589 9289; www.benedettinesantacecilia.it; Piazza di Santa Cecilia; fresco & crypt each €2.50; hbasilica & crypt 10am-1pm & 4-7pm, fresco 10am-12.30pm Mon-Sat; gViale di Trastevere, jViale di Trastevere)
The last resting place of the patron saint of music features Pietro Cavallini's stunning 13th-century fresco, in the nuns' choir of the hushed convent adjoining the church. Inside the church itself, Stefano Maderno's mysterious sculpture depicts St Cecilia's miraculously preserved body, unearthed in the Catacombs of San Callisto in 1599. You can also visit the excavations of Roman houses, one of which was possibly that of Cecilia.
Villa Doria PamphiljMONUMENT, PARK
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; hsunrise-sunset; gVia di San Pancrazio)
Lorded over by the 17th-century Villa Doria Pamphilj is Rome’s largest landscaped park – many a Roman's favourite place to escape the city noise and bustle. Once a vast private estate, it was laid out around 1650 for Prince Camillo Pamphilj, nephew of Pope Innocent X. It's a huge expanse of rolling parkland, shaded by Rome's distinctive umbrella pines. At its centre is the prince’s summer residence, Casino del Belrespiro (used for official government functions today), with its manicured gardens and citrus trees.
Gianicolo HillHILL
(Janiculum; GOOGLE MAP )
The verdant hill of Gianicolo is dotted by monuments to Garibaldi and his makeshift army, who fought pope-backing French troops in one of the fiercest battles in the struggle for Italian unification on this spot in 1849. The Italian hero is commemorated with a massive monument (
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; Piazzale Giuseppe Garibaldi; gPasseggiata del Gianicolo) in Piazzale Giuseppe Garibaldi, while his Brazilian-born wife, Anita, has her own equestrian monument (
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; Piazzale Anita Garibaldi; gPasseggiata del Gianicolo) about 200m away in Piazzale Anita Garibaldi; she died from malaria, together with their unborn child, shortly after the siege.
STUMBLING STONES
Watch your footing when meandering Trastevere's impossibly quaint, old-world lanes and alleys. Among the uneven, well-worn square-shaped cobblestones (dangerously slippery in rain), you will occasionally stumble across a pietri d'inciampo (literally 'stumbling stone' in Italian) glinting in the sunlight. Each one of these polished brass stones, shaped square like a Roman cobble and engraved with the name of a local Jewish resident, marks the exact spot where the Holocaust victim was rounded up by Nazi soldiers during WWII and deported to Auschwitz or other death camp. Most stumbling blocks are embedded in pavements in front of private homes and invariably count more than one – a stone for each member of entire Jewish families deported.
The stumbling stones are part of a Europe-wide memorial project initiated by German artist Gunter Demning. Some 200 pave the historic streets of Rome to date, predominantly in Trastevere and the old Jewish Ghetto directly across the river.
Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale
Keats-Shelley HouseMUSEUM
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; %06 678 42 35; www.keats-shelley-house.org; Piazza di Spagna 26; adult/reduced €5/4; h10am-1pm & 2-6pm Mon-Sat; mSpagna)
The Keats-Shelley House is where Romantic poet John Keats died of tuberculosis at the age of 25, in February 1821. Keats came to Rome in 1820 to try to improve his health in the Italian climate, and rented two rooms on the 3rd floor of a townhouse next to the Spanish Steps, with painter companion Joseph Severn (1793–1879). Watch a film on the 1st floor about the Romantics, then head upstairs to see where Keats and Severn lived and worked.
oVilla MediciPALACE
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; %06 676 13 11; www.villamedici.it; Viale Trinità dei Monti 1; 1½hr guided tour adult/reduced €12/6; h10am-7pm Tue-Sun; mSpagna)
This sumptuous Renaissance palace was built for Cardinal Ricci da Montepulciano in 1540, but Ferdinando de' Medici bought it in 1576. It remained in Medici hands until 1801, when Napoleon acquired it for the French Academy. Guided tours take in the wonderful landscaped gardens, cardinal's painted apartments, and incredible views over Rome – tours in English depart at noon. Note the pieces of ancient Roman sculpture from the Ara Pacis embedded in the villa's walls.
The villa's most famous resident was Galileo, imprisoned here between 1630 and 1633 during his trial for heresy; Keith Richards and Anita Pallenberg stayed here in the 1960s. There are up to 19 resident French-speaking artists and musicians, with exhibitions and performances at the end of February and June. There's a lovely, high-ceilinged cafe (open from 8am) that serves reasonably priced panini and prosecco-fuelled lunches. You can also overnight at the villa, for a price.
oPiazza del PopoloPIAZZA
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; mFlaminio)
This dazzling piazza was laid out in 1538 to provide a grandiose entrance to what was then Rome's main northern gateway. It has since been remodelled several times, most recently by Giuseppe Valadier in 1823. Guarding its southern approach are Carlo Rainaldi's twin 17th-century churches, Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Miracoli (
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; Via del Corso 528; h6.45am-12.30pm & 4.30-7.30pm Mon-Sat, 8am-1.15pm & 4.30-7.45pm Sun; mFlaminio) and Chiesa di Santa Maria in Montesanto (Chiesa degli Artisti;
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; www.chiesadegliartisti.it; Via del Babuino 198; h5.30-8pm Mon-Fri, 11am-1.30pm Sun; mFlaminio). In the centre, the 36m-high obelisk was brought by Augustus from ancient Egypt; it originally stood in Circo Massimo.
On the northern flank, the Porta del Popolo (
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; mFlaminio) was created by Bernini in 1655 to celebrate Queen Christina of Sweden's defection to Catholicism, while rising to the east is the viewpoint of the Pincio Hill Gardens.
oBasilica di Santa Maria del PopoloBASILICA
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; www.smariadelpopolo.com; Piazza del Popolo 12; h10.30am-12.30pm & 4-6.30pm Mon-Thu, 10.30am-6.30pm Fri & Sat, 4.30-6.30pm Sun; mFlaminio)
A magnificent repository of art, this is one of Rome’s earliest and richest Renaissance churches. Of the numerous works of art on display, it is the two Caravaggio masterpieces that draw the most onlookers – the Conversion of St Paul (1601) and the Crucifixion of St Peter (1601), in a chapel to the left of the main altar – but it contains other fine works, including several by Pinturicchio and Bernini.
The first chapel was built here in 1099 to exorcise the ghost of Nero, who was secretly buried on this spot and whose ghost was thought to haunt the area. It had since been overhauled, but the church's most important makeover came when Bramante renovated the presbytery and choir in the early 16th century and Pinturicchio added a series of frescoes. Bernini further reworked the church in the 17th century.
Look out for Raphael’s Cappella Chigi, which was completed by Bernini some 100 years later.
oGalleria ColonnaGALLERY
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; %06 678 43 50; www.galleriacolonna.it; Via della Pilotta 17; adult/reduced €12/10; h9am-1.15pm Sat, closed Aug; gVia IV Novembre)
The only part of Palazzo Colonna open to the public, this opulent 17th-century gallery houses the Colonna family’s private art collection. It’s not the capital’s largest collection but with works by Salvatore Rosa, Guido Reni, Guercino and Annibale Carracci, it’s well worth the ticket price (which includes an optional guided tour in English at noon).
The gallery’s six rooms are crowned by glorious ceiling frescoes, all dedicated to Marcantonio Colonna, the family’s greatest ancestor, who defeated the Turks at the naval Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Works by Giovanni Coli and Filippo Gherardi in the Great Hall, Sebastiano Ricci in the Landscapes Room and Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari in the Throne Room commemorate his efforts. Of the paintings on display, Annibale Carracci’s Mangiafagioli (The Bean Eater) is generally considered the outstanding masterpiece. Note also the cannonball lodged in the gallery’s marble stairs, a vivid reminder of the 1849 siege of Rome. Another wing includes the sumptuous Chapel Hall and the rich 17th-century Artemisia tapestries collection. From May to October a terrace cafe is open.
oPalazzo del QuirinalePALACE
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; %06 3996 7557; www.quirinale.it; Piazza del Quirinale; 1¼hr tour €1.50, 2½hr tour adult/reduced €10/5; h9.30am-4pm Tue, Wed & Fri-Sun, closed Aug; mBarberini)
Overlooking Piazza del Quirinale, this immense palace is the official residence of Italy’s head of state, the President of the Republic. For almost three centuries it was the pope’s summer residence, but in 1870 Pope Pius IX begrudgingly handed the keys over to Italy’s new king. Later, in 1948, it was given to the Italian state. Visits, by guided tour only, should be booked at least five days ahead by telephone (collect tour tickets at the nearby Infopoint at Salita di Montecavallo 15) or buy online at www.coopculture.it.
Shorter tours visit the reception rooms; longer tours include the gardens and carriage collection. Tours (only in Italian) use the tradesmen entrance on Via del Quirinale; arrive 15 minutes before your allotted time. On the other side of the piazza, the palace’s former stables, the Scuderie al Quirinale (
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; %06 3996 7500; www.scuderiequirinale.it; Via XXIV Maggio 16; adult/reduced €12/9.50; h10am-8pm Sun-Thu, to 10.30pm Fri & Sat; gVia Nazionale), host excellent art exhibitions.
Piazza del QuirinalePIAZZA
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; mBarberini)
A wonderful spot to enjoy a glowing Roman sunset, this piazza, which is dominated by the imposing presidential palace of Palazzo del Quirinale, marks the summit of Quirinal Hill. The central obelisk was moved here from the Mausoleo di Augusto (
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; Piazza Augusto Imperatore; gPiazza Augusto Imperatore) in 1786 and is flanked by 5.5m statues of Castor and Pollux reining in a couple of rearing horses. Catch the weekly changing of the (young and very fidgety) guards on Sunday at 6pm in summer, 4pm the rest of the year.
oPalazzo BarberiniGALLERY
(Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica;
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; %06 481 45 91; www.barberinicorsini.org; Via delle Quattro Fontane 13; adult/reduced €5/2.50, incl Palazzo Corsini €10/5; h8.30am-7pm Tue-Sun; mBarberini)
Commissioned to celebrate the Barberini family’s rise to papal power, Palazzo Barberini is a sumptuous baroque palace that impresses even before you clap eyes on the breathtaking art. Many high-profile architects worked on it, including rivals Bernini and Borromini; the former contributed a large square staircase, the latter a helicoidal one. Amid the masterpieces, don’t miss Pietro da Cortona’s Il Trionfo della Divina Provvidenza (Triumph of Divine Providence; 1632–39), the most spectacular of the palazzo ceiling frescoes in the 1st-floor main salon.
Other must-sees include Hans Holbein’s famous portrait of a pugnacious Henry VIII (c 1540); Filippo Lippi’s luminous Annunciazione e due devoti (Annunciation with two Kneeling Donors); and Raphael’s La Fornarina (The Baker’s Girl), a portrait of his mistress, who worked in a bakery in Trastevere. Works by Caravaggio include San Francesco d’Assisi in meditazione (St Francis in Meditation), Narciso (Narcissus; 1571–1610) and the mesmerisingly horrific Giuditta e Oloferne (Judith Beheading Holophernes; c 1597–1600).
Convento dei CappucciniMUSEUM
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; %06 487 11 85; www.cappucciniviaveneto.it; Via Vittorio Veneto 27; adult/reduced €8.50/5; h9am-7pm; mBarberini)
This church and convent complex safeguards what is possibly Rome's strangest sight: crypt chapels where everything from the picture frames to the light fittings is made of human bones. Between 1732 and 1775 resident Capuchin monks used the bones of 3700 of their departed brothers to create this macabre memento mori (reminder of death) – a 30m-long passageway ensnaring six crypts, each named after the type of bone used to decorate (skulls, shin bones, pelvises etc).
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
FLEE THE CROWDS: HIDDEN CURIOSITIES
When the camera-wielding Trevi Fountain crowd gets too much, nip up the church steps and into Chiesa di Santissimi Vincenzo e Anastasio. Originally known as the 'Papal church' due to its proximity to the papal residence on Quirinal Hill, this 17th-century church overlooking Rome's most spectacular fountain safeguards the hearts and internal organs of dozens of popes – preserved in amphorae in a tiny gated chapel to the right of the apse. This practice began under Pope Sixtus V (1585–90) and continued until the 20th century when Pope Pius X (1903–1914) decided it was not for him.
Traditionally, before the body of the deceased pontiff was embalmed in preparation for the solemn and elaborate funeral ceremony that would last for several days, the precordia – heart, stomach, intestines and other less-fragrant internal organs – were removed and brought to Chiesa di Santissimi Vincenzo e Anastasio for sacred safekeeping. Two marble tombstones on the apse wall, to the right of the altar, list the 23 popes whose precordia are preserved here.
To admire another hidden treasure senza crowds, meander west from Trevi Fountain, along pedestrian Via delle Muratte, and duck a block south to Galleria Sciarra (
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; Via Marco Minghetti 9-10; h9am-8pm Mon-Fri; mBarberini), a stunning interior courtyard with art nouveau glass roof and vibrant frescoes depicting the late 19th-century aristocratic Roman woman in all her feminine guises: as wife, mother, musician and so on. Further frescoes evoke the female virtues of strength, patience, modesty, kindness etc. Hidden away inside 16th-century Palazzo Sciarra Colonna di Carbognano on Via Marco Minghetti, the frescoes and unusual glass roof date to 1890 when the courtyard was remodelled and spruced up by the wealthy Sciarra family. Spot the single man in the frescoes: late Romantic writer Gabriele d'Annunzio.
Vatican City, Borgo & Prati
2Activities, Courses & Tours
5Eating
3Entertainment
Vatican City, Borgo & Prati
St Peter's SquarePIAZZA
(Piazza San Pietro;
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; mOttaviano-San Pietro)
Overlooked by St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican’s central square was laid out between 1656 and 1667 to a design by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Seen from above, it resembles a giant keyhole with two semicircular colonnades, each consisting of four rows of Doric columns, encircling a giant ellipse that straightens out to funnel believers into the basilica. The effect was deliberate – Bernini described the colonnades as representing ‘the motherly arms of the church’.
The scale of the piazza is dazzling: at its largest it measures 320m by 240m. There are 284 columns and, atop the colonnades, 140 saints. The 25m obelisk in the centre was brought to Rome by Caligula from Heliopolis in Egypt and later used by Nero as a turning post for the chariot races in his circus.
Leading off the piazza, the monumental approach road, Via della Conciliazione, was commissioned by Mussolini and built between 1936 and 1950.
oCastel Sant'AngeloMUSEUM, CASTLE
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; %06 681 91 11; www.castelsantangelo.beniculturali.it; Lungotevere Castello 50; adult/reduced €10/5; h9am-7.30pm, ticket office to 6.30pm; gPiazza Pia)
With its chunky round keep, this castle is an instantly recognisable landmark. Built as a mausoleum for the emperor Hadrian, it was converted into a papal fortress in the 6th century and named after an angelic vision that Pope Gregory the Great had in 590. Nowadays, it houses the Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant'Angelo and its eclectic collection of paintings, sculpture, military memorabilia and medieval firearms.
Many of these weapons were used by soldiers fighting to protect the castle, which, thanks to a secret 13th-century passageway to the Vatican (the Passetto di Borgo), provided sanctuary to many popes in times of danger. Most famously, Pope Clemente VI holed up here during the 1527 sack of Rome.
The castle's upper floors are filled with elegant Renaissance interiors, including the lavish Sala Paolina with frescoes depicting episodes from the life of Alexander the Great. Two storeys up, the terrace, immortalised by Puccini in his opera Tosca, offers unforgettable views over Rome.
Note that ticket prices may increase during temporary exhibitions.
Villa Borghese
1Top Sights
1Sights
Villa Borghese & Northern Rome
oMuseo e Galleria BorgheseMUSEUM
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; %06 3 28 10; www.galleriaborghese.it; Piazzale del Museo Borghese 5; adult/reduced €15/8.50; h9am-7pm Tue-Sun; gVia Pinciana)
If you only have the time (or inclination) for one art gallery in Rome, make it this one. Housing what's often referred to as the ‘queen of all private art collections’, it boasts paintings by Caravaggio, Raphael and Titian, as well as some sensational sculptures by Bernini. Highlights abound, but look out for Bernini's Ratto di Proserpina (Rape of Proserpina) and Canova's Venere vincitrice (Venus Victrix).
To limit numbers, visitors are admitted at two-hourly intervals, so you'll need to pre-book your ticket and get an entry time.
The museum's collection was formed by Cardinal Scipione Borghese (1579–1633), the most knowledgeable and ruthless art collector of his day. It was originally housed in the cardinal's residence near St Peter's but in the 1620s he had it transferred to his new villa just outside Porta Pinciana. And it's here, in the villa's central building, the Casino Borghese, that you'll see it today.
Over the centuries, the villa has undergone several overhauls, most notably in the late 1700s when Prince Marcantonio Borghese added much of the lavish neoclassical decor.
The museum is divided into two parts: the ground-floor gallery, with its superb sculptures, intricate Roman floor mosaics and over-the-top frescoes, and the upstairs picture gallery.
From the basement entrance, stairs lead up to Sala IV, home of Gian Lorenzo Bernini's Ratto di Proserpina (1621–22). This flamboyant sculpture, one of a series depicting pagan myths, brilliantly reveals the artist's virtuosity – just look at Pluto's hand pressing into the seemingly soft flesh of Persephone's thigh. Further on, in Sala III, he captures the exact moment Daphne's hands start morphing into leaves in Apollo e Dafne (1622–25).
Another statuesque scene-stealer is Antonio Canova's daring depiction of Napoleon's sister, Paolina Bonaparte Borghese, reclining topless as Venere vincitrice (1805–08) in Sala I.
Caravaggio dominates Sala VIII. There's a dissipated-looking Bacchino malato (Young Sick Bacchus; 1592–95), the strangely beautiful La Madonna dei Palafenieri (Madonna with Serpent; 1605–06), and San Giovanni Battista (St John the Baptist; 1609–10), probably Caravaggio's last work. There's also the much-loved Ragazzo col Canestro di Frutta (Boy with a Basket of Fruit; 1593–95), and the dramatic Davide con la Testa di Golia (David with the Head of Goliath; 1609–10) – Goliath's severed head is said to be a self-portrait.
Beyond Sala VIII, a portico flanks the grand entrance hall, decorated with 4th-century floor mosaics of fighting gladiators and a 2nd-century Satiro Combattente (Fighting Satyr). High on the wall is a gravity-defying bas-relief of a horse and rider falling into the void (Marco Curzio a Cavallo) by Pietro Bernini (Gian Lorenzo's father).
Upstairs, the pinacoteca offers a wonderful snapshot of Renaissance art. Don't miss Raphael's extraordinary La Deposizione di Cristo (The Deposition; 1507) in Sala IX, and his Dama con Liocorno (Lady with a Unicorn; 1506). In the same room is Fra Bartolomeo's superb Adorazione del Bambino (Adoration of the Christ Child; 1495) and Perugino's Madonna con Bambino (Madonna and Child; first quarter of the 16th century).
Other highlights include Correggio's erotic Danae (1530–31) in Sala X, Bernini's self-portraits in Sala XIV, and Titian's great masterpiece, Amor Sacro e Amor Profano (Sacred and Profane Love; 1514) in Sala XX.
Villa BorghesePARK
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; www.sovraintendenzaroma.it; entrances at Piazzale San Paolo del Brasile, Piazzale Flaminio, Via Pinciana, Via Raimondo, Largo Pablo Picasso; hsunrise-sunset; gVia Pinciana)
Locals, lovers, tourists, joggers – no one can resist the lure of Rome's most celebrated park. Originally the 17th-century estate of Cardinal Scipione Borghese, it covers about 80 hectares of wooded glades, gardens and grassy banks. Among its attractions are several excellent museums, the landscaped Giardino del Lago (
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; Villa Borghese; boat hire per 20min €3; h7am-9pm summer, to 6pm winter; gVia Pinciana), Piazza di Siena (
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; Villa Borghese; gVia Pinciana), a dusty arena used for Rome’s top equestrian event in May, and a panoramic terrace on the Pincio Hill (
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; mFlaminio).
oMuseo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa GiuliaMUSEUM
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; %06 322 65 71; www.villagiulia.beniculturali.it; Piazzale di Villa Giulia; adult/reduced €8/4; h8.30am-7.30pm Tue-Sun; jVia delle Belle Arti)
Pope Julius III’s 16th-century villa provides the charming setting for Italy’s finest collection of Etruscan and pre-Roman treasures. Exhibits, many of which came from tombs in the surrounding Lazio region, range from bronze figurines and black bucchero tableware to temple decorations, terracotta vases and a dazzling display of sophisticated jewellery.
Must-sees include a polychrome terracotta statue of Apollo from a temple in Veio, and the 6th-century-BC Sarcofago degli Sposi (Sarcophagus of the Betrothed), found in 1881 in Cerveteri.
Further finds relating to the Umbri and Latin peoples are housed in the nearby Villa Poniatowski (
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; %06 322 65 71; www.villagiulia.beniculturali.it; Piazzale di Villa Giulia; incl in Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia ticket; h10am-1pm Thu, 3-6pm Sat; jVia delle Belle Arti).
oLa Galleria NazionaleGALLERY
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; %06 3229 8221; http://lagallerianazionale.com; Viale delle Belle Arti 131, accessible entrance Via Antonio Gramsci 71; adult/reduced €10/5; h8.30am-7.30pm Tue-Sun; jPiazza Thorvaldsen)
Housed in a vast belle-époque palace, this oft-overlooked modern art gallery, known locally as GNAM, is an unsung gem. Its superlative collection runs the gamut from neoclassical sculpture to abstract expressionism with works by many of the most important exponents of 19th- and 20th-century art.
There are canvases by the macchiaioli (Italian Impressionists) and futurists Boccioni and Balla, as well as sculptures by Canova and major works by Modigliani, de Chirico and Guttuso. International artists represented include Van Gogh, Cézanne, Monet, Klimt, Kandinsky, Mondrian and Man Ray.
Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI SecoloGALLERY
(MAXXI;
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; %06 320 19 54; www.fondazionemaxxi.it; Via Guido Reni 4a; adult/reduced €12/8, permanent collection free Tue-Fri & 1st Sun of month; h11am-7pm Tue-Fri & Sun, to 10pm Sat; jViale Tiziano)
As much as the exhibitions, the highlight of Rome’s leading contemporary art gallery is the Zaha Hadid–designed building it occupies. Formerly a barracks, the curved concrete structure is striking inside and out with a multilayered geometric facade and a cavernous light-filled interior full of snaking walkways and suspended staircases.
The gallery has a permanent collection of 20th- and 21st-century works, of which a selection are on free display in Gallery 4, but more interesting are its international exhibitions.
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