5 weeks in Rome. Suggestions please!
 

I will be in Rome for 5 weeks December/January in an apartment as a solo traveler. I have been to Rome twice before so I've visited all the major attractions. I will return to many of them. But, with this extended stay, I will have time to get to know the city better. I look to you experienced Fodorites to help me with suggestions.

What are some of your favorite neighborhoods, streets, sidewalk cafes? I really enjoy walking, exploring and discovering. My interests are history, art and galleries, window shopping, photography, architecture and artisan's workshops. With those interests in mind, do you have any specific suggestions?

I've spent the last 6 of 7 December/Januarys in Paris. I know that city like the back of my hand. Now, for a change of pace, I'd like to fall in love with Rome. I'm very excited about this trip and I look forward to your suggestions. Thank you in advance!

One trip we spent a week just doing underground Rome-churches, temples, etc. Google underground Rome.

How wonderful to have all that time, Dee_Dee. In what area will you be staying? My late hub and found the Tram system a great away to get around. Google https://www.rome.net/tram for map.

Not religious, but we always felt a special peace in St. Ignatius of Loyola. We loved that entire area...Piazza Navona, Pantheon, and short stroll to Campo de Fiori.

To get to our hotel one time, from Navona we crossed the Tiber to Piazza Cavour At the time, Cavour had lots of bus and taxi options.

Away from Rome for the day, Tivoli, Orvieto (a don't miss Duomo), Ostia Antica.

Have an excellent stay!

Our favorite:
Basilica San Clemente - Excavations

With that much time, you can do some great day trips as well.

The area just north of Trevi has a good mix of what you mention, the area near Spanish steps for Borghese + window shopping is walking distance, & easy access to subway to Termini.

I especially love the Villa Borghese Gardens and being with Romans in their free time. It's kind of like spending time in Central Park, in the sections where people actually do things. I've been to skateboard competitions, watched teenagers make huge daisy chains, attended bocce matches, and more. I really like it there, even if it's just for a long walk.

Palazzo Farnese, Palazzo Valentini, the Terme de Caracalla are some off the beaten path sites I like. There are always tons of special exhibitions on and we've seen some good ones. Have you been to the Quartiere Coppede? Quite different. It's very cool up on the Aventino, but I can't really walk up hill. I'm going in April and will get a taxi up if I have to.

I go to Rome whenever I can and these are just favorite places off the top of my head. I'm a real tourist and don't have "hang out" spots but tend to go to the places I read about or hear about. Cafe 1899 on via della Scrofa serves a very great cup of coffee.

After many visits to Rome, this August I finally had time for the Orta Botanico, Parco Villa Doria Pamphilj (for jogging), Villa Giulia, and MAXXI in August.

No suggestions, just, what a great thing to do. After a few days in Rome, the evening before we left, I just started warming up to it.

janetkupfer, I can't thank you enough for your Underground Rome recommendation! It's right up my alley! I'm fascinated with Roman Empire history and had no idea so many sites were available for touring. The Domus Aurea was already on my list. But, now I have so much more to explore! Thank you!

TDudette, I will give the trams a try. I plan on using the bus system a lot on this trip since I have a great app for sorting it out. I have put St. Ignatius of Loyola on my list. And yes, I plan on visiting Orvieto as a day trip! I'm looking forward to that!

alandavid, I have put Basilica San Clemete on my list! Yes, I have numerous day trips planned. Plus, I'm spending 8 nights in Naples before Rome. So, I'll finally get to see Pompeii and Herculaneum! Thank you for the recommendation to concentrate on the area north of Trevi and also the Spanish Steps area for wandering.

tuscanlifeedit, wow, thank you for all the recommendations! I too enjoy watching locals in their parks so I will definitely wander through the Borghese Gardens. Palazzo Farnese looks wonderful. I will definitely take a tour. I LOVE the looks of Quartiere Coppede and the architectural styles. Thank you for the recommendation of Cafe 1899. Looks like it's on a great square for people watching (one of my hobbies, LOL). Thank you!

Leely2, thank you especially for the recommendation for the Orto Botanico, Villa Giulia, and MAXXI. These 3 really "tick" all the boxes of my interests. I've happily added them to my list of must see places!

stokebailey, yes, I'm hoping to fall in love with the city this visit. The two times I've visited before have been short. during the heat of the summer and so crowded. Thanks to retirement and frequent flyer miles, I've now got time to get to know the city.

I recommend il Goccetto wine bar for a place to sit and enjoy a glass of wine and snacks. The staff were really friendly and accommodating to tourists. We felt very comfortable there.

Tivoli to visit Villa d’Este and Hadrian’s Villa. (If you haven’t already been)

Palacio Colonna

consider a food tour with Elizabeth or Sophia Minchilli—great way to enjoy wonderful food and gain some knowledge while doing it

Do look into blogs/apps by Katie Parla and Elizabeth Mincilli

Also even if you have been to some of the museums before there are often special exhibits likely found by looking into museum websites.

Our last time there we especially enjoyed the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art https://lagallerianazionale.com/

And I tracked down Carravagio's paintings in a number of churches after reading "Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane" by Andrew Graham-Dixon

Enjoy the planning!

Went back to my notes, Dee_Dee and found a guide to the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj Gallery we visited. If you visited Versailles when you were in Paris, you might enjoy this Palazzo. Please note this is different from Villa Doria Pamphili so do double check.

denisea, Palacio Colonna looks fabulous. Thank you for the hint. I will walk the gardens too even if it is January! And, thank you for the Manchilli food tour recommendation! I checked out their website. They have different neighborhood tours listed. Do you remember which one you did or would you have a recommendation? I've done food and wine tours in Paris. Can't wait to do one (or two!) in Rome!

laurie_ann, I just downloaded Elizabeth's "Eat Italy" app. I've got a lot of reading to do. Thanks! I will definitely check museum sites. And thank you for the Caravaggio book recommendation. (I just ordered it.) It's been a very long time since I've taken art history classes. This book will certainly give me a refresher course and a list of churches to visit.

You can also do a little Caravaggio self-tour if of interest:

https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/wh...s-in-rome.html

You certainly will have the time for it! And Katie Parla's list of Roman restaurants on Eater is very helpful.

https://www.eater.com/maps/best-rome-restaurants

TDudette, thank you for the recommendation and the distinction of the two. It's on my list! It looks quite impressive. And, I just read the owner, his wife and his shih tzu still live there in private apartments. Very impressive!

I'm looking forward to reading about your trip. BTW, because it is on rails, the Tram system is exempt from traffic jams.

we actually did a private tour with Elizabeth as our schedules were busy and the only time we had was not a group tour time (and Sophia was not yet giving tours). It worked out beautifully as we met her the afternoon of our arrival and we learned a lot (like how to order pizza in a bakery). It was the perfect way to beat jet lag. We met in Campo dei Fiori and got pizza bianca at Forno, burrata at a cheese shop and a massive charcuterie platter with homemade red wine at the pork store in CdF. From there we went to the Jewish ghetto for more cheeses (hard cheeses) and additional wines. They both are terrific and any neighborhood you are interested in will be great for the food tour. I also agree about Katie Parla…all these women are terrific and know there food so any restaurants they recommend will be worth visiting!

PS I am sure doing a private tour makes us sound like snobs but we really wanted to do a tour (and Katie was not in Rome when we were). It is still one of our favorite things we have ever done! Food is a vacation priority for us!

You absolutely must visit the website by Elyssa Bernard called "Romewise.com". She has lived in Rome for decades with her Roman-born husband. The website offers a plethora of info on places to go, tours, FOOD, shopping, lists and lists of their favorite bakeries, restaurants, trattorias, etc., etc.

That website looks super, wwwinetours. Thanks for sharing.

Leely2, thank you for the list of Caravaggio's! I'm going to pinpoint them on my Google map. And, thank you for Katie Parla's link to restaurants. I'm definitely looking for non pizza as I'll be in pizza overload after my 8 nights in Naples where I plan to indulge!

TDudette, I look forward to using the tram system.

denisea, your private tour sounds wonderful (and not snobbish at all)! Question - what/where is the "pork store in CdF"? Food is definitely part of why I travel too. And due to the length of my winter trips, I also really enjoy food shopping and preparing some meals in my apartment. So, I'm also looking for some outstanding specialty food shops.

worldwinetours, thank you for that website! LOTS of good information there!

The pork store is Norcineria Viola. They also saved the sunglasses I left behind and had them ready and waiting for me the next day.

there is also a small cheese shop in CdF for soft cheeses that we went to and the cheese was terrific.

One additional recommendation is a wine tasting at VinoRoma. Hande is terrific and they have a cave downstairs that is over 1000 years old. We thoroughly enjoyed our tasting with her.

If you Google "cheese shop in campo de'fiori rome" several choices pop up. And, CdF deserves more than one look as the emphasis isn't on flowers each day if memory serves.

I liked Ostia Antica... mainly because it's great to explore ruins that include apartment buildings and WITHOUT crowds. It may not be as perfect as Pompeii but you also aren't being carried along by a current of tourists taking selfies.

denisea, thank you for the name of the pork shop and cheese shop. I will definitely be visiting the campo for shopping! That wine tasting sounds amazing too.

TDudette, wow, there are LOTS to choose from! Plus, there seems to be lots of sidewalk cafes for me to do good people watching. That Campo may become a regular stop for me.

RubyTwins, thank you. I'm not sure I'll get to Ostia this trip. (I went years ago). I'll be spending 8 nights in Naples prior to arriving in Rome and visiting both Herculaneum and Pompeii. I sure hope the crowds in Pompeii won't be so bad in December!

You mentioned an interest in art -- the 5th century mosaics in Santa Maria Maggiore are said by some to mark the beginnings of medieval art. https://www.wga.hu/html_m/zearly/1/4...ior/index.html. I suggest you bring small binoculars to appreciate the details (useful in most churches and cathedrals). There are several other churches with ancient mosaics which you might be interested in.

Fra_Diavolo, thank you for the recommendation! That church isn't far from my apartment and I love mosaics! And thank you for the mini binocular recommendation too. I just did a search and am amazed at what's available.

Santa Maria in Trastevere also has beautiful ancient mosaics.

Hi Dee_Dee -- Since you enjoy mosaics you might also want to visit the fine glittering examples at the Basilica di Santa Pudenziana al Viminale https://www.stpudenziana.org, and the even more extensive and dazzling mosaics at the Basilica di Sanya Prassede all’Esquilino. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Prassede

I don't know what you consider to be "all the major attractions" you've already visited, but definitely consider visiting the inside of Castel Sant'Angelo, if you haven't. All the four major basilicas are worth visiting, in my opinion, so that's San Giovanni in Laterano and San Paolo fuori le mura, on top of San Pietro (of course) and the aforementioned Santa Maria Maggiore (technically the most important of all Catholic churches).

Since you like art galleries, definitely visit Palazzo Barberini if you haven't, and check out what exhibitions are on at the Chiostro del Bramante and Scuderie del Quirinale. If you go to the Quirinale, you might be interested in visiting the Palazzo del Quirinale (where Italy's President resides) around the corner, too (book well in advance).

There are countless churches of great historical, architectural, and/or artistic interest; Santa Sabina (nearby Giardino degli Aranci has nice views, too) and Santa Maria del Popolo (you certainly walked by it, but you might not have gone it) spring to mind. Also, make the trip to the Tre Fontane abbey; it's one of the holiest sites in Christianity, being the place of martyrdom of St Paul, and it's also a charming, historic, working abbey, with a store selling their own beer and chocolate.

Since you'll be going to Tre Fontane after reading my advice, definitely take some time to visit the EUR neighborhood as well. There are various impressive examples of Fascist monumental architecture, most imprssively the so-called Colosseo Quadrato, plus a nice park, contemporary architecture (Fuksas' Cloud) and fancy shops on Viale Europa.

Cool neighborhoods to stroll through outside of the historic centre, in no particular order, are Garbatella, Testaccio, Pigneto and Coppedè.

Check out the Piramide, adjacent Cimitero Acattolico (with the tombs of Keats, Shelley, and Gramsci, among others), and the cool Centrale Montemartini (classical art and archeology in an early-20th-century power plant) in the Ostiense neighbourhood, close to Garbatella and Testaccio.

Explore the Appia Antica park and surroundings, extensively, including the different catacombs, the Caffarella (nice nature, Roman ruins), various archeological sites (such as the tomb of Caecilia Metella), the aqueducts park, and of course the Via Appia itself. You can rent a mountain bike and cycle all the way to Frattocchie, where there's a McDonald's built on a spur of the Via Appia, well preserved and open tot he public for free, and also visible from inside the fast-food place.

I don't know if you've been already, but if not, go to Ostia Antica, both the amazing archeological area and the small village (medieval in origin) next to it.

Another interesting (but smaller) archeological area with nearby medieval village is Veii (Veio) and Isola Farnese. I don't know if your love of history and architecture extends to non-ancient (or at least non-classical) ruins, but the old ghost village of Galeria Antica is fascinating and technically within Rome, not far from Isola Farnese.

The parks where locals hang out are nice, though less so in December/January than in spring or autumn; not only Villa Borghese, but also Villa Ada and Villa Pamphilj. Oh, speaking of villas, Villa Torlonia (actual villa, not a big park) with its galleries reopened relatively recently.

You could walk all around the Aurelian Walls, which are largely preserved and touch various places I mentioned.

And of course there are the places technically outside of Rome but within very easy reach: Tivoli (the town itself, Villa Adriana, Villa D'Este, and Villa Gregoriana), Lake Bracciano and the three towns on its shores, the Alban Hills with its two lakes and Castelli Romani historic towns, Palestrina, Anzio (port town with the ruins of Nero's massive villa) and Nettuno (very cute medieval core)...

Edit: I forgot - for contemporary architecture, apart from Fuksas' Nuvola/Cloud, head to MAXXI and (less exciting and less new, but still interesting) nearby Auditorium Parco della Musica. The Auditorium is also really good for concerts, if that interests you.

Second edit: for cafes and other food and drinks, do yourself a favour and follow the Gambero Rosso guidebook (also a website, with a paid subscription, which might work out better if you want to use an automatic translator, since it's in Italian). Much, much better and more trustworthy than any tourist-focused guidebook or website. It's what in-the-know locals use to find new places, or see how the ones they know are faring.

Rome's great but just hang out in Rome for 5 weeks?

Why not travel to other parts of Italy in all that time?

Maybe the OP has a thing for big cities since he or had long stays in Paris.

I second the suggestion to visit the Palazzo Doria Pamphilii, we were in there in June. Can highly recommend their Caffe Doria for lunch as well; being summer we sat outside on their lovely terrace and the food was delicious, really good quality and yes a little pricey but worth it.
While we were touring the gallery the owner, Jonathon Doria Pamphilii, was showing a young man around and I overheard the young man ask ' why on earth did you put all these plastic covers on these beautiful old chairs?' The answer was: 'my mother had that done, it was the sixties and that is what you supposedly did to chairs back then.' I had a good chuckle to myself hearing that. Later he was demonstrating how he could control the special lighting in one room from his phone, I expressed interest and we had a little chat.
Here's a link to some family info, he shares ownership with his sister and they were both adopted from a Catholic orphanage in England.
https://www.ft.com/content/6be0d498-...b-1f8b0d268c39

Given your interest in artisans, I recommend taking a mosaic class at Studio Cassio, in the Monti neighborhood--can be from two hours to two weeks or more. Lovely people and experience not required for workshops.

Such great ideas! This thread is bringing back some nice memories. It has been ages since I did serious research on Rome (2013 was my last "real visit", although I spent a day there in 2016 as a day trip from Naples), once upon a time I knew all the places to look things up. Katie Parla, Elizabeth Minchilli, Hande of Vinoroma, all blasts from the past. Back when my research was mostly on the computer and blogs were still a big thing, not scrolling through Instagram.

One early visit I focused on seeking out sites from Roman Holiday, which really hits the tourist-trail highlights. Another visit I hiked high high high up on a hill which overlooked Saint Peter as I came back down again (very close to Saint Peter). That was an utterly lovely day, I would have to look up exactly where I was.

Domus Aurea sounds like a must-see - it has been closed/open/closed so many times, best to make it a priority because your next visit might find it closed again. I still haven't been lucky. Have you been to the underground of the Colosseum?

Bernini. All things Bernini.

I was in Rome last December. Such nice memories! It was fun to see the city all decorated for Natale. I even ran into a Santa Claus giving out espresso out of the back of his Cinquecento near the Spanish Steps!

I had been to Rome about 10 times before so I had lots of time to visit the lesser-known neighborhoods. One fun thing I did was I walked to the Vatican in the dark one morning and had the whole grand piazza --- with the albero di natale presiding grandly over everything --- almost all to myself. Wonderful!

Also I agree with the Palazzo Colonna suggestions, it's spectacular! It's fun to watch the movie 'Roman Holiday' first before going to get a little taste of that before going. Rome. By all means, Rome...

And I second the "All things Bernini." He is the master! Anywhere you find his work is a treat, but my favorite is probably The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa in the Cornaro Chapel of the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria. I love seeing works in situ! And this church is wonderful. I have only scratched the surface of Rome's churches, but this one is definitely my favorite so far.

Another great thing to do is visit the Museo Nazionale at Palazzo Massimo alle Terme. The Gallery of Paintings and Mosaics is wonderful but the Villa di Livia is one of my favorite museum experiences ever. They literally transported an entire room of the Villa Livia to the museum. Livia was the wife of the Roman emperor Augustus and her home along the Via Flaminia was famous as it was the laurel from the grove at her villa that was used to create the triumphal crowns of the Roman emperors. Anyway in the 19th century they transported the frescoed triclinium (dining room) from her villa to this museum. When I visited I had it almost all to myself! The frescoes are exquisite. My dream is to have a dining room painted just like this! We'll see if I can ever make that happen. Rome has such an embarrassment of riches, it's amazing to thing this place is not swarmed with visitors.

Also trying to find the hidden angels of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere is fun. (Let me know if you want to know more about that.) And the Basilica di Santa Prassede for the spectacular Byzantine mosaics of the San Zeno Chapel. Wow!

And this is an odd one but every time I have been to Rome I've stayed down "in" the city. On my last trip to Rome I spent the last couple nights at the Hotel Colosseo, up on the 8th or 9th floor I think? I didn't do it on purpose, just as a convenience as it's near Termini. What an eye-opener! I loved watching the sun rise and set over La Citta Eterna, but also to watch the swallows swarm over the city every morning took my breath away! It's really incredible.

Well that's a start. I am sure I will think of more. Buon Viaggio!

Great tips, LunaBella! We are headed to Rome next week for our 10th trip. Like you, we’ve seen all the “big” sites so I’m making notes of your suggestions. Excited to see Rome at Christmas time.

Dee Dee, happy for you to return to Italy. My wife and I just returned from an Italy vacation . We enjoyed the underground Galleria Borbonica exhibit in Naples. A entertaining 90 minutes filled with some interesting stories from down under the Naples streets.
In Rome we enjoyed the food at Restaurant Dilla, the gelato at Otaleg is the best we tasted throughout Italy. The bakery at Antico Forno Roscioli was amazing. If you like porchetta, focaccia or thin crust pizza this is the place.
Finally, if you’re looking for a nice gift to take home in your carry on stop by Il Marmoraro in Rome right next to the Borghese

Have a great trip.

Perfect thread! We are going to be on a choir tour that includes Rome; H and I have already seen "the sites" that will likely be part of the tour. Don't yet know where we'll be staying but when I find out, I'll check and see which of these hidden treasures are near our hotel.

You will probably get a lot more responses if you start a new topic, especially since the subject line says "5 weeks in Rome". A lot of people will skip over it, because they don't have useful information for a long stay.

When you start the new topic, let us know what you've already seen, and how long you'll be staying in Rome. Also, if you're only interested in sights near your hotel, wait until you can tell us where the hotel is. That would save you time checking the map, and save us recommending things that you wouldn't consider.