Dean's 10 favorite things to do in Roma off the beaten path
 

10 things to do in Rome off the beaten path<BR><BR>Michaelangelo’s St Giovanni in Santa Maria Sopra Minerva<BR><BR>Therme di Caracalla. One of the largest baths from the imperial era. See how the weel to do Roman spent his or her day. One of the best audioguides is available at the entrance. Plus you can get a ticket here good for the Foro Palantino and Il Coloseo that allows you to skip the long line at Il Coloseo.<BR><BR>Foro Palantino. Wonderfully deserted roman ruins from the early days f the imperial age.<BR><BR>San Clemente- a short walk from the Coloseo. You pass through a working class neighborhood to get to this amazing church. The “modern church” is 11th century with incredible mosaics and freschi as decoration. It is built over 11th and 9th century elements of an earlier basilica. These churches are built on a foundation of a 4th century church which itself is also built over a BC mythraeum. There are so many layers to explore as you descend layer after layer deeper into history. The Basilica also offers summertime concerts in its beautifully landscaped and decorated cloister.<BR><BR>Have lunch on the way from the Coloseo to San Clemente. Just pick out any of the tiny store front trattorie. You can use the antipasti tables in the windows as a quality indicator. Don’t expect dining revelations but you will get a very good lunch for a tiny amount of money.<BR><BR>Santa Maria degli Angeli in Trastevere. After seeing the church just wander the twisty streets of Trasetvere.<BR><BR>Volpetti in Testaccio- the best cheese shop in all of Rome and one of the greatest in the world. Come with lots of money and try cheeses that will just amaze you. There is also one in the Centro Storico of Roma but I have not tried it.<BR><BR>Our Lady under Glass- this is my wife and my irreverent name for our favorite neighborhood church. Follow Viale Trastevere from Largo Argentina and you will find a church labeled “paleo Christian basilica”. Go in there for a glimpse of a simple early church in disrepair but being restored. There is the body of a woman who is either a saint or is along the process. Her body has not decomposed. My wife thinks it’s a way dummy but I think it’s the real deal.<BR>

Walk around Monte Testaccio. A triumph of marketing, this is the worlds best trash heap. It’s a pile of broken wine bottles (amphorae) and the like that is now a huge hill with stores and restaurants. You can see the trash under the walls in many places. Its also a hip neighborhood with great nightlife and restaurants. We loved Checchino dal 1870 where you can have any part of the cow you wish.<BR><BR>Campo di Fiori- the most incredible outdoor food market in Roma. Even if you don’t have a kitchen at hand, you should at least come here for a breakfast of frutti del bosco (tiny wild berries), pizza bianco or rosa from Il Forno del Campo di Fiori and caf&eacute; from any of the many caffe’s surrounding the Campo.<BR><BR>Dinner, Caffe and Gelato at Checco er Carreteria located at 10-11-13 Via Benedetta in Trastevere. Small neighborhood joint with fresh fish to traditional roman treats such as Carcioffi Fritti. Try to get a table in the internal garden if the weather is nice. The gelateria and bar attached to the restaurant are among the best in all of Roma. <BR><BR>They synagogue in the old ghetto. Incredible sight. Fascinating Jewish community there that has been through a lot,<BR><BR>The Mauseleo di Augusto and the Arcis Pacis.<BR><BR>Villa Giulia for Etruscan finds in a wonderful setting.<BR><BR>Villa Borghese, not off the beaten path but still a must do! Enter at you r appointed time (you have to have an appoitment) and go immediately upstairs to the second floor art gallery. Then come back downstairs and visit the rooms there which will be much les crowded.<BR><BR>Okay so that’s way more than 10. I can’t count!<BR>

Excellent as usual, Dean! I'm printing out for my next trip which will include several days in Roma! <BR><BR>Grazie!

Dean,<BR><BR>Here is one more to add to your excellent list: Santa Maria della Concezione, Via Veneto, 27. Beneath the church if a crypt in which the Capuchin friars have decorated the was with the bones of deceased monks. Some are in designs such as hearts, stars and crowns, while others are complete skeletons. Over 4000 in all. Creepy and fascinating.<BR><BR>Russ

First line should read that they decorated the "walls"...not the "was".

San Clemente is great.<BR>I'd add the Auditorium de Maecenas. Costs a small fee, about 5000 lire a year ago I think. Maecenas was a colleague and advisor of Augustus, and a fop, gourmet, and patron of the arts. He evidently had a fantastic villa in this area and the partially reconstructed auditorium is all that's left. It's got a semicircle of tiered seats suggesting that it was some sort of place for performances and readings, and we could imagine his proteges Virgil and Horace reading their works there. Still a few frescoes left, including a drunken Dionysius. We walked on mosaic tiles that Vergil might have walked on!<BR><BR><BR>See my trip report at:<BR>http://www.ramtops.demon.co.uk/4rome.html<BR>

My wwife and I have visited Roma 3 separate times for a total of 10 days. There is so much to do there like the additions to my list, not to mention getting to know Trastevere and Testaccio better. Sometimes my comments may seem to slight roma because I often say to people to only stay there 4 days or 3 days so they can have a week somewhere else, but one of these days we are going to spend a full week in Roma. Probably in July when there are great concerts every night of the week at tons of locations.

toppy top!

I thought you had been off the beaten path, seems all very touristy to me!!

Dean: Great list! Do you mean Michelangelo's "Risen Christ" aka "Christ Bearing The Cross" in the Santa Maria Sopra Minerva Church? But it is possible that Michelangelo also made the statue of "St. Sabastian" in the 5th chapel? But you are right this church is just a stone's throw from the Pantheon but very often overlooked. Alot of history inside and out. The wooden door to the left of the church's facade was the doorway that Galileo walked thru on his way to his Inquisition trial.<BR> Also is the "Ara Pacis" open? It was closed last March and looked a long way off from being completed, reading this website it looks like it might be awhile longer if they haven't started again:( www.studiumurbis.org/menu/arapacis.html Regards, Walter<BR>

Walter <BR><BR>Yes I do mean the risen Christ. I have never read that the other statue was possibly his so I guess we need to go back. <BR><BR>Last time we were tehre the Ara Pacsis was still closed but enclosed in a glass building that allowed us to have a good look at it. I also loved the Masaleo di Augosto.<BR><BR>Hey NoNo.... if you think I haven't been of the beaten path why don't you add your SUGGESTIONS instead of just negativity.<BR>

in Santa Maria degli Angeli i love the statue of an angel that greets you after you walk in the door........i may be crazy but it looks like it just stepped out of a flying saucer

While in Santa Maria sopra Minerva, don't miss the gorgeous chapel frescoed by Filipino Lippi. It's magnificent. The church also contains the tomb of Fra Angelico.

Another thing about Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is how cool and peaceful a place it is. Its just besides the Pantheon and we went in there last July. Instead of the thousands hanging out on Piazza Rotunda there were a few people going thru this church. Its one of our favorites.<BR><BR>

Dean--me too!

Dean: Me also:). A few times I've bought a gelato and just sat on the church's steps. The Piazza is too crowded, noisy, bothersome vendors, etc. Actually my dream hotel (too expensive for me though) is the "something" Minerva (was the Crowne Plaza Minerva) that overlooks the Piazza d. Minerva & Church.<BR> I mentioned the Ara Pacis in my last post because it is now completely fenced off from view. I must have also visited it around the same time as you (~1.5yrs) when you could view it thru the glass. But who knows now when it will reopen:(?<BR>The Masoleum of Augustus does have twice weekly tours. I want to try and book one next year, the phone # to book is posted at the site (which I wrote down and can't find:(. This site has alittle info but I'm sure they mean AM vs PM for the times. www.romeguide.it/MONUM/STORICI/monumin.htm Regards, Walter<BR>

the only problem with gelato on the steps of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is that my favorite Gelaterie are nowhere near there. La Palme or St Eustacchio are the closest but my favorite is Checcho er Carreteris on Via Benedetta in Trastevere.

I mentioned the Auditorium de Maecenas. I forgot to add that one of the best bakeries in Rome is 30 seconds from it, Largo Leopardi. All kinds of bread and pastries, and a fascinating non-alcoholic and non-sweet strawberry cocktail! I also bought some delicious rhododendron honey.<BR><BR>Doug

I have to add a note for Campo di Fiori. (I was going to include it on our trip report thread but never got around to posting about our four days in Rome.)<BR><BR>There's an elderly (late 60s, perhaps?) man named Prospero who sells little inexpensive kitchen gadgets -- peelers, etc. -- and his booth was located to the left of the Giordano Bruno statue (to the left, that is, as Bruno is facing accusatorily toward the Vatican, the fine folks who burned him at the stake for heresy.) Prospero, along with Allesandra in Cortona, was one of the two most charming and delightful Italians we met on our entire trip. He's a salesman, after all, so it pays him to be charming. :) Not only does he speak excellent English (something else that undoubtedly pays off for a salesman) but, he claimed, also six or seven other languages. His favorite little trick appears to be to use one of the gadgets to cut carrots, or other veggies, in these spiral shapes and then hang them from a woman's earlobes like earrings, for a photo. <BR><BR>Anyway, we got a real kick out of him so if you're in Campo di Fiori, look up Prospero, the gadget guy with the gift of gab.

We have seen Prospero but never talked to him. He uses a water gun to keep his carved vgetables moist. He looks like a kick so we will be sure to stop on our next trip.