Hello fellow travelers! <BR>I just read an article in the local Sunday paper about all the refurbishing being done in Rome to get ready for 2000. This article quoted several travelers who just returned from Rome, saying that most of the major sites were either covered with plastic or scaffolding, including the Forum, Colosseum, St. Peters among many others. They also said that a lot of the streets were closed making it difficult to get around even using public transportation. Can anyone tell me exactly what to expect? We leave in just a few days and had planned on seeing just about all the sites that this article said were covered up. Thanks! <BR>

The facade of St. Peter's is totally covered with scaffolding. The coloseum has some scafolding but not much and it doesn't really detract from the beauty. Several of the triumphal arches in the forum area are covered with scaffolding. The interior of Santa Maria Maggiore is covered. The area around the Teatro di Marcello is undergoing major work and it is trouble seeing the site. We did not go to the area of the imperial forums and can't say what's going on there. Having said this, we had a wonderful time in Rome. Many (most) sites were not being repaired. There is just so much to see in rome that the covered buildings were a small part of what there was to see.<BR>If you plan on visitng other cities as well, you should try to find out what's being worked on. For instance, there was work being done on the Piaza del Campo in Siena which seriously affected the view. We did not go to Orvieto because I heard the Cathedral facade was covered and it didn't seem to make sense to go there under such coircumstances. In Pisa, the facade of the Duomo and a significant portion of the Baptistry were also covered.

Just got back from Rome, and yes, scaffoldings galore! But that didn't stop us from enjoying the beauty of it all! Believe it or not, I didn't notice any scaffoldings on the Colloseum, perhaps I was just too awed in its grandeur. St. Peter's is just about completely covered up on the outside, but the beauty of it all is what's in the inside!! When we were there, Michaelangelo's Pieta was blocked off and we could only see it from about 25 feet away. Not of the refurbishings stopped us from enjoying our trip one bit. Grab a detailed map, your best walking shoes and enjoy your trip!

Yes, a lot of scaffolding...so what? It is still wonderful and you will have a great time! Go! They can't cover up all of St. Peter's Square. What a wonderful city!

Reports are overblown. Yes, they're doing some renovation, and more than usual. (If you were over 2,000 years old you'd need a facelift now and again as well.) <BR> <BR>But all in all there's plenty of great siights in plain sight, far more than in most any other city in the world, even taking into account the scaffolding. <BR> <BR>You'll find a note from a recent traveler at http://twenj.com/tipsrome.htm <BR> <BR>Ed

I don't know that I would go so far as to say "Overblown." I have not yet been to Italy but, several weeks ago (on a Sunday) I was changing cable television channels and stopped on a "religion" channel" and there was a "mass" or something of the sort going on (I am not Catholic, so I'm not sure). I was puzzled because, although the area looked familiar, I did not recognise it. Then the screen said, "Live from St. Peters" and I was shocked into realizing that what I was starring at was scaffolding and visqueen! It looked awful! NOT like in the guide books or in the pictures that I have seen (all my life). And I will be going there soon! Does anyone know how soon it will be 'coming down'? It will NOT ruin our trip, but it sure isn't what we were 'wanting' to see on our "once in a lifetime" trip, either! Know what I mean? For us, this is it!

There's plenty of scaffolding in Rome right now, but better to go this year with the scaffolding than next year with the hordes! The Colisseum and forums are more uncovered than covered, and as someone else said, St. Peter's glory is mostly inside! Don't worry, there is more than enough beauty to knock you out!