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The Top Sights |
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| Saint Peter's | Roman Forum |
| Sistine Chapel & Vatican Museums |
Palatine Hill |
| Capitoline Hill | Colosseum |
| Pantheon | Trevi Fountain |
tart your morning
early by being on line at the Vatican Museums 45-60 minutes before opening time ... the schedule changes from time to time
but 0745-0800 is about right. Scoot right along following the various signs toward the
Sistine Chapel. There's enough along the way to fill days, but you haven't time.
Stop where you'd like, but remember what you're trying to pack into this one day. You should plan on taking no more than about 45 to 60 minutes for the museums and Sistine. (That's outrageously short ... but remember it's you who wants to see "everything" in one day.) The one stop we'd suggest you make along the way is in the Raphael Stanze (rooms decorated by Raphael).
Having reached and absorbed, if that's possible, the Sistine Chapel, make your way out of the museums. Often one must return to the entrance. Of late the administration has been allowing the use of the "group" exit from the Sistine which deposits you in a narrow alleyway between the Vatican Palace and St. Peter's. Whichever exit you use, make your way to St. Peter's.
n a city filled with
churches, this one is very special. It's meant, as no other church, to display the power
and glory of the Roman Catholic Church, and it does so magnificently.
The special spots in here are the Pieta, the canopy above the main altar, the altar itself and the window at the rear of the nave in the apse. You can cover these spots and others in perhaps 30 minutes. Take some additional time and make your way to the roof. You'll have an exceptional view of the city from up here. Going inside the drum you'll be able to look down on the central part of the church and gain a greater appreciation of the scale. You could also climb the stairs inside the dome to the lantern at the top, though you really haven't time.
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Pantheon
You'll find it most useful now to skip over to our page that describes visiting these two spots. On that page, just above the Pantheon section, you'll find some brief comments about the Church of the Gesu. After you've visited the Pantheon and on your way to see the monuments of Ancient Rome you may wish to stop in and visit the Gesu, a remarkable church. Lunchtime?
If you're interested, one of our favorites is not far from where you might be at mid-day, and near where you'll begin your visit to Ancient Rome spots. The Ristorante Abruzzi is over just at the north end of the Pza. Santi Apostoli between Trajan's Forum and the Trevi Fountain which you'll probably find clearly marked on the map you bought. (Closed Saturdays) If you feel pressed for time you'll find several sandwich counters in and near the Pza. Venezia, and you can buy sandwiches (pannini) or slices of pizza in bars as well.
Note: strolling about the Palatine Hill takes a little time, something you may be short of this day. Save it for next time if you must. What you will sacrifice, though, among other things, is the best birdseye view in Rome from the southwest corner of the Hill overlooking the Roman Forum and the city skyline. If you've got an hour to spare, a quick skim of the Palatine is worthwhile. The Trevi Fountain
If you'd rather make your way to your hotel or to the train station for your next city we'll understand, but when you get home your friends will probably ask what you thought of the Spanish Steps, so you better consider stopping there, or making up a good story. In any event the subway (Metropolitana) "A" line stops here (Spagna) so it may be a good place to go to get to your next stop anyway. You'll enjoy and learn far more if you invest in some basic study before your visit. Georgina Masson's book is particularly excellent. Reference Materials
The Blue Guide Rome (Blue Guides) has the most thorough information about all sights, though so rich in detail a bit hard to read on the spot. Eyewitness Travel Guide: Rome has become quite popular with excellent information and pictures of the sights, though we find it inconvenient to carry and more a coffee table book for armchair travelers. You'll find as well several others in our recommended reading list. And please ... ... do take a look at your schedule again. If you can, squeeze in more than a day in Rome. Whether you can or not, you'll get more out of your visit if you skim through the basic tours we've constructed, below, and if you acquire (and read!) one or more of the books above before your visit. Five Basic Rome ItinerariesRanking
the Top Attractions | Suggested Itineraries Complete Index of Articles on Rome/Italy Our Favorites Trip Tips and Tools Copyright © 1996-2001 E.J.
Gehrlein Traveling
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our success at seeing
the top sights is dependent on what day you'll be racing around. As a general rule,
Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays may keep you from seeing all we recommend. Monday may be
especially difficult. Sunday will eliminate the Vatican Museums except on the last Sunday
of the month.
ome's top ten or twenty sights are at least
equal to, or better than, the top five sights in most any other city in the world. As a
result, you won't come away from your day in Rome having seen "the" sights, but,
rather, you will have enjoyed a peek at the top half dozen or so.
he cream of the
cream?
sing the map you arranged to get before setting
out on this tour make your way by bus, foot or taxi to the area of the Piazza Navona and
the Pantheon. If you're worried about time and running behind schedule go directly to the
more important, the Pantheon. If time permits a preceding stop at Piazza Navona will let
you appreciate one of the finer public spaces in Rome
aving bravely made your
way through all of Ed and Julie's "Rome in One Day" tour, you may as well hit
one final spot, the 
