Rome's top three museums for art and history

By Go City Expert

A visit to Rome is rich in culture, history and tradition. Any visitor will fall in love with the city and be overwhelmed by the deep running traditions and heritage of the Roman people. There’s no better place to experience this than by visiting the wealth of museums within Rome, accessible with your Roma Pass and OMNIA Card. Both cultural and historical, there are museums that exhibit the city’s artistic and social past. We thought we’d look at top three and share with you why they are must-sees: Vatican Museums Arguably the most famous museums in Rome, the Vatican Museums are a cultural pilgrimage as much as a religious one. Set in the Vatican City they are home to some of the most priceless art and sculptures in the world. This vast set of interconnecting museums measure over 9 miles, so you’re best to dedicate a good half day to exploring the departments and salas at leisure. Some of the highlights of the museum include the Papal Throne, the Sistine Chapel, and various galleries displaying ancient statues, busts, maps and tapestries. Its 1,400 rooms are brimming with art dating back from Ancient Egypt to the 20th century. So there’s something for everyone. Obviously there’s a deep spiritual undercurrent and theme behind all the works collected and on display in the Vatican Museums so visitors can learn about the Papal history and Roman Catholic influence over art works through the ages. Some of the artists featured in this renowned museum are Michelangelo – who’s Last Judgement can’t be missed – Raphael and Bernini, among others. National Museum of Castel Sant’Angelo This fortified castle, and mausoleum, is one of Rome’s most iconic landmarks and sits impressively on the northern bank of the River Tiber. The National Museum of Castel Sant’Angelo is a must-visit for anyone interested in history and is otherwise known as the Mausoleum of Hadrian. Interlinked with the Vatican – there’s a secret passage underground that links the two together once used for papal refuge – the museum of Castel Sant’Angelo is home to Papal apartments of the (infamous) Borgia Pope Alexander VI and display the lavish decorations and furniture collected by these heads of the Church. Visitors can also admire the Hall of Urns where it’s believed the ashes of Hadrian are kept, symbolically, right in the centre of the stronghold. Capitoline Museums Rome’s Capitoline Museums are some of the best collections of ancient Roman art and archaeology. Originally built as the ‘people’s museum’ it’s also believed to be the first museum in Rome – and the world’s oldest national museums – founded in 1471 by Pope Sixtus IV. One of the many highlights of the collection is Rome’s national symbol, the She Wolf and Romulus and Remus. The collections also contain ancient sculptures, statues, sarcophagi, mosaics and ruins of ancient dwellings from the Roman Forum. Set within three buildings, there is so much to be discovered about Rome’s rich history and culture – as well as Ancient Egyptian and Ancient Greek cultures. The Capitoline Museums give visitors a unique insight into Rome’s important history and you won’t be disappointed! With the Roma Pass you can get free entry into the Capitoline Museums and the Museum of Rome for free and many other historic sites like the Coliseum and the Roman Forum & Palatine Hill at a discounted price.

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Rome Neighbourhoods: A Comprehensive Guide

Explore your way around the city with our comprehensive guide to the best of Rome neighbourhoods! The best way to plan your visit to the beautiful Eternal City is to divide your time across the various Rome neighbourhoods, or rione. Each has something unique to offer as this guide, brought to you by the team at the Rome Pass, sets out. Ancient Rome – Celio and Campitelli This is where it all began, the ancient heart of Rome and the Roman Empire. Perhaps the most impressive of the city’s landmarks is here: the Colosseum. Originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, it dominates the piazza del Colosseo. Commissioned in AD 72 by Emperor Vespasian and completed in AD 80 by his successor, Titus, it’s the largest amphitheatre ever built, holding between 50,000 and 75,000 spectators in its heyday. It’s now the most visited tourist site in Italy, so booking tickets in advance (online or by phone) is recommended. The standard admission ticket to the Colosseum also includes entry to the neighbouring Palatine and Roman Forum. In Roman mythology, the Palatine is the birthplace of Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome. It is now an open-air museum offering a fabulous panorama of the archaeological remains below. In the adjacent Roman Forum – marketplace, business district, civic centre and seat of power of Ancient Rome – you can see the supposed burial place of Romulus, the remains of temples and law courts, and fragments of pottery, mosaics and sculptures. A guided or audio tour will help you get the best out of the site. Had your fill of history? Take a stroll to the leafy residential area of Aventine Hill just beyond the Circus Maximus and take in the fantastic panoramic city views. Centro storico The Centro storico (historic centre) comprises a number of different rione and contains some of the most iconic of Rome’s sights. The piazza Navona is at its heart, a lively square with street artists, buskers and plenty of cafés. Built over Emperor Domitian’s stadium in the 15th century, it features some of the city’s most beautiful Baroque art and architecture, such as the Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone and three splendid fountains. You can also take a fascinating underground tour of the remains of the original stadium. Just to the east is the Pantheon. Originally built around 25BC as a temple to all of the Roman gods, it was given to Pope Boniface IV in 609. The Pantheon has functioned as a Christian church to St Mary and the Martyrs ever since, with mass held every week. This continued usage has helped keep the ancient building in an excellent state of repair. Further east again is the Trevi Fountain, the largest Baroque fountain in the city. A dense and impressive mass of sculpture and carving, the fountain is over 26 metres high and ejects 80,000 cubic metres of water every day. Legend has it that a visitor who throws a coin into the fountain is guaranteed to return to the Eternal City. A stroll northwards through the narrow lanes will take you to the Scalina Spagna, or Spanish Steps. Built in the 1720s, the 138 steps are a mixture of curves and straight flights, vistas and terraces overlooked by the Trinità dei Monti church. The steps were a popular gathering place for artists and poets in the 18th century, and there are still artists plying their trade at the top, ready to paint visitors’ portraits. At the foot of the steps is the house where John Keats lived and died, now a museum dedicated to the English Romantic poets. This area around the Via dei Condotti is also where you’ll find some of Rome’s most upmarket boutiques, restaurants and hotels. Vatican City & Prati Technically, Vatican City is a sovereign state, but for sightseeing purposes it is just another of the Rome neighbourhoods. Official residence of the Pope for centuries, it is also home to eleven museums and, of course, Michelangelo’s beautifully painted Sistine Chapel. There are no paintings in St Peter’s Basilica, the largest Roman Catholic church in Italy, but plenty of statues and some breathtaking architecture. Michelangelo’s sculpture, Pietà, is at the head of the right nave and the only work he ever signed. If you have a head for heights, you can climb the 551 steps to the top of the dome and be rewarded with fabulous rooftop views. Catholic or not, mass in St Peter’s Basilica is an experience not to be missed. It is celebrated Monday to Saturday in the various chapels of the Basilica. And if you’re lucky enough to be in Rome at the same time as the Pope himself, you can even book tickets (free) for a Papal Mass either in the Basilica or St Peter’s Square. Don’t stay indoors the whole time though: take a tour of the Vatican Gardens. A wonderful place for quiet meditation since 1279, the gardens now cover a large proportion of the site and contain grottoes, fountains, monuments and the heliport. Advance booking only, the tour lasts two hours. If visiting the Vatican is the main purpose of your trip to Rome, you’d be wise to stay in Prati, just to the east. Affordable hotels, good shopping and plenty of decent places to eat all within walking distance of Vatican City, and there are two metro stops with good links to the Vatican as well. La bellezza❤️ #rome #italy #25aprile #trastevere A post shared by @ines_l88 on Apr 25, 2017 at 4:02am PDT Trastevere A medieval working-class district, Trastevere has gradually been gentrified since the 1970s and is now very popular with visitors. Wander the cobblestoned streets, relax in the University’s botanic gardens and watch the world go by from the steps of the fountain in the piazza di Santa Maria. As you’d expect from one of the more up-and-coming Rome neighbourhoods, there are some excellent restaurants and bars and a really buzzing nightlife. It’s also a good place for funky boutiques, plus there is a huge flea market on Sundays at Porta Portese selling everything from antiques and books to clothes.
Megan Hills
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Celebrate the Roma Europa Festival this November

Rome is synonymous with ancient monuments, sculptures and exquisite art of the Empire; so for a city that’s steeped in such archaic cultural history, competing with any other form of cultural expression, let alone contemporary, is hard to imagine. Rivalling the art of its heyday, the contemporary scene has exploded in Rome and is celebrated with the annual Roma Europa Festival, which runs from 25th September to the 24th November this year. Displaying exhibitions ranging from digital to dance, theatre and photography, the festival promises new visions and innovative approaches to aesthetic expression. Set in the contemporary space of the Telecoms Italia factory, it couldn’t have a more apt location to help shape and structure the ideologies of the festival within its contemporary, glass structure. NB: don’t be put off by the residential street view – it’s what is inside that counts! Having teamed up with patrons and various ministries of culture within Europe, it is a heavily invested event within the contemporary art world and takes pride on its innovation and value as a creative crossroads. So much so that Wall Street Journal even ranked it as one of the top four best festivals in Europe (2006). Since its conception in 1986, the festival has attracted hoards of culture vultures from around the world; from veterans of artistic thought to new, young fresh minds. Now, heralded as one of Italy’s best festivals, it is a must-do for anyone looking to open their minds and challenge the boundaries of high, mass and popular culture while visiting the capital. Location: Ostiense area OPIFICIO TELECOM ITALIA Via dei Magazzini Generali 20/A 00154 Roma tel +39 06 45553000 / +39 06 45553050
Go City Expert
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Best Bars for Aperitivo in Rome

Forget your regular happy hours, here's where to enjoy aperitivo in Rome Aperitivo in Rome is a cultural pastime, with people all over the capital spilling out of offices and into trendy bars and restaurants. With affordably priced drinks and lush buffets piled high with Roman dishes, there's no end of places that put their own distinctive spin on aperitivo from jazzing things up with an extensive cocktail list or stepping up their recipe game. If you're travelling to the city, it's worth joining in the tradition at some of the best places for aperitivo in Rome below. Image via Freni e Frizoni Freni e Frizoni Converted from an old mechanic's garage, this effortlessly trendy aperitivo bar in the heart of the hip and happening Trastevere Neighbourhood. With a young eclectic crowd that spills out onto the piazza outside, it derives its name 'brakes and clutches' from its past life. Its team of mixologists make a mean cocktail and it has a large buffet serving up couscous, pizzas, bruschetta and vegetarian dishes. I wish mondays could always be like this.. #roma #rome #italy #italia #italygram #monday #mondays #drink #drinks #delicious #travelgram #travel #explore #traveler #travelingram #ig_daily #igtravel #ig_shotz #ig_europe #ig_italia #instapic A post shared by Irina Bykovskaya (@laitalianka) on Apr 3, 2017 at 10:11am PDT Salotto42 Specialising in aperitivo, Salotto42 is a great bar within throwing distance of the Piazza di Pietra. Founded by a Swedish supermodel, the entire space is filled with Swedish design touches and its shelves are stacked with curated art magazines and indie books, making it an Instagram goldmine for those looking for their next great shot. Curl up on one of its cosy couches with a sophisticated cocktail and blend in with its stylish clientele as the bar comes to life during aperitivo hour. While it's a little strapped for room, as the night draws on people spill onto the piazza with wine glasses and bar snacks in hand. Friday night. #photooftheday A post shared by Simone Bottaro (@simonebottaro) on Mar 24, 2017 at 4:43pm PDT Doppio Zeroo This welcoming bar and restaurant has a killer aperitivo offer for those on a budget - for just €10-12 you can snag yourself an alcoholic drink and pile your plate high at their all you can eat buffet. Think couscous, pasta, grilled vegetables and even a cheeky nutella pizza for dessert. Converted from an old bakery, it's a popular choice for locals and packs up quick so it's worth making a reservation if you don't want to hang around for half an hour. Image via Momart facebook Momart It's impossible not to fall in love with Momart's romantic design, from its moody dark flooring to its sprawling veranda, but particularly its aperitivo offering that starts from 6pm. People from all over Rome come here for its buffet which includes pizzas served fresh out of their wood fire ovens, pasta, salads and naturally its selection of alcoholic offerings. Popular with students from nearby universities, it generally caters to a younger crowd. I weekend sotto al portico di Piazza Augusto Imperatore sono i migliori della città. ____________________________________ #gustopizzeria #gustoristorante #gusto #piazzaaugustoimperatore #bestplacetogo #brunch #eatanddrink #rome #brunchinrome #romanity #italianrestaurant #italianfod #romefood #mangiarearoma #mangiareitaliano #loverome #centrostoricoroma #architecture #bestrestaurantinrome A post shared by Follow GUSTO_ROMA (@gusto_roma) on Feb 25, 2017 at 1:43am PST Gusto Gusto is all things to all people: a wine bar, a restaurant, a pizzeria, a bookshop and an awesome place for aperitivo. This trendy joint with its exposed brick walls and industrial details is always filled with customers and its unlimited aperitivo buffet is particularly high in demand, serving up pizzette, arancini and more. Affordably priced, there's also a great selection of cocktails and an extensive wine list to enjoy.
Megan Hills

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