Self-guided walking tour of Rome and the Vatican

TravAddict has put together a self-guided walking tour				fountain over your left shoulder. The first is for a
of Rome and the Vatican. All you need is a map and				wish, the second means you will return to Rome, and if
our walking tour. We have provided you with plenty				you throw a third it means that you will marry a
of interesting facts and advice about a number of				Roman…..
attractions. Have fun!				Pantheon
VATICAN:				Originally built in 27BC. This is one of our favourite
St Peter's Square and Basilica.				buildings in all of Europe. The Pantheon took 7 years
St Peter's Basilica was once the largest church in the				to build and it is the only fully in tact, still in use building
world (now the second largest), and can hold 60 000				from Ancient Roman times. It was built as a
people for one mass service. The Vatican is where				dedication to all gods, and when Rome became a
the Pope resides and the Vatican is its own				Christian society they re-dedicated it to all saints on the
‘Country' with its own citizens and passports. The				1st of Nov, which is now all saints day. The writing on
Pope does an outdoor service every Wednesday in				the front means ‘Markus Agrippa, son of Lucius,
the square (if he is in town). Check online to see if he				consul for the 3rd time built this'. Agrippa was
will be around while you are there. You can get free				Augustus Caesar's architect. On the front you will
tickets to sit down at the service, but if you don't want				also see that the pillars look warn and there are holes
to stay for the whole mass just get there early and				on the facade. This is not damage; this is from the
stand and wait till he comes out and drives around the				lead pins that used to hold the marble on the walls.
crowd in his little car. You will get some good pics.				This entire building was once covered in marble, and on
The church (Basilica) was built on the site where St				the inside the square indents in the roof were once
Peter was crucified (Peter being one of the 12				filled with gold and bronze. This building, like most
apostles). This is why most things are decorated in				buildings in Rome, were pillaged by the Catholic Church
red (St Peter's color is red). The remains of St Peter				to build the Vatican. So much of what you see in the
are in a gold box under the alter (the huge bronze				Vatican was once a part of a building from Ancient
piece you will see inside)…..It is free to go in, and even				Rome. The dome of the Pantheon is a huge
if the line looks long it doesn't take long to get in. You				architectural feat for its time, and no one else was
have to have your knees and shoulders covered to				able to build a dome this size until 1400 years later.
enter, and they are quite strict about this so make sure				When you go inside you will see that there is a hole at
you are prepared.				the top of the dome, and there are no windows. The
The Pope's that you see lying in the glass coffins				Romans often did not use windows since they had no
inside are actually real. They have been stuffed and				glass for security, so they would usually build sun
embalmed. There is also a really famous statue				roofs. When it rains the water comes through the
inside done by Michelangelo. It is called the Pieta, and				roof and runs into little holes that you will see in the
it is Mary holding the body of Christ at his death.				floor. There are two famous people buried in the
(directly on the right as soon as you walk in). This is				Pantheon. Rafael (the artist), and Victor Emmanuel
the piece that made Michelangelo a very famous artist				the second (the first king of unified Italy).
in Rome. It is the only piece of art he was ever				Piazza Navonna
believed to have signed. It is a bit hard to see from				A main square in Rome. There are some really cool
behind the bullet-proof glass, but he has written				restaurants in the back streets around here. The
‘Michelangelo Florentine' on Mary's sash.				square is built on the site of Domitians Circus from
Supposedly he signed it because when the Pieta was				86AD. The ‘Circus' was a stadium where they
first un-veiled in Rome everyone thought he was a				had festivals and sporting events, mostly horse
Roman. He was a very proud Florentine and wanted				racing. The stadium could seat 30000 people, and the
everyone to know it, so he engraved his name on				square is still in the exact same oval shape as the
Mary's sash. You can also go down into the tomb of				original arena. Be careful about buying fakes on the
the Basilica to see the past popes. You have to pay				street around here, it is illegal, and you can get a fine if
to climb to the top of the tower, but it is worth it (if you				you are caught buying from them. The fountain in the
are not claustrophobic). The dome was built by				middle of the square is called the fountain of the four
Michelangelo….he died towards the completion of it 2				rivers and was built in the 1600's. The four statues
days before his 90th Birthday. ***you can't go into				represent the four rivers: Danube, the Ganges, the
the Basilica while the pope is doing his service. So if				Rio de la Plata and the Nile. The statue with the cloth
you go on a Wed you will have to wait until it is over.				over its face is the Nile, because at the time the
				fountain was built they didn't know where the source
St Peter's square is pretty cool, the church represents				of the Nile came from.
the body of Christ, and the pillars that wrap around the				Victor Emmanuel II Monument.
square represent the arms of Christ welcoming you				Located in Piazza Venezia, the square was named
into the church. There is a spot outlined on the				after the Venetian Embassy (from when Venice was
ground to the right of the square, and when you stand				not a part of Italy). The square is actually the busiest
here all of the pillars on each side line up and it looks				round-about in Italy. The best place to stand for
like there is only one. The statues all around the top of				taking pictures is right in the middle of the
the pillars are saints, and the ones on the top of the				round-about. When you are facing the monument (it
Church are the apostles of Christ. In the middle of				looks like a big wedding cake) you will see a building to
the square is an Obelisk. This is an Egyptian				the left that has a winged Lion on it (that is the symbol
monument, and any of them that you see around				of Venice). If you stand with your back facing the
Rome (there are lots) are real. They are some of				monument you will see a green balcony at the other
the oldest monuments in Rome (about 2000-3000				side of the roundabout. This where Mussolini used to
years old), and most of them were stolen from Egypt				reside, and he would do speeches from the green
(some of them given as gifts). When you look at the				balcony. The Victor Emmanuel monument itself is
top of them, most of them have a religious symbol on				dedicated to Victor Emmanuel to celebrate the 50th
the top - like a dove or a cross. This is because it is				anniversary of Italy being unified for the fist time (that
a pagan monument, and when Christianity was made				was only in 1861). The Horse has Victor himself on it,
the sole religion of Rome they put religious symbols on				and it is the largest Equestrian Statue in the world.
all of them.				The tomb of the Unknown Soldier is also here, and
The Sistine Chapel is where you will see Michelangelo's				there is always someone guarding the eternal flame,
ceiling and the Last Judgement wall. Both of these				you should see two soldiers standing toward the
pieces are very famous mostly because Michelangelo				bottom of the monument. You can climb to the top
never used helpers. Most renaissance artists had				during the day for free. It has a museum below it
approx 10-30 helpers, but Michelangelo always worked				that is not worth the visit. It is really just a big
alone. He was not a painter; he was a sculptor,				monument.
which is what makes its perfection even more				Trajan's forum
intriguing. It is also a Fresco, a style of renaissance				This is one of ancient Rome's forums. Rome had 5
painting where you paint on wet plaster before it dries,				forums, and this was one of the main ones. A forum
so there is no room for error. The ceiling is the story				was basically a market place. You should be able to
of the creation of man. So the first scenes are the				see in the distance stories of buildings with
making of the night and day, the land and the sea etc,				arches…….these were the stores where people
and the famous one where they touch fingers is God				would sell their wares. Romans couldn't read, so the
creating Man. The Last Judgement is on the altar				store owner would put pictures of what they were
wall and was done a few years after the ceiling. The				selling on the arches. At the end of the forum you will
ceiling took Michelangelo 4 years to do (most artists				see a large green column. This is Trajan's Column.
would do this piece with a crew of helpers in about 6				Trajan was the emperor in power when this forum
months). The Last Judgement is the story of the				was built, so he built this column in his honour, and the
recent dead who get judged on weather they will be				pictures around the outside are said to be the first
sent to heaven or hell. There is said to be a				forms of cinematography. The forum was three
self-portrait of Michelangelo on the wall, and it is the				levels, so people would read the story by looking at
only one he ever did. It looks like the skin of				the pics on the first level, then going to the next level to
someone's face and it is being held by St				read the rest etc. There used to be a statue of
Bartholomew (on the left side of the wall).				Trajan on the top, but when Rome became a Christian
The Sistine Chapel is also where they hold the				society they replaced it with a statue of St Peter.
meetings to decide on a new Pope, and it is where the				Roman Forum (across the street from Trajan's
smoke comes from when the meetings are in				forum behind Victor Emmanuel monument).
progress. Black smoke will blow until they have				This is the first forum of Rome. There are so many
reached their decision, and then white smoke will				stories to tell about this forum, so we suggest if you
blow. They don't use real smoke anymore, because				have the time you try to meet up with an English tour
it was ruining the paintings.				conducted by an American student. They are free,
The Sistine Chapel is inside the Vatican museums,				but they ask for a tip at the end. Otherwise, there
which holds a lot of other art pieces collected by past				are these little books you can buy at the forum
Popes. Most of it is very similar, but there are a few				entrance that show you what the forum looked like
famous pieces especially by Rafael. The Vatican				before and after, and it tells you some of the stories
Museum closes around 3pm, and sometimes earlier if				of what it was like in the forum during Roman times.
there is an event going on, so I would suggest doing it				You will notice with both the Trajan and the Roman
earlier in the day. ***if you have the time we				forums that the level of the ground in the Forum is
recommend a guided tour of the Vatican Museums.				much lower than the streets. That is because when
This way you will be taken to see the most interesting				they pillaged Ancient Rome to build the Vatican, a lot
and valuable pieces in the museums.				of the buildings from ancient Rome were abandoned.
If you are really interested in Renaissance art, we				Eventually they became fields for cow farming, and as
suggest you take a trip to Florence…if you have the				the soil rose they began building on top of the old
time. It's only 3 hours from Rome.				ruins. Most of what you see has been excavated,
ROME				and there is still a lot more below the ground.
Everything in the list below is in order, you can do it all				If you want to see some incredibly in tact ruins, I
by walking from one to the next………if you have a				suggest you look into going to Pompeii (if you have the
map:-) It should take you about 4-6 hours if you take				time). It is three hours from Rome. Definitely get a
your time.				guided tour if you go to Pompeii, otherwise half the
Piazza Del Popolo.				time you won't know what you are looking at.
Means ‘the square of the people'. There were a				The Colosseum
lot of gatherings and announcements made in this				Built in 72AD. Architectural feat of its time. Could
square during Roman times. The arches at the end				hold 55 000 people, and it is said that they could all exit
of the square are one of the original main entrances				within 8 minutes out of the 80 arched entrance
into Rome (the city used to be surrounded by city				ways. Even the metal pins that hold the blocks
walls). There are a few significant statues in this				together weigh 300 tons. When it was first opened
square. When you face your back to the city walls,				they held a 100 day festival where 5000 beasts were
Augustus Caesar is on the left - He was the Roman				killed. The more exotic the animal the better. They
Emperor that is said to have turned Rome from a city				used to bring a lot of the animals here from Africa.
of stone into a city of marble. A lot of the success				The first Gladiator battle is believed to have been held
of the empire was because of him. On the right is				in 264 BC, so they started Gladiator fighting long
the god of Neptune (god of the sea). When Rome				before the Colosseum was built. Before they used
became a Christian society they made all Neptune				the Colosseum the fights were usually held in the
statues lose the pitch fork (sign of the devil). This is				Roman Forum or in Circus Maximus. If you have
one of the only Neptune Statues you will see in Rome				seen Gladiator the movie, the story is similar. If you
that is holding the pitch fork. The two identical				won 5 battles as a gladiator you won your right to
buildings at the back of the square are both				freedom. Gladiators were simply slaves, and most of
churches. In the middle of them is the main street of				the fights were biased, ie they would tie up the
Rome, the Corso.				gladiator, then release all of the hungry tigers. They
Spanish Steps/Piazza de Spagna				are not sure exactly how things were conducted in the
The Spanish Steps are famous for a few reasons.				Colosseum, for example they are not entirely sure
The main being that this is the area where people				where the Emperor sat, or if he used the thumbs up or
believe street performing began. When you face				thumbs down when a Gladiators battle was over.
your back to the steps you are looking right down the				Some of the battles would get really gruesome, so
main shopping street in Rome (where the top				they had what they called vomitoriums – rooms
desingers have their stores). When the steps were				where you could go to throw up, and then return to
built, models used to hang out at the Spanish steps				your seat. When a Gladiator died two men dressed
hoping to be discovered by a top designer. They				as fairies would come out with a hot poking stick and
started dressing up and doing acts to get noticed, and				a mallet. They would poke the gladiator with the hot
that's where they say it all started. Street performing				stick, and beat his head with the mallet just to make
is now forbidden on the steps. You will see them all				sure he was dead before they carried him away.
around Rome, but never on the steps. They are				Only men were allowed to sit in the seats, women had
called the Spanish steps because the Spanish				to take the standing positions way up the back. The
embassy is just down the street. If you are facing				latin word for sand is Arena, and that is where they
the steps, when you look to your right you will see a				believe the work arena came from, because the
large monument with the Virgin Mary on the top. The				Colosseum floor was covered in sand. Underneath
pope comes here every year and blesses a wreath				the stage was a series of tunnels, trap doors and
of flowers to be placed on Mary's arm. You should				lifts. They were so advanced that they could lift a
see last year's wreath still there……..				tiger up onto the floor through a trap door without the
Capuchin Monk's (Hard to find. Near the Babberini				Gladiator even seeing it from behind…….there is so
train stop on Via Veneto)				much more to tell but we won't carry on.
This is a room inside a church that used to be where				If you want to go inside, don't wait in the ticket line if it
the Capuchin Monk's resided. The cappuchino coffee				looks long. If you face the Colosseum you will see an
drink was named after these Monk's because the				arch to the right. If you walk towards this you will see
drink looked like them (brown robes with a white scull				a walkway that leads up the hill on the right hand
cap). The Capuchin Monks don't practice here				side. This leads up to Palentine hill (part of the Roman
anymore, but it was always their tradition to collect the				Forum). At the top of the walkway you can buy
bones of the dead monks, put them in a kiln and				tickets to both the Colosseum or the Roman Forum.
decorate the church with them. It is free to go in, but				It takes a few minutes to get up there, but once you
you are asked to give a donation (about 1 euro). The				get your ticket you don't have to stand in the line at
room is on the second floor; go up the right steps at				the Colosseum, you can cut right past it and go straight
the front of the building. Their motto is ‘what you				in.
are now we once were, and what we are now you				That completes our walking tour of Rome. You can
one day shall be'. This is one of our favourite places				do it going in either direction. We recommend doing
in Rome:-) Don't go in the middle of the day because				Rome and the Vatican on separate days in order to
they are closed for siesta…..and closed all day on				see everything.
Thursday's. They also ask you to cover your				Other suggestions if you are looking for more to do
shoulders when you enter. They have a few shawls				are:
that they will hand out to visitors, but if you can take				The Catacombs – a series of tunnels of graves. It
one with you it makes it easier.				was a requirement in Rome for a long time to never
Trevi Fountain				bury bodies in the city. So they are built outside of
This fountain is built on the foundations of an old				Rome in underground tunnels. Later the Christians
Roman Aqueduct around the time of Augustus (more				used these catacombs to secretly bury their families in
than 2000 years ago). An aqueduct is a water				order to avoid being persecuted by the pagans.
source from afar that transports water to the city. In				Caracalla Baths – 2nd largest bath complex from
the 1700's the Pope decided to cover up the aqueduct				ancient Rome.
opening with the Trevi fountain. The statues on the				Circus Maximus – the outline of where a large
fountain tell the story of the aqueduct. Towards the				arena used to be that was originally built in the 6th C
top you should see a square on the right that shows				BC, and could hold up to 250000 people
you the Virgin Trevi showing the Romans the spring				Mausoleum St Augustus – if you have read Angels
for the aqueduct. On the left you should see another				and Demons you would know this building. It was a
square that shows you Agrippa (the architect)				safe haven for the Pope if he was ever in danger
showing Augustus Caesar the plans to build the				One other thing: There are a lot of pick-pocketers in
Aqueduct. The Romans say that if you drink from				Rome, and they will rob you blind without you even
the small spouts of water on the sides of the fountain				knowing it. So be really careful with your stuff, and
then you will revert back to a virgin! The water is				be aware:-)
good to drink. They also believe that you should				On behalf of the TravAddict team, have a great trip.
always throw at least one coin when you visit the

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Self-guided walking tour of Rome and the Vatican

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