Rome: The insider’s guide to the Eternal City

Words by Karen Pasquali Jones

From the Baroque beauty of the Trevi Fountain to the gasp-inducing artistry of Michelangelo’s High Renaissance masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel, Rome is a city heaving with sophistication and swagger.

If you’re visiting on a cruise, you’ll dock at Civitavecchia, around 50 miles from central Rome. Trains run regularly into the city and take around an hour. Taxis and private transfers are also available, but pre-booking is recommended, especially during busy summer months.

Step onto its cobbled streets and you can literally feel the confidence pulsating out of every surprising twist and turn of the Eternal City.

Where else can you wander around the largest amphitheatre ever built, the Colosseum, and imagine gladiators fighting bears and tigers before a 50,000-strong baying crowd, before grabbing an espresso and strutting down Via Condotti one of the world’s most fashionable streets?

Quite simply, Rome is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, if not the world. With a history spanning 28 centuries, and housing Vatican City, an independent country within its boundaries, ancient and modern Rome collide in a captivating but chaotic mix of culture, art and gioia di vivere.

The Romans have plenty to smile about. Italians take food seriously, and Rome’s dishes are some of the most iconic – often topping international rankings for their simplicity, tradition and taste.

Everyone, not just the Devil, wants to wear Prada, Gucci and the myriad labels its fashion industry has to offer, and there’s breathtaking art everywhere you look – including 60 fifteen-foot-tall Carrara marble statues at Foro Italico, the magnificent sports complex which houses Stadio Olimpico, home to Lazio and Rome football clubs.

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Rome is best enjoyed at a leisurely pace, though be careful crossing the road as the Roman drivers and scooter riders don’t necessarily stop at pedestrian crossings.

Start early with a cornetto – an Italian croissant – and a frothy cappuccino. Italians will raise an eyebrow if you order a milky coffee after noon, when only an espresso or caffe macchiato are deemed acceptable. They’re swiftly drank at the bar in a coffee shop, where only tourists ever take a seat.

Must-sees include St Peter’s Square in Vatican City, the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. Expect queues but it’s worth every minute spent waiting for a glimpse at that ceiling.

You’ll have to join the throng at the Colosseum, too, but it’s the highlight for all ages, and worth paying to join a tour. A good guide will bring the past back to life, explaining how the Romans invented lifts all those millennia ago so that lions, wolves, bears and leopards could spring from trap doors in the arena floor.

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Watch out for costumed gladiators hanging around outside the Colosseum – they’ll charge for photos and can get pushy if you decline.

Some tours include a visit to the Roman Forum to see ancient ruins, including the Temple of Julius Caesar. Walk up Palatine Hill to enjoy a view of Nero’s Circus Maximus, where 150,000 would watch chariot races in the largest capacity stadium in history.

The Pantheon, a former Roman temple completed by Hadrian, sits close to the Spanish Steps – even locals pause to admire the 18th-century Caffè Greco nearby, where Keats and Byron once sipped espresso. Climb to the top of the steps for a spectacular view of St Peter’s Square, where, on a Sunday, the Pope makes a personal appearance at noon.

If you want to go inside, remember to cover your shoulders and legs. You’ll be rewarded with Michelangelo’s Pietà – a sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the body of Jesus – and the baldachin by Bernini over the main altar.

Head towards Piazza del Popolo to Via Babuino, a sleek boulevard lined with designer boutiques and antique shops, perfect for anyone craving a dose of Italian luxury retail therapy.

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But it’s away from the tourists that the real Rome can be discovered. Head to Giardino degli aranci, or Parco Savello, overlooking the city. Look for the door at the top. If you gaze through the keyhole you’ll find Saint Peter’s Basilica perfectly framed.

Venture 16 miles outside the city to Castelli Romani, the former stomping ground of Roman elites, built on top of a volcano crater. Near to the city, but scenic with a fresh climate, thanks to its altitude, this cluster of villages makes the perfect summer escape from Rome’s heat.

The Pope’s former summer residence, the Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo [above, left], is now open to the public as a museum – complete with lavish gardens and lake views.

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On a road between Ariccia and Frascati lies a secret spot few tourists know about which boasts a unique property – its antigravity hill. It looks completely normal but if you place a ball, a bottle – or even a car packed with people – on it, it rolls uphill. Theories for the phenomenon include volcanic activity in ancient times, but it’s a sight worth making the trip for.

For some much-needed fun in the sun, head 30 minutes out of the city centre to the ancient seaport of Rome, where the locals flock to fill the beach clubs of Ostia and Torvaianica. Marvel at their deep tans – they’ll have been hitting the beach since March – and catwalk-worthy swimming costumes, bikinis and trunks. The women wear full make-up, high-heeled flip-flops and never have a hair out of place, even keeping it miraculously dry while going for a dip in the sea.

Back in the city, dine at a backstreet trattoria in Trastevere or Testaccio, the beating heart of Roman cuisine. Try carciofi alla giudia (fried artichokes) [above, right], Coda alla Vaccinara (oxtail stew), or trippa alla romana (tripe in tomato sauce). And for dessert? Go for gelato shaped like spaghetti bolognese or grab a slice of pizza con Nutella – sweet, gooey and sold by the metre.

Before leaving, visit the Bocca Della Verita [above, left in the ancient Forum Boarium, just like Audrey Hepburn did in Roman Holiday. Legend has it that the marble lion will bite off the hand of any liar who dares place their hand inside its mouth. Last, but not least, toss three coins into the Trevi Fountain, and wish to return.

So many people long to come back to Rome, the 18th-century fountain attracts tides of visitors who throw 3,000 euros a day into the water. La Dolce Vita indeed.

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