10 Things to Do in Rome

Everyone knows that when you go to Rome, you must stop off at the Colosseum and the Pantheon. And then from there you might take a walk down Via del Corso and get your shopping in. Maybe visit the Vatican to see some of the most stunning Raffaello frescos and the Sistine Chappell of course.

Have a look here if maybe it's your first time and you want to do a classic Roman Trip.

But as a Roman, these are the things that I recommend that people do when they're in my home town. By all means, don't skip the Colosseum! These are just things to do if you're in Rome for more than 2 days, or want to see a few things off the beaten track.

After all, I always tell people that you can throw a stone in Rome and hit a sit of historical importance.

1. Visit the Roman Forum

I am going to start here, because if you're going to Rome, chances are you are going to queue for your ticket for the Colosseum. Tickets aren't too expensive (about €12 when we were last there) but they actually include access to the Roman Forum just down the road.

An ex-mayor made sure to pedestrianise all of the historical centre in 2015, to make it a "promenade through history" as opposed to the chaotic traffic that was there previously. So now you can walk from the Colosseum to the Forum, down to the Tempio della Pace. You can walk through the gardens of the old Forum, see what the heart of the city looked like when it was at the height of power.

I start here, because only 1 in 10 people who visit the Colosseum actually visit the Roman Forum, and I think that is a thing that has got to change.

2. Visit the Galleria Borghese

This one is a little biased, because this is in fact my favourite museum. It is in the heart of the Villa Borghese, which is Rome's biggest park, home to its own Globe Theatre, as well as access to the Zoo and Piazza del Popolo (from where you can walk to the shopping streets).

The museum hosts the most exquisite collection of Bernini sculptures, including my favourite of Daphne and Apollo. Beautiful, innocent Daphne turns herself into a tree so she could not be harmed by Apollo, who loved her so much that she felt imprisoned. If that's not tragic love, I don't know what is. In the sculpture you can see her fingers turn to leaves, her legs to bark, her dress to moss. It is truly one of the most achingly beautiful sculptures I have ever seen.

There are also other pieces, like two busts of Cardinal Scipione Borghese. Legend goes that Bernini had been commissioned for a bust, which he spent weeks perfecting. Upon completion (the day before it was due), he noticed a vein in the marble. He then spent all night carving an identical copy ready for the Cardinal the next day. You can see them side by side in the Galleria Borghese.

Make sure to book your tickets—the Galleria is open 6 days a week, but it limits the number of guests it allows, so book your ticket to not be disappointed.

3. Visit cats where Julius Caesar was murdered.

This is another place that I take all my friends to when they visit. Nobody realises how close this place is from the Colosseum, so chances are that you are in the vicinity of this one anyway.

Largo di Torre Argentina is on more than one tour guide, as are the previous two "attractions". The main pull is that you can see the spot where Julius Caesar was repeatedly stabbed and eventually killed ("et tu, Brute", anyone?) if you look out towards the remains of Pompey's Theatre.

But what a lot of people don't know, is that if you go round the other side, and down a few steps, there is a cat sanctuary. Rome is full of stray cats. We put them on calendars, posters, merchandise. But even the strays aren't really astray. They come into the cat sanctuary at some point in their lives, where they are neutered, vaccinated, cuddled, and put up for adoption. When you visit, you can donate money by buying cute cat merch, or simply donate your time by sitting with some cats and sparing some cuddles.

4. The House of the Owls

This one is another one that's a little out of the way. I don't think it's in many tour guides, but it is certainly worth a visit. For that lazy afternoon when your feet hurt and you aren't sure you can do another cobbled street, get a bus (or taxi) to Villa Torlonia.

As well as housing the eponymous Villa, which Mussolini rented from 1920 to 1945, the Villa has gardens which are lovely to explore on a spring day. You'll often see people walking their dogs, or children playing ball sports. It also hosts Tecnotown, which is Rome's interactive technology museum.

But what is most special in my opinion about Villa Torlonia is the Little Owl House, or Casina delle Civette.

It is named as such because of the little owl motifs you can see everywhere, including above the main entrance. But you can visit the inside as part of the Torlonia museum, and absolutely should. The twenty rooms include 54 pieces of stained glass in their original positions, 18 pieces of stained glass acquired and displayed on separate frames, and 105 sketches and preparatory cartoons for stained glass. If you're into Art Nouveau, you should go.

5. Saint Paul Outside the Walls

Let's start by admitting that the only church we think of in Rome is Saint Peter's Basilica. Even though it's technically in a different country (the Vatican) and the crowd is ferocious.

And while it is absolutely worth going for the Pietà as well as the atmosphere and the sheer beauty of it, it is hardly the only church in Rome. Actually, we have so many that you could go your whole life without seeing them all.

But one that is absolutely worth seeing is San Paolo Oltre Le Mura, which is one of 4 Roman Basilicas, as well as San Giovanni, San Pietro, and Santa Maria Maggiore. The interior is vast, golden, and quiet. It is absolutely beautiful, but off the beaten tourist track, so it is usually quite empty. If you want a less chaotic but still awe-inspiring alternative to the Vatican, this is where I'd go.

6. Gelato da Giolitti

Again, this one should be one of those that you can sneak in after you've been visiting the Pantheon. It's only a short walk away, and quite well-signposted. From here, you can then walk to Piazza Navona and admire more Bernini, or walk back to Via del Corso and eventually the Spanish Steps. So wherever you are, it is a good time to stop for Gelato.

A few things to note about Giolitti:

• The queues are real.
• It's been in the same spot since 1900, making it the oldest Gelateria in Rome.
• It is a little more expensive than your average gelato, but absolutely worth it. Furthermore, in Italy we charge you for the size of the cone, so if you want to order a medium cone but want to try 4 flavours of gelato they won't charge you any more.
• Pay at the till before ordering your ice cream. Pay at the till before queuing. Pay at the till, for heaven's sake.
• Their selection of fruit sorbets and gelatos change all the time, so keep your eyes and ears and noses open, and don't be angry if there's no strawberry gelato in November—we just don't have strawberries!

Notice I say gelato and not ice-cream. They are two completely different things. Ice-cream often contains eggs, and is whipped faster and colder for that "eat my out of the tub" consistency. Gelato is usually dairy-only, and whipped slower and at a higher temperature. If your gelato isn't melting while you're walking with it, it's not good gelato.

All romans know Giolitti. You should too.

7. Virtual Reality

This one might not be available when you go, but it is 200% worth checking. A lot of tourists find it hard to imagine Rome at its finest, before the buildings and the roads, and when the statues were painted and the frescoes weren't cracked.

So there have been a few initiatives that have tried to remedy that with Virtual Reality. The two that we can think of are:

L'Ara Com'Era — where you can visit the Ara Pacis after hours (weekends only) and see it as it was, painted and decorated and in the middle of what was once a park and is now a main road.

and

Domus Aurea — this has been under restoration for so long that nobody I know has visited it. But now bits of it are open to the public on weekends only from February to October for VR tours.

But there are lots more popping up all the time, especially on summers nights, like Ancient&Recent at the Colosseum.

8. See St Peter's from a Keyhole

There's a church in Rome called Santa Maria del Priorato. It is special for a few reasons, not least that's it's been a site of worship since the 900s. The architectural motifs in the building evoke sea, because we say the Aventine Hill looks like a ship.

But the reason that most people visit is because of the Aventine Keyhole. On a clear day, the view from the keyhole lines up perfectly with the garden, centered on the Vatican in the distance. No one seems to be able to say with certainty whether this was beautifully planned, or just a lucky coincidence.

I am pretty sure that you need to book to visit the gardens, but the keyhole is definitely a view like few others.

The queues can be long, so bring some water. But it is absolutely worth it. Worth waiting in line to peep through a keyhole? I must be mad. But no, it is worth the walk, because Aventino is one of the quietest and nicest neighborhoods in central Rome. You can pass by ruins, rose gardens, an orange grove. And once you are at the top, the views are incredible.

9. The Rose Gardens

Not far from n.8 there is this beautiful hidden gem.

The Roman rose garden was originally by the Colosseum, but it was destroyed during the Second World War. It was rebuilt at the feet of the Aventino Hill. The site was previously a Jewish cemetery, which is still visible in the architecture; the rose garden paths take on the shape of a 7-branched menorah.

There are over 1100 types of roses, divided between modern and ancient roses, going way back to the "original" rose. There is also a smaller, newer section, for the "new creations" that battle for the Premio Roma for new varieties every year.

The rose garden is open every day from May until October, while the flowers are in bloom.

10. Campo de' Fiori

This is the only Roman Piazza that doesn't have a church. I am 300% serious.

The reason that it doesn't have a church is that it has always been a market square. It is just a few streets down from Piazza Navona (which you should also totally have a walk through, not least for the hilarity of the Bernini/Borromini Dispute. Which I am going to share now because I love my home town and its quirky little stories. In piazza Navona, there is a beautiful fountain by Bernini—yes, same guy as point n.2—of the 4 rivers. Right in front, is a church by Borromini, sworn rival of Bernini, if sculptors can have rivals. Bernini insisted that the bell-tower on Borromini's church was crooked, and sculpted the Rio de la Plata God as if he was fending off the falling tower. Those sculptors know how to throw shade!

The demolition of a block of houses in 1858 enlarged Campo de' Fiori, there is a daily vegetable and fish market held here between 7am-2pm. There is a fountain which holds fresh flowers for sale, with the inscription fa del bene e lassa dire ("Do good and let them talk") because let's be honest, the main reason to go to the market every day is to gossip! In the afternoons, all the cafès nearby bring out their outdoor tables, and you will see families with children, or gentlemen having espresso.

At night, Campo de' Fiori is a meeting place for tourists and young people coming from the whole city. It's the best place to have a cocktail, listen to great music, have a chat with friends, and really soak up that which makes Rome.

I hope this has enthused you with wanderlust and helped with your decision about how to spend your days and nights in Rome. There is so much to see that you cannot go wrong, but sometimes the gems you aren't looking for are the ones worth finding.

Happy travelling.