Ten Things to Do in Rome

There are several national galleries in Italy. The National Gallery of Art in Rome features eight rooms of art that contain paintings, artifacts and statuary, along with the Lincei Library. The displays include works of art ranging from ancient Rome up to the present time. The galleries are open Tuesday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. A nominal admission fee is charged, but European Union students, senior citizens and children under 18 are admitted without charge.

Address: Villa della Lungara, 10
Telephone: 06.68892323

The Pantheon is a recreation of the Hadrian temple that once existed on the same site; the original was destroyed in A.D. 80 by a massive fire. The original was constructed in the 2nd century A.D. in honor of the major gods. It was transformed into a church by Pope Boniface IV in 608. The open-air roofed structure is the burial location of Raphael and other notable figures of Roman history.

Address: Piazza della Rotonda

This church, the sole surviving example of original basilica construction in Rome, was constructed during the rule of Pope Sixtus III (A.D. 432-440).

Address: Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore

This piazza is the site of an open-air market. In the center of the piazza is a massive statue dedicated to Giordano Bruno, who was executed in 1600 for his scientific ideas. The market first opened at the piazza in 1869.

Address: Campo de' Fiori

The Colosseum, originally called the Anfiteatrum Flavium, was opened in A.D. 80, just after the death of Emperor Vespasian (A.D. 69-79) who supervised its construction. Crowds of nearly 87,000 people came to see the gladiators and animals fight to the death. The name Colosseum caught on during the Middle Ages as a result of popular usage. Today the ruins of this magnificent structure can be seen through guided tours.

Address: Piazza del Colosseo

The National Museum of Rome is not one museum but three separate ones. It holds archeological treasures from earliest Roman history and boasts elaborate gardens, coin displays, statuary, paintings, portraits, bronze sculptures and funeral art exhibits (including a mummy). Many individual collections have been pooled to make up the National Museum's vast displays. One group of exhibits is housed in the cloister designed and built by Michelangelo during the 16th Century. Another building, the Diocletian Baths, incorporates the Palazzo Massimo, Palazzo Altemps and the Octagonal Hall. The Baths are currently undergoing a long-term restoration, and some of the items formerly on display have been relocated to the other museums. Meanwhile, others of the former displays are in storage until renovation has been completed.

Addresses:
Baths: V. le E. De Nicola, 79
Hall: Via Romita
Palazzo Massimo: Piazza dei Cinquecento, 68
Palazzo Altemps: Via Di S. Apollinare

The Spanish Steps are the longest set of stairs in Europe. Their 138 steps take visitors to the Piazza di Spagna, near the church of Trinita dei Monti. The steps were designed by Francesco de Sanctis in the 1700s, constructed with a grant made by the French statesman Etienne Gueffier and built over a two-year period beginning in 1723. The area around the steps, known as the Piazza di Spagna, has hosted famous literary visitors and world-known artists for centuries. The steps are named for the Spanish embassy that was located in the area.

The Roman Forum site tells the story of the life of ancient Romans. Construction dating to the second half of the sixth century B.C. has been uncovered in archeological digs. The Roman Forum was the center of the ancient city where all important public, religious, political and commercial life took place. The location was abandoned in favor of other venues in the vast empire but was rediscovered in the 18th century when excavations began to uncover the then-subterranean structure and remove the dirt to reveal the monument that is seen today. Temples of Saturn, Vespasianus, Titus, Caesar, Castores, Antoninus and Fasutina, Venus and Rome and Romolus are all located at the site, in addition to the Regia, Arch of Titus, Basilica Julia, Basilica Aemilia, Curia, Arch of Septimius Severus, Column of Foca and Via Sacra, which are also open for viewing. Admission is charged for viewing the area. The area opens at 8:30 a.m. and closes one hour before sunset (varies throughout the year).

Address: Via della Salara Vecchia, 5/6
Telephone: 06.39967700

The Piazza di Spagna has a collection of hotels, homes and world-famous fashion design showrooms. The area is home to the Spanish Steps and the Trinita dei Monti, a church built during the Renaissance. It is a traditional meeting place for locals and visitors.

Address: Piazza di Spagna

The Galleria Borghese was originally built as a home for the Borghese family in 1579. The structure was home to famous art collections beginning with the time of the construction, but additional collections were added over the years, including the collection of Cardinal Scipio who brought the portrait collection in 1615. Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte confiscated many of the archeological pieces in 1807. At the turn of the 20th century the Italian government purchased the Galleria and its artwork and opened the collection to the public. Admission is charged. Guided tours are available. The gallery is closed every Monday.

Address: Piazzale del Museo Borhese, 5
Telephone: 06.8413979