Italy. Part 1. Rome. October, 2023

Recently, we were fortunate enough to spend our vacation in Italy. We traveled to Rome to experience the spirit of the Eternal City, visited the charming city of Siena, where we received a prestigious award, and also enjoyed the beauty of Florence, one of Italy’s most magnificent cities 

Day 1. The Colosseum District

We took an overnight flight from Toronto and arrived in Rome 8.5 hours later. For our stay, we chose an Airbnb near the Colosseum, assuming that most of the city's major attractions would be within walking distance. In reality, there are more central areas that are especially convenient for tourists, such as the Piazza Navona neighborhood, but accommodation prices there were unbelievably high. So high, in fact, that at first I thought there must be a mistake in the system and that an extra zero had accidentally been added :)

After a bit of rest, we headed out and soon found ourselves standing in front of the Colosseum. There it was — the ultimate symbol of the grandeur and power of Imperial Rome

The Colosseum was built over the course of 8 years, and its grand opening was celebrated for a full hundred days. Lovers of “bread and circuses” found everything they could wish for here: gladiator battles, elephant fights, and both military and naval reenactments. In reality, it was a rather grim place. According to historians’ estimates, around 400,000 people and more than 1 million animals died here over time. Later, when it got dark, we walked around the Colosseum again 

Day 2. City Tour

To really see Rome, you probably need to live here, or at least come back many times. Every corner breathes history, and it also helps to actually know that history in order to find your way around even a little. The most reliable way to get to know the city is to hire a guide, but even then, the experience will only be quite superficial. I won’t go into long descriptions, I’ll just show the places we managed to see.

We arrived at Piazza Venezia, and then listened to the story of Trajan’s Column, a kind of historical chronicle told in images

One of the most popular tourist attractions is the Trevi Fountain. They say it is never empty of people. Of course, you’re supposed to toss a coin into the fountain. And now, pay attention! Three times a week, the municipality of Rome cleans the fountain’s bottom, collecting the coins. The total annual revenue from the fountain reaches up to 1.5 million dollars! 

And in this little courtyard, there was no one around. Just an ordinary small courtyard, with a fountain by Bernini himself from the 17th century. The newly elected Pope Clement IX gifted his loyal servant Paolo Strada access to aqueduct water (a water supply system). At that time, having running water in your home was a true privilege.

In gratitude, Paolo commissioned Bernini to build a fountain in the courtyard of his house and decorated it with the coat of arms of Pope Clement IX. Later, the house was sold, and the coat of arms was replaced. The water no longer flows in the fountain today, in order to preserve the work of the great sculptor

Oh, it smells so good! I’m trying everything :) It’s a chain shop selling truffle products. And right next door there’s a little deli selling cured meats 

We step inside the small church of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte. Inside, you can find the original statues of two angels by Bernini. And outside — a charming little courtyard 

Just for curiosity, we popped into a local McDonald’s. The menu was a bit different from the Canadian one 

We approach Piazza di Spagna. In fact, the square has only a very indirect connection to Spain, and it got its name from the residence of the Spanish ambassador. The famous Spanish Steps connect the square with the Trinità dei Monti church.

In the 18th century, the staircase linked the Spanish embassy located in the square with the French church on the hill. We arrive at the iconic Spanish Steps. In the 18th century, they served as a connection between the Spanish embassy in the square and the French church on the hill

At the foot of the steps is the Barcaccia Fountain, shaped like a sinking boat. The fountain was installed in memory of a flood, when a boat ran aground on the flooded square. Right here begins a street lined with famous luxury boutiques 

And here is the remarkable Caffè Greco. It’s said to be over two centuries old. So many famous figures have visited it over time — Byron, Goethe, Stendhal, Gogol, Hans Christian Andersen, Wagner, and many other artists and writers. The café’s walls are decorated with original paintings by well-known artists 

And here is another beautiful church, Sant’Antonio dei Portoghesi. It is a titular church. We continue our walk and arrive at the large Piazza Navona

We step into the toy store Al Sogno. Here you can find handmade dolls, as well as all kinds of toys and souvenirs 

And here are two of the many drinking fountains you can find on the streets of Rome. The water flows continuously, helping to keep the pipes clean. In Rome, there’s no need to carry a water bottle with you at all times 

Despite it being the end of September, the weather in Rome was hot, around +30°C. You can buy fresh fruit right on the street, or enjoy some gelato 

How can you tell real gelato from an artificial-looking one? You can actually notice it by the way it’s displayed in the shop. On the left, in simple metal tubs, is the less visually appealing but natural gelato. On the right, the beautifully piled, brightly colored one often contains various “beauty enhancers” to improve its appearance

Trying to decide where to have lunch 

And we settle on a cozy family-run restaurant 

We continue on and arrive at the Ponte Sant’Angelo (St. Angelo Bridge). This pedestrian bridge spanning the Tiber River is one of the oldest structures in Rome 

We had done plenty of walking by this point. Time to make our way back home along these charming, cozy streets of Rome 

We pass by the Roman Forum, take a little break at home, and then head out again in the evening for some photo hunting:)

Day 3. Vatican

Today we had to take the subway. Our destination was the holy of holies — the Vatican. Tickets to the Vatican Museums need to be booked well in advance. Even a month and a half ahead, I couldn’t get tickets on the official Vatican website. They can be purchased through third-party sites like Viator or GetYourGuide. The prices are higher, but if you wait any longer, you might miss out entirely.

There are different types of tickets: guided tours, audio guides, and skip-the-line entry. We bought standard tickets. At the entrance to the Vatican, there are two queues. One is enormous — for people who decided to buy tickets on-site. The other is for those who already have tickets in hand, regardless of category. So it wasn’t really clear why you would pay extra for priority entry. The line moves fairly quickly anyway. An audio guide can be purchased on-site if you wish.

So, the Vatican — the smallest country in the world. You can walk around its perimeter in about an hour. It is surrounded by a stone wall. If you’re looking at the wall from the outside, the entrance to the Vatican is on the right (and on the left is the entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica). The Vatican has its own flag and anthem, mints its own coins, prints its own stamps, issues its own passports and license plates.

The courtyard in front of the Vatican Museums is the Courtyard of the Pinecone (Cortile della Pigna), also known as the Pinecone Courtyard. The pinecone was originally intended to be a fountain, but it has never actually flowed with water. Here you’ll also find Arnaldo Pomodoro’s sculpture Sphere Within Sphere (Sfera con Sfera). It consists of two spheres. The smaller one — intended to represent our planet — sits inside the larger one, the universe, and both appear to be rotating. The idea is that by destroying the planet, we are destroying the universe itself

The Vatican Museums are arranged in such a way that you have to pass through all the galleries in order to reach the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo’s frescoes. The first rooms are dedicated to sculptures 

The further we moved through the galleries, the bigger the crowds became. Eventually, we reached the Gallery of Maps 

The Gallery of Tapestries and the Raphael Rooms. Interestingly, these rooms can easily be missed, as they have a separate entrance. For us, this was the most beautiful part of the museum 

And finally, the Sistine Chapel. The chapel is famous for its wall and ceiling frescoes. Michelangelo was not very eager to paint it and even suggested hiring Raphael instead, but after some hesitation he eventually agreed (this was in 1505) and spent four years working on it, lying on scaffolding beneath the ceiling. Michelangelo did not trust his assistants and worked entirely alone.

About half a century later, Pope Paul IV wanted to destroy the frescoes because of the nudity of the figures. Artists were then forced to paint over them with drapery to cover the bodies. In modern times, restorers have once again revealed the original figures :)

The museums are incredibly beautiful, and you can easily spend a lot of time there. We spent over 3 hours exploring them

And at the exit — the stunning Bramante Staircase 

We leave the Museums and head toward St. Peter’s Basilica. The basilica is the largest historic Christian church in the world. Several generations of great masters worked on its construction — Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, Bernini, and Maderno. The niches inside the church are the burial place of many popes. The basilica can hold up to 15,000 people, while the square in front of it accommodates around 60,000. It is from this square that the Pope addresses the public. Entry to the basilica is free.

We were told that it’s best to arrive at 7 a.m. to avoid long queues, but we had no idea just how long those queues could actually be… It looks like we’ll have to come back to Rome one day and try again at 7 a.m:)

And on the right — the armed forces of the Vatican, the Swiss Guard. The guards are recruited in Switzerland. They must be unmarried Catholic men, at least 180 cm tall

Somehow I’ve shown very little food. In reality, we didn’t spend much time in restaurants, as we wanted to see as much as possible. Near our place there was a lovely family-run restaurant where we had dinner every evening 

And not far from our place there was a Conad supermarket. We bought snacks, grapes, and delicious cheeses there. 

Next stop — the city of Siena, followed by the beautiful Florence. The description of the second part of our journey can be found here