We choose to travel to different cities
for different reasons. If we want to go to a city for historical reasons,
we'd probably go to Cairo. If the reasons are religious, we'd probably go to
Varanasi or Mecca. If we want to view the architectural marvels, we may
choose to go to Sydney. If we want to visit a popular city then we'd go to
... probably Los Angeles, right?
Note down all these reasons on a sheet of paper. Now ... if you are asked
to choose one city known for all these reasons ... well, all roads lead to
Rome.
With 2,700 years of history behind it, Rome is the epicenter of Christian
religion. As the popular cliche goes, Rome was not built in a day. It has
had a long journey from the ancient city of Rome ... to an empire ... to
modern day capital of Italy. It's hard to say what will attract you to this
city most, but one thing is for sure ... you'll fall in love with Rome.
Fact File
Country : Italy
Population : 3.8 million
Area :5,352 square kilometres / 2,066 square miles
Languages : Italian, French, German and Slovene
Climate : Rome is characterised by a Mediterranean climate. Nothern
region is cold and the southern hot and dry. Winters are mild, characterized
by a few rains. The best time to visit Rome is during spring and fall.
Official Currency : Euro; 1 Euro = 52.443 Indian Rupee = 1.2047 US $
= 0.678141 GBP(subject to change)
Location
: the city of Rome is located on the south western part of Italy and if
flanked by Florence and Piombino on the north and Gaeta and Naples on the
south.
Getting There
By Air : ‘Leonardo da Vinci airport’, the international
airport is located in Fiumicino and is about 35 kilometers from the city
center. Visitors can reach the city in half an hour via an express train
that connects to Termini, Rome's central station. Trains leave every hour;
the non-express train departs every 20 minutes from 5:30 to midnight.
Besides the train one can go for the buses or the taxis which take around
one hour to reach the city center.
‘Ciampino airport’, the second airport is about 16 kilometers
southeast of Rome and is the place where most air charters and some domestic
airlines land.
By Train : ‘Stazione Centrale Roma termini’ is The Main
railway station in Rome. It is situated east of the historic city centre.
By car : One can easily reach Rome by car. Four motorways lead to
the urban ring road (A 12 from Fiumicino - west, A 1 from Firenze and
Orvieto - north, A 24 from northeast which includes A 25 from Pescara, A 1
from Napoli - south).
Getting Around
Metro (Subway) : The Metropolitana is divided into two lines (A &
B) that cover the entire city. The single ticket fare is $1; a book of 10
tickets ($7) is purchased at station vending machines.
By Road : Rome's ATAC bus service is reasonable and comfortable.
Tourist passes are available and valid for half days ($2), one day ($4),
three days ($10) or a week ($15).
One can go for the yellow and white coloured taxis. There's a surcharge
after 10pm.
Accommodation
The city a has number of good hotels to provide a comfortable and
convenient stay for the tourists. Mentioned below are some of the hotels in
the city:
5 star hotels in the city:
Fortyseven hotel Rome
San Francesco hotel Rome
Hotel Rose Garden Palace
4 star hotels in the city:
The
Westin Excelsior Rome
Intercontinental De La Villa Rome
Hotel Franklin
3 star hotels in the city:
Amadeus hotel Rome
Hotel Pacific
Hotel Tirreuo
Major Tourist Attractions
Circus Maximus : Tthe elongated oval of Circus Maximus provides a
250,000-seat arena for Ben-Hur-style gladiator action and is second only to
the Colosseum as an impressive structure of ancient Rome.
The Colosseum : The Colosseum in its present shell-like state is
said to be Rome’s greatest architectural legacy.
Protestant Cemetery : Amid cypress trees, romantic poet John Keats
is buried with his requested epitaph -- "Here lies one whose name was
writ in water" -- engraved on the tomb. Other occupants of this old
cemetery include ashes of Percy Bysshe Shelley, author of Prometheus
Unbound, who before age 30 drowned off the Italian Riviera in 1822.
The Pantheon : This lone ancient Roman building was built in 27 B.C.
and rebuilt in second century A.D. This perfect square resting in a cylinder
measuring 142 feet wide and 142 feet high ranks among the world’s
architectural wonders. Michelangelo studied its once-gilded dome before
designing the cupola of St. Peter's. Walls are 25 feet thick, and bronze
doors weigh 20 tons each. More than a century ago, Raphael's tomb was
discovered here. Buried nearby are Vittorio Emanuele II, king of Italy, and
his successor, Umberto I.
Palatine Hill : South of the Forum and overlooking it, Palatine Hill
is the oldest inhabited site in Rome, with remains unearthed from the 9th
century BC. Hidden corners and shaded lanes make the Palatine a fine place
to wander on foot.
Trevi Fountain : Trevi Fountain, on a piazza of Via del Tritone, is
a stunning oasis of rest showing mythical sea creatures and cascading
waters. Legend dictates that you can ensure return to Rome by tossing a coin
into the fountain, one of the most trafficked sites in the city.
St.
Peter’s Basilica : The Basilica is said to be near where the Circus
of Nero was in ancient times. After near collapse in the 15th century, a
long, labored reconstruction began. Five of Italy’s greatest
Renaissance artists died while toiling away on the new St. Peter’s --
Bramante, Raphael, Peruzzi, Sangallo the Younger and Michelangelo. Inside
the great church is Michelangelo’s Pieta.
Vatican Museums : The Vatican Museums serve as a huge warehouse for
treasures from antiquity and the Renaissance, confined within lavish
palaces, apartments and galleries leading to the renowned Sistine Chapel.
The Vatican Museums occupy a part of the papal palaces built from the 1200s
onward. Among main features are the Borgia Apartments, Egyptian-Gregorian
Museum, Ethnological Museum, Raphael Rooms, Pinacoteca, Raphael Salon and
the Vatican Library.
