Rome, is certainly one of the biggest cities in Italy, the third most visited city in Europe and the most visited on the planet for its extraordinary beauty, architecture, art, history, prestigious monuments, beautiful ancient buildings, museums, natural and artistic attractions. You should definitely need more time to visit Rome, but if you are passing by just for one day we will tell you the best places to linger for only 24 hours.
Whether you arrive in the morning at Rome at Triburtina station by train, or at Fiumicino airport, get a taxi that connects you in just few minutes to your hotel or B&B. Leave your suitcases in your room and start your journey in the Caput Mundi, the Eternal City: the ancient Romans truly thought that their city would have lasted forever, representing the center of the universe and the capital of an endless empire.
We arrived at the 4 star Hotel Eliseo, in the very heart of Rome. It is a marvelous location in the city located at the end of the prestigious Via Veneto with amazing views of the Borghese Villa and gardens. The Hotel has a delightful rooftop terrace with an incredible view of the city, in proximity to prestigious landmarks. Our first stop as soon as we arrived at the hotel was: Fontana di Trevi.
The Fontana di Trevi, just a ten minute walk from the hotel, is marvelous. It is an 18th century fountain, designed by an Italian architect. It is the largest fountain that belongs to the Baroque style and it’s also one of the most famous fountains in the whole world.The site is visited daily by millions of people, it is very complicated to take a picture with no tourists in the background, especially during the summer season. Tradition says that each person needs to flip a coin in the fountain before leaving the city. It is an old superstition and whoever throws a coin will be back in the Eternal city. So don’t forget to flip the coin into the fountain, while you turn your back toward it.
We continued our walk toward the Pantheon. The Pantheon has represented the greatest expression of the glory of Rome for more than two thousand years. At first, the Pantheon was a temple and was built by Agrippa. This can also be understood from the Latin inscription on the pediment, which means “It was built by Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time”. The Pantheon was dedicated to the Twelve gods. Only afterwards, the temple was officially converted to Christianity and it was named Saint Maria ad Martyres. This place was a true inspiration to Raphael, one of the greatest architects of the Renaissance, who wanted to be buried there. Enter the Pantheon, immerse yourself into the Italian Baroque art noted for its impressive composition and use in color. Once inside, you will remain in awe. If you don’t have time to visit the inside, you can’t miss taking a picture of the outside of the Pantheon.
If you get hungry, no worries! Rome is full of amazing restaurants and taverns. Not far from the Pantheon, while walking through the streets of Rome we came across a restaurant called Il Marchese, where every dish is a pleasant discovery and a delight for the palate. This very renowned Roman restaurant, visited by many actors and famous people throughout the years, takes its name from a famous movie: il Marchese del Grillo, a movie that symbolizes the spirit of Rome. It has such an elegant style, you surely can’t go wrong if you have lunch here! This tavern relies on a traditional cuisine based on incredibly good dishes full of delicious flavours that attracts foreign visitors and locals. You can’t go back home without experiencing the amatriciana pasta… you will be delighted!
Gelateria della Palma, the kingdom of ice cream. This shop, in the main center can boast a wide selection of ice cream, as soon as you enter you will get immersed by a very elegant entrance and a huge counter that offers 150 different flavors of ice cream. It is the only place in the world to offer such a wide variety: you will find 100% artisanal ice cream, prepared with vegetable variations, gluten-free or sugar-free. It’s good for everyone! Gelateria Della Palma does much more: they have a very big laboratory where they prepare cakes, pastries, candies, and sweets. At night you can walk through the streets and explore different monuments. If like us, you are going to Rome to see a concert or watch a show at a theatre you won’t have much time in the evening to view the city.
The next morning, before getting our plane back to Sicily, we got the Hop on and Hop off bus, this convenient bus lets you see the most important attractions by just sitting down. It makes several stops and you are able to decide to get down, go around and then hop on the bus again to discover a new monument. We had two hours to explore the city before getting back to the hotel, so we figured to stop at the Colosseum. You can’t go back home without visiting it and without taking a picture with the majestic Colosseum behind you. The Colosseum was commissioned around 70-72 A.D. by Emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty as a gift to the Roman people, and it is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It’s a must-see sight if you’re visiting Italy’s capital! It is the largest ancient amphitheater ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheater in the world, despite its age. It was used for several years for gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights that could welcome around 50,000 spectators. Over the centuries it was totally abandoned, until the 1990s, when a lot of restoration was done. It still is the most leading attraction for tourists from all over the world.
It was “ una toccata e fuga” but it was amazing… Rome we will be back!
Two Sisters On The Road 