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Discover

RomeExperience the best of Rome

Monti, Esquilino& San Lorenzo(p141)

CentroStorico (p69)

Trastevere &Gianicolo (p161) Ancient

Rome(p47)San Giovanni to

Testaccio (p177) Southern Rome(p191)

Tridente, Trevi& the Quirinale(p99)

Vatican City,Borgo &

Prati (p121)

Villa Borghese &Northern Rome (p203)

Experience the best of RomeNow it’s even easier to plan the perfect trip

Must-see sights and all the best experiences

HIGHLIGHTSGreat trip ideas to make your planning easy

ITINERARIESGet advice from people who know the place

LOCAL EXPERTS

Marvel at the Colosseum

Explore the Vatican Museums

Relive history at the Pantheon

Admire the Trevi Fountain

Wander the Via Appia Antica

Discover this and more inside…

2ND EDITION

Choose Lonely Planet because…Our job is to make amazing travel experiences happen. We visit the places we write about each and every edition. We never take freebies for positive coverage, so you can always rely on us to tell it like it is.

Published Feb 2014First Published June 2012

USA $21.99UK £13.99

I SBN 978 -1 -74220 -570 -0

9 781742 205700

99125

Rome

Discover

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discover-rome-2-cover.indd 1 16/09/2013 11:01:34 AM

IContents

Discover

Rome

Experience the best of Rome

This edition written and researched by

Abigail Blasi,Duncan Garwood

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Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale (p 99 ) Glamorous, debonair and touristy – this is Rome’s designer-clad soul.

Ancient Rome (p 47 ) No other city has such an evocative ancient heart.

Don’t Miss Colosseum, Palatino, Roman Forum

Centro Storico (p 69 ) The city’s tangled historic centre is packed with incredible sights.

Don’t Miss Pantheon

Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo (p 141 ) Busy areas, speckled with glittering churches and some cool restaurants.

Don’t Miss Museo Nazionale Romano: Palazzo Massimo alle Terme

Trastevere & Gianicolo (p 161 ) Enchantingly pretty, with tangled lanes, ochre palazzi (palaces) and a boho vibe.

Vatican City, Borgo & Prati (p 121 ) Home to a stunning wealth of artistic treasures.

Don’t Miss Vatican Museums, St Peter’s Basilica

Discover Rome


Villa Borghese & Northern Rome (p 203 ) Encompasses the glori-ous park of Villa Borghese and the city’s cultural hub.

Don’t Miss Museo e Galleria Borghese

Southern Rome (p 191 ) Encompassing the beautiful, historic Via Appia Antica and ancient catacombs.

San Giovanni to Testaccio (p 177 ) Monumental basilicas, towering ruins, traditional trattorias and thumping nightlife.

Don’t Miss Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano

Monti, Esquilino& San Lorenzo(p141)

CentroStorico (p69)

Trastevere &Gianicolo (p161) Ancient

Rome(p47)San Giovanni to

Testaccio (p177) Southern Rome(p191)

Tridente, Trevi& the Quirinale(p99)

Vatican City,Borgo &

Prati (p121)

Villa Borghese &Northern Rome (p203)


Contents

Ancient Rome .........47Highlights ..................... 48Walking Tour ................ 50Colosseum .................. 52Palatino ....................... 54Roman Forum ............. 56Sights ........................... 60Eating.............................67Drinking .........................67

Centro Storico ........69Highlights ..................... 70Walking Tour .................72Pantheon ......................74Sights ............................76Eating............................ 88Drinking & Nightlife ..... 94Entertainment ..............95Shopping ...................... 96

Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale ......99Highlights ................... 100Walking Tour ...............102Sights ..........................104Eating........................... 112Drinking ....................... 116Entertainment .............117Shopping ......................117

Vatican City, Borgo & Prati ........121Highlights ....................122Walking Tour ...............124Vatican Museums .....126St Peter’s Basilica ... 130Sights ..........................134Eating...........................135Entertainment ............139

Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo ..... 141Highlights ....................142Museo Nazionale Romano: Palazzo Massimo alle Terme ..144Walking Tour ...............146Sights ..........................148Eating...........................154Drinking & Nightlife .... 157Entertainment ............159Shopping .....................159

Trastevere & Gianicolo ........... 161Highlights ....................162Walking Tour ...............164Sights ..........................166Eating........................... 167Drinking & Nightlife .... 174Entertainment ............ 175Shopping ..................... 175

This Is Rome .................6

Highlights Map .............8

Rome’s Top 25 Highlights ..............10

Top Days in Rome ..... 32

Month by Month ........40

What’s New ................. 42

Get Inspired ............... 43

Need to Know ............44

Plan Your Trip Discover Rome


San Giovanni to Testaccio ............177Highlights .................... 178Walking Tour ...............180Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano 182Sights ..........................184Eating........................... 187Drinking & Nightlife ....189

Southern Rome ....191Highlights ....................192Walking Tour ...............194Sights ..........................196Eating..........................200Drinking & Nightlife ....201Entertainment ............201

Villa Borghese & Northern Rome ....203Highlights ................... 204Walking Tour .............. 206Museo e Galleria Borghese ....208Sights ..........................210Eating...........................215Drinking & Nightlife ....216Entertainment ............ 217Shopping ..................... 217

Day Trips ...............219

Sleeping ..................... 260Transport ................... 267Directory .....................272Language ................... 278

Behind the Scenes.. 279

Index ..........................280

How to Use This Book .................. 287

Our Writers ...............288

Rome Today ............... 226History ........................ 228Family Travel ...............237Food & Drink .............. 239Shopping .................... 244The Arts ......................247Architecture ............... 252The Roman Way of Life ..................257

Survival GuideIn Focus


This Is Rome

Rome is a city that

encourages devotion

Rome is a seductive, thrilling city, created through the alchemy of history, genius and the hot Mediterranean sun.

With an artistic heritage dating back to Etruscan times, the city is packed with masterpieces, particularly from the ancient, Renaissance and baroque eras. Throughout history, Rome has played a starring role in the major upheavals of Western art and the results are there for all to see – amazing classical carvings, stunning Renais-sance frescoes and breathtaking baroque statuary. Walk around the centre and, without the slightest effort, you’ll encounter works by the greats of the artistic pantheon –sculptures by Michelangelo, paintings by Caravaggio, frescoes by Raphael and fountains by Bernini. In Rome, art is not locked away from view, it’s all around you.

Once caput mundi (capital of the world), the glittering hub of the vast Roman Empire, Rome was the seat of papal power for centuries. The legacies of its past are embodied in awe-inspiring buildings such as the Roman Forum, the Pantheon and the Vatican, which contemporary Romans navigate with an air of nonchalant cool. Rome was a city that counted, and this is writ large on its historic streets – the Colosseum evokes glorious imperial days, the Circo Massimo conjures up images of wild chariot races, Castel Sant’Angelo testifies to violent dramas and St Peter’s Basilica stands as a monument to artistic genius and papal ambition.

But Rome is as much about lapping up the lifestyle as it is about gorging on art and historic sights. And there’s no better way of getting into the spirit of things than by eating and drinking well. Food and wine are as important to Roman social life as those other pillars: family and football, and the hundreds of pizzerias, trattorias, restaurants and gelaterie in the city buzz and bubble over with life. Whether it gets to you through its art, its architecture, its pasta or its vibrant sense of life, Rome is a city that encourages devotion.

Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, Piazza Navona (p 84 )RICHARD I’ANSON/GETTY IMAGES ©

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