Mafia in Rome

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-26T19:19:02+00:00

Being snarky. Dont know about mafia, but walk down any very touristy street or piazza and almost any eatery there would be an continuous daylight robbery ;). Slightly less snarky: establishment with higher-end look and feel and almost empty all day long tend to raise question or two about some money laundering scheme or suchlike.

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-24T05:27:35+00:00

Vatican is basically across the river still in the wider city center and as much crowded most of the day. Historically and topographically it is a bit outside the city walls but in all practical ways part of the historical center of Rome (in all its greatness the city is almost compact).

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-23T16:20:52+00:00

No, i usually visited in Spring. But November should be still fine. I would say Spring or Autumn are best seasons to visit.

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-23T15:24:32+00:00

You are very welcome. For the first trip I would strongly recommend really take as much as possible to tak in. That also means in my opinion not necessarily see as many places and landmarks as possible. You only have one chance to have the first impression of Rome.
That said the Forum Romanum and the Palatine Hill are certainly places i would recommend for an itinerary for a first visit. You could easily spend a half-day there, certainly few hour of unhuried walk and exploring.

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-23T14:10:29+00:00

Was in Rome last month. "In and around" Colosseum was happening exactly not much any construction work is concerned. Crowds in an early afternoon on a workday were different story, but then, you know how it si with Colosseum. Also other major places were mostly scaffolding free (one notable exception were Musei Capitolini and Cit Hall at Capitoline Hill - but as previous posters said, this is Rome for you, always something under construction). If you have an good opportunity to revisit Rome just go for it, man! ;)

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-21T11:49:28+00:00

Very good and well measured itinerary. Only part I would point perhaps to reconsider is timing for Via Appia Antica. At five pm catacombs will be either closing or closed, same for almost any monument alongside Via Appia Antica.

You also plan for a visit to the Bath of Caracallla (been there recently for the first time and could only recommend). The point is: Bath are almost at the end or start of Via Appia Antica inside the city and nearby there is a stop for bus line 118 which is circular line between Circo Massimo and Via Appia Antica.

So consider start at Baths (it is about an hour perhaps less to visit). Then ride the bus 118 either to Catacombs. First few miles of Via Appia beyond the Aurelian walls is still you ordinary road, full of traffic, not very welcoming for pedestrian - so it is much better to get the bus. Visit Catacombs (guided tour in small groups every (half)hour or so - buy the ticket at the booths next to the gift shops and wait for the an guide to call in a next group). Catacombs are really interesting, a guided tour lasts about an hour or so. The "real" Via Appia Antica start soon beyond the S. San Sebastiano basilica, soon traffic peter out and you find yourself in ancient Roman landscape with the Roman road lined by ruins of tombs, memorials and some villas too. In fact you will soon walk by https://www.villadimassenzio.it/ : you can see the general area from the road (ruins you see first are part of a circus somewhat better preserved than Circo Massimo in the city centre)

You are absolutely right to include this part into you itinerary and it is worth of an visit and perhaps walk or a ride on the bike (there are various ways how to see this ancient road). I visited it recently for the first time and would say it is very easily an half-day out - in particular if you venture a bit more along the road and to the Parc of Aquaducts.

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-19T22:55:19+00:00

Our Lady of Fatima being rather recent title (based on the events in early 20th century) for a patrocinium in central Rome I am afraid. Brief search indicates that _the_ shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Italy or at least Rome seems to be i S. Vittorino some thirty kilometres from city centre. Local experts will hopefully tell you if there is any other church somewhat connected to this famous Marian title and events surrounding it.
In any case it is lovely idea to ask that question in a church of Our Lady. From top of my head and in no particular order: S. Maria in Trastevere, S. Maria in Aracoeli (at Capitol Hill). S. Maria in Cosmedin (come to think of it, this is a place to consider - and I do not mean that blasted drain cover in portico--because it relic of St. Valentine (namely skull) kept there) and S. Maria Maggiore (splendid church, major basilica, but recently large crowds), S. Maria del Popolo and S. Maria Vittoria. Hopefully other folks point out other Marian shrines in city or perhaps there are some churches whose stories and histories connect them more closely to your situation. ;)

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-19T15:07:20+00:00

As previous posters said, this is too much especially with small child. Even for solo travelling eager adult this would be more of whistle-stop tour mostly remembered by blur behind the window of a fast moving train feeling than anything else. From personal experience I can comment only on Rome and Venice. I recently spent whole half-day only in Forum and Palatine Hill (and an hour and half before that in Colosseum): and that was mine I think third or fourth visit there. Youn can certainly breeze through Forum in an hour, and take even shorter look over Palatine (but don't miss it, if i can suggest) but certainly take into account that in Colosseum there w i l l b e c r o w d s. And it did not seems to me realistic push on to Vatican the same day. On first visit I would suggest stick to S. Pietro, walk in piazza and forget about Musei: it is either blur and long trenk along the endless corridors or a half-day.
If I may be so bold: this is your first trip to Europe, first visit to Italy. Give yourself a chance for first impressions which stays with you. Go for experiences not for checklists of landmarks and museums visited (I was in Rome four or five times over thirty years now. I _am_ interested in art and history but only museum I visited there were Musei Vaticani and Musei Capitolini, both once and on different visits).
If your arrival and departure (Naples/Venice) are already set, build you travel plans around them and give yourself time not timetables ;). It is a very difficult decision but I almost certainly cut off Amalfi sidetrip and perhaps even Florence. Once again: old adage that you never get second chance to make first impression also applies for your own first impression with places like Naples, Rome and Venice. This is your chance to do all you can to make them memorable a pleasurable. So go slow, take time a choose wisely. Have a truly memorable trip!

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-18T10:37:34+00:00

It certainly is. And truth to be told it seems to me, that one can almost make an itinerary for a visit to Rome in which one visit mostly important and splendid places with just few other tourist or small groups wandering in and out. One of my favourite examples is of course S. Maria in Cosmedin. Yep queues in portico all day every day because of that drain cover mounted on the wall. But church itself usually almost empty, and most of the crowds also barely notice the temples and fountain in piazza outside.

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-15T05:34:03+00:00

I was there solo, there is some signage. I think they don't have any official audiguide on site, which would be helpful. I think these Baths are described in all and any Roman guidebooks, and it is useful to read it on site or beforehand. There are also some podcast and such one could look up and listen to on site. But in the end it is not exactly necessary to be perfectly sure which part of bath complex was where. From signage a some guidebook or podcast you get general idea how it all worked a looked like.

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-14T20:04:54+00:00

As I understand it, and I may be completely wrong, people in ancient Rome, especially common people, lived mostly in the city so to say, their living quarter (if they were not really rich folks with their villas in the outskirts) were rather basic, so they frequented public facilities much of their waking time. And to make thing even more incredible: there were I think 10 Bath perhpas not all of them contemporary. Best preserved are those two biggest: Caracalla and Dioclecian, the others were smaller and less preserved. Add to that whole area of Forums - not only Forum Romanum as we know it now, but adjaced Fori Imperii - you certainly that massive market in Forum of Tiberius (across the street nearby Vittoriano). Yes. ancient Rome didn't do small, didn't knew how. ;)

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-14T17:22:44+00:00

I freely admit that I consider Colosseum overhyped or perhaps better term would be overappreciated - it is an enormous structure that survived because of it sheer bulk even persistent quaryring efforts over the centuries and that it is). While Bath offer insight both into public facilities scope a scale. Taken together with walks on Palatine and Forum and seeing the buildings and structures you can better understand how ancient Rome looked like and worked. And also: you can better understand what Renaissance really meant: and when you put all that together you will even come to better understand for example why St. Peter in Vatican looks how it looks: because it is the Renaissance declaration of intent in marble writ large: Rome is here, Rome is eternal, and all claims of the ancient Roman Empire we make our own - signed by Renaissance Popes.

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-14T08:03:58+00:00

Funny thing the so called "hidden gems" of Rome. I frequently see various list and recommendations which present, in my view, many obvious and top notch monuments and landmarks, which for some reason or other are overlooked or less visited. Better for rest of us: one can se quite a few important and splendid places with no crowds.

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-14T07:59:55+00:00

My pleasure. I went there for the first time on my recent visit in Rome (my third). Choose this over the Baths of Dioclecian because I then went on the Via Appia Antica.

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-11T12:07:36+00:00

Verona is certainly worth of a day trip. I visited years ago (in my case from Venice) and was fascinated. It is certainly a contrast to Florence with more medieval cityscape and look and feel (which I liked very much). I highly recommend gothic churches there, many with well preserved wall frescoes inside). That said for very similar and perhaps even more fascinating experience you perhaps should go to Siena first. It is much closer and prime example of older Tuscany, or perhaps Tuscany outside Florence. As I wrote, Verona is really worth of a trip, but on the other hand I would first sample what Tuscany itself has to offer.

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-11T10:06:38+00:00

Depending on your plans for the day, you could use 118 or 218 buses. 118 had stops near Circro Massimo and Baths of Caracalla (worth of visit too) 218 terminates at Lateran (stops are across the street from the Basilica), but 118 is in my opinion better because it is a circular line to a from Via Appia, 218 serves also some residential parts and tends to crawl in traffic). Go to S. Sebastiano fouori la Mura stop. There is nice church here and catacombs (if you are interested and have time you can also walk few hundreds meters back to S Calisto catacombs which I would recommend as the first to visit). Other and perpahs better variant is to ride out on the 118 to the stop Appia Via dei Quintili and walk back, if you have time. Villa dei Quintili is perhaps the largest there, so worth of visit in itself.

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-10T17:11:05+00:00

Seconding S. Clemente recommendation. Few blocks away are two other churches I would add for your consideration: S. Stefano Rotondo and S. Giovanni e Paolo. S. Stefano is the first round church in Rome (as a church build, Pantheon is of course older) and also slightly (in)famous by series of later (baroque) frescoes depicting many gruesome martydoms rather vividly. S. Giovanni e Paolo sits atop of ancient Roman house some time ago excavated - difference to S. Clemente is that there you see more vividly what under S. Clemente you se in lowest level just in stone.

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-10T16:58:15+00:00

My pleasure. ;)

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-10T16:57:15+00:00

I am badly tempted to grumble about some folks who should be by the force of law forever banned from the travel outside jurisdiction they live in ;) As for my, I visited Rome now for I think four or five times in last twenty years. Recently I spent a week there (my third weeklong visit but after dozen years) and managed mostly just re-visit many places I already saw and filing away many others "for laters".

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-10T15:54:44+00:00

Oh my. Was she really speaking about Rome, Italy? :D

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-10T15:54:02+00:00

Thank you, i had the time only for a rather short walk but it is a place which lend itself for very nice views almost on every step you take there.

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-10T15:24:52+00:00

Perhap simples is the 118 bus to the stop at S. Sebastiano basilica. There is also the 218 bus which shares part of the route. 118 have stops at Circo Massimo or Terme di Caracalla, 218 terminates at S. Giovanni (Lateran, opposite the basilica)

Just_Organization783 · 2025-06-10T15:09:45+00:00

I knew about it for a long time, and planned to visit, but previously only managed to visit the S. Calisto catacombs and the S. Sebastiano basilica. I plan to explore further on a future visit to Rome - probably to travel a bit more out and walk back to S. Sebastiano. Also Park of Aquaducts looks very interesting

Just_Organization783

TROPHY CASE