Rome holidays

The most southerly of Rome’s seven hills, the Aventine offers splendid views over St Peter’s and Trastevere from the top. This peaceful, mainly residential quarter has leafy gardens, churches and cloisters. It also incorporates colourful Testaccio, site of the city’s old slaughterhouse where many locals once worked, and inns serving traditional Roman cuisine. It’s now a thriving area of good restaurants, shops, bars and clubs.

Favoured as an out-of-town retreat for the Romans, the Castelli Romani are hilltop villages descended from fortified castles of the Middle Ages. Set on the outer rims of extinct volcanic craters of the Albani Hills, the air is refreshing and the rich, volcanic soil is ideal for vine-growing. Well-known for its crisp, white wine, Frascati is the most accessible of the Castelli Romani. Nearby is the Pope’s summer palace, the Castel Gandolfo.

Rome’s central train station, Termini is the entry point to the city from Fiumicino Airport, and is an impressive modern architectural sight. Between here and glamorous Via Veneto, there are several interesting places to visit. The Palazzo Barberini is a superb baroque palace, the Terme di Diocleziano was the city’s largest bath complex and the Church of Santa Maria della Concezione is remarkable for its Capuchin monks’ crypt.

Rome’s second airport, Ciampino is located 10 kilometres southeast of the city. The airport handles mainly charter flights, low-cost carriers and business aviation, and has fewer facilities than Fiumicino. An airport bus service (journey time around 40 minutes) connects to Anagnina metro station from where trains take about 25 minutes into the centre of Rome. Taxis are also available.

The heart of Ancient Rome, all roads led to the Forum. Visitors flock here to walk the streets where Julius Caesar once trod when this was the centre of commercial, political and judicial life. Nearby, the Colosseum, described by Lord Byron as ‘the gladiators’ bloody circus’, is the world’s most famous amphitheatre and the most impressive of all Rome’s buildings and ruins.

A couple of miles south of the city centre, EUR takes its name from Esposizione Universale di Roma, built for an exhibition in 1942. The bombastic architecture was then intended to glorify Fascism, but now is home to shops, cinemas and clubs and exhibitions. Within the marble halls there are also three very good museums, including the fascinating Museum of Roman Civilization.

Rome (and vicinity), Italy

In the heart of the historic centre, Piazza Navona is Rome’s most famous square. Like a giant stage set, this is where the theatre of daily Roman life is re-enacted among the café tables that spill out onto the fountain-splashed piazza. Bernini’s baroque extravaganza, the Fontana dei Quattro Fiume, is the most celebrated of the three fountains. Nearby is the Pantheon – one of Rome’s great symbols and a marvel of ancient architecture.

Across the River Tiber, Trastevere is a well-established ‘boho chic’ quarter, full of local character. The patchwork of tiny, cobbled streets houses many bars, good restaurants and buzzing nightlife spots. There is also a treasure trove of medieval churches. In its own piazza, the beautiful Santa Maria in Trastevere has shimmering golden mosaics and was probably Rome’s first Christian basilica, founded in 222 AD.

Rome’s largest, most spectacular fountain, the Trevi Fountain is a baroque extravaganza, its ancient sea gods and gushing water dominating a tiny piazza. Immortalised in Fellini’s film, ‘La Dolce Vita’, this is the place to toss your coins to ensure your return to the Eternal City. The three streets radiating from the piazza lead to the historical centre and sights of the Quirinale – one of the original seven hills.

The world’s smallest country, Vatican City is dominated by St Peter’s, Christendom’s largest church. Michelangelo’s humbling ‘Pietà’ and his Sistine Chapel ceiling frescos are among the world’s greatest works of art. The Aurelio area is named after the ancient Via Aurelia, the main road that connected Rome with Spain, and is convenient for visiting the city’s sights.

Made famous by ‘La Dolce Vita’ film in 1960, the Via Veneto is going through a glamorous renaissance. Bars, restaurants, chic hotels and boutiques all vie for attention in the street which coined the expression ‘paparazzo’ – the surname of the photojournalist in the film. Nearby, the Spanish Steps are the place for lovers’ trysts, shopping, and honing the Italian art of ‘dolce far niente’ – idling and people-watching.