Rome is the most densely packed city I’ve ever seen in terms of things to see. Asian countries tend to move their capitals every few hundred years. Nara to Kyoto to Tokyo is a good example. That means all the history gets spread out as the capital moves. Rome has been a primary city in the Italian peninsula for almost 3,000 years. You have Roman ruins along side renaissance churches. Almost every street you walk down will have a small church several hundred years old. You can look down any semi-major thoroughfare and see a fountain or obelisk at the end of the road. (BTW, I’ve seen more Egyptian obelisks in Rome than I did in Egypt. That is not an exaggeration either. I only saw 3-4 in all of Egypt still standing)
Wednesday I went to see the Roman ruins around the Palentine Hill. This was the city center of ancient Rome. There is a surprising amount still standing, at least partially. You can go in the curia where the senate once sat as well as go up on the Palentine hill and see where the Emperors going back to Augustus lived. Nearby is also the Colosseum, which I am sure you are familiar with. I’ll be doing a longer write up about the Roman ruins in the city later after I process some of my photos and visit some more sites.
Other than ancient ruins, the big thing you think about when you think of Rome is churches. I managed to visit St. John Lateren, St. Mary Major, the Pantheon, aka the Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs, and several other basilicas and smaller churches. I also wound up at the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday. On Saturday I took a tour of the Vatican Gardens and the Vatican Museum. The Vatican and the churches of Rome will also be a longer, separate, and really interesting post of its own.
Thursday I was asked by Jessica from Rome Photo Blog if I wanted to come along on a tour of one of the few Jewish catacombs in Rome. It was the only catacomb in Rome on private property and is seldom open to the public. Not being one to turn down and opportunity, I said “sure”. She works for a company called Context, which until then I had never heard of, but what they do is really fascinating and is one of the better business models I’ve heard of for a tour company. The create walking tours of small groups lead by scholars and experts in their fields. You could do a lot worse than to sign up with them to do a different tour every day you are in Rome.
I’d like to thank everyone who offered advice for what I should do and see in Rome. I’ve done many of the suggested things already. I’d especially like to thank Jim Drake, Connie Laubenthal, Miss Expatria, Drew, and Bob Hayes.
The rest of my time in Rome will be just as busy as the last few days. I’m planning on a trip to Ostia Antiqua, the Headquarters of the Knights of Malta, St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, one of the larger christian catacombs and probably another visit to the Vatican. I need time to process all my photos. I’ve taken more here than in any other city on my travels.