Our Favourite Neighbourhoods in Roma! - III
Place Saint Pierre, Vatican, Rome
Let's take a walking tour through Rome’s ancient and Renaissance worlds, enjoying a local festival, or traveling during the shoulder season and doing both! Whether your visit to Rome is a stop along the way or your final destination, this approach will give you a rewarding taste of its history and culture.
Take Your Time!
Rather than racing through Rome ticking off sights from a vacation to-do list, wouldn’t it be nice to take your time and wander through the Forum, Coliseum, and Vatican to get a good overview of ancient Rome’s way of life and achievements, Renaissance Rome’s incredible artistic legacy, and the Catholic church’s influence? We say, leave the guide book in your room and forgo the museum headset—instead, treat yourself to a tour guide who can bring context and characters to life and enrich your understanding and enjoyment. One of the best guides we’ve encountered is Roman Empire Tours. Their talented guides are compelling storytellers educated in history and the classics and they are passionate about Rome. For visitors on a tight schedule, this rich experience may sate your appetite for sightseeing for awhile so you can linger over an espresso or Campari as you people-watch and ponder what you’ve learned about this amazing city and its culture…
Piazza Mattei Palace, Roma
Estate Romana
From June to September, Rome basks in the warmth of summer with its Estate Romana (Roman Summer) festival. Its parks, riverbanks, and piazze are transformed into venues for music, art and culinary exhibitions, makeshift cafes and bars, and outdoor theatres. One particularly lovely place to enjoy Estate Romana is on Tiber Island (Isola Tiberina)—a stretch of land on a bend in the Tiber River, 885 feet long by 220 feet wide, and linked to its banks by the oldest bridge in Rome, Ponte Fabricio (built in 62 BC), and Ponte Cestio, about 20 years its junior. The island becomes a wonderland of glowing canvas-walled restaurants and chic bars for mingling and dancing. The promenades along the riverbank are also lined with a moveable feast, handicrafts for sale, games for the kids, and even a hookah bar where smokers can lounge on cushions under the stars. Floodlights shine on the Tiber while the stars glow above it, bars are bathed in warm colored light, and colorful fabrics make the various ethnic restaurants cheerful and inviting. It feels like a party here!
Book your trip to Rome today! Book your trip to Rome today!
Fountain in Rome
Isola del Cinema
Another summer event on the island is Isola del Cinema, an annual open-air film festival that runs blockbusters to retrospectives for movie fans as well as industry moguls and movie stars, who are often in attendance. The trendy Trastevere district is just southwest of here over the Ponte Cestio. Here, you’ll find an array of stylish boutiques, and restaurants and clubs in a bohemian-like setting. While Trastevere now beckons hipsters, it has medieval roots and has long been a working-class stronghold though increasing rents are changing its rough character. This place is young at heart and a good area for poking around in shops, having a drink, and people-watching.
Book your trip to Rome today! Book your trip to Rome today!
Traveling during the shoulder seasons of April/May and September/October. During this time, prices plummet for tours, airfare, and even meals. Rome’s popularity among international visitors and Italians alike can make the summer frenzied with crowds amid Rome’s formidable heat. Shoulder season travel can be an appealing alternative and offer a slower pace to absorb the truly wonderful life unfolding around you in Rome. In addition to the many religious festivities that occur throughout the year in this passionately faithful country, Rome enjoys many secular festivals and celebrations that liven up the quieter months as well. Here are a few during the shoulder season:
Spring
• Natale di Roma—Each year in late April, Romans commemorate their beloved city’s birthday—which celebrated its 2,765th this year—in a colossal fireworks display. The festivities originate in Rome’s illustrious civic center, Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by master painter and architect Michelangelo himself. In the evening, Rome’s hillside palazzi are illuminated like birthday candles and add to the festive atmosphere.
• FotoGrafia—During April and May, the photography festival FotoGrafia arrives with its collections of photographs exhibited in an assortment of venues, from historic museums to ultramodern galleries tucked away on side streets.
• Campionato Internazionale di Tennis—The “Italian Open” tennis tournament is held during two weeks in early May each year. While not officially part of the Grand Slam, the Campionato Internazionale di Tennisis said to be a precursor to the French Open which is also played on a hard clay court and follows in late May and June.
• Primo Maggio—Only in Rome can you gaze at religious statuary atop a 10th century basilica while live rock music blares in the foreground! On May Day each year, Rome’s trade unions unite for the good of all and sponsor a free rock festival from mid-day until the wee hours, Primo Maggio. The concert is held in front of San Giovanni in Laterano, the Diocese of Rome’s basilica. While Italian rockers dominate this event and get the crowd going with local favorites, international performers pop up from time to time with their past hits.
• RomaEuropaFestival—During the fall months (September through November) you will be rewarded with the chance to see talented up and coming performers in music, dance, and theater in this cutting edge arts festival. Visual artists are also represented and well known international acts round out the roster.• Festa Internazionale di Roma—The iconic city that has graced hundreds of films with its magnificent setting, recently began hosting a yearly film festival that celebrates its own cinematic treasures; remember the Italian classics, La Dolce Vita, Ladri di Biciclette (The Bicycle Thief), and Cinema Paradiso? While a new tradition, this festival has been compared to New York’s Tribeca Film Festival for its arty offerings and wealthy backers. Film lovers can enjoy seeing different parts of Rome on the way to the film venues that are scattered throughout the city.
Colosseum of Rome
Whether you’ve been to Rome many times or are planning your first trip, staying in an apartment or villa will allow you to make the most of your visit. When you “live” in a city, even for a few days, you tend to experience life like a local—shopping for groceries and practicing the language, retreating in the heat of the afternoon to rest, and staying out late to enjoy the night’s activities when the city has cooled down and you’re refreshed. There’s a palpable richness to the travel experience when you become a local for awhile and notice how other cultures live. From your hotel room, you probably won’t see the old man using a grinding wheel attached to his bicycle to sharpen knives, or hear the tenor practicing his aria. Aside from the practical comforts that come with having your own space, these peeks into local life can add color to the experiences you’ll have as a tourist amidst other tourists. We hope your travels bring you to this legendary city and its friendly people so you can make your own indelible memories. Ciao!
