When it comes to planning a perfect vacation in Italy and its capital Rome, one of the key questions is "What is the best time to go?" August would be a very good time for your perfect Roman holiday. Why you ask? The answer is simple. August is the month Italians traditional take their own time-off and go away. And the best news is that because of the lack of local tourists, even premium hotels offer massive discounts. So, you can have the Eternal City to yourself for only a fraction of what it normally costs!
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A good start to sightseeing in the Eternal City is very obvious. Unless you’ve been to Rome numerous times already and have seen it all, don’t overlook its big-name sights. They’ve been famous for centuries for very good reasons.
The 1st Century AD Colosseum is a monument to ancient engineering and remains the blueprint for stadium construction; the Colosseum ticket covers the Roman Forum and Palatine too.
St Peter’s Basilica, the center of the Roman Catholic Church worldwide, impresses by its sheer size. Its Rennaissance splendour, which includes the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums around the corner, is exquisite. It’s a good idea to pre-book your tickets or take a guided tour, or you may spend hours waiting in line.
If you are in a pilgrim mode, it is also worth visiting San Giovanni in Laterano, the Catholic Church’s 4th Century ‘ecumenical mother church’, and Santa Maria della Vittoria, a Baroque church that houses one of Bernini’s most famous sculptures, ‘The Ecstasy of St Teresa’.
The sheer theatricality of Rome, in both its architecture and its inhabitants, is best savoured in its centro storico squares. Piazza Navona, home to yet more superb Bernini sculptures, occupies the site of an ancient race track; Campo de’ Fiori pulsates with life from the time the produce market sets up in the morning until the late hours, when carousers go home, and Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps rise far above the cliché.
In tiny Piazza di Trevi there is the Trevi Fountain, a towering Rococo extravaganza. Crowds of visitors toss coins into its waters, wishing, as belief predicts, for another return to Rome.
Finally, two superb ancient buildings well-preserved through the ages are must-sees. The first is the Pantheon which originally was a temple to the Pagan panoply. Now it houses the tombs of monarchs and greats, including the world famous artist Raphael. The second is Castel Sant’Angelo which dominates the River Tiber near St Peter’s. It was constructed over centuries on top of the mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian. It was from the upper terraces of this fortification that Puccini had Tosca hurl herself to her death in his great Roman opera.
A holiday in Rome can mean expensive tickets for tourist attractions, but the Eternal City also has museums, music venues, markets and cinemas that can be enjoyed for free or a nominal fee.
Discover your own treasures at Monti's vintage market
Not far from the Colosseum you can find the hip quarter of Monti, which hosts a fantastic "urban market" every weekend. It is held in the conference hall of the Grand Hotel Palatino. The market was founded in 2009. It is a blend of contemporary creativity and vintage fashion, and you can expect to find everything from cutting-edge designer handicrafts, to retro clothing, furniture, and homeware items.
Via Leonina, mercatomonti.com. Every weekend 10am-8pm
A walk into Rome's industrial past
The Mattatoio in the Testaccio district of Rome used to be the city's main slaughterhouse until it was closed in the late 1970s. Nowadays, the complex is a jigsaw of different entities: a modern art gallery, a school of architecture, a music school, and an organic supermarket. There is a weekend farmers' market and a cafe whose tables spill out onto a grassy space in which children play, while parents lounge in the deckchairs provided. Although there is a fee for specific events and exhibitions, there is always something wonderful for free: an art installation, a freshly painted mural, a cheese-tasting, or an impromptu concert by students from the music school.
Piazza Orazio Giustiniani. How to get there: Metro B to Piramide, Number 3 tram to Via Marmorata, 75, 23, 280 bus to Via Marmorata or 719 bus to Via Galvani
Take a great picture from the Gianicolo Hill
It is outside the ancient city, so Gianicolo may not be counted among the proverbial "Seven Hills" of Rome. But it makes up for it by providing one of the best views across the rooftops. The hill provides a spectacular view of the domes and spires that make up the historic skyline. This marks one of the best spots to enjoy that great view. On the hilltop there is a statue of Garibaldi, the charismatic figure in the Risorgimento (the movement that sought to unify Italy). You can take a great picture from there to take home with you for good memories of your Roman holiday.
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