Rome is a city full of history and beauty, every single house and every corner has a story to tell and a lot of possibilities to explore it.
We spend one and a half day in Rome, I know!! It was such a short time, but the key to get to know as much as you can is to organized you time and the places and activities that you “must do” according to the things that you want.
So, the first day:
Transport: After a two hours flight from The Netherlands, I finally arrived in Rome Ciampino at 14:00 and due to that we decided to spend that day in the Vatican City. From the airport you can buy a bus ticket for 5€ to go directly to Termini station (The main train station in the city center) it’ll take around 30 - 40 minutes or you can also take the metro for around 3€. From the train station to the Vatican City is just 20 minutes by metro, take the line A with direction to Battistini; the stop could be Ottaviano - San Pietro or Cipro - Musei Vaticani, the ticket will cost 1,50€ with a duration of 100 minutes.
The main things to do:
The Vatican city is a small city, so you can easily spend one-day o half a day there without missing anything. The important thing here is that you book the ticket online to go inside the Sistine Chapel, because even if you do that, the line is going to take a lot of time, so take my advice, because we didn’t do that and sadly we couldn’t go inside. Even though, the view and the magnitude of this place are going to take your breath away.
You can admire one of the biggest masterpieces of Michelangelo: The Last Judgment and Adan creation, painted in The Sistine Chapel. This iconic chapel built between 1473 and 1481 during the Mandate of Pope Sixtus IV, contains all the hard work of Michelangelo to decorate the vault of the chapel, a work that changed the course of art.
To get there you have to go through the Vatican Museum, reason why you have to buy the ticket and use the right clothes, which means no short-sleeved shirts or shorts (I know it sounds obvious, but you never know). In the Vatican Museum you can also learn more about the history and art of this place through all the different collections, enjoy the nature in the Pontifical Villas & Gardens; and explore all the secrets in the archaeological areas of the Necropolis of the Via Triumphalis. Remember that you can book all kinds of tours, so make sure you find the one that fits more with your plan.
To know more about the history of this place you can check this video. It has a really interesting information about it.
Another important thing to do is walk inside the work of the Renaissance architecture in the Basilica Papale di San Pietro (1506); A work of art that mixes the best Renaissance artists such as Maderno, Michelangelo (The Dome), Bernini, among others. Here you will find the Vatican Treasury Museum; The Vatican Necropolis, where the tomb of St. Peter the Apostle is located; and the Vatican Gardens. And if you are a views fan too, like #meandtheviews, you can’t miss the visit to the dome of the basilica, which you can access from the outside.
The entrance to the Basilica is free, but keep in mind the time you will spend making the line. To go to the top of the dome you will have to pay 10€ for using the lift and then use the stairs, just 320 steps or 8€ without the lift, which means 550 steps (it's worth it). It is not recommended for people with claustrophobia or physical limitations (Obviously).
Tickets for the Sistine Chapel will cost from 17€ - 60€ or more, this depends on the website that you choose and the services that you decided to include. If you can, it’s better to buy the “Skip the line tickets” to save more time. To buy the tickets you will find a good option in Postcard #7 or you can check the Vatican Museum website to know more about the different tours that they have.
But wait, there's more. Just a five minutes walk from the St. Peter’s Basilica you can found the Castel Sant’Angelo; built between the year 135 to 139 with to purpose of being the mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian, this places has become in one of the most popular places to learn more about the history of Rome. Walk through different rooms that functioned as a Papal residence from the Renaissance period or through the collection of weapons. Complete the day with a delightful view of the Vatican City & Rome. The ticket will cost around 14€.
Getting lost in the beauty of the architecture and breath the history and peace of this place …. Well I must say that was an excellent way to start this new adventure.
I'm so excited about telling you more in the next Postcart! but meanwhile, look at all the pictures in the gallery :)
See you in our next Postcard.