Our Roman Holiday: Top 5 Sights

We had only about 60 hours in Rome, which was definitely not enough time to see everything on our list. Our Airbnb host Luca told us he’s lived in Rome for 30 years and still hasn’t seen everything. Apparently, the city is constantly changing as new construction projects resurrect ancient treasures beneath the city. Even still, we felt like we got to see some of the best that Rome has to offer – and we have a list of things to see when we return! Here are our top 5 sightseeing spots we recommend to anyone visiting this magical city, whether you have a week or just a few days. A few are no-brainers (with some personal insights) and two were new to us, recommended by Luca.

Vatican and Colosseum with a guided tour

These are the two most obvious sites to see in Rome, so our recommendation is more for the guided tour part of it. We booked a combo walking tour through Viator, and it was worth every penny! Our day started in Vatican City. We met our guide, Licia, and our small group of 10 just outside the gates of the Vatican Museum. After a quick sound check for our personal mic packs, we made our way past the gigantic line that had formed outside and went straight into the museum. Not having to stand in that line was worth the price of the tour! Once we were inside, we realized just how invaluable this tour was. Licia provided historical context before explaining each area we visited and each piece of artwork we saw. She kept us engaged and moving at a nice pace so that we had just enough time to enjoy every detail without getting stuck in the crowds. It was amazing to walk into the Sistine Chapel and know exactly what we were looking at with details they don’t include in the guidebooks so we could fully bask in the moment. We got 20 minutes to stand in the center of the chapel and stare at this masterpiece, which was honestly more time than we expected and just enough to take it all in. When we got to Saint Peter’s Basilica, Licia walked us through and pointed out the finer details – like that there are no painting in the chapel; they are all mosaics of tiny tiles – then left us to wander for as long as we wanted. We could have stayed until it closed if we had the time. This was hands-down my favorite site we’ve seen yet and the most emotion-inspiring place we’ve visited because of the sheer beauty and magnitude of the works of art.

Much to our delight, we didn’t go straight into the Colosseum tour. We had about 2 hours to wander through St. Peter’s again, including the Papal Crypt, then grab iced coffees, pizza, and watermelon for lunch. Our guide this time was Anthony, who was an archaeologist and artist who was as awkward as he was smart. He was the perfect guide for this portion! We walked around the upper and lower floors of the Colosseum, and he added anecdotes and facts along the way. Then we made our way through the Roman Forum, which was incredible even with the blazing hot sun beating down on us. By the end of the tour, half of our group had left – thank you, Texas, for preparing us for the heat – but we stuck it out and were rewarded with some beautiful views from Palentine Hill and a pretty walk through the streets as the sun began to set.

Pantheon

We saw some gorgeous churches all around Rome (and we recommend you see as many as possible), but this one was the most unique one we saw, so it makes our short list. The Pantheon was a Greek temple that was later converted to a Christian church. The most iconic part of this church is the hole in the dome, which typically lets in sunlight but, we got lucky and got to see it let rain shower down in the middle of the church. Apparently, this was the first rain Rome had gotten in 5 months – and the first we’d gotten this trip – so it was a very welcome change and pretty surreal sight.

Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps

Again, these are pretty obvious choices, but so worth it that we couldn’t leave them out! I was nervous to visit the Trevi Fountain because of all the blogs I’d read saying that it was ridiculously packed with tourists unless you went early in the morning or late at night. Perhaps we were just so used to crowds by that point, but this crowd came nowhere near what I expected. We made it to the fountain around 10:30AM. We walked up to it from the right and found a spot on the sidewalk (which looks slightly down on the fountain) and got a perfect spot to take photos and just stand for a while without feeling overcrowded. It wasn’t directly in front, but the angle was actually perfect for photos. Plus, it was a cloudy morning, which meant there wasn’t a glare off the marble. We eventually did make our way down to the fountain level to throw a couple of coins and drink out of the smaller fountain on the side. Even on that level, though, we walked right up and got great photos without anyone immediately behind or around us. Let’s be honest – this fountain is spectacular no matter what angle you see it from. If you need the front-and-center photo, just be patient and you’ll get it, probably with a lot of other people in the background. If you’re okay with photos from the side, you’ll probably have a better chance at getting a tourist-free photo!

The Spanish Steps are too iconic to leave off any list. There are 134(?) steps total, and Gabriel and I walked them twice! The view from the top is definitely worth the climb, and the cute photo on the steps is something we’re glad we have for our scrapbooks. There are shops and cafes around the square if you’re looking to spend more time in that area, but we were running a bit out of time – and the sun was not quite as friendly as the Greek sun – so we settled for photos and a few minutes to enjoy in the views.

Capuchin Crypt

This goes at the top of the “creepiest things we’ve ever seen” list. We think crypts in general are creepy places to visit, but this one had a little something extra that put it over the top: it was decorated entirely with human bones and mummified corpses. We knew that going in because Luca had told us; that’s actually the reason we went. Still, I don’t think we were quite prepared for what we saw.

This crypt is located below Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini. Before you get to the crypt, you go through a museum that explains the Capuchin order of Friars, who follow in the footsteps of Saint Francis and are apparently one of the most popular orders in the world. The museum was quite interesting, and not very big – it took us about 1 hour to get through. Then we made our way to, let’s be honest, the main attraction. The crypt itself is one long hallway with windows on the left and alcoves (or chapels) on the right. The walls are painted white, so it was kind of unassuming when we walked up to it. We knew we were going to see human bones on the walls, but when we saw that it wasn’t a black pit of despair, we thought it wouldn’t be as weird as we imagined. Nope. Wrong. It was as weird – maybe weirder? – than we imagined. When we passed into the first alcove, we immediately got chills. Each alcove was named according to what primary bones it contained – the chamber of pelvises, the chamber of skulls…you get the picture. There were 3 central arches on the back wall and 2 on each of the side walls, all made of stacked skulls or femurs. Within those arches were mummified corpses in Friar cloaks. On the walls and ceiling, the artist had created intricate designs with smaller bones. Even the light fixtures were covered in bone fragments so that you couldn’t escape no matter where you looked.

I’m pretty sure it took Gabriel and I a few minutes to be able to talk afterward. Once the shock had passed, it was fascinating to imagine the mindset of the artists who had created this place, but also chilling to the bone because it was impossible not to think of our own mortality while in there. If you’ve seen this place or ever visit it in the future, we’d love to know whether you think it’s a work of genius or just plain twisted.

Basilica of San Clemente al Laterano

This church was another suggestion from Luca as a perfect example of the ancient Rome that lives beneath the Rome we see today. We originally thought this was the crypt of bones since it was just marked with a circle on the map. Even though it wasn’t, it was one of the most fascinating sites we saw. There was a beautiful church on the street level with a small courtyard in which people relaxed. Below the church were a couple of hidden gems: the first was a 4th century church that was dedicated to the life of San Clemente. It was mostly destroyed but there were still faded frescoes on the walls, which has been restored with fragments of old sculptures and pillars. Below that was a 1st century Roman house and a temple to Mithras. This underground cave was full of tiny passageways, echoing rooms, and a natural spring that ran through original house area. We wished we could have taken photos because words just don’t do it justice. So, if you enjoy possibly haunted churches, you have to put this on your list!

Overall, Rome was supremely enchanting, and just as exhausting to explore as Athens – but totally worth every sweaty minute! The roads were a bit more difficult to navigate than Athens, but the Italian charm, homemade pastas and pizzas, and gelato definitely made up for it.

Ciao for now, Roma! We will see you again someday!

Hugs from Italy,
Juliette