Rome in three days – part two
Day Two: Visiting the Capitoline Museums
First thing in the morning….take it easy, have your breakfast at home, in the comfort of your apartment on the terrace or conservatory like in the Navona Terrace apartment, or simply go out and take a cappuccino and “cornetto”, the local name for a croissant. Any bar (in Italy a bar is a day-bar, i.e. a cafeteria) can serve good coffees in Rome and usually has a wide selection of fresh pastries to go with your breakfast.
The best way to visit Rome and enjoying the amazing sights is on foot. At every corner there is a surprise, either a picturesque piazza or an astonishing monument.
However, Rome is quite a large city and walking from one area to another can be very tiring. If you prefer to save your feet, take buses to move from one main area you wish to visit to another, especially if you have bought the Roma Pass which gives you free access to buses, underground and trams.
Tip: Remember that most museums in Rome are open on Sundays and closed on Mondays, except the Colosseum which admits visitors every day of the week. It could be a good idea to explore the Colosseum as well as leaving time for open-air activities (shopping etc.) on Monday.
To the Piazza del Campidoglio and the Capitoline Museums (Palazzo Nuovo and Palazzo dei Conservatori)
The Capitoline Museums are two interconnected palaces at the sides of the famous Piazza del Campidoglio, which lies between the Capitoline Hill’s peaks. From here you can enjoy Rome in all its grandeur: the set of steps that lead to the Hill as well as the square were designed by Michelangelo, the breath-taking view overlooking ancient Rome, and the museums themselves, which display an impressive collection of ancient sculptures, will not fail to impress you.
How to get there: Take a bus towards Piazza Venezia, a majestic square just at the Capitoline Hill’s feet and a major bus terminal. You cannot miss the right stop as you will see the impressive, enormous Vittoriano Palace, a white imperial-style monument that was built in the 19th century to glorify the first appointed King of unified Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II. Walk around it on the right and you will see the Michelangelo steps on your left leading up to the Campidoglio Square.
The entrance to the Capitoline Museums is on the right hand side of the square, on the ground floor of the Palazzo dei Conservatori. If you have the Roma Pass you have free entrance and do not have to queue. Just go straight to the entrance and show your card.
This visit will probably take you a whole day if you wish to absorb the beauty of the collection and the panoramic view that can be enjoyed from the terrace of the reasonably priced bar-restaurant on top of the Palazzo dei Conservatori.
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