Rome: Absolute Must Do List?

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In the Italian version there is a list of Catholic churches divided by century in which they were built (Lista delle chiese cattoliche). I don’t see it in the English version of the page.
 
The English version has a list of “Notable churches by construction time.” The list is divided by time of construction.

I noted that the English version also contains some non-Catholic churches.
 
If it’s your first time you will want to see the big sites but if you have time take a day out just to wander around and find the smaller gems.

Santa Maria in Via is a beautiful church with a holy well inside and the icon of Our Lady of the Well. It’s easy to miss but an absolute gem. A walk to the Dominican church of Santa Sabina will reward you with stunning views and a chance to see St Dominic’s orange tree.

Don’t forget, many churches close in the afternoon so that’s a perfect time to take some time out and enjoy an ice cream and maybe a museum. Word of warning; if you take the metro do not allow anyone to ‘help’ you at the ticket machine and keep your bag in front of you while on the train.
 
Every Pilgrim’s Guide to Rome by Michael Walsh is the best book I have found to give a potted history, location, and opening times of the best shrines, churches, etc. in Rome.
 
AngelusDomini said:
If it’s your first time you will want to see the big sites but if you have time take a day out just to wander around and find the smaller gems.
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I have to say that I really enjoy the “off the beaten path” parts of Rome a lot more than I enjoy the crush at the touristy sites. I’ll put up with a huge crowd to see the Pope, but some of the other attractions, including the Vatican during afternoon tourist times (as opposed to morning Mass times), just weren’t that pleasant. (One of my friends recommended going to the Trevi Fountain late at night - it’s deserted at that time and much more pleasant.) I think that kind of “herd” atmosphere also keeps some pilgrims from really experiencing and enjoying Rome.

Much of my enjoyment of seeing these less “touristy” churches is that relatively few people visit, and those who do tend to be locals and/or devout.

You might also look into a tour guide called Mountain Butorac who has a website and facebook called Catholic Traveler. He lives in Rome and his social media alerted me to several things in both Rome and the Holy Land that I wouldn’t have known to see otherwise.

I’ve found that priests who have been in Rome are also wonderful sources of information and tips.
 
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Been to Rome twice. Amazing city.

One great thing to do is go to the very top of St Peters! Stunning views.

Been to Assisi too. Also took train to St Padre Pio shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo. Amazing!

I want to go back to Rome again. I love the place
 
I would love to climb the dome next time I go. I better start working out on the stair stepper though. And I will definitely take the elevator to the first level so I can skip 231 steps.

Also definitely want to see San Giovanni Rotondo next time I go.

I have been to Assisi, but it was so full of tourists on the day we went that it was more of an endurance contest getting through the town past 1000 shops and cafes, having to step off the sidewalks many times and avoid cars trying to drive through the crowds. The only things that felt really spiritual about the day were seeing the old frescos on the church and seeing St. Claire’s hair. Just way too many people.
 
For people watching,

Piazza di Spagna. That is where the poet John Keats lived before his death.

Piazza Navona is also good for people watching.

It’s been many years for me. I was 20, and a college student. I overslept and missed the tour of the Sistine Chapel. :woman_facepalming:t2: But I did see Pope John Paul.
 
The four major papal basilicas, St Peter’s, St John Lateran, St Paul outside the Walls, and St Mary Major. At St Mary Major there is a museum underneath the basilica, with the entrance off to the side, very easy to miss but it is amazing. The Colosseum is a wonder in engineering but not really worth the time waiting in line and the length of the tour.

Must do a Wednesday Audience. A little hint - go early and choose a seat near a railing to a wide path. That path is the one they take the Pope on during his ride among the people.

Rome is a walking city. There is the metro, which is the easiest to get from point A to point B, city buses, which work well if you can figure out the schedule (good luck), hop on/hop off tourist buses, and taxi. All are inexpensive but for a taxi you have to go to a taxi stand or have your hotel call one for you. You can’t stop one on the street to pick you up. Fortunately walking is easy if you have a decent street map or google map, which is what I used. The streets & sidewalks are uneven and made of all kinds of different materials so wear the very best walking shoes you can. Invest in a pair of good walking shoes if you don’t have some, your feet will love you for it.

Couple more things. Book a city center hotel, not one outside the city center. I made that mistake and it made things a little more difficult for me.

If you are not traveling with a large group hire a car to pick you up from the airport and take you back. It seems like it costs a lot more but really the convenience is worth every penny.

Someone above posted the Vatican dress code. That applies to all the basilicas. They will give you either a paper top or paper bottoms to cover up.
 
Horton said:
Must do a Wednesday Audience. A little hint - go early and choose a seat near a railing to a wide path. That path is the one they take the Pope on during his ride among the people.
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Another suggestion is to plan your schedule so you hang around after the audience while the Pope is meeting with the groups of VIPs, newlyweds, and others who are up on the platform with him. It takes him about a half hour to an hour to finish all these meetings and most people will get up and leave the audience area. But if you hang around and move up to the front, then when the Pope gets in his Popemobile and leaves he will pass right by you. That is how I got my up-close pictures of Pope Francis - hanging around afterwards.
 
There was a wonderful book published for the 2000 Jubilee called Holy Rome that had listings and histories of many, many of the churches. I don’t know whether an absolutely complete list exists. At any given time quite a number are not open to the public due to general state of disrepair.

Hmmm…I did mean to “reply” to the person who asked about the entire list of churches and get Tis instead…
 
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Yes. Great advice. Go early. I’m talking crazy early. The standing around isn’t bad because there is so much to see. When you get through security you will see four quadrants of seats. Sit right on the rail between the front and rear quadrants. You will get amazingly close to the Pope. (Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
That was me who asked. You replied to the right person.

Here’s my Pope pic:
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
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I’ve been to Rome before. Definitely visit the Vatican. Soon after visiting the Vatican, I converted to Catholicism (no regrets), so be careful 😇 😎.

If I’m ever in Rome again, I’d likely visit some of the sites related to the Jesuit order. This includes their Mother church…Church of the Gesù as well as some of the rooms St. Ignatius, the main founder of the Jesuits…

en.wikipedia.org

Church of the Gesù - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

romethesecondtime.blogspot.com

The Roman Rooms of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Jesuit Founder: Austere...and Baroque

This blog ranges over Rome’s history, art (incl. graffiti), music, literature, museums, art galleries, fashion, news & social commentary, politics.
romethesecondtime.blogspot.com romethesecondtime.blogspot.com
 
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One more thing. Be so careful about pickpockets in Rome. I was travelling there during college with another guy. I had a pouch around my waist and neck, and he had a wallet. We were on the subway. A couple of Italians pretended to start a fight by the subway door as a distraction. People pushed and shoved as everybody got out of the subway. Somebody did reach into my pocket; however, nothing was there. The guy I was traveling with had his wallet stolen.

Definitely have buy a pouch for your neck and waist.
 
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And never carry a large amount of cash. I would only carry what I thought I would need for the day and my card. For the little things such as meals, small souvenirs, cab fare, entrance fees use cash. I used my card for bigger purchases but mainly to withdraw cash from bank ATMs which tended to have lower fees. I also carried a backpack to put items in, carry water, and other incidentals but carried a crossover bag held very close to me where I kept my money and cards.

Also be careful when buying “authentic Italian” items. There is a lot to choose from, but check it carefully for a made in China stamp of some type. Italy has many master craftsmen making beautiful things, just make sure you are buying the real deal. I wanted to buy my sons nice leather wallets but I waited until I was in Florence at known craftsman’s store and bought them. The factory is attached to the store on a small foot path from one of the main squares in Florence. I paid a good sum for them but they may never have to buy another wallet.

Another tip - The water in Rome is extremely good. There are springs all over the city you can fill water bottle from. I hate the use of plastic bottles, so I brought a sturdy water bottle with me that I carried in my bag and just filling at these springs. Saves from having to buy a bottle of water every hour or so as well as saving the environment.

One more - Drink the wine. Italy has very fine wine. Prosecco with lunch and a fine Tuscan wine with dinner. I’m not advising getting drunk, but enjoy the wines.
 
Most of the major name tour companies are on the up & up. City Wonders is a very popular and legitimate tour company in Rome. I booked several tours through them.

Rome’s only real industry is tourism. Companies that scam tourists go out of business quickly because there are so many companies that do it well. You can check Trip Adviser or Yelp for ratings on any business you choose.

The only time I ran into a scam was in London.

The link above states you have to have a ticket to attend a Wednesday Audience. A ticket is not needed unless you want a reserved seat. There is open seating, most of the seating is open seating, and no ticket is required. As far as a Papal Mass getting a ticket allows you to participate in the Mass but anyone can be there. I watched Pope Francis celebrating Mass, he didn’t distribute communion so it wasn’t as though one would get the Eucharist from his hand. I just happened to go to Vatican City that day and walked into St Peter’s basilica.
 
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