In Rome there are a huge number of attractions of world significance. It’s not so easy to get into some of them. But there are those that can be examined completely freely. In this article, BlogoItaliano has collected for you 9 of the most interesting places in Rome, where you can get for free.
Helpful advice: Preparing for a trip to Rome, set up a ready-made audio tour for iPhone on the most popular route in the city. The route consists of 62 points, and 5 of them are available for free in the test version of the application.
The full version of the audio guide in Rome costs only € 5, but will allow you to save at least 100 Euros on live excursions, seeing and learning even more. You can install the application on your iPhone to try it in action on this page.
Saint Paul's Cathedral
The heart of the Catholic world, St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican overshadows all the famous Christian churches. All the more surprising is that you can get into it for free.
Naturally, thousands of tourists try to take this opportunity every day, but it’s definitely worthwhile to stand the long line in order to admire the legacy of Michelangelo, Raphael, Bernini and Bramante with their own eyes.
The scale of the Cathedral of St. Petra dwarfs other Christian temples
The obelisk from Heliopolis in the square in front of the cathedral recalls that earlier on this place were the gardens of the circus of Nero.
The first basilica at the site of the alleged burial of the Apostle Peter appeared in 324, over the course of several centuries the cathedral was rebuilt and expanded, reaching its present size only by the 17th century.
Important! Entrance to the Cathedral is free, but tickets to the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums are required. You can purchase them in advance via the Internet on this page.
| Check schedule and availability of tickets ››› |
- Opening hours: Mon-Sun: 7: 00-18: 30 (from October 1 to March 31), 7: 00-19: 00 (from April 1 to September 31)
- Address: Piazza San Pietro
Trevi Fountain
The Trevi Fountain is one of the most recognizable sights of Rome, primarily due to the cinema, and also the largest fountain in the city.
It was created in the 18th century by the architect Nicolo Salvi, who placed the figures of the fountain so successfully against the background of the Palazzo Poli palace that it seems that Neptune leaves the central niche of the palace as if on a chariot.
Rome's largest fountain and most recognizable landmark
Today, the fountain, depicting the god of the sea surrounded by shells and sea creatures, attracts crowds of tourists who dream of throwing a coin into it in the hope of returning to the Eternal City again. They say that on average about 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain per day.
- Address: Piazza di Trevi
Spanish Steps
The Spanish Steps appeared in Rome at the behest of the French ambassador and leads to the church of Trinita dei Monti, also built not without the intervention of the French.
Nevertheless, the staircase went down in history under its current name, associated with the name of the square where it is located - the Plaza of Spain.
From here begins Via Condotti - one of Rome's main shopping streets.
An elegant cascade of steps in the Roman Baroque style has long attracted the attention of the creative intelligentsia of the city and guests of Rome. To this day, you can find street artists who paint portraits of passers-by.
And also the Spanish Steps - one of the favorite places of Roman shopaholics. It is from here that the famous Via Condotti begins - one of the main shopping streets on which premium boutiques are located.
- Address: Piazza di Spagna
Pantheon
One of the most ancient structures of Rome, preserved to this day, is striking in the accuracy of proportions - Michelangelo himself spoke of the Pantheon as the creation of angelic hands, but not human hands.
The temple of all the gods owes its present appearance to the emperor Hadrian, who in 126 AD restored and rebuilt the once square wooden temple, which regularly suffered from fires.
Monoliths of columns were brought for the temple specially from Egypt, and the unreinforced concrete dome is considered the largest of its kind in the world.
Once the Pantheon was a place of worship for pagan gods
There are no windows in the Pantheon’s building, light enters only through an opening in the dome - such lighting made it possible to illuminate the statues of gods installed in niches along the inner perimeter of the temple with the sun.
The Pantheon was once a place of worship for pagan gods, but in 609 it was consecrated in honor of St. Mary, and the Pantheon acts as a Christian church to this day.
The Pantheon also houses the graves of some prominent figures of the country, including the first king of the united Italy, Victor Emmanuel II and the great painter Raphael.
- Opening hours: Mon-Sat: 9: 00-19: 15, Sun: 9: 00-17: 45.
- Address: Piazza della Rotonda
Navona Square
One of the most beautiful squares in Rome today is the favorite place of artists, artisans, artists, musicians and, of course, tourists.
Street performances, festivals and fairs take place against the backdrop of the architectural masterpieces of Bernini and Borromini, as if having arranged a competition in the art of sculpture and architecture.
There are always a lot of artists, musicians and tourists on the square
They even say that the grimace of disgust at one of the statues of the Bernini fountain, turned to the church of Borromini, is not accidental. However, history refutes this myth: the Church of St. Agnes appeared later than the Fountain of the Four Rivers.
Navona Square occupies the arena of the ancient stadium that used to be here, where athletes competed.
The first residential buildings on the site of the stands began to appear in the Middle Ages. Later built the church of St. Agnes and the Basilica of the Virgin Mary. Today, Piazza Navona is rightfully included in the top of the most famous sights of Rome.
- Address: Piazza Navona
Gardens of Villa Borghese
If you have to pay to visit the Borghese Gallery, you can enjoy the adjacent gardens completely free of charge.
From the Pincho hill, a beautiful view of the city opens, and the garden itself pleases visitors with a large number of plants, statues and fountains. Here you can even find monuments to Pushkin and Gogol!
The garden of Villa Borghese is larger than all other parks in Rome, with the exception of two - the park of Villa Doria Pamphili and Villa Ada.
Aesculapius Temple and a small lake in the garden
The garden was laid out on the site of the former vineyards on the orders of Cardinal Shipione Bergese in the 17th century, in the English style it was designed two centuries later. Here is the smallest movie theater according to the Guinness Book of Records, as well as a copy of the Shakespearean Globe Theater in London.
Important! The Borghese Gallery is considered one of the most inaccessible museums in Rome, as there are restrictions on entry. Therefore, it is better to purchase tickets in advance. You can do this online on this site.
| Check schedule and availability of tickets ››› |
- Address: Villa Borghese, Piazza del Popolo
Keyhole of the Order of Malta (Buco della serratura)
There would be nothing special in this well of the gates of the villa of the Order of Malta if it were not for the opportunity to see three states through it with one eye: the enclave state of the Order of Malta, which owns the territory of the villa, the Vatican (or rather, the dome of St. Peter's Basilica) and Italy itself in the face of the Eternal City.
You can find this well on the Aventin Hill (Colle dell'Aventino), in Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, not far from the equally famous Orange Garden.
- Address: Aventino hill
Lips of Truth (Bocca della Verità)
A stone disc-face with hollows instead of eyes and mouth can be found near the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. The mechanism of action of the medieval "lie detector" is very simple: any person who dares to lie with his hand in the mouth of truth will instantly lose this hand.
The Mouth of Truth is located next to the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin
There is no documentary evidence of the bite of the hand of a mere mortal by the mouth of a deity, but the fact that several centuries ago this architectural creation was used to test marital fidelity is known for sure.
Nowadays, the film "Roman Vacations" has given popularity to the Mouth of Truth.
- Opening hours: Mon-Sun 9: 30-17: 30
- Address: 18 Piazza Bocca della Verità (Circo Massimo)
Antique Appian Way
540 km ordered to lay the road at the end of the IV century BC Consul of the Roman Republic Appius Tsek.
It took two centuries to build it, but even after two millennia, separate sections of the route connecting Rome with Capua, Beneventum and later the seaport of Brundisy were preserved in their original form. On that road, Roman legionnaires went to war with the Samnites, and pilgrims went to Rome.
Along the road you can see ancient ruins, museums and catacombs
The Appian Way is surrounded not only by pine trees, but also by numerous ruins, museums and catacombs: among the latter are the "cities of the dead" - the catacombs of San Callisto and San Sebastiano.
For a walk along the "Queen of the Roads" it is recommended to choose a day off when vehicles are prohibited here.
Important tips for traveling to Rome
Most of the attractions from this article are organically inscribed in the BlogoItaliano Rome route for 1 day. If you are traveling to Rome for the first time and your time is limited, our route through the Eternal City will help you quickly and easily cover the most important thing, saving you a lot of money on excursions.
You can get acquainted with the route in Rome, as well as other cities in Italy on this page.
Our free e-mail course for travelers to Italy, containing many valuable recommendations about the country, will also help plan your trip even more interesting and rich. You can subscribe to it to receive recommendations on your e-mail here.
And finally, we recommend subscribing to our Youtube channel, which also has a lot of useful videos for travelers to Italy.
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