Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
understand the various entities. A wide stone ramp winds its way from the
ground-floor entrance around the castle to the upper terraces, from which you can
see the full facade of St. Peter's Basilica without the usual obstruction of neigh-
boring buildings. From here you can wander through passageways and
Renaissance apartments used by popes. Down below the apartments are ancient
dungeons once used as torture chambers. Lower terraces house replica canons and
travertine cannonballs. There are hidden stairways leading up to more rooms, and
an abundance of lookout points. There is even a surprisingly inexpensive coffee
bar with outdoor seating under the stone arches, selling fresh pastries in the morn-
ings and sandwiches for lunch. The castle is connected to St. Peter's Basilica by
Il Passeto di Borgo
(free with museum entrance; guided tours Sat 3pm).
This
walled escape route was used by popes who needed to make a narrow escape to
the fortress.
PIAZZA DEL POPOLO, SPANISH STEPS
(TRIDENTE) & TREVI FOUNTAIN
The area immediately surrounding the Piazza del Popolo, bordered on one side by
the Tiber River and on the other by the Spanish Steps, is the heart of historical
central Rome. There is a balanced mix of museums, churches, antiquities, and
modern amenities that makes many believe they have seen all of Rome if they've
spent time here. While this is definitely the heart, Trastevere, the Jewish Ghetto,
and Campo de' Fiori offer slightly more in the way of soul. Many of the restau-
rants here are expensive and ultratrendy, and the stores tend to be more upmar-
ket than those in other parts of town.
Start your exploration of this area at
Piazza del Popolo,
which is joined in a
straight line to the Piazza Venezia by the very narrow Via del Corso. At the far end
of the piazza is the
Porta del Popolo,
which for centuries was the main gate into
the city of Rome off the Via Flaminia (which extended all the way to the Adriatic
Coast near Venice). The obelisk in the center of this piazza once graced the Circus
Maximus, and the two churches leading into the city center create an optical illu-
sion—they are not actually the same size, though they look identical from under
the gates on the Porta del Popolo. The more interesting of the two churches is
Santa Maria del Popolo
(Piazza del Popolo, 12;
%
06-3610836),
where you
will find Raphael's frescoed Chigi chapel and a pair of Caravaggio masterpieces in
the Cerasi Chapel on the left-hand side of the main altar.
There isn't much to do on Piazza del Popolo but spend money in expensive
cafes, so head down the Via Ripetta toward the
Mausoleum of Augustus
(Piazza
Augusto Imperatore, Via Ripetta)
—which is spectacular in size, but not open to
the public—and the newly renovated
Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace)
5
55
(Via
Ripetta, Lungotevere in Augusta;
%
06-67106756),
which has become the bane
of existence for most Italians who are appalled by the modernity of this renovated
showcase. This museum opened for special showings in September 2005, and
should be open to the public by mid-2006 after an 11-year, multimillion-euro
project. The Altar of Peace inside the boxy showcase was reconstructed from frag-
ments found in museums across the country, and after a thorough excavation
below a modern city block near Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina. Until the 1990s the
altar was housed in a rather shabby enclosure that the city fathers felt needed to be
improved. Much to his credit, the American architect Richard Meier incorporated
