Centro Storico - Rome - page 182

Neighbourhood Top Five
Stepping into the Pantheon and feeling the same sense of awe that the ancients must
have felt 2000 years ago. The sight of the dome soaring up above you is a genuinely jaw-
dropping spectacle.
Exploring Piazza Navona and the picturesque streets that surround it.
Browsing the fabulous art collection at the Palazzo e Galleria Doria Pamphilj .
Catching three Caravaggio masterpieces at the Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi .
Escaping the crowds in the shadowy lanes of the Jewish Ghetto .
Explore: Centro Storico
Rome's centro storico (historic centre) is made for leisurely strolling and although you
could spend weeks exploring its every corner, you can cover most of the main sights in
two or three days. Many people enter the area by bus, getting off at Largo di Torre Argen-
tina, from where it's a short walk up to the Pantheon and beyond that to Rome's political
nerve-centre Piazza Colonna. Nearby, on Via del Corso, the Palazzo e Galleria Doria
Pamphilj houses one of the capital's finest private art collections. Art is thick on the
ground in these parts and many of the centre's churches harbour extraordinary frescoes
and sculptures. To the west of the Pantheon, the streets around Piazza Navona, itself one
of Rome's great must-see sights, are a magnet for tourists and hip Romans with their bo-
hemian boutiques, cool bars and popular pizzerias.
Over on the other side of Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, the main road that bisects the
area, all streets lead to Campo de' Fiori, home to a colourful daily market and hectic late-
night drinking scene. From 'il Campo' you can shop your way down to the medieval Jew-
ish Ghetto, a wonderfully atmospheric area of romantic corners, hidden piazzas and au-
thentic eateries.