ITALY - Best of Europe 2014 - page 984

You enter from a convent and explore the result of 250 years of tunneling that occurred
fromthesecondtothefifthcenturies. Visitsareby30-minuteguidedtouronly(English-lan-
guage tours go whenever a small group gathers—generally every 20 minutes or so). You'll
see a few thousand of the 40,000 niches carved here, along with some beautiful frescoes, in-
cluding what is considered the first depiction of Mary nursing the Baby Jesus.
Cost and Hours: €8, Tue-Sun 8:30-12:00 & 14:30-17:00, closed Mon, last entry 30
minutes before closing, closed one random month a year—check website or call first, tel.
06-8620-6272, www.catacombepriscilla.com .
GettingThere: ThecatacombsarenortheastofTerminitrainstation(atViaSalaria430),
far from the center (a €15 taxi ride) but well-served by buses (20-30 minutes). From Ter-
mini, take bus #92 or #86 from Piazza Cinquecento. From Piazza Venezia and along Via del
Corso, take bus #63 or #630. Tell the driver “Piazza Crati” and “kah-tah-KOHM-bay” and
he'll let you off near Piazza Crati (at the Nemorense/Crati stop). From there, walk through
the little market in Piazza Crati, then down Via di Priscilla (about 5 minutes). The entrance
is in the orange building on the left at the top of the hill.
MAXXI
Rome's“National MuseumofArtofthe21stCentury”isthebignewsonthemuseumscene
here—as you can imagine it would be, after the 10 years and €150 million it took to make
it happen. Like many contemporary art museums, it's notable more for the building than the
art inside. To me, it comes off as a second-rate Pompidou Center. While not to my taste, it's
one of the few places in the city where fans of contemporary architecture can see the latest
trends.
Cost and Hours: €11, Tue-Sun 11:00-19:00, Thu and Sat until 22:00, closed Mon, last
entry one hour before closing; no permanent collection, several rotating exhibits throughout
the year—preview on their site; tram #2 from Piazza del Popolo to Piazza Apollo Doro, Via
Guido Reni 4a, tel. [phone], www.fondazionemaxxi.it .
From the Spanish Steps to the Ara Pacis
▲ Spanish Steps
The wide, curving staircase, culminating with an obelisk between two Baroque church
towers, makes for one of Rome's iconic sights. Beyond that, it's a people-gathering place.
By day, the area hosts shoppers looking for high-end fashions; on warm evenings, it attracts
young people in love with the city. For more, see the “Heart of Rome Walk” on here .