hotel is within walking distance of many of Rome’s major sights.

A real discovery and a charmer, The Inn at the Spanish Steps, Via dei Condotti 85 , is the former Roman residence of Hans Christian Andersen. It has been transformed into one of the most desirable little upscale inns of Rome, with each bedroom furnished in gorgeous, authentic period decor. Not far away, the brilliantly restored Hotel de Russie, Via del Babuino 9 in North America, was a retreat for artists, including Picasso and Stravinsky. Reclaiming its 1890s style, it’s been remade as a stunning little boutique hotel with a fabulous location right off the Piazza del Popolo and excellent service.

Best hotel for Families: Families gravitate to the Hotel Ponte Sisto, Via dei Petinari 64 ,near the Piazza Navona and the Campo de’Fiori in the heart of Rome. It’s a restored Renaissance palazzo offering reasonably priced family suites on its top floor with terraces overlooking the rooftops of the ancient city.

Best Moderately Priced Hotel: So you don’t have a bottomless expense account? We’ve got a couple of wonderful values for you.Consider the Hotel Columbia, Via del Viminale 15, one of the newest properties in the neighborhoods surrounding Stazione Termini;everything is well-maintained and comfortable. We also like La Residenza, Via Emilia 22–24, with a convenient location near the Villa Borghese and Piazza Barberini.Here you’ll get a good price on a homey, spacious guest room.

Best Hotel for a Romantic Getaway: A private villa in the exclusive Parioli residential area, the Hotel Lord Byron, Via G. de Notaris 5, is a chic hideaway. It has a clubby ambience, and everybody is oh-so-very-discreet here. You get personal attention in subdued opulence, and the staff definitely respects that DO NOT DISTURB sign on the door. You don’t even have to leave the premises for dinner; the hotel’s Relais Le Jardin is one of the finest and most romantic restaurants in Rome.

The sestiere of St Mark’s Square – a rectangle smaller than 1000m by 500m – has been the nucleus of Venice from the start of the city’s existence. When its founders decamped from the coastal town of Malamocco to settle on the safer islands of the inner lagoon, the area now known as the Piazza San Marco or St. Mark’s Square was where the first rulers built their citadel – the Palazzo Ducale – and it was here that they established their most important church – the Basilica di San Marco. Over the succeeding centuries the Basilica evolved into the most ostentatiously rich church in Christendom, and the Palazzo Ducale grew to accommodate and celebrate a system of government that endured for longer than any other republican regime in Europe. Meanwhile, the setting for these two great edifices developed into a public space so dignified that no other square in the city was thought fit to bear the name “piazza” – all other Venetian squares are campi or campielli.

Nowadays the Piazza is what keeps the city solvent:the plushest hotels are concentrated in the San Marco sestiere; the most elegant and exorbitant cafés spill out onto the pavement from the Piazza’s arcades; the most extravagantly priced seafood is served in this area’s restaurants; and the swankiest shops in Venice line the Piazza and the streets radiating from it.

The Basilica di San Marco
Open to tourists Mon–Sat 9.30am–5.30pm, Sun 2–4pm, though the Loggia dei Cavalli is open Sun morning. All over Venice you see images of the lion of St Mark holding a book on which is carved the text “Pax tibi, Marce evangelista meus. Hic requiescet corpus tuum” (“Peace be with you Mark,my Evangelist. Here shall your body rest”).These supposedly are the words with which St Mark was greeted by an angel who appeared to him on the night he took shelter in the lagoon on his way back to Rome.Having thus assured themselves of the sacred ordination of their city, the first Venetians duly went about fulfilling the angelic prophecy. In 828 two merchants stole the body of St Mark from its tomb in Alexandria and brought it back to Venice. Work began immediately on a shrine to house him, and the Basilica di San Marco was consecrated in 832. The amazing church you see today is essentially the version built in 1063–94, embellished in the succeeding centuries.

The marble-clad exterior is adorned with numerous pieces of ancient stonework, but a couple of features warrant special
attention: the Romanesque carvings of the arches of the central doorway; and the group of porphyry figures set into the
wall on the waterfront side – known as the Tetrarchs, in all likelihood a fourth-century Egyptian work depicting
Diocletian and the three colleagues with whom he ruled the unravelling Roman Empire.

The real horses of San Marco are inside the church – the four outside are modern replicas. On the main facade, the only ancient mosaic to survive is The Arrival of the Body of st marks square, above the Porta di Sant’Alipio, made around 1260, it features the earliest known image of the Basilica.

Eating out in Rome has never been so good. No longer is the menu limited to traditional Roman cuisine – the scene is increasingly rich and varied, with creative Mediterranean restaurants, Neapolitan pizza joints and a flurry of new designer eateries. But Romans are discerning diners: to make the grade here, restaurants must deliver culinary excellence, welcoming decor and first-rate service.

Here´s a list of the Best Restaurants in Rome

Le Pain Quotidien
Via Tomacelli 24–5

This bakery’s signature sour-dough bread accompanies tasty quiches, pâtés and big salads. Great for a casual lunch on the terrace. A meal out in Italy normally consists of antipasti (hors d’oeuvres), primo (which is normally a pasta dish), secondo (either a meat or a fish dish) and dolce (dessert), with an espresso to round it all off.

Est! Est! Est! – Da Ricci
Via Genova 32

The thick-based Neapolitan pizzas in this old-fashioned pizzeria are big enough for any appetite.

Gusto
Piazza Augusto Imperatore 9

Enjoy a pizza or plate of pasta on a comfortable wicker chair in a marble arcade. Book in advance, as tables
are always in demand.

Il Margutta Ristorarte
Via Margutta 118

Dining on a pretty cobblestoned lane is the draw at this vegetarian restaurant. Alfresco is the internationally
recognized word used to describe outdoor dining, but Italians actually say all’aperto (in the open air).

Uffa Che Pizza
Via dei Taurini 39

Blown up like a soccer ball or stretched out into a long coccodrillo (crocodile), this is pizza unlike any you’ve seen before.

ALFRESCO THE PERFECT PIZZA
Trattoria San Teodoro
Via dei Fienili 49–51

Contemporary Italian cuisine with a strong seafood slant is served on a shady terrace. A firm favourite with well-heeled foodies.

Mangiamoci
Salita di San Sebastianello

A slick chrome, glass and leather interior defines this seafood restaurant, which draws a hip and demanding crowd.

Da Vittorio
Via di San Cosimato 14a

Always full, this historic Trastevere pizzeria is best-known for its Pizza Vittorio (mozzarella, baby tomatoes and basil).

Ristorante Trattoria
Via del Pozzo delle Cornacchie 25

It’s the stunningly presented dishes, not the setting, that steal the show at this 16th century palazzo.

Bloom
Via del Teatro Pace 30

Join Rome’s glamour crowd in this revamped ex-convent, where steaks and sushi are the stars of an otherwise classic Italian menu.

Thien Kim a taste of the Orient 6 C5
Via Giulia 201 • 06 6830 7832
Open dinner Mon–Sat

This pioneering restaurant has been serving exquisite Vietnamese food since 1976. Ideal for a change of pace and cuisine, it has a tranquil atmosphere and courteous service. The tasty Isola del Paradiso Verde (Green Island Paradise) is a seafood soup for four to share that is served over a gas burner.

L’Insalata Ricca
Largo Chiavari 85–6 • 06 6880 3656
Open lunch & dinner daily

Plugging a gap in the market, L’Insalata Ricca serves salads in a city where meat and pasta rule. They now have eight branches around town, but this, the first, is still the best. Try the ai gamberetti (prawns, mushrooms, rocket and radicchio) or la contadina (feta cheese, olives, almonds, tomatoes and lettuce).

Piazza della Cancelleria 75 • 06 687 1626
Open dinner Mon, lunch & dinner Tue–Sun

Tiny Ditirambo earns top marks for gastronomic excellence, generous portions and reasonable prices. The decor is simple and rustic, with tables packed close together. It’s a favourite spot of Oscar-winning actor Roberto Benigni and the lefty intellectual set, who come for dishes such as the sublime wildmushroom ravioli with clam sauce, and the mint-flavored gnocchi. The piatti di mezzo (“half plates”) are generous in size and truly delicious: try the artichoke strudel or the aubergine rissoles. The menu is in Italian, English and French, and there’s a good explanation (in Italian) of their superb selection of cheeses, which range from second-fermentation gorgonzola to alpine and cave-seasoned specialties. The wine list has a handy symbols system that describes each wine. It gets busy most evenings, so book ahead.

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One of the biggest attractions in Rome is, the city of Vaticano,with its own postal system, web domain (.va) and police force (the striped and plumed Swiss Guard), Vatican City is a fully-fledged independent state. The site of the Vatican owes its holiness to the fact that St Peter was crucified here in AD 64 and supposedly buried under what is now St Peter’s Basilica. Spine-tingling guided tours of the excavated necropolis beneath the church point out the alleged tomb. With a dome 132 m (436 ft) high, the church looms larger than anything the Apostle could ever have imagined;
it is one of the biggest churches in the world. To give an idea of the scale, each blue-on-gold mosaic letter of the Latin inscription in the nave is 2 m (61⁄2 ft) tall.

In front of the church, the vast ellipse of Piazza San Pietro is embraced by Bernini’s colonnade. The broad and bombastic Via della Conciliazione, leading from the piazza, was built by Mussolini in 1929. A ten-minute walk east of St Peter’s lies the entrance to the Vatican Museums. Don’t miss the Octagonal Courtyard, with such superb statues as the stoic
Apollo Belvedere and the heart-rending Laocoön. Also of note is the collection of modern religious art, with works by artists such as Paul Klee, Henry Moore and Picasso. At the end of the museums are the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo’s meaty ceiling frescoes inspire awe and neck aches.

Papal audiences, open to all, are held every Wednesday; pick up a ticket on Tuesday afternoon from the Swiss Guards’ post located between St Peter’s Square and the Basilica (on the square’s north side). The pope blesses the crowds in the square from his window every Sunday at noon. Both the Vatican and St Peter’s have a strict dress code: no bare shoulders or knees for women; men must wear long trousers.

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If you think that religion and politics don’t mix, then you’ve obviously never been to Rome, where both are a great excuse for a party. Rome Vacations is from the many Catholic festival days to the summer events staged by political parties, Rome’s calendar is brimming with special occasions held in even more special locations. Summer is one long, non-stop cultural feast, the highlight of which is the Estate Romana, an explosion of top-quality outdoor music, theatre, dance, cinema and literary festivals, some of which are held in awe-inspiring venues such as the Imperial Forum.
Where else in the world can you see opera in the surrounds of ancient Roman baths, open-air cinema on a river island or Easter celebrations hosted by none other than the pontiff himself?

Settimana Santa e Pasqua
Easter Week draws pilgrims to Rome from all over the Catholic world. From the blessing of palms on Palm Sunday to the traditional Easter Sunday papal blessing “to the city and the world,” Urbi et Orbi, this is a Mass-filled week in which hundreds of thousands take part. The most enchanting event is the Stations of the Cross ceremony held in the Colosseum on Good Friday.

Settimana della Cultura
During this dedicated week of culture, many museums, exhibition halls and ancient sites are free to visit and/or stay open longer. Some collections and archives which are normally shut to the public are opened for the occasion, and special events are organized.

Primo Maggio
Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano in 1 May, from 2pm onwards On May Day, some 500,000 people attend a traditional
free concert organized by the country’s three biggest Festival Internazionale delle Letterature Basilica di Massenzio, Via dei Fori Imperiali.

International award-winning novelists read extracts from their works under the grand arches of the old Roman Basilica of Maxentius. Paul Auster, Nadine Gordimer and Alice Sebold have all made appearances. Come early, as these free events get very crowded.

Roma Incontra il Mondo
Villa Ada,a stage next to a little lake in the huge Villa Ada public park hosts musicians playing world music, as well as the odd dash of electronica, from 9pm nightly. Stands sell drinks, food from around the world, books and fairtrade products.

Party Political Festivals
Various venues Italy’s political parties organize these free open-air events. You can eat no-frills Roman food, see theatre
shows and concerts, browse market stalls and mingle with Italians of all ages. People of all political affiliations attend the events, regardless of which party organizes them. The biggest is the Festa dell’Unità, organized by the Democratic Left (DS) Party in June or July.

Walking Through Ancient Rome:

A vast, almost unified archaeological park cuts through the center of Rome. For those who
want specific guidance, we have a walking tour in chapter 8 that will lead you through these haunting ruins. But it’s fun to wander on
your own and let yourself get lost on the very streets where Julius Caesar and Lucrezia Borgia once trod. A slice of history unfolds at
every turn: an ancient fountain, a long-forgotten statue, a ruined temple dedicated to some longfaded cult. A narrow street suddenly
opens to a view of a triumphal arch. The Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill are the highlights, but the glory of Rome is hardly confined to these dusty fields. If you wander long enough, you’ll eventually emerge onto Piazza della Rotunda to stare in awe at one of Rome’s most glorious sights, the Pantheon.
• Hanging Out at the Pantheon:
The world’s best-preserved ancient monument is now a hot spot specially at night. Find a cafe table out on the square and take in
the action, which all but awaits a young Fellini to record it. The Pantheon has become a symbol of Rome itself, and we owe our
thanks to Hadrian for leaving it to the world. When you tire of people watching and cappuccino, you can go inside to inspect the tomb
of Raphael, who was buried here in 1520.Nothing is more dramatic than being in the Pantheon during a rainstorm, watching the
sheets of water splatter on the colorful marble floor. It enters through the oculus on top, which provides the only light for the
interior. See “The Pantheon & Attractions Near Piazza Navona & Campo de’ Fiori.
• Taking a Sunday Bike Ride:

Only a daredevil would try this on city streets on a weekday, but on a clear Sunday morning, while Romans are still asleep, you can
rent a bike and discover Rome with your own two wheels. The Villa Borghese is the best place to bike. Its 6.5km (4-mile) borders
contain a world unto itself, with museums and galleries, a riding school, an artificial lake, and a grassy amphitheater. Another
choice place for Sunday biking is the Villa Doria Pamphilj, an extensive park lying above the Janiculum.
Laid out in the mid-1600s, this is Rome’s largest park,with numerous fountains and some summer houses.
Strolling at Sunset in the Pincio
Gardens. Above the landmark
Piazza del Popolo, this terraced
and lushly planted hillside is the
most romantic place for a twilight
walk. A dusty orange-rose glow
often colors the sky, giving an otherworldly
aura to the park’s
umbrella pines and broad avenues.
The ancient Romans turned this
hill into gardens, but today’s look
came from the design of Giuseppe
Valadier in the 1800s. Pause at the
main piazza, Napoleone I, for a
spectacular view of the city stretching
from the Janiculum to Monte
Mario.

Rome vacations are a vivid and unforgettable images: the view of the city’s silhouette
from Janiculum Hill at dawn, the array of broken marble columns and ruins
of temples of the Roman Forum, St. Peter’s dome against a pink-and-red sunset,
capping a gloriously decorated basilica.
Rome is also a city of sounds, beginning early in the morning with the peal
of church bells calling the faithful to Mass. As the city awakens and comes to
life, the sounds multiply and merge into a kind of urban symphony. The streets
fill with cars, taxis, and motor scooters, all blaring their horns as they weave in
and out of traffic; the sidewalks become overrun with bleary-eyed office workers
rushing to their desks after stealing into crowded cafes for the first cappuccino
of the day. The shops lining the streets open for business by raising their
protective metal grilles as loudly as possible, seeming to delight in their contribution
to the general din. Before long, fruit and vegetable stands are abuzz with
activity as homemakers, maids, cooks, and others arrive to purchase their day’s
supply of fresh produce, haggling over prices and clucking over quality.
By 10am the tourists are on the streets, battling crowds and traffic as they wind
their way from Renaissance palaces and baroque buildings to the famous ruins of
antiquity. Indeed, Rome often appears to have two populations: one of Romans
and one of visitors. During the summer months especially, the city plays host to a
horde of countless sightseers who converge on it with guidebooks and cameras in
hand. To all—Americans, Europeans, Japanese—Rome extends a warm and
friendly welcome, wining, dining, and entertaining them in its inimitable fashion.
(Of course, if you visit in August, you might see only tourists, not Romans,
because the locals flee the summer heat of the city. Or, as one Roman woman once
told us, “Even if we’re too poor to go on vacation, we close the shutters and pretend
we’re away so neighbors won’t find out we couldn’t afford to leave the city.”)
The traffic, unfortunately, is worse than ever. As the capital, Rome also
remains at the center of the major political scandals and corruption known as
Tangentopoli (bribe city), which sends hundreds of government bureaucrats to
jail each year.
Despite all this chaos, Romans still know how to live the good life. After
you’ve done your duty to culture by wandering through the Colosseum and
being awed by the Pantheon, after you’ve traipsed through St. Peter’s Basilica and
thrown a coin in the Trevi Fountain, you can pause to experience the charm of
the Roman evening. Find a cafe at summer twilight and watch the shades of
pink turn to gold and copper before night finally falls. That’s when another
Rome comes alive; restaurants and cafes grow more animated, especially if
you’ve found one on an ancient hidden piazza or along a narrow alley deep in
Trastevere. After dinner, you can have a gelato (or an espresso in winter) or stroll
by the fountains or through Piazza Navona, and the night is yours.