Rick Steves - Rick Steves Rome

ROME

Rick Steves & Gene Openshaw

Travel is intensified livingmaximum thrills per minute and one of the last great sources of legal adventure. Travel is freedom. Its recess, and we need it.

I discovered a passion for European travel as a teen and have been sharing it ever sincethrough my tours, public television and radio shows, and travel guidebooks. Over the years, Ive taught millions of travelers how to best enjoy Europes blockbuster sightsand experience Back Door discoveries that most tourists miss.

Written with my talented co-author, Gene Openshaw, this book offers you a balanced mix of Romes brutal but bellasightseeing: breathtaking ancient and religious sights, world-class museums, and lively people zones. Its selective: Rather than listing all of Romes many sights, we recommend only the best. And its in-depth: Our self-guided museum tours and city walks provide insight into Romes vibrant history and todays living, breathing culture.

We advocate traveling simply and smartly. Take advantage of our money- and time-saving tips on sightseeing, transportation, and more. Try local, characteristic alternatives to expensive hotels and restaurants. In many ways, spending more money only builds a thicker wall between you and what you traveled so far to see.

We visit Rome to experience itto become temporary locals. Thoughtful travel engages us with the world, as we learn to appreciate other cultures and new ways to measure quality of life.

Judging by the positive feedback we receive from our readers, this book will help you enjoy a fun, affordable, and rewarding vacationwhether its your first trip or your tenth.

Buon viaggio!Happy travels!

Rome is magnificent and overwhelming at the same time. Its a showcase of Western civilization, with astonishingly ancient sights and a modern vibrancy.

Two thousand years ago the word Rome meant civilization itself. Everything was either civilized (part of the Roman world) or barbarian. Today, Rome is Italys political capital, the spiritual capital of a billion Roman Catholics, and an open-air museum of the evocative remains of the capital of what was the greatest empire in the history of humanity.

As you peel through Romes fascinating and jumbled layers, youll find the marble ruins of ancient times, tangled streets of the medieval world, early Christian churches, grand Renaissance buildings and statues, Baroque fountains and church facades, 19th-century apartments, 21st-century traffic, and nearly three million people. And then, of course, there are Romes stupendous sights.

Visit St. Peters, the greatest church on earth, and scale Michelangelos 448-foot-tall dome. Learn something about eternity at the huge Vatican Museums, where the story of creation is as bright as when Michelangelo first painted it in the restored Sistine Chapel. Ramble among the rabble and rubble, doing the Caesar Shuffle through ancient Romes Colosseum and Forum, mentally resurrecting those tumble-down stones. Peer into the eyes of Roman busts at the National Museum of Rome, and savor Berninis lifelike sculptures at the sumptuous Borghese Gallery. Wander through the surrounding Villa Borghese Gardens, Romes biggest public park. Take a spin on the ancient Appian Way and clamber through the catacombs.

Marveling at St. Peters Basilica, savorysaltimbocca alla romana (veal wrapped with proscuitto)

To experience the intimacy of Rome, buy a picnic at a farmers market, attend a church service, cheer at a soccer match, or find a little square peppered with pizzerias.