Interesting Places and Useful Tips for Your Rome Vacation

Beyond the most famous attractions, Rome offers many places to discover, rich in history and beauty. Often, for example, tourist itineraries don’t include lesser-known museums that are definitely worth visiting.

Even the most famous sites, like the Colosseum, can offer unique experiences, perhaps on summer evenings.

To make your Rome vacation easier, let’s look at how you can access the places that interest you more easily and how to freely use public transportation.

Let’s also consider some alternative itineraries. Let’s start exploring!

Why Visit the National Roman Museum?

The National Roman Museum is unique: it’s not a single museum but divides into four locations: the Baths of Diocletian, Palazzo Massimo, Palazzo Altemps, and the Crypta Balbi.

Together, these four museum hubs help preserve and showcase a historical, artistic, and cultural heritage unique in the world.

So, back to the question: there isn’t just one reason, but many, to see all or part of the National Roman Museum.

Let’s see in detail where they are located and what we can discover in each of the four sites, all open from Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM.

Baths of Diocletian

Just a short walk from Termini Station and Piazza della Repubblica, you’ll find the Baths of Diocletian.

Emperor Maximian built them between 289 and 306 AD as a gift to the Roman people, dedicating them to Diocletian, with whom he shared imperial power.

They were an extraordinary architectural complex, with spaces that could accommodate about 3,000 people and an outdoor pool of 4,000 square meters (approx. 43,000 sq ft). The baths operated until the mid-6th century.

Their state of preservation is exceptional, although over the centuries, people changed the use of some areas. For example, in 1561, Pope Pius IV commissioned Michelangelo to transform some thermal spaces into a Carthusian monastery and the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri.

From 1575, by decree of Pope Gregory XIII, people even used the baths’ premises as grain and oil depots. However, today the frigidarium and tepidarium (which, along with the caldarium, formed the classic bath spaces divided by water temperature) and the Great Halls remain fully preserved.

It’s only a portion of what the ancient Romans saw and frequented, but it clearly conveys the majesty the Baths of Diocletian must have presented.

Palazzo Massimo

Very close to the Baths of Diocletian stands Palazzo Massimo. Builders constructed it between 1883 and 1887, and it owes its name to the Jesuit father Massimiliano Massimo, who commissioned it. Originally, it housed the headquarters of the Jesuit College.

Although designed in the 19th century, the architect Camillo Pistrucci conceived the palace based on the model of the great 16th-century palaces. Today, Palazzo Massimo houses an incredible collection of artistic masterpieces from Roman antiquity.

The section opening the visit focuses on Portraits, marble busts depicting ancient figures. At first, only nobles and the powerful followed this custom, but having a sculptor create your portrait eventually became a kind of “fashion,” an indulgence many wealthy citizens allowed themselves.

Another wing of great interest is the Coin Cabinet (Medagliere) of the National Roman Museum, where you can admire many ancient coins. It also holds precious objects and documents that reveal aspects and curiosities of daily economic life in ancient Rome.

Then there’s the section dedicated to sculptures, another aspect that characterized Roman art, especially after the conquest of Greece. The Romans were fascinated by the sculptural art of the newly conquered country and drew inspiration from it. Many Roman statues are, in fact, reproductions of Greek originals, intended for display in public spaces and the private homes of wealthier citizens.

You can find this and much more at the National Roman Museum, all set within an environment enriched by ancient frescoes, mosaics, ivories, and bronzes.

Palazzo Altemps

This is a 16th-century palace entirely dedicated to the art of sculpture. It owes its name to the Austrian-origin family who purchased it and lived there from the mid-16th to the mid-19th century.

The Italian State acquired it in 1982 and subjected it to meticulous restoration; today, it is one of the National Roman Museum sites. It hosts various collections, bearing the names of the individuals who gathered the precious sculptural works over time.

You will find works not only from ancient Roman times but also from ancient Egypt. And not just commemorative and celebratory statues, sarcophagi, and stone inscriptions, but also everyday objects and even recreational items, like small dolls or game dice.

Palazzo Altemps is located downtown, near Piazza Navona, heading towards the Lungotevere (Tiber embankment).

Crypta Balbi

The Crypta Balbi is located on Via delle Botteghe Oscure, not far from the Campidoglio (Capitoline Hill) and Piazza Venezia. It’s a very interesting example of urban archeology. Excavations have brought to light the layered history of an entire city block.

In a continuous and coherent path, you can see the urban transformation from antiquity through the High Middle Ages, the Late Middle Ages, and up to the dawn of the modern era. This area, as findings show, teemed with craft and commercial activities: shopkeepers, blacksmiths, makers of fabrics and clothes… But also simple homes that allow us to better understand the daily lives of the citizens who lived here many centuries ago.

However, since 2023, the Crypta Balbi and its annexed museum are temporarily closed to the public to allow for the major restoration project “URBS: from the city to the Roman countryside.”

Are There Special Events at the Colosseum During the Summer?

Rome is a lively and vibrant metropolis all year round, but during “la bella stagione” (the beautiful season, i.e., warmer months), opportunities for leisure, entertainment, and culture multiply. For many years, a dedicated festival called “Estate Romana” (Roman Summer) has run from mid-June to mid-October, featuring a packed calendar of all kinds of events.

One example is the special events organizers hold at the Colosseum, especially in the evening when darkness falls and temperatures become less scorching. It’s an unusual way to experience Rome’s most famous and visited monument.

Generally, organizers offer guided tours, usually from 8:00 PM to midnight (20:00 to 24:00), to discover the wonders of this place, which the nighttime atmosphere and lights make even more evocative.

To learn more and stay updated on summer events, you can keep an eye on the Colosseum website and wait for them to publish the Estate Romana event schedule.

How Best to Explore Rome’s Jewish Ghetto?

Rome’s Ghetto is the downtown area where the city’s Jewish community had to live in the past. Even today, this area has maintained its strong Jewish historical, cultural, and culinary identity.

History and Symbolic Places

Rome’s is one of the oldest ghettos in the world. Pope Paul IV established it in 1555, and it was a place of segregation until 1870. With Rome’s annexation to the Kingdom of Italy, authorities abolished the ghetto and granted Jews equal status with all other Roman citizens.

The Rome Ghetto starts at the Theater of Marcellus, not far from the Campidoglio (Capitoline Hill) and Piazza Venezia. In recent years, authorities opened a pedestrian passage between the Theater and the nearby Portico of Octavia, which passes right through a small, very charming archaeological area.

The Portico of Octavia is a precious testament to ancient Roman architecture and, at the same time, an important place of memory. Here and in the nearby streets, on October 16, 1943, Nazi-Fascists arrested over 1,200 people, deporting them to the Auschwitz extermination camp.

Nearby stands the Great Synagogue (Tempio Maggiore), built in the early 1900s, which also houses the Jewish Museum of Rome.

Strolling and Flavors

It’s very pleasant to stroll through the narrow streets of the Ghetto, which almost seem like an island of tranquility right in the middle of the city’s chaos. One interesting aspect of the Ghetto and Rome’s Jewish community is the food.

Some say that Jewish cuisine, precisely because a community long forced to remain isolated preserved it, has remained the most faithful to typical Roman gastronomic tradition. Along the Ghetto streets, you will find many restaurants, trattorias, and even fast-food spots where you can savor – among other things – the kosher version (prepared according to Jewish dietary laws) of the most typical Roman dishes. One standout is the famous “carciofi alla giudia” (Jewish-style fried artichokes).

And speaking of flavors, remember you can always count on Sidecar Tour in Rome to discover the Capital’s best gastronomic offerings aboard a Vespa!

What Information Do You Need to Visit Palazzo Valentini?

Palazzo Valentini sits right next to the archaeological area of Trajan’s Forum, along Via dei Fori Imperiali, facing the famous Trajan’s Column. We are therefore not just in the center of Rome, but in the very heart of classical antiquity.

Builders constructed the palace in the 16th century, but it owes its current name to the banker Vincenzo Valentini who purchased it in 1827. Today, the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital owns it, and it houses the offices of some administrative bodies.

In 2005, important archaeological discoveries occurred in the underground levels of Palazzo Valentini. Specifically, excavators found the so-called Roman Domus (homes), the remains of two large residences from ancient Roman times, dating back about two thousand years.

In one of the two domus, we also find a thermal bath area, while the other residence sits inside a World War II bunker. Furthermore, the remains of what must have been an enormous temple came to light.

The visit to the Roman Domus of Palazzo Valentini is a mixed real-virtual experience. Live, you can admire the rooms where the inhabitants lived their lives. The mosaic floors, frescoes, and colorful decorations on the walls and ceilings are still clearly visible.

Furthermore, thanks to virtual reality, you can visualize the now-missing parts of the buildings, thus immersing yourself in the original environment of the domus.

On the Palazzo Valentini website, you can purchase tickets and book group visits.

Can I Buy Combined Tickets for Multiple Attractions?

It can be useful to purchase tickets that allow access to several museums, archaeological sites, and perhaps even public transport. Here are some examples of combined solutions:

• Roma Pass is the solution that allows you unlimited use of public transport, along with other benefits. The “72 hours” version at €58.50 (indicative price, check the official website) includes free entry to the first two museums or archaeological sites visited, while the “48 hours” version at €36.50 (indicative price) includes free entry to the first one. Both versions offer dedicated booking methods for visits, the AR viewer for the “Circo Maximo Experience,” and access to the P.Stop network restrooms.
• Colosseum Archaeological Park: The Park ticket allows you to visit the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill with a single ticket.
• Omnia Card: This pass allows you to discover the beauties of both Rome and the Vatican. Specifically, you will gain access to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, the cloister and basilica of St. John Lateran, and the Mamertine Prison (where, according to tradition, captors imprisoned the apostles Peter and Paul). Additionally, you can take a tour of central Rome on the panoramic open bus and have access to the multilingual audioguide package. Depending on what interests you most, and especially how much time you have, you can choose between the Omnia Card 72h (€149), the Omnia Card 24h (€69), or the Omnia Smart (€99) (indicative prices, check the official website).
• Archeologia Card (Archaeology Card): At major archaeological sites, such as the Colosseum or the Baths of Caracalla, you can also purchase the Archeologia Card. For €25 (€14 for young adults aged 18-25 – indicative prices), it grants access to Rome’s main archaeological areas. However, it does not include public transport use, so it might be less convenient than the Roma Pass.

In this article, we wanted to give you a series of ideas and solutions on how to spend your Roman vacation in an interesting way.

Don’t forget that one of the smartest ways to visit the Capital is to hop aboard a Vespa sidecar: the guides from Sidecar Tour in Rome will accompany you to the most beautiful places in the Eternal City!