Roman Holiday: Level Advanced
September 12, 2015 1:47 PM Subscribe
Going on a trip to Rome with my dad. As a serious history/art history buff, he absolutely loves Rome and has been 5 or 6 times before. Looking for advice for some off-the-beaten-path activities for a two week trip in October.
So, we are going to do some of the big can't-be-missed tourist activities like the Sistine Chapel and Capitoline Museums. We are also definitely going to Tivoli with a few days in Naples and Herculaneum. We might do some day trips from Rome, but not looking to travel around Italy much on this particular trip.
It will be my dad's birthday during the trip so trying to find a really good place to take him out to dinner. Doesn't have to be fancy per se, but must be absolutely delicious.
My girlfriend and I are hipster-y twentysomethings, so any recommendations for craft beer, cheap/tasty restaurants, dive bars, concert venues, cafes, comic book shops, concerts, performing arts activities, and thrift stores are also welcome.
I bought the Rick Steves guide to Rome. Also looking at buying the book Eating in Rome. Any guidebook, website, or Roman blogger suggestions are also welcome!
So, we are going to do some of the big can't-be-missed tourist activities like the Sistine Chapel and Capitoline Museums. We are also definitely going to Tivoli with a few days in Naples and Herculaneum. We might do some day trips from Rome, but not looking to travel around Italy much on this particular trip.
It will be my dad's birthday during the trip so trying to find a really good place to take him out to dinner. Doesn't have to be fancy per se, but must be absolutely delicious.
My girlfriend and I are hipster-y twentysomethings, so any recommendations for craft beer, cheap/tasty restaurants, dive bars, concert venues, cafes, comic book shops, concerts, performing arts activities, and thrift stores are also welcome.
I bought the Rick Steves guide to Rome. Also looking at buying the book Eating in Rome. Any guidebook, website, or Roman blogger suggestions are also welcome!
If he's a big history/art history buff he probably already knows about the Blue Guides series, but the Blue Guide to Rome would be a much better fit for him than the Eyewitness, Lonely Planet, etc. They're not good on restaurants or hotels but they do provide detailed descriptions and tours of virtually all the historical and archaeological sites of Rome.
posted by crazy with stars at 1:57 PM on September 12, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by crazy with stars at 1:57 PM on September 12, 2015 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Hi, I'm currently working on a book about Rome and I'll be back there in late October myself. For eating, Flavio Velavevodetta is a great little trattoria and the Testaccio neighborhood is worth exploring just for the food. Everybody knows/goes to Roscioli (both of them) but I still think it's great. I have a soft spot in my heart for Sora Margherita if I just want some pasta, wine, an artichoke and some attitude. I've had great fancy dinners at Due Ladroni (the char-grilled baby octopi are a highlight) and Pier Luigi (but if you can't eat outside it's less charming).
I am really really into relics and macabre Baroque art. I've written a lot about Rome on my blog and your dad might be interested in these two photo essays I did for Slate- both are from Rome. This one is on Baroque cadaver tombs, and this one is on incorrupt corpses. Email me if you have any specific questions.
posted by Thin Lizzy at 2:12 PM on September 12, 2015 [8 favorites]
I am really really into relics and macabre Baroque art. I've written a lot about Rome on my blog and your dad might be interested in these two photo essays I did for Slate- both are from Rome. This one is on Baroque cadaver tombs, and this one is on incorrupt corpses. Email me if you have any specific questions.
posted by Thin Lizzy at 2:12 PM on September 12, 2015 [8 favorites]
Best answer: The Galleria Borghese is one of my favorites. I lived in Rome AGES ago, so can't be much help on the restaurant front. But there are so, so many smaller museums that aren't the Big Obvious ones. It depends on your interests, really. I'm a big fan of Caravaggio, personally, so would make time to drop into the churches with his work, for example. Like San Luigi Dei Francesi and Santa Maria del Popolo. Villa Giulia is cool for Etruscan art.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 2:13 PM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by jeweled accumulation at 2:13 PM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Oh yeah, I forgot to recommend the Criminological Museum on Via Giulia. Maybe the best 2 euro you can spend, in my opinion.
posted by Thin Lizzy at 2:16 PM on September 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Thin Lizzy at 2:16 PM on September 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
I don't have any off the beaten path ideas for you but here's a Sistine Chapel tip: Arrive at the museum door before opening time. Once they open up and you are in, beeline it straight to the Sistine - which is at the way back of the big museum. If all goes well, you'll have the chapel all to yourself (or nearly so) for about 30 minutes. Later it will be quite crowded.
Caveat: This worked great more than a decade ago. They may have changed the whole setup, or entrance to the Sistine may be direct. But if you still have to go thru the museum to get there, this works great!
posted by ecorrocio at 2:31 PM on September 12, 2015
Caveat: This worked great more than a decade ago. They may have changed the whole setup, or entrance to the Sistine may be direct. But if you still have to go thru the museum to get there, this works great!
posted by ecorrocio at 2:31 PM on September 12, 2015
Best answer: Even if he's been several times before, he may not have made it out to the Tre Fontane abbey where St Paul was martyred. It is a very worthwhile half-day trip, tranquil and lovely and very interesting, with - bonus - a gift shop of abbey-made liqueurs and other on-site made goods where you will be able to do all your gift shopping if you want stuff that your friends really cannot get at home.
posted by fingersandtoes at 2:34 PM on September 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by fingersandtoes at 2:34 PM on September 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: And if he hasn't been, definitely hit the Mithraeum at San Clemente. Geographically combines well with San Pietro in Vincoli, which houses Michelangelo's Moses, a must-see if he hasn't seen it yet.
posted by fingersandtoes at 2:38 PM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by fingersandtoes at 2:38 PM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
Investigate private, guided tours of specific sights. Somewhere like the Vatican Museum is so overwhelming and crowded that it's very difficult to put what you see into any kind of specific context unless you really know your art history and know what you're looking at and for in a specific piece. If your dad is in this category, great. if not find a well reviewed tour guide for such locations.
posted by koahiatamadl at 3:09 PM on September 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by koahiatamadl at 3:09 PM on September 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: My recommendations are mostly ancient, but I highly, highly recommend Ostia. It's often overlooked but as a site to explore and understand, it's very fun and very fantastic. Palazzo Valentini hosts timed tours of the recently discovered mosaics under the building; be sure to book in advance for an English tour. Also newish: tours of the Houses of Livia and Augustus. The Domus Aurea is also doing special tours. If your dad is more into gardens (like those at the Villa d'Este) there are a couple of other villa estates that are easy trips from Rome; you might be interested in this previously on Bomarzo. I would also second that private, well-tailored tours might be a good fit-- especially if he's interested in something like Caravaggio's Rome, or lesser known residences.
I've had fancy meals at Antico Arco in the past though it is more modern than you might want. I would also recommend Chowhound for other ideas on bars and food. Have so much fun-- Rome in October is lovely.
posted by jetlagaddict at 3:52 PM on September 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
I've had fancy meals at Antico Arco in the past though it is more modern than you might want. I would also recommend Chowhound for other ideas on bars and food. Have so much fun-- Rome in October is lovely.
posted by jetlagaddict at 3:52 PM on September 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Watch this space! I'm just back from 3 weeks in Italy and working on a trip report at the Fodor's forum. I'll link to it when I'm finished. In the meantime:
For your couple days in Campania: Naples is an amazing city, and would be my first recommendation for a base. It's an easy train ride from Rome. An quieter but still cool alternate would be Salerno.
In Naples you'll find Roman markets buried under church courtyards, the surreal 'Veiled Christ,' Caravaggio masterpieces, amazing pizza for 1 euro, and a historic center that has more life (and fewer tourists) than any other medieval quarter I've seen in Europe. You'll also earn massive hipster cred.
I saw no indication that the streets were dangerous, and saw both men and women walking solo late at night. Ignore Rick Steves & every other guide who warns you away.
Your day trips will include Pompeii, of course, but also the Greek temples at Paestum, Villa Oplontis (whose walls are still covered in beautiful frescoes), a trip to a mozzarella di bufala farm near Paestum (which will forever destroy your concept of 'mozzarella'), and perhaps Capri (locals told me to only go in the off-season).
I'd strongly argue that Pompei + Oplontis is a far more rewarding combo than Pompei + Herculaneum.
posted by kanewai at 7:13 PM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
For your couple days in Campania: Naples is an amazing city, and would be my first recommendation for a base. It's an easy train ride from Rome. An quieter but still cool alternate would be Salerno.
In Naples you'll find Roman markets buried under church courtyards, the surreal 'Veiled Christ,' Caravaggio masterpieces, amazing pizza for 1 euro, and a historic center that has more life (and fewer tourists) than any other medieval quarter I've seen in Europe. You'll also earn massive hipster cred.
I saw no indication that the streets were dangerous, and saw both men and women walking solo late at night. Ignore Rick Steves & every other guide who warns you away.
Your day trips will include Pompeii, of course, but also the Greek temples at Paestum, Villa Oplontis (whose walls are still covered in beautiful frescoes), a trip to a mozzarella di bufala farm near Paestum (which will forever destroy your concept of 'mozzarella'), and perhaps Capri (locals told me to only go in the off-season).
I'd strongly argue that Pompei + Oplontis is a far more rewarding combo than Pompei + Herculaneum.
posted by kanewai at 7:13 PM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
Doh. I just saw that you already mentioned a few days in Naples. I read your post too fast.
So: great choice!
posted by kanewai at 7:18 PM on September 12, 2015
So: great choice!
posted by kanewai at 7:18 PM on September 12, 2015
Best answer: I'll back up kdern on the Da Francesco recommendation and throw in our favorite from our recent trip, Alfredo e Ada. Just absolutely fantastic.
posted by komara at 10:07 PM on September 12, 2015
posted by komara at 10:07 PM on September 12, 2015
Best answer: HeartRome is a good site for food and drink recommendations.
posted by neushoorn at 12:29 AM on September 13, 2015
posted by neushoorn at 12:29 AM on September 13, 2015
Best answer: craft beer & dive bars - Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fa' & right across the street Bir & Fud. The former is more divey, the latter not really, but both have good selections of craft beer according to my friend who did a Slow Food Master's Thesis in Italian Craft Beers.
comic book shops - Near Vatican, Casa del Fumetto Via Candia 98
thrift stores - I'm assuming that you're more interested in browsing and not really looking for something specific, so....stroll along Via del Governo Vecchio for some highly curated clothes options. There's also a chain of Mercatino dell'Usato, the Porta Portese market in Trastevere on Sundays and various pop-up antique markets ie the 3rd sunday of every month or whatnot.
concerts, performing arts activities - Since you didn't really specify genres or preferences, the Offical tourism site for the city of Rome is a pretty good general starting point for what will be on when you're here.
Food & drink in general - Any visitors I've had have been pretty happy with the Katie Parla app
posted by romakimmy at 1:41 AM on September 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
comic book shops - Near Vatican, Casa del Fumetto Via Candia 98
thrift stores - I'm assuming that you're more interested in browsing and not really looking for something specific, so....stroll along Via del Governo Vecchio for some highly curated clothes options. There's also a chain of Mercatino dell'Usato, the Porta Portese market in Trastevere on Sundays and various pop-up antique markets ie the 3rd sunday of every month or whatnot.
concerts, performing arts activities - Since you didn't really specify genres or preferences, the Offical tourism site for the city of Rome is a pretty good general starting point for what will be on when you're here.
Food & drink in general - Any visitors I've had have been pretty happy with the Katie Parla app
posted by romakimmy at 1:41 AM on September 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
I had a very memorable (but accidental) stroll along the narrow banks a river in Italy once, far removed from the throngs of tourists above. I needed to retrieve an item that fell from the ledge, and located a local rowing club that gave me access permission to go and get it. Rome has rowing clubs. Getting permission to take a brief walk, or even take in the view from their dock would be your personal challenge.
posted by Jack Karaoke at 7:37 PM on September 13, 2015
posted by Jack Karaoke at 7:37 PM on September 13, 2015
As long as the Tiber isn't overflowing, in the city center the banks are accessible to all, wide and paved, some sections with marked bike paths. You can even cop a squat on the banks of Isola Tiberina. In summer, they're the site of some outdoor festival/fair type events. October shouldn't see the Tiber too swollen, but hey, global warming yay {/hamburger}
posted by romakimmy at 12:52 AM on September 14, 2015
posted by romakimmy at 12:52 AM on September 14, 2015
I nth Ostia Antica; it's an easy train ride from the centre and is seriously cool.
One of my favourite off-the-beaten-path things to see in Rome is the Centrale Montemartini, which is a sculpture museum that is an offshoot of the Capitoline Museum in the south part of the city. It's a really cool setting and not particularly well known and it has some great sculpture in it. The day I went at the end of June, my partner and I were the only ones in there.
Just a comment on guide books - you might find that Rick Steves won't serve you very well to find off-the-beaten-path stuff, since his books are so widely bought and read that his readers trample quite well-worn paths to anything he says is good. It's kind of the same thing for Lonely Planet et al, but I've found that Rick Steves's guides are particularly liked by older American travellers, so the places he recommends tend to attract that kind of crowd. The Blue Guide is the best guidebook I know of for Rome aimed at the art history/archaeology lover set.
posted by urbanlenny at 7:52 AM on September 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
One of my favourite off-the-beaten-path things to see in Rome is the Centrale Montemartini, which is a sculpture museum that is an offshoot of the Capitoline Museum in the south part of the city. It's a really cool setting and not particularly well known and it has some great sculpture in it. The day I went at the end of June, my partner and I were the only ones in there.
Just a comment on guide books - you might find that Rick Steves won't serve you very well to find off-the-beaten-path stuff, since his books are so widely bought and read that his readers trample quite well-worn paths to anything he says is good. It's kind of the same thing for Lonely Planet et al, but I've found that Rick Steves's guides are particularly liked by older American travellers, so the places he recommends tend to attract that kind of crowd. The Blue Guide is the best guidebook I know of for Rome aimed at the art history/archaeology lover set.
posted by urbanlenny at 7:52 AM on September 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
It would not be possible for me to recommend Rome, by Mauro Lucentini and his family any more highly. The book's got many six-hour walking tours and information about art history, political history, architecture, everything. My guy is a history nerd and I am an everything nerd and half of one of the tours took us a good seven hours, because we couldn't stop discussing how everything connects to everything. Please, please, please get this book. I think the English translation just came out in the last couple of years? It's brilliant.
posted by lauranesson at 5:05 PM on September 14, 2015
posted by lauranesson at 5:05 PM on September 14, 2015
I just realized that first clause was ridiculous. Get that book. Seriously.
posted by lauranesson at 5:08 PM on September 14, 2015
posted by lauranesson at 5:08 PM on September 14, 2015
> the surreal 'Veiled Christ...
True enough, and indeed, the entire Sansevero Chapel is worth a visit.
posted by BWA at 4:35 PM on September 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
True enough, and indeed, the entire Sansevero Chapel is worth a visit.
posted by BWA at 4:35 PM on September 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Just to piggyback on this one in case anyone's looking...
Will anyone be around in late November? I'll be back then. It'd be kooky to have an IRL riunione di metafilteriani.
posted by lackutrol at 11:09 PM on October 5, 2015
Will anyone be around in late November? I'll be back then. It'd be kooky to have an IRL riunione di metafilteriani.
posted by lackutrol at 11:09 PM on October 5, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks for all of the wonderful suggestions!
Here's a few for anyone else who ends up looking at this thread:
Loved Thin_Lizzy's suggestions and blog. So many gorgeous off-the-beaten track churches and things to see. One we particularly enjoyed was Santo Stefano Rotondo.
Open Baladin and Bir &Fud were both nice spots for craft beer. Open Baladin got really crowded at night, but during the afternoon it was super chill and quiet. We also absolutely loved the L'Oasi della Birra in Testaccio.
My favorite neighborhood was definitely Testaccio. The pyramid and Protestant cemetery were great, and the hip new market was absolutely delicious. Generally, it was a great mix of good places to eat and drink, leisurely, uncrowded, lots of street art, and beautiful. Absolutely loved the Centrale Montemartini. I think we were the only people there.
I downloaded the Katie Parla app, but was pretty meh on it. There were some good recommendations, but the app itself was hard to use on the fly. Just reading through her blog was definitely a better way to go.
Loved No.Au, a wine bar a few blocks away from the Piazza Navona. It's definitely got a hipster vibe which I liked a lot more than my dad. Went there a couple of nights and had an amazing cheese plate, great drinks at reasonable prices, and good music. It's very friend and chill, which is a relief in such a boisterous touristy part of town.
We went on a few day trips and had a great time on all of them. The train to Naples was delightful and we had a nice time just walking around for the day. I highly recommend going to Hadrian's Villa near Tivoli (the Rick Steves book had excellent detailed instructions for this, which required several different modes of local public transit). Also highly recommend going to Ostia Antica.
posted by forkisbetter at 10:18 AM on November 7, 2015 [3 favorites]
Here's a few for anyone else who ends up looking at this thread:
Loved Thin_Lizzy's suggestions and blog. So many gorgeous off-the-beaten track churches and things to see. One we particularly enjoyed was Santo Stefano Rotondo.
Open Baladin and Bir &Fud were both nice spots for craft beer. Open Baladin got really crowded at night, but during the afternoon it was super chill and quiet. We also absolutely loved the L'Oasi della Birra in Testaccio.
My favorite neighborhood was definitely Testaccio. The pyramid and Protestant cemetery were great, and the hip new market was absolutely delicious. Generally, it was a great mix of good places to eat and drink, leisurely, uncrowded, lots of street art, and beautiful. Absolutely loved the Centrale Montemartini. I think we were the only people there.
I downloaded the Katie Parla app, but was pretty meh on it. There were some good recommendations, but the app itself was hard to use on the fly. Just reading through her blog was definitely a better way to go.
Loved No.Au, a wine bar a few blocks away from the Piazza Navona. It's definitely got a hipster vibe which I liked a lot more than my dad. Went there a couple of nights and had an amazing cheese plate, great drinks at reasonable prices, and good music. It's very friend and chill, which is a relief in such a boisterous touristy part of town.
We went on a few day trips and had a great time on all of them. The train to Naples was delightful and we had a nice time just walking around for the day. I highly recommend going to Hadrian's Villa near Tivoli (the Rick Steves book had excellent detailed instructions for this, which required several different modes of local public transit). Also highly recommend going to Ostia Antica.
posted by forkisbetter at 10:18 AM on November 7, 2015 [3 favorites]
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I'll be back in Rome in October and can't wait to go back there.
posted by kdern at 1:52 PM on September 12, 2015 [3 favorites]