There are many other things about Rome that do not really fit into any specific category.  I have included some of them on this page.  I will add things as time permits.  This page includes information on the following sights as well as some other interesting tidbits:

Spanish Steps
Fountains of Rome
Catacombs
Ancient Rome
     Foro Romano
     Coliseum
     Trajan's Markets
     Teatro di Marcello
Chronological Timeline from 753 B.C. to 2001
Free Must-See Stuff
     Presidential Palace (Palazzo del Quirinale)
     Rome Planetarium
     Bocca della Verita
     The Keyhole
     Capitoline Museums
     Pantheon
Termi di Caracalla (Baths of Caracalla)
Saints of the Calendar
Saints of Bernini's Colonnades
List of Popes and Their Burial Places
What's In A Name?
Nero's Golden House (Domus Aurea)
Via Giulia
Protestant Cemetery
Campo Verano (Rome's main cemetery)
Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace)
Villa Farnesina
Palazzo Zuccari
Quartiere Coppede
Recommended Reading

Spanish Steps Tip:  A word about visiting these world-famous Steps:  If you are caught shirtless here, or are caught eating or drinking on the Steps, you can be heavily fined.

CATACOMBS

Outside the walls of Rome are the catacombs which line via Appia Antica.  You can check out a website on these catacombs on my links page.  They are closed on public holidays and all have admission charges and different hours of operation so if you are planning on a visit to any of them, you should probably call prior to going to be sure what their current hours are and days open.  There are buses that take you there and back from the Coliseum Metro station.  As a reminder to those that suffer from claustrophobia, the catacombs are underground.  If you have claustrophobia, you may not wish to visit these ancient underground graveyards.  One of the bad things about the catacombs is that each tend to be closed on different days, which makes it difficult to visit them all while you are out there.  Of importance are the following catacombs:

Catacombs of San Callisto, via Appia Antica 110, Tel. 06/51301580, Admission charge.  Feb.-Dec., Mon.-Sat. 8:30am-noon and 2:30-5:30pm.

These vast underground burial grounds are on four separate levels and have only been partly excavated.  The rooms and hallways are carved from volcanic tufa.  The Christian dead were placed in the niches which held two to three bodies each.  Some of the rooms are decorated with frescoes and stuccos, well-preserved.  There is also the Crypt of the Popes where many of the early popes were entombed, and also the Crypt of Santa Cecilia where the saint's body was found in 820 A.D.  The body has since been moved to the Church of Santa Cecilia in the Trastevere area.

Catacombs of San Sebastiano, via Appia Antica 136, Tel. 06/7850350, Admission charge.  Mar.-Jan., Mon.-Sat. 8:30am-noon and 2:30pm-5:30pm.

Above the catacombs sits the 17th century Church of San Sebastiano, on the site of an ancient basilica during the time of Constantine.  Of particular interest is a well-preserved building at the entrance to the catacombs that was used during the time for serving refreshments to mourners burying their dead.  The walls are covered with graffiti naming St. Peter and St. Paul, who may have been placed here during the time that the catacombs were popular as Christian burial places during the Roman persecution of Christians.

Catacombs of Domitilla, via delle Sette Chiese 282.  8:30a-noon and 2:30-5:30p (closes at 5p Oct.-Mar.) Wednesday-Monday.  Closed public holidays and Sundays.  Admission charge.

These are the largest catacombs in Rome and date from the first and second centuries A.D.  What is strange about these catacombs as they have no Christian connection, even though the walls have frescoes that show Classical and Christian themes, including Christ as the Good Shepherd.  Above these catacombs is the ancient ruins of the Basilica of Santi Nereo e Achilleo, a 4th century church.

Tomb of Cecilia Metella, via Appia Antica 161, Tel. 06/7802465, at this writing, it is free.  Open weekdays 9am-1 hour before sunset, weekends, 9am-1pm.

This is the circular mausoleum of a Roman noblewoman (Cecilia Metella) who lived in the time of Julius Caesar.  It was transformed into a fortress in the 14th century.  It also marks the beginning of the most important stretch of Via Appia Antica, which is lined with tombs and fragments of statuary.  Via Appia Antica's pavement still has some of the original ancient paving stones that were trod by the Roman legions.

This includes the ruins of the Foro Romano (Roman Forum), Palatine Hill (separate charge), Trajan's Markets (separate charge), and the Coliseum (separate charge) areas of Rome.

Foro Romano (The Roman Forum).  Entrances are on Largo Romolo e Remo and also on Via di San Gregorio.  Tel. 699.01.10.  Daily 9am-2 hours before sunset.  Audio cassette guides are available at the bookshop ticket entrance on via dei Fori Imperali.  It is closed on public holidays.  There is admission charge to the Palatine, but the Forum floor entrance used to be free.  I do believe the Foro Romano proper is free on Sundays at any rate (not including the Coliseum).  There is also a fantastic souvenir/bookshop at the entrance at Largo Romolo e Remo before you go down the ramp into the Forum that has some wonderful books at reasonable prices.

This is a massive excavated area which was the center of Imperial Rome, located around and behind the Vittorio Emanuele Monument that goes all the way to the Circus Maximus.  Technically, it extends well into the Parco Porta Capena which includes the Baths of Caracalla.  But here, we are going to briefly discuss just the Foro Romano portion.  There is so much out there on the ruins of the Forum, Trajan's Markets, and the Coliseum, that I am only going to touch lightly on it here.

One of the best views of the Forum can be had from the staircase coming down from Piazza del Campidoglio alongside the Palazzo Senatorio the is between ss. Luca e Martina on the left and the Arch of Septimius Severus just inside the Forum on the right.  The view is breathtaking and you can see the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, Santa Francesca Romana, the hill dwelling of the Palatine, and the Coliseum clearly from this vantage point as you descend the staircase to the Forum level.

There is a souvenir booklet with plastic overlays that you can get from street vendors or small souvenir shops located around this area that is called Rome Past and Present:  With Reconstructions of Ancient Monuments that has photos of various ruins inside the Forum, Trajan's Markets, the Palatine, the Coliseum, and the Catacombs with plastic overlays showing what these areas probably looked like during the Imperial Roman era that is well worth purchasing before visiting the ruins.  It will help you immensely visualize what you are looking at (see picture).  It is not expensive and is about a 4"x6" publication.

If you are coming from the Piazza del Campidoglio and down the staircase into the Forum area, you will come around the via della Curia where Santi Luca e Martina is located, a medieval church that was totally rebuilt by Pietro da Cortona in 1640.  Across from this medieval church is Mamertine Prison on via del Tulliano, where St. Peter was imprisoned while in Rome.  The Prison's phone number is 679.29.02 and it is open Apr.-Sept. 9am-12:30pm and 2:30-6pm; Oct.-Mar. 9am-noon and 2-5pm and a donation is expected.  Built on top of this ancient prison (carcere) is the 16th century Chiesa di S. Giuseppe dei Falegnami (St. Joseph of the Carpenters).  Since explanations of the different churches in this area are located on my Churches and Basilicas page, they will not be repeated here.

Continuing around and to the right, you will go down via della Salara Vecchia to the entrance to the Forum.  Once you pay your admission and enter the Forum grounds, you will descend down a ramp into the excavations.  Immediately on your right is the still intact Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, which has been incorporated into the Chiesa di San Lorenzo in Miranda.  The portico of this ancient temple was erected in 141 AD and is one of the few structures still standing inside the Forum itself.

To the right of that, further down via Sacra toward the Coliseum, is the Temple of Romulus with its domed apse of the 4th century.  This domed portion is the only portion of the original structure that has survived and is now part of the old Chiesa di ss. Cosma e Damiano.  At the end of the via Sacra is the 15th century church of Santa Francesca Romana and the Antiquarium Forense, a small museum that shows some of the excavation findings that have been unearthed in the Forum over the years.

Back in the other direction from the entrance to the Forum toward the back end of the Palazzo Senatorio atop the Capitol and just inside the Forum across from ss. Luca e Martina is the spectacular Arch of Septimius Severus, one of the first structures excavated in the Forum.  Also in that location is the Curia (later, the Church of S. Adriano), which has been reconstructed and opened for viewing.  It was the site of the Roman Senate.

Other things to look for in this portion of the excavated Forum (and here is where either an Eyewitness Travel Guide or other detailed map comes in very handy so you will know what you are looking at) are:  the remains of the Portico of the Dii Consentes, the Temple of Saturn, the Rostra, the Column of Phocas (one of the last monuments that was erected in the Forum which dates from about 608 AD), the Temple of Castor and Pollux, the Temple of Julius Caesar, the Temple of Vespasian, and the Basilica Aemilia, which was a huge meeting hall that was torn down in the 5th century AD.

Going back toward the east end of the entrance, in and around Santa Francesca Romana are:  the Temple of Vesta, House of the Vestal Virgins, the Basilica of Constantine and Maxentius, the Temple of Venus and Rome (look for the famous colonnade of columns that surrounded this temple which is usually included with photos you see of the Coliseum), and the Arch of Titus.  On the other side of the Arch of Titus, which was rebuilt in the 19th century, is found the ruins of the Baths of the Foro Romano.  Back in front of the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina is the remains of the Regia, which was the office of the Pontifex Maximus (the priest of Imperial Rome).  Across the excavated Forum floor from the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, you will see the remains of the hill dwellings on the side of Palatine Hill.

Palatine Hill.  (Entrance is at the Arch of Titus in the Foro Romano.  Tel. 06/6990110.  Admission charge, open daily 9am-2 hours before sunset.)  The Palatine was where, according to legend, Romulus and Remus were raised by the She-wolf in a cave.  You will find the remains of living quarters that date from the 8th century BC in this area.  Especially look for the following:  Temple of Cybele, the huts of Romulus, the House of Apollo and the House of Augustus, the House of Livia, Domus Flavia, which was an oval fountain that was designed to be seen from the Palace's dining hall, the Domus Augustana, which is where the Roman emperors lived, the Stadium and the exedra which was a circular enclosed area containing a balcony where the Emperors watched the races, the ruins of the Baths of Septimius Severus, the Palace of Septimius Severus with its substructures and, of course, the Circus Maximus.

The Coliseum.  After exiting the Forum through the Arch of Titus, you come into Piazza del Colosseo, which contains perhaps the most photographed ancient structure in Rome, the Coliseum.  Tel. 700.42.61.  Open 9am-2 hours before sunset; admission charge.  The Coliseum is closed on public holidays.  There are people there dressed as Roman gladiators that you can have your picture taken with (for a price).

This great amphitheater was constructed by Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD in the swamps surrounding the Domus Aurea (Nero's Golden House and estate grounds).  The subterranean compartments underneath the original floors of the Coliseum were revealed between 1893-96.  For Jubilee Year 2000, a portion of the subterranean flooring was filled with sand and a wooden floor constructed on top for productions of operas, the first time any such activities have been held in this grandiose structure for well over 1,500 years, with the exception of Easter mass held annually by the Pope.

The Coliseum has 80 arched entryways and could seat some 55,000 spectators.  The internal corridors provided a way for all these people to be seated within a span of 10 minutes after entering the Coliseum.  In the mid-2nd century AD, it was thought that the floor of the arena was flooded to stage a mock sea battle, according to the writings of Dion Cassius of the 4th century AD.  It was later believed that this was in error because the mock sea battles were probably performed in the Naumachia of Augustus, which was located in the Trastevere district across the Tiber from the Forum area.

Also in the Piazza del Colosseo is the world-famed Arch of Constantine, which took a number of years to construct.  It was built to commemorate Constantine's victory over his co-Emperor Maxentius some years earlier, and was dedicated in 315 AD.  It is a popular site for wedding party photo ops and there are people around the Arch and Coliseum areas dressed in authentic Roman gladiator costumes available to have their pictures taken with you (for a price, of course).

Trajan's Markets.  As you face the Vittorio Emanuele Monument in Piazza Venezia, these ruins sit to the left of the Monument.  The Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Coliseum sit behind the massive monument.  The entrance for tours are at Via dei Fori Imperiali and Via IV Novembre 6.  Tel. 67.10.28.02.  Open Tues.-Sun., 9am-2 hours before sunset.  Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.  The Trajan's Markets are closed on Mondays and public holidays, and there is an admission charge, which is separate from that of the Forum.  But, you can view most of the ruins from the street location, which is quite spectacular.  You will also find a lot of cats which, by Roman law, must be cared for.

This area used to be heavily frequented by bands of children who want to pickpocket tourists, so be on your toes, especially during the daytime hours.  They will be groups of children between 5-12 years of age, carrying open newspapers or pieces of cardboard.  These items are used to hold in front of them to distract you while their hands are inside your pockets, pocketbooks, etc.  See my Crime in Rome section of the General Information page for further information.

Also, if you are in this area in the evening between May and October, you may want to think about having dinner at a restaurant which is located across from Trajan's Column nearest via IV Novembre that overlooks the entire area.  It is spectacular and I believe the name of the restaurant is the Ulpia Ristorante.

These markets were once considered one of the wonders of the Classical world. Located here were some 150 shops and offices which can be compared to today's modern shopping malls.  They were built between 100-112 AD by Emperor Trajan's architect, Appolodorus of Damascus.  Behind the Markets is Torre delle Milizie, which is a huge brick tower in which legend has it Nero stood to watch Rome burn.  Since this tower was built in the 13th century, however, he did not stand in the present tower but it marks the spots where he reportedly stood.  Also, behind the Markets is the Museum of the International Christmas Cribs, well worth seeing (see my Museum and Galleries page for an explanation).

Between the Vittorio Emanuele Monument and Trajan's Markets is a square that is still being excavated.  To the north are the small twin churches of ss. Nome di Maria and Santa Maria di Loreto.  In the center of the excavation site is the famed Column of Trajan, built in 113 AD to commemorate two of his earlier campaigns.  When he died in 117 AD, the ashes of both he and his wife, Plotina, were placed in a golden urn and embedded in the Column's hollow base.

Teatro di Marcello (Theater of Marcellus).  Via del Teatro di Marcello, Tel. 06/67103819.  Open during concerts only.  Hardly recognizable as a theater today, you can plainly see it from atop Michelangelo's Staircase (Cordonata) in Piazza del Campidoglio which is behind the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument.  It was originally designed to hold some 20,000 spectators and was built by Julius Caesar.  Today, the medieval apartments that have sprouted from its ruins are among Rome's most prestigious residential addresses.  In the summertime, the theater makes a grand stage for chamber music concerts.

Free Must-see Stuff.  You would be surprised at all of the places there are that are free and some that are free some of the time if you just know where to look and do some research.  For instances, the Vatican Museums are free the last Sunday of the month, unless there is a public holiday that day.  They are open from 8:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.  The lines will be long, sometimes over a half-mile, so GET THERE EARLY or you may not get in.  The following is a partial list of things I have found that are free and well worth seeing (some may have already been covered elsewhere on this website and, if so, please excuse the repetition).

Presidential Palace (Palazzo del Quirinale).  One of the best tours I have been on in Rome outside of the Necropolis is a tour of the Presidential Palace.  It is open to the public every second and fourth Sunday of the month from 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. and it is free.  The lines are long, so get there early.  Be prepared because you cannot wander through the corridors and rooms like you would a museum.  You are confined to an aisleway that goes down the middle or side of the rooms that are roped off on both sides.  I think one of the most unusually beautiful rooms I saw was one of the grand ballrooms complete with a small inside balcony where the walls and ceiling are completely covered in delicate embroidery.  Be sure to also purchase a book of the Palace, which is available at the end of the tour or you may be sorry you didn't.

Rome Planetarium (Aula Ottagonale).  Rome's Planetarium is located within the Roman National Museum (Museo Nazionale Romano), near piazza della Repubblica, Stazione Termini, and Terme di Diocletian ruins, on via E. De Nicola.  It also contains some colossal ancient statues worth viewing.

Bocca della Verita (The Mouth of Truth).  A great sight for the children as well, this original sewer cover dons a human face.  Legend has it, if you put your hand inside its mouth and do not tell the truth, it will snap your hand off.  It is located in the portico of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, which is located in piazza Bocca della Verita and is open from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and from 2:30-6 p.m. daily.

The Keyhole (Priorato di Malta).  This "Green Door" and wall are located in the piazza in front of the Egyptian Consulate and is close to Santa Sabina and Orange Park, which overlooks the Circus Maximus on the other side of the Foro Romano.  If you look through the keyhole in the green door, there is an awesome view of St. Peter's Dome perfectly framed within the keyhole.

Capitoline Museums.  Speaking of the Palazzo dei Conservatori, the Capitoline Museums, which is atop Michelangelo's Cordonata (Staircase) behind the Vittorio Emanuele Monument in piazza del Campidoglio, is free the last Sunday of the month and is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Pantheon (Santa Maria ad Martyres).  This ancient building is the centerpiece of piazza della Rotonda and is free.  It is open Monday-Saturday from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., in the summer until 5:30 p.m., and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Admission is free.  You might want to go back there at night if you are visiting in September and eat at Di Rienzo's outdoor restaurant with the magnificent building illuminated, or get a great gelato from Fragola e Limone around the corner from the piazza on via Giustiniani (on the right-hand side about midblock) and sit at the Pantheon Fountain and listen to the street singers serenading diners at the various outdoor restaurants in the piazza.  Totally breathtaking and relaxing.

These Baths were inaugurated by Caracalla in 217.  This was Rome's most luxurious and beautiful public baths, as can be seen from the gigantic ruins jetting into the sky.  They were used until the 6th century.  The baths were open to both men and women, but they used them separately.

Saints of Bernini's Colonnades.    A listing of the saints that adorn Bernini's Colonnades in Piazza di San Pietro.

List of Popes Buried in Rome.  This subpage provides a matrix of all the popes and their burial places.

What's In A Name? Rome is known as many other names, including the Eternal City, but did you know that Rome is also known as the "Cemetery of the Apostles"?  This is because eight of them (seven of the original 12 and Paul) are entombed in Rome.

Peter:  St. Peter is buried at the top of Vatican Hill in the Necropolis ("City of the Dead") underneath the floors of the three Basilicas of St. Peter's that were built as a shrine over his tomb.  You can view his relics in the Confessio that are under Bernini's Baldacchino (Canopy) inside the Basilica of St. Peter.  (Peter was crucified upside down in Rome in 66 AD.)

Jude (Thaddaeus) and Simon the Canaanite are also entombed inside Basilica di San Pietro (Basilica of St. Peter).  The tombs of these two Apostles, unlike the tombs of the others listed here, were found in the original Necropoli before Emperor Constantine built the first shrine over the tomb of St. Peter.  Since, there have been two Basilicas built over this site.  Most of the very early popes were also buried in this area "near the site of the tomb of St. Peter" in corridors that have long since been closed to public view.

Bartholomew is buried inside the Basilica of St. Bartolomeo on Isola Tiberina (Tiber Island).

Matthias is buried inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major) which is located near the Stazione Termini.  Matthias was chosen to fill the vacancy left by Judas Iscariot.

Philip and James the Less are buried inside Santi Apostoli (Holy Church of the Apostles) near Piazza Venezia, the crypt under the high altar.  There are double stairways going down underneath the high altar where you can view their relics.

Paul (originally Saul of Tarsus) is entombed inside San Paolo fuori le Mura (St. Paul's Outside the Walls) in the beautiful tabernacle on the high altar of the basilica.

After the great fire of A.D. 64, Emperor Nero built this gigantic palace (constructed by architects Severus and Celler), which was set on some 200 acres.  It was built with a relatively new material of the time called concrete, which was conceived after the great fire devastated Rome and new fireproofing codes were put into effect.  In its heyday, the palace included a portico that was in excess of one mile long, included a 120-foot-tall bronze statue of Nero, and had an artificial lake.  It was so massive that you could fit 25 structures the size of the Coliseum inside it.  For the period, this was the ultimate in lavish lifestyles.  Nero gave decadent parties in the rooms that were decorated with ivory and gold and in which the ceilings dispensed flowers and perfume down on the party-goers.  In fact, one of the rooms even rotated!  Unfortunately, very little of this is still evident today.  It was closed in 1984 due to landslides which made the corridors found underground unsafe for visitors.  It was reopened to the public in June 1999, after 20 years of restoration.  Of the 150 rooms that have been unearthed so far, 32 of them have now been reopened to the public.  Several of the rooms that have been reopened include the Nymphaeum (or grotto), the Octagonal Hall, and the Hall of the Golden Vault.  After Nero's death, Emperor Vespasian ordered that the Coliseum be built on the spot where Nero's artificial lake had been and where the gigantic bronze statue of Nero had stood.  I do have a few pictures of some of the corridors and unearthed rooms.  If you are interested, let me know and I will attach them to an e-mail.  If you have the time and are interested in ancient Roman history, this is a very worthwhile excavation to see.

Protestant Cemetery, Via Caio Cestio 6.  Tel. 06/574.11.41 (ring bell for custodian).  Tues.-Sun. 9am-4pm.  Closed Mondays.  Small donation expected.  Here, you'll find the Tomb of Keats as well as the Shelley Memorial and other interesting gravesites.  It is located next to the 12 B.C. Piramide di Caio Cestio, which is the Tomb of Caio Cestio.  Behind the cemetery is Testaccio di Monti (which is the artificial hill made of earthenware discarded there over the centuries).

Campo Verano.  This is Rome's main Catholic cemetery.  I know it is a bit of a gruesome subject to some, but I have always heard about this cemetery, so I decided to finally go and take a look myself.  It is gigantic!  Once inside and about 1/16th of the way through, I found myself quite lost.  I could not see the end of the cemetery in any direction!  It covers a number of square miles.  I finally decided I had better just turn around and to go back the way I cam to exit before I truly got lost.  This is the most amazing cemetery I have ever seen and is well worth a visit.  I can assure you, Rome buries its dead in style! Campo Verano is located in the Tiburtino District of Rome, about a 20-minute walk from Rome's central railway station.  It is quite an enjoyable walk.  To get to Campo Verano, you go down via Marsala to its end (via Marsala borders Rome's central railway station on one side).  You are now at Porta Sixtus V (click on the camera below to view Porta Sixtus V as well as to see various views of Campo Verano).

You turn left and go through the ancient wall onto via Ramni and follow it to the end.  Midway down via Ramni, the street changes name to via Cesare de Lollis.  You end up at Piazzale San Lorenzo.  Across the street is the ancient church of San Lorenzo fuori le mura (St. Lawrence Outside the Wall) and to the right of this ancient basilica is the ornate entrance to Campo Verano.  If you do not want to walk, there are trams and buses that go there but I do not know which one you need to take.

I found it absolutely breathtaking and amazing, so much in fact that I ended up taking two full rolls of film just in the little portion that I saw.  Gigantic and ornate tombstones and family mausoleums everywhere. Campo Verano is hilly as well, which adds to its beauty, and burial sites are literally everywhere.  It is so big that there are 'neighborhoods' within the cemetery itself.  Absolutely amazing and something I shall never forget.  The next time I get to Rome, I plan on re-visiting it again with a lot more film and time to explore this amazing place that houses Rome's dead.  I have included a few pictures of some of the burial sites below.  Believe me, the pictures do not do any of these sites justice.  You have to see it in person to appreciate the grandeur of this place of eternal rest.  Simply amazing!

Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace), Lungotevere in Augusta, Tel. 06/688.068.48.  Usually open 9am-5pm daily, Sun. 9am-1:30pm, closed Mondays.  Admission charge.  It closed in June 2001 for restoration and building of a new facility to house the altar; it  has now reopened.  This most important monument altar is encased in a glass building which is adjacent to the ancient Mausoleum of Augustus.  The ancient circular tomb is not open to the public.  The exquisite altar that is housed in the glass building was built in 13 B.C. to commemorate Augustus' victories against Gaul and Spain.

Villa Farnesina, Via della Lungara 230, Tel. 06/654.05.65.  Admission charge.  Open Mon.-Sat. 9am-1pm.  This villa was built by Agostino Chigi, who was the financier of many papal projects.  The Villa Farnesina was built in 1511 at the time when artist Raphael was painting the beautiful stanzas (Raphael Rooms) in the Vatican Museums.  At the same time, Raphael was also doing some frescoes in this beautiful villa, among them the exquisite Galatea.  It is interesting to note that Chigi was so rich that to impress his guests, he would have his servants clear the table by throwing expensive dinnerware into the Tiber.  Little did his guests realize that he had put nets underneath the waterline so as to catch all that was tossed into the Tiber.

Palazzo Zuccari, Via Gregoriana 30.  This is near the top of the Spanish Steps and boasts a most fanciful facade.  It was designed in 1591 by painter Federico Zuccari, who also lived in it.  Zuccari put all of his money into the building of this fine palazzo and he died in debt before it was completed.  It is now the property of the Biblioteca Hertziana, which is Rome's prestigious fine art history library.

Quartiere Coppede.  This has been nicknamed Rome's Disneyland of whimsical buildings.  This is an unbelievable neighborhood in the Salario District of Rome, above the central train station.  It is a development of about 10-15 buildings built around a square called Piazza Mincio, just off Viale Regina Margherita and Via Po.  It was built by an 'offbeat' architect named Gino Coppede between 1921 and 1926 and has become a very expensive neighborhood in which to live.  None of the buildings match, even within themselves, and provides a "Disneyland-like" atmosphere not to be believed.  I am told that the insides of these structures are as weird and different as the outsides as well.  It is about a 20-minute stroll from Rome's central train station and well worth seeing if you have the time.  After a lot of ridicule for this weird type of architecture, architect Coppede committed suicide because of the bad-mouthing over the development.  I, for one, find this area delightful to see and one would definitely not ever think a small neighborhood like this would be found in Rome.  For a map of where this magical neighborhood is, click here.

Directions.  As I mentioned above, it is about a leisurely 20-minute walk from the central train station.  It is a very nice walk and you pass quite a few lovely affordable shops along via Salaria on your way, as well as Villa Torlonia, which was once Mussolini's residence.  Walking directions from Piazza della Repubblica are as follows:

From Piazza della Repubblica, go up via Vittorio Emanuele Orlando on block to the Moses Fountain.  Turn right onto via XX Settembre to via Piave (about five blocks).  Turn left on via Piave.  In a couple of blocks, you will come to Porta Salaria and the Wall.  After going through Porta Salaria, via Piave becomes via Salaria.  Continue up via Salaria to via Po.  Turn right on via Po and continue four blocks to Piazza Buenos Aires (via Po at Viale Regina Margherita).  On the right side will be Santa Maria Addolorata church on the corner.  Behind the church past Piazza Buenos Aires one block is the archway between two ornately-decorated buildings on the right with the wrought-iron chandelier hanging in the middle.  This is the entrance to Quartiere Coppede.  This development has only 10 to 15 builidings that surround Piazza Mincio which has the Fontana di Coppede in the center of the piazza.

For those who cannot (or do not want to) walk that far, there is a tramway line going down Viale Regina Margherita that stops at via Po and Viale Regina Margherita (Piazza Buenos Aires).  I never took the tramway so I never paid much attention, but did notice on of the lines is the Thorwaldson.  I believe this line also passes the Campo Verano Cemetery area.

The afternoon is the best time to visit Quartiere Coppede if you intend to take pictures of this whimsical and magical small neighborhood.