Because the Christians rejected cremation, (they preferred burial, just as Christ was buried) this position created a space problem. The Christians also faced the challenge of owning limited property. Thus the catacombs solved a few problems. It was far cheaper to dig underground than to buy more land! There is also the belief that the catacombs contributed to a sense of community – they wished to be together, even in the “sleep of death.” And lastly, since their religion in the 2nd century was “illegal” and they were often persecuted, these outlying areas provided refuge and privacy.

Once Christianity was legalized, the Christians were no longer persecuted. The catacombs were still the burial spot of choice until the fifth century when the Church returned to burying the dead above ground – or in basilicas. When the barbarians invaded Rome they destroyed many monuments and sites, and the catacombs were no exception. They were raided, pillaged, for centuries. Finally in the late 700′s and early 800′s the Popes moved the relics of the martyrs to the city churches for their security and protection. Thus, most of the catacombs were abandoned. Many were lost. In the 17th century, Antono Bosio, the “Columbus of of subterranean Rome,” began exploring the catacombs. His initial work was followed up by Giovanni Battista de Rossi, in the 1800′s, who is considered the father and founder of Christian Archaeology.

When you go down into the catacombs you’ll see many of the following:

• Loculi – these are the rectangular niches that are cut out of the walls. They were primarily for ONE body, but sometimes they did contain the remains of more than one person. The bodies were wrapped in a burial shroud – in imitation of Christ. There were no coffins – Christians were too poor. The loculi was then sealed by a slab of marble or more commonly, by tiles and mortar. You’ll see many open loculi as you walk through the catacombs – Sorry kids, no bodies….
• Arcosolium – Built primarily in the 3rd and 4th century, these tombs are much larger niches than the loculi. They usually had an arch above them and served as a burial chamber for an entire family.
• Forma – A tomb dug into the floor of a crypt – a practice that was carried over to churches in later times.
• Sarcophagus – You’ve seen plenty of these in your museum treks. These are the stone, or marble, coffins. Often they are dressed with inscriptions and sculptured reliefs.
• Cubicula – These rooms, translated as “bedrooms,” were actually multiple loculi. This collection of loculi represented a family tomb. Often these rooms were decorated with frescoes portraying biblical scenes.
• Crypt – An even larger room. Many martyr tombs were converted into Crypts.

There were more than sixty catacombs in Rome, each with many, many miles of corridors – all of this built underground. It was an incredible construction feat. Today there five primary Catacombs you can visit. CLICK ON ANY CATACOMB LINK BELOW for more information: 

• The Catacombs of San Callisto
• The Catacombs of St. Sebastian
• The Catacombs of Domitilla
• The Catacombs of St. Agnes
• The Catacombs of Priscilla

The information provided on each of these is time-bound, so do check closure times and dates before you make the trek out to the catacomb you’d like to see. Once there, you will have to join a tour – You cannot wander through the catacombs unescorted. Depending on your groups size, and your tour guide, the tours generally take about 30 minutes. Admission prices are rising, effective 01/01/2010, the prices will be 8 € full price; 5 € reduced fee.

The catacombs are closed on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Easter, and for one month in the winter for restoration. Again, check before you go! The next few posts will go through each of these catacombs, or CLICK THE CATACOMB LINK ABOVE to go directly to the catacomb you seek more information on!

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The catacombs of Italy are entrusted to the Pontifical Commission of Sacred Archaeology, which carries out the works of excavation, exploration and restoration and takes charge of preparing studies and aids (books, pamphlets, souvenirs, videos, etc.) for all the catacombs.
Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology
via Napoleone III, no. 1
00185 Rome, Italy
tel. +39/06/4465610
fax. +39/06/4467625
web site: www.vatican.va/roman_curia

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Catacombe di San Callisto/Catacombs of St. Callixtus

Via Appia Antica, 126
00179 Rome, Italy
tel. +39/06/51301580
fax +39/06/51301567
Website: www.catacombe.roma.it

Closed on Wednesdays
Hours: 9.00 – 12.00 and 14.00 – 17.00
8 € full price; 5 € reduced fee (effective 01/01/2010)

From The Christian Catacombs of Rome website:

“The catacombs of St. Callixtus are among the greatest and most important of Rome. They originated about the middle of the second century and are part of a cemetery complex which occupies an area of 90 acres, with a network of galleries about 12 miles long, in four levels, more than twenty meters deep. In it were buried tens of martyrs, 16 popes and very many Christians. They are named after the deacon Callixtus who, at the beginning of the third century, was appointed by pope Zephyrinus as the administrator of the cemetery and so the catacombs of St. Callixtus became the official cemetery of the Church of Rome.”

Often it is easier to drive to the Catacombs, as they are “outside” central Rome, but as most visitors do not drive in Rome (for good reason), here are the public transportation options for the Catacombs of St. Callisto.

Option 1 – From Roma Termini Station, take bus 714 to Piazza di S. Giovanni in Laterano (St. John Lateran Square). Then take bus 218 and get off at stop FOSSE ARDEATINE. The entrance to the catacombs is just opposite the bus stop.

Pictured above is the Piazza di S. Giovanni in Laterano stop, just to the northeast of the church. Get off here and wait for the bus 218. You can also ride the bus 81 and bus 665 to this same stop, depending on where you are in town. These two buses also connect with the bus 218 here. Then ride these stops: P.ZA S. GIOVANNI IN LATERANO , IPPONIO , ILLIRIA , LICIA , EPIRO , CAMERIA , PORTA S. SEBASTIANO , APPIA ANTICA/TRAVICELLA , APPIA ANTICA/DOMINE QUO VADIS , ARDEATINA , FOSSE ARDEATINE, As you can see, Fosse Ardeatine is the 10th stop on the bus 218.

Above is the Fosse Ardeatine stop. Clicking on the ATAC link, FOSSE ARDEATINE, you can zoom in and out and get a better sense of the location. Suffice to say, you are out on the Appian Way! Note Via Appia Antica to the north of you in this picture.

To return, just catch the bus 218 back into town from the Appian Way and reverse your tracks!

Option 2 – If you are not near Roma Termini Station or it’s not convenient for you, then ride the metro. Take any train(s) to metro station San Giovanni on Metro Line A. In this picture, it is almost directly in the center, marked by the white M in the red square. Walk north, through the Aurelian Walls, straight up the street until you see the bus stop. This will be the START of the bus 218 run, so you may see a bus just parked there. The driver is probably on his break and the bus will leave in 5-10 minutes. Get on bus 218 and ride the bus ELEVEN stops to stop FOSSE ARDEATINE as outlined above. You can also ride the bus 218 back to here as this is the FINAL stop on the run… then just jump on the metro!

Option 3 – If you are on the Metro B line or close to Piramide Metro Station, then this may work best for you. Go to the Piramide Metro station, which is also connected to the Railway Station Ostiense (perfect for cruisers coming in from Civitavecchia) and go out front and get on the bus 118. This is the starting point for the run so again, like the bus 218 above, you may have to wait until the driver finishes his break. Take the bus 118 about 14 stops until you get to the stop CATACOMBE S.CALLISTO.

These are the stops from the Piramide Metro Station to your stop: PORTA S. PAOLO , AVENTINO/ALBANIA , AVENTINO , CIRCO MASSIMO , TERME CARACALLA/PORTA CAPENA , TERME CARACALLA/VALLE CAMENE , PORTA S. SEBASTIANO/NUMA POMPILIO , PORTA S. SEBASTIANO/SEPOLCRO SCIPIONI , PORTA S. SEBASTIANO , APPIA ANTICA/TRAVICELLA , APPIA ANTICA/DOMINE QUO VADIS , APPIA ANTICA/CAFFARELLA , APPIA ANTICA/SCUOLA AGRARIA , CATACOMBE S.CALLISTO.

Once there, you will have to walk south to southwest from the bus stop. Here’s a map of where you will get off the bus 118

The blue marker is the arriving bus 118. This is the CATACOMBE S.CALLISTO stop. The red marker symbolizes the bus 218 arrival point. You can see where the Catacombs are in this map. So walk south to southwest on the narrow “road” and you’ll come directly to the entrance. Its only about 210 meters, from the blue dot to the red dot!

And, on return, depending on where you are headed, walk back to the bus 118 stop to get you back to Piramide (Or Circo Massimo) Metro Line B stations… or hop on the bus 218 and head to the San Giovanni area. Of course, you can always take a taxi. Write down the address, at the top of this article, and hand it to the taxi driver.

Reference material pulled from

• The Christian Catacombs of Rome
• ATAC Bus Routing

To go to a specific Catacomb page on the Ron-in-Rome website, click on any link below

• Catacombs of Rome – Summary
• The Catacombs of St. Sebastian
• The Catacombs of Domitilla
• The Catacombs of St. Agnes
• The Catacombs of Priscilla

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Catacombe di San Sebastiano/ Catacombs of St. Sebastian

Via Appia Antica, 136
00179 Rome, Italy
tel. +39/06/7887035
fax +39/06/7843745
website: www.catacombe.org

Closed on Sundays
Hours: 9.00 – 12.00 and 14.00 – 17.00
Currently, 6 € full price; 3 € reduced fee – projected increase 01/01/2010

The Catacombs of St. Sebastian were among the first Christian tombs to be built. The church here is one of the seven pilgrimage churches of Rome and is named for St. Sebastian, who is buried here. These catacombs are four levels deep with more than six miles of corridors. They have fascinating early paintings, graffiti, stucco work and mosaics.

In the church, on the first chapel to the left is a smooth white-marble St. Sebastian sculpture full of arrow holes. It was designed by Bernini but carried out by Antonio Giorgetti. The adjacent steps lead down to a crypt with the urn containing the Saint’s relics.

Other Holy relics, visited by pilgrims for centuries, are in the right chapel, including what are believed to be a stone with the footprints Jesus Christ left when he met St. Peter fleeing from Rome, arrows which pierced St. Sebastian and the column to which he was bound, as well as the hands of St. Callisto and St. Andrew.

Getting here is similar to Option 3 as listed above in the Catacombs of St. Callisto posting. As you can see from the map, it’s a straight shot from one to the other once you get on the Via Appia Antica. Actually, according to Google Maps, it’s about 4/10 of a mile. If you walk it, be prepared. There are no sidewalks and it is rough cobblestone. Also, if it’s not Sunday, you’ll have to share the road with buses, cars, and motorini.

If you ride the bus 118, then it’s very simple. Rather than getting off at the CATACOMBE S.CALLISTO stop, get off at the NEXT stop, which is the BASILICA S. SEBASTIANO. This bus stop is marked by the red ball on the map above. It’s adjacent to the church and catacomb entrance. You CANNOT ride the bus 218 out to the Catacombs of St. Sebastian. After it stops at the FOSSE ARDEATINE stop adjacent to the Catacombs of San Callisto entrance, it turns in a direction AWAY from the Catacombs of St. Sebastian… so either get on the bus 118, or walk the 4/10 of a mile as shown on the map above.

Now, returning to town from the Catacombs of St. Sebastian is a little tricky. If you come out after your visit and get back on the bus 118 at the red ball – the stop you GOT OFF the bus – you are going in the WRONG direction. You’ll have to ride the bus 118 to the end of it’s run, wait for the driver to take his break… and then come all the way back. Add at least 45 minutes to your trip!

The problem is the road in front of the Church is ONE-WAY and the WRONG WAY for you if you want to head back into town. No, to get back into town, you have to walk a little. You could walk back to the Catacombs of San Callisto and catch a bus there, but there are closer options. In the map above, note the two blue balls. These are the stops of the bus 118 on its RETURN RUN, back into town. So once you exit the Church and Catacombs, walk about 100 feet and TURN LEFT onto a little road, Vicolo della Basilica. This small street connects you to the Via Appia Antica HEADED BACK INTO TOWN. Once you dead-end into the Via Appia Antica, you can go left or right to the nearest bus stops – APPIA PIGNATELLI/S. URBANO , APPIA PIGNATELLI/APPIA ANTICA .

The bus 118 will stop on the way back into town at the Circo Massimo Metro Line B station, which is a short walk from the Colosseo. You can catch the Metro Line B at Circo Massimo – or stay on the bus and it ends at Piramide Metro Line B and the Roma Ostiense Railway Station… Again, the perfect place to catch a train back to Civitavecchia is you are cruising.

This is IMPORTANT. The bus 118 is a LONG run and therefore you may have to wait 30 minutes or more for the bus to return on its inbound run. Your only other option would be to walk to the Catacombs of San Callisto and catch the bus 218, which would take you to the San Giovanni area. Going out to both of these catacombs can be a time consuming travel experience. Plan your time accordingly.

Reference material pulled from

• The Catacombs of St. Sebastian
• ATAC Bus Routing

To go to a specific Catacomb page on the Ron-in-Rome website, click on any link below

• Catacombs of Rome – Summary
• The Catacombs of San Callisto
• The Catacombs of Domitilla
• The Catacombs of St. Agnes
• The Catacombs of Priscilla

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Catacombe di Domitilla/Catacombs of Domitilla

Via delle Sette Chiese, 282/0
00147 Rome, Italy
tel. +39/06/5110342, 06/5133956
fax +39/06/51354 61
Website: http://domitilla.soverdi.eu
Email: info@domitilla.soverdi.eu
Closed on Tuesdays

Hours: 9.00 – 12.00 and 14.00 – 17.00
8 € full price; 5 € reduced fee

The Catacombs of Domitilla are among the best preserved and oldest in Rome. These Catacombs are also among the most extensive in the area around Rome. They contain the only underground Basilica you’ll see in Rome, more than ten miles of corridors and almost 150,000 burial spots. The land was donated to the Christians by the noble Flavia Domitilla, granddaughter of the emperor Vespasian – the emperor who built the Colosseo! One of the highlights is a second century fresco of the Last Supper. The Catacombs of  Domitilla is closed on Tuesdays and in January. Worth making the trip to see!

Getting here is quite easy. It’s out towards the Appian Way. In fact, it’s only about a quarter-mile from the Catacombs of San Callisto. So you could easily walk from one to another. See the map below:

BUS 714

From Roma Termini station, just as if you were going to the Catacombs of San Callisto, you get on the bus 714. To get to these catacombs, you’ll stay on the bus for about twelve stops. Don’t be alarmed if you start heading out a town on a huge roadway and see signs to the airport or the beach, This is Via Cristoforo Colombo, one of the busiest (and biggest) roads in Rome. Get off the bus at Piazza dei Navigatori. The bus stop, appropriately enough, is called NAVIGATORI. From there, you will cross the BIG street and head to Via delle Sette Chiese. Walk down the street until you get to #282. It’s about a 3/10 of a mile from the bus stop.

The bus 714 route to the Catacombs is as follows: TERMINI , S. MARIA MAGGIORE , MERULANA/BRANCACCIO , MERULANA/MECENATE , MERULANA/LABICANA , P.ZA S. GIOVANNI IN LATERANO , L.GO AMBA ARADAM , TERME CARACALLA , COLOMBO/MARCO POLO , COLOMBO/BAVASTRO , COLOMBO/C.NE OSTIENSE , COLOMBO/PADRE SEMERIA , NAVIGATORI.

BUS 30

The bus 30 will also get you to this stop. This bus cuts across town and covers many areas where you may be staying. It starts near the Vatican, then heads through Piazza Cavour, Piazza Navona, Largo Argentina, the Campodoglio area, the Railway station at Ostiense, and then onto Via Cristoforo Colombo… and you can get off again at NAVIGATORI. This is a GREAT express bus with fewer stops and lots of options. If you are staying on the south or west side of the city, this is your bus!

Above is a map from the ATAC site of the route… again, this may be the answer for you if you’re staying in-town. And here’s the route: CLODIO , MAZZINI/CALBOLI , LEPANTO , CICERONE/CAVOUR , ZANARDELLI , RINASCIMENTO , VIA TORRE ARGENTINA , TEATRO MARCELLO/ARA COELI , PETROSELLI , MARMORATA/VANVITELLI , CAVE ARDEATINE , STAZ. OSTIENSE, MARCO POLO/BRICHETTI , COLOMBO/BAVASTRO , NAVIGATORI.

BUS 160

The bus 160 will get you from downtown in the Via del Corso area out to the Catacombs of Domitilla. This bus starts at Piazza San Silvestro, right off the Via del Corso. Passing through Piazza Venezia and the Bocca della Verita (Mouth of Truth) stops, you can get on this bus at the Circo Massimo Line B Metro stop – so bus 160, like bus 30 has a metro connection! Here’s the run out to the catacombs on the bus 160: S. SILVESTRO , CORSO/MINGHETTI , P.ZA VENEZIA , TEATRO MARCELLO/ARA COELI , PETROSELLI , BOCCA DELLA VERITA’ , GRECA , CIRCO MASSIMO , BACCELLI , GUERRIERI , CHIARINI/GUERRIERI , COLOMBO/BAVASTRO , COLOMBO/C.NE OSTIENSE , COLOMBO/PADRE SEMERIA , NAVIGATORI ,

BUS 670 – BUS 671

Two other buses to consider are the bus 670 and bus 671. These will get you to the same stop, but frankly are probably limited to most travelers because of where they start. The run of the bus 670 is PINCHERLE/PARRAVANO , PINCHERLE/AMALDI , PINCHERLE/PISATI , PINCHERLE/MARCONI , MARCONI/PINCHERLE , MARCONI/BORTOLOTTI , CALZECCHI , BALDELLI , GIUSTINIANO , GIUSTINIANO/SETTIMIO SEVERO , GIUSTINIANO/VILLA LUCINA , GIUSTINIANO/GALBA , ZOAGLI/MAMELI , ROSA RAIMONDI/REGIONE LAZIO , S. NEMESIO/CTO , S. NEMESIO/VILLA LUCINA , VILLA LUCINA/LARGO DELLE SETTE CHIESE , P.ZA ROMANO B. , PULLINO/LUIGGI , PULLINO , C.NE OSTIENSE/CAFFARO , C.NE OSTIENSE/S. GALLA , C.NE OSTIENSE/PADRE GIULIANI , COLOMBO/C.NE OSTIENSE , COLOMBO/PADRE SEMERIA , NAVIGATORI

And the run of the bus 671 is COLLI ALBANI , S. GASPARE DEL BUFALO , L.GO COLLI ALBANI , APPIA/CANTU’ , APPIA/ENEA , FURIO CAMILLO , ALBERONE , PONTE LUNGO , APPIA/ALBA , RE DI ROMA , CERVETERI , SOANA , GALLIA/SATURNIA , GALLIA/LICIA , P.LE METRONIO , TERME CARACALLA , COLOMBO/MARCO POLO , COLOMBO/BAVASTRO , COLOMBO/C.NE OSTIENSE , COLOMBO/PADRE SEMERIA , NAVIGATORI ,
The bus 671 may be more viable as it has multiple metro connections.

Getting back is easy. Walk back to Via Cristiforo Colombo and jump back on the buses as listed above and head back to your starting point. The blue ball on the map symbolizes where your “return” bus stop is!

Reference material pulled from

• The Catacombs of Domitilla
• ATAC Bus Routing

  To go to a specific Catacomb page on the Ron-in-Rome website, click on any link below

• Catacombs of Rome – Summary
• The Catacombs of San Callisto
• The Catacombs of St. Sebastian
•  The Catacombs of St. Agnes
• The Catacombs of Priscilla

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From http://www.santagnese.org/

Catacombe di Sant’Agnese/ Catacombs of St. Agnes

Via Nomentana, 349
00162 Roma, Italy
Telephone +39 06 861 08 40
Website http://www.santagnese.org/
Closed on Sunday mornings and on Monday afternoons

Hours: 9.00 – 12.00 and 16.00 – 18.00
8 € full price; 5 € reduced fee (effective 01/01/2010)

The Catacombs of St. Agnes held the remains of the famous and very young Roman martyr Agnes. Her family probably already owned the hypogeum. The legend is that Agnes endured tremendous torments at the age of twelve. She refused to marry a Roman nobleman and was sentenced to death. Because Roman law did not permit the execution of a virgin, she was dragged through the streets naked and taken to brothel. As she prayed, her hair grew and entirely covered her body. Then tied to a stake to be burned alive, the wood would not burn, so she was beheaded – or as some legends have it, stabbed in the throat…

After her death, Romans and many foreign pilgrims visited her tomb. She was venerated by the Emperor Constantine’s family. His daughter, Constantina, had a huge circular basilica built near the cemetery. The present day basilica was built by in the 7th century. Unfortunately, the catacomb is rather poorly preserved because it was visited without interruption over the course of the centuries.

As you can see from the map above, the Catacombs of St. Agnes are located in the northeast section of the city. There are not any metro stations out here on Via Nomentana, so you’re going to have to ride the bus – or take a taxi. Probably the best buses to go out here are the bus 90 and bus 60 – both express buses..

The bus stops are marked by the dots on this depending on which direction you’re coming or headed. The bus 60 is a very popular bus. You can catch it at the Circo Massimo Line B Metro, the Colosseo Line B Metro, on the Via Fori Imperiali (road that runs in front of the Colosseo), adjacent to Piazza Venezia, and on Via Nazioanle. The stop to get off at if you’re coming from this direction is NOMENTANA/XXI APRILE . It is marked on the map by the red ball.

Here’s the entire bus 60 run to this stop from downtown: CAVE ARDEATINE , CIRCO MASSIMO , COLOSSEO , FORI IMPERIALI/CAMPIDOGLIO , P.ZA VENEZIA , NAZIONALE/QUIRINALE , NAZIONALE/TORINO , CERNAIA , PORTA PIA , NOMENTANA/REGINA MARGHERITA , NOMENTANA/XXI APRILE . To come back into downtown, jump back on the bus 60 in the same area, just on the opposite side of the street – see the green ball in the Google Map above.

The bus 90 stops at Catacombs at the SAME bus stop as the bus 60… The bus 90 STARTS at the Roma Termini Train station. So this is a great bus to catch if you’re staying in that area – or if you prefer to ride the metro to shorten your trip. From Roma Termini, it is only six stops to the Catacomb of St. Agnes stop, NOMENTANA/XXI APRILE . Here’s the route of bus 90 from Roma Termini to the Catacombs of St. Agnes: TERMINI , VOLTURNO/CERNAIA , PORTA PIA , NOMENTANA/REGINA MARGHERITA , NOMENTANA/VILLA TORLONIA , NOMENTANA/XXI APRILE , Jump on the bus to head back to termini and multiple bus and metro connections.

To go to a specific Catacomb page on the Ron-in-Rome website, click on any link below

• Catacombs of Rome – Summary
• The Catacombs of San Callisto
• The Catacombs of St. Sebastian
• The Catacombs of Domitilla
• The Catacombs of Priscilla

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Catacombe di Priscilla/Catacombs of Priscilla

Via Salaria, 430
00199 Rome, Italy
tel/fax: +39/06/86206272
Website: http://www.catacombepriscilla.com/pagine-eng/home.htm
Closed on Mondays

Hours: 8:30 – 12.00 and 14.30 – 17.00
8 € full price; 5 € reduced fee (effective 01/01/2010)

The Catacombs of Priscilla were probably founded by the noblewoman Priscilla who donated the land on which it was built. There are many martyrs buried here including Acilio Glabrione, brother Felix and Philip, St. Felictas, and five other brothers, Alexander, Martial, Vitale, Silano and Gennarus. In addition, multiple 4th, 5th, and 6th century Popes are buried in the Catacombs of Priscilla. They included Marcellinus, Marcellus, Sylvester, Liberius, Siricius, Celestine, and Vigilius.

What separate the Catacombs of Priscilla from others are the incredible frescoes painted throughout the corridors and tombs. This catacomb claims to have the oldest known image of the Madonna, from the 3rd century. I also believe this is the most beautiful set of catacombs in Rome… but just my opinion!

The Catacombs of Priscilla are also located in the northern side of side – on Via Salaria, Once again, your best alternatives are taxi or bus. The buses that head to the Catacombs from downtown are the bus 63, bus 86, bus 92, bus 310 and the bus 630.

The bus 86, bus 92, or bus 310 can take you from Roma Termini Train Station to near the Catacombs of Priscilla. Unfortunately, there is no bus traffic on Via Salaria near the catacombs – and if you’ve ever been stuck in traffic on Via Salaria you understand why there are NO buses! So you will have to get off the bus on Via Memorense and walk about 2 blocks northwest over to the catacombs. It’s an easy walk. Here’s a Google Map – although I encourage you to pull up and print out a larger map for yourself. The Catacombs are at the marker in the top LEFT corner of this map.

On your way to the Catacombs of Priscilla, you can get off the bus either at either of these stops, as pictured above: NEMORENSE/CRATI , NEMORENSE/ACILIA . Then you’ll have to walk over to Via Priscilla. On your return home, there are really only two options (shown by the blue dots)…. Head back to NEMORENSE/CRATI (my suggestion) or walk back to NEMORENSE/TOLERO . I think it’s probably easier to walk back the way you arrived.

To clarify, the red markers on the map above are the inbound buses coming from Roma Termini station or from downtown to the Catacombs. The blue markers, on the opposite side of the road, are the buses you would use to RETURN to Roma Termini station, or the downtown area. Due to the way the road runs there is NO opposite, matching bus stop for the NEMORENSE/ACILIA stop.

BUS 86 – BUS 92

The bus 86 and the bus 92 both start at Roma Termini and here is their run to the Catacombs: TERMINI , VOLTURNO/GAETA , VOLTURNO/CERNAIA , GOITO/XX SETTEMBRE , FIUME , PO/C.SO D’ITALIA , PO/TEVERE , PO/SIMETO , BUENOS AIRES , TAGLIAMENTO/CLITUNNO , SEBINO , NEMORENSE/VERBANO , NEMORENSE/CRATI , NEMORENSE/ACILIA

On the way back, here is the path you would on either bus to get back to Roma Termini: NEMORENSE/TOLERO , NEMORENSE/CRATI , NEMORENSE/VERBANO , TAGLIAMENTO/CHIANA , TAGLIAMENTO/CLITUNNO , BUENOS AIRES , PO/SIMETO , SALARIA/ADDA , SALARIA/ISONZO , SALARIA/ANIENE , PIAVE/BELISARIO , PIAVE/XX SETTEMBRE , INDIPENDENZA , TERMINI

BUS 310

The bus 310 also runs from Roma Termini to the catacombs. This bus takes a different route. There are more stops and may work to your advantage is your housing is along this bus route. Otherwise, I would take the bus 86 and the bus 92 as these are shorter routes in both directions. Here is the run out to the Catacombs… TERMINI , INDIPENDENZA , S. M. BATTAGLIA , UNIVERSITA’/MIN. AERONAUTICA , UNIVERSITA’/SCIENZE , UNIVERSITA’/REGINA ELENA , IPPOCRATE/MARCHIAFAVA , IPPOCRATE/PROVINCIE , PROVINCIE/PADOVA , BOLOGNA , XXI APRILE/VILLA RICOTTI , XXI APRILE/NARDINI , S. COSTANZA/NOMENTANA , S. COSTANZA , S. COSTANZA/ISTRIA , PANARO , PANARO/NEMORENSE , NEMORENSE/CRATI , NEMORENSE/ACILIA .

BUS 63 – BUS 630

These buses start near the Island of Tiberina. From the Piazza Venezia, Largo Argentina, Via dei Corso and Piazza Barberini area, you can ride the bus 63 or the bus 630 to NEMORENSE/ACILIA . This may also be your best connection if you are coming from (or heading back) to the Campo Fiori or Piazza Navona area).

Here’s the route of the bus 63/630 to the Catacombs: P.ZA MONTE SAVELLO , LGT DE’ CENCI/ARENULA , ARENULA/MIN. G. GIUSTIZIA , ARENULA/CAIROLI , ARA COELI/PIAZZA VENEZIA , CORSO/SS. APOSTOLI , CORSO/MINGHETTI , L.GO CHIGI , TRITONE/FONTANA DI TREVI , TRITONE/BARBERINI , BARBERINI , VENETO\EMILIA , BONCOMPAGNI/MARCHE , BONCOMPAGNI/PIEMONTE , FIUME , PO/C.SO D’ITALIA , PO/TEVERE , PO/SIMETO , BUENOS AIRES , TAGLIAMENTO/CLITUNNO , SEBINO , NEMORENSE/VERBANO , NEMORENSE/CRATI , NEMORENSE/ACILIA .

To go to a specific Catacomb page on the Ron-in-Rome website, click on any link below

• Catacombs of Rome – Summary
• The Catacombs of San Callisto
• The Catacombs of St. Sebastian
• The Catacombs of Domitilla
• The Catacombs of St. Agnes

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1 – The Vatican Museums DO accept credit cards AT THE TICKET OFFICE… but often these booths are limited to one or two and sometimes not even open. Thus, this is one of the spots in Rome where I would take cash! The entrance fee is €15 (eff. Jan 2010)  and if you have students, their fee is €8. They are pretty open to giving you the student fee, unlike anywhere else in Rome where you have to be an EU citizen or your country has an agreement with Italy. But then again, this is a different country !

You can pre-purchase tickets to skip-the-line for €19 at the Vatican Online Ticket Office but as of yet, you CANNOT buy student -or discounted – tickets on line. So if you are going on a Holiday week, a Saturday or Monday, or early morning, you might want to pay extra. For more info on the “line strategy” at the Vatican, see my post on Vatican Museums – Do I Pre-Book or Not?  

2 – As you near the Vatican and St. Peter’s, you will be set upon by young, English-speaking kids proclaiming, “Do you speak English? English-speaking tours starting in a few minutes.” Often times they will tell you that the lines are 1 1/2 – 2 hours longs and they can help you “skip the line.” Frankly, since the inception of the new extended hours in 2007, the lines are no where near what they used to be. So be forewarned… I just avoid these folks because they often make false or misleading claims… The tours they give tend to be inconsistent depending on which guide you get. Some ARE quite good… others not so much.

3 – Dress Appropriately. Rules in Italy are inconsistently and randomly enforced (Have you seen how we drive here? ). But if there is a place where the DRESS RULES are enforced, it’s at the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica. You do not want to pre-purchase tickets, or wait in line, only to be told at the the door you cannot enter! The guidelines are fairly – FOR MEN AND WOMEN – Shoulders and knees must be covered. If you wear a sun dress bring a shawl or scarf to cover your shoulders. Tights seem to be okay. But don’t wear a tank top and shorts and expect to get in. They are adamant about enforcing these rules!

Many websites will tell you that the “rules” are different for the Vatican Museums than they are for St. Peter’s Basilica. Yes and No! If you are going from the Museum to the Basilica the “back way” then you will have to dress correctly, as the rules are MORE adamantly enforced at the Basilica. But lately I have seen folks turned away at the entrance to the Museums because they were not dressed as suggested above. Don’t make this mistake. Like most rules in Italy, it depends on who is enforcing them at the door … and once you’ve been “told NO,” they will not back down. Debating will not work!

4 – The Vatican Museums are at a separate entrance from St. Peter’s Basilica. This ALWAYS seems to confuse first-timer visitors. You cannot go directly into the Museums from the Basilica… but through a side door you can go from the Museums into the Basilica. Yes, it is confusing!

Okay, first, the Museums cost money (€15) and St. Peter’s Basilica is free… The Vatican Museum entrance is on the north side of the “city”, on Viale Vaticano . The Entrance to the Basilica is through St. Peter’s Square, which is on the EAST side of the “city.” This Goggle Map might make it easier to understand.

The red pin, located in the bottom center of the map is the entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica. It sits in the middle of St. Peter’s Square. The green pin, located above and slightly to the left on this map (NORTH) is the entrance to the Vatican Museums. It’s about a 12-15 minute walk, around the city walls, from one to another. The odd-shaped, grey outline you see in the center of the map is the wall of Vatican city. So the entire country, the smallest in the world, fits in a few blocks in Rome!

Also on this map… the “man ” figures are public rest rooms. Outside St. Peter’s there are three – one on either side of the Square, one on the lower level of the Basilica, and the last (top right) is outside the city next to Il Passetto. There are also rest rooms at the entrance in the Museums and a few select spots through the Museum (at the entrance, just off Pine Cone Courtyard, down below the Pinacoteca Wing, off the Raphael rooms, and just below Sistine Chapel for example…)

The bus markers denote where the closest buses stop., I’m not going to try and get into all the bus routes… but here are the easiest. Starting bottom right – The bus with the “light blue” marker on it is the #64 bus. You can catch this bus starting at Termini but BE CAREFUL. This is the infamous pickpocket bus! Ride at your own risk!

Just above that, the bus with the red marker in it is the bus which will drop you closest to the entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica. This is the #62 bus stop, which is adjacent to Il Passetto. When riding this bus, you’ll drive directly TOWARD the St. Peter’s (great view). Push the button when you see it and get off at the next stop.

The green marker buses represent stops for buses #23 and #492. These are two buses that are GREAT to get to the Vatican area from many parts of town. Other buses do stop at these stops, but these are the easiest! I’d check at the ATAC site for more info. There is also a bus stop just outside the vatican Museum entrance, but the bus that stops there, #49, will only help you if you’re coming from Piazza Cavour, or the WEST side of town.

You can also see the two metro stops that are near the Vatican. The Vatican Museums are located about centrally between the Cipro and Ottaviano stations. If I was headed to the Vatican Museums, I’d probably get off at Cipro. Go up the stairs of the station, turn RIGHT at the top of the stairs, turn RIGHT again immediately, and now you’re walking southeast on Via Fra Albenzio. Follow this road, pass in front of a church (on your right). Cross the street, Via Angelo Emo, and you’ll see a HUGE staircase in front of you (You’ll see the Vatican walls directly in front of you also!). Climb these stairs and once you’re at the top, you’re on Viale Vaticano – the street the Museum entrance is on. TURN LEFT and walk down the hill … the entrance to the Vatican Museums will be on the right side of the street as you approach.

This is the staircase (on the right as you exit the station) leaving the CIPRO Metro. Go up these stairs!

At the top of these stairs, TURN RIGHT (See the brown Museo Vaticani sign!)… and then make ANOTHER immediate right!

Follow this sidewalk after you make the immediate right… head towards the Church you see on the top right side of this picture!

As you approach the Church (on your right) you’ll see this apartment building in front of you. Head to the opening on the LEFT side of this apartment buidling. (The crosswalk is to your right in this picture)

On the left side of the building above is this staircase. Walk to the top and you are on Viale Vaticano! TURN LEFT to head to the entrance of the Museums. The walls you see at the top of this staircase are the walls of Vatican City.

If you’re headed to the Basilica from the Metro, better to get off at Ottaviano, and head south on Via Ottaviano, directly to the Square. You’ll see the heads and shoulders of statues on top of a wall in the distance. This is St. Peter’s Square… just keep walking south and you’ll hit St. Peter’s Square.

Here’s a picture of the sign in the Ottaviano metro station.

Here’s the view once you exit the Ottaviano metro. In the FAR distance, you can see the whites of the statues that flank St. Peter’s Square. Head south towards them!

If you’re not into public transportation, there is a taxi stand just outside the entrance to the Vatican Museum and also one just across from St. Peter’s Square. The taxis will queue up in both locations.

5 - Yes, you can go from the Vatican Museums directly to St. Peter’s Basilica. Okay, you can and you can’t! Once you walk through the Museums 1+ mile, you come to the end of the line… the Sistine Chapel. After you’ve spent your time in the Chapel you can leave through two doors. As you walk, with the Last Judgment BEHIND you , the door on the LEFT takes you back through the Museum and BACK to the entrance you came in on Viale Vaticano. And back to Cipro or Ottaviano Metro Stations. You would be walking back through the Library section of the Vatican Museums.

But if you want to go to the Basilica (and save yourself about 30-40 minutes of walking), take the RIGHT door. Now, honestly… you’re breaking the rules. The RIGHT door is reserved for “guided tour groups.” As of late, there has been a guard on the door and, by the rules, only tour groups are allowed to depart through this door. The guided tour group companies – that pay the Vatican fees – are unhappy that everyone (including you!) will try to use this door. So there has been a half-hearted attempt to prevent abuse of this door. Frankly, I’ve been in the Vatican Museums 100+ times and been turned away twice. So the odds are in your favor. Half the time the guard is no where NEAR the door. And other times, they could care less. If in doubt, just jump in with a tour group leaving and head through the doors.

Here’s why it’s such a GREAT deal to cut through these doors. This Sistine Chapel EXIT door is less than 200 yards from St. Peter’s Basilica entrance. 200 yards! If you cannot go this way, you have to go ALL THE WAY BACK THROUGH THE MUSEUMS (about 3/4 mile), exit the Museums on Viale Vaticano , and then walk AROUND the walls of the city… add another 2/3 mile… then you have to WAIT IN LINE in St. Peter’s Square and go through X-Ray security again. So 200 yards vs. almost 1.5 miles and a security line… You will save about 40-45 minutes if you go through the RIGHT door. There’s no doubt why EVERYONE wants to cut through these doors if they are headed to St. Peter’s Basilica!

The picture above is taken just after you exit the hallway below the Sistine Chapel… that’s St. Peter’s Basilica on the right side of the picture – it’s that close!The people in the line on the right side of the picture are headed to the tombs, the lower level of the Basilica.

If you plan to take the “secret” doorway to St. Peter’s from the Sistine Chapel, I would offer this advice. One of the most famous objects in the Vatican Museums is the Spiral Staircase (pictured below). The Spiral Staircase IS NOW the exit ramp OUT OF the Vatican Museums, but only if you’ve come back through the LEFT door in the Sistine Chapel and walked through the museum. If you DO NOT plan to take this door, then here is what I would suggest you do so you get to the see this famous staircase.

After you leave the ticket booth area at the entrance, go through the turn stiles and enter the Museums, you will go up a very long escalator. At the top of this escalator EVERYONE heads straight. Don’t! Go immediately to your right and head north (back in the opposite direction of the escalator). You’ll come into an “open area” and directly to your LEFT will be the famous staircase. Walk over to it, stand at the top, and get your pictures and your view of the staircase…. then head back the way you came – back to the staircase and head into the Museums! Don’t go down it as it’s one way and this IS THE EXIT!

6 - Many people say I do not want to see the Museums, just the Sistine Chapel. As you can see from above, that’s really not possible. In order TO GET to the Sistine Chapel you have to walk through the museums . But you can use another “shortcut.” After you’ve walked, and walked, and walked… you’ll go through the Gallery of Maps (the Map Room), and after exiting, you will go through another room of Tapestries… then you’ll come to a dead end… Directly in front of you is an doorway with an undecorated hallway. This is the DIRECT path to the Sistine Chapel. Most other folks will be turning LEFT and heading to the Raphael Rooms from which they will take a seemingly endless trek back to the Sistine Chapel. But if you GO STRAIGHT from the Gallery of Maps room, through the Tapestry room, and into this doorway, you’ll go through an unspectacular hallway and end up just outside the Sistine Chapel… so if you’re looking for the fastest path, this is the way!

On the other hand, if you want to see the Raphael Rooms (which I recommend) then take a left at in this tapestry room and follow the crowd. You will walk through the incredibly beautiful paintings of Raphael (probably packed with people…) and then you will take a circuitous route and end up at a set of stairs BELOW the Sistine Chapel. Be warned. The Raphael Rooms are GREAT but you will have to walk , and walk, and walk up and down stairs through the modern art wing of the Palace if you take this route. This walk takes 8-10 minutes AFTER you leave the Raphael Rooms.

7 – Yes, you can go DIRECTLY to the Sistine Chapel and then double back to see the Museums. Okay, but it’s a little tricky as the Museums are primarily ONE-WAY traffic. Once you are in the Sistine Chapel, exit through the Left Door and head back through the Library towards the front entrance. Eventually you will go down a flight of stairs, bear to the left and come to the LAST Gift Shop. Once you go through this Gift Shop, try and GO RIGHT. They may have this blocked by a rope (they have been re-directing folks for a couple of months while they do work)… But if you get stopped just ask, “Where is the Post Office?” Once back at the post office, you’re directly over the entrance and by the famous spiral staircase — WHICH IS THE EXIT. Do not GO DOWN the staircase as that is the point of NO RETURN, just head back into the Museums!!! I’ve done it many times – and actually have never been stopped.

8. Take food and water. Okay, it’s not quite that long a trek, but it can seem like it. There are very limited places to get food or water in the Museums. Outside a few of the bathrooms there are drink vending machines but the selections are limited, the areas are crowded, and often the machines are not full. Don’t take any chances. Take water/drink with you and some snacks. Now, don’t plan on spreading out a picnic on the floor of the Sistine Chapel with wine and cheese… but do take something as you’ll be here a few hours! Also, be discrete.

9. Conversely, you will be going through an X-ray machine, so don’t bring any weapons with you. Along these same lines, if you come with a VERY large backpack into the Museums you will have to check it – right here at this entrance. This IS NOT good news if you plan to use the “St. Peter’s Basilica” door in the Sistine Chapel. Once you check your backpack or oversized bag… you will have to walk all the way back to the entrance to retrieve it. So folks carrying EXTRA-Large camera gear and large backpacks, you’ve been warned. You will not be able to use the shortcut to St. Peter’s Basilica if you have to return to retrieve your large bag. Leave ‘em at your hotel/B&B!

And if it’s raining and you take a large umbrella (or probably anything but a portable) they will make you check it. We found this out the hard way as one of our friends had a standard umbrella. We had to check it, walk back through the museums, and then over to the Basilica. So only bring a portable umbrella you can stick in your purse or bag…

10. If you need a rest room, use the one at the entrance. After you get through the X-Ray Machines, head towards the left side of the room, left of the staircase (where you go up to get your tickets) and you’ll see the hallway that leads DOWN to the bathrooms. A vending machine is also in the area if you forgot your water. There are other bathrooms – sometimes a little disguised – as you walk through the Museum, but this is certainly the most convenient! Others include, but are not limited to: the post office near the spiral staircase, the stairs to your left just after you leave the Pine Cone Courtyard, under the Pinacoteca wing, off the last Raphael Room, and outside the Sistine Chapel. There are others, but these are probably the most frequented.

11. As many locals suggest, take time to tour the Pinacoteca. This wing of the Museum is a delight. To get there, as you come up the entry escalator (or back from the spiral staircase viewing), rather than take the left that EVERYONE else takes as they get on the fast-track to the Sistine Chapel, GO RIGHT. In this gallery, you’ll see the last painting of Raphael (and in the room before it, one by his father), plus works by Da Vinci and Caravaggio. And there is one of the few reproductions of Michelangelo’s Piéta – you’ll see the original in the St. Peter’s Basilica but you can’t get as close as you can here. Due to an attack on the Piéta in 1972, the original in St. Peter’s Basilica sits behind 2 inches of bullet proof glass!

12. For the best info on the Vatican schedule, go HERE (The link is http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html). On this page you’ll find links for history of the sites, the museum hours of operation, and a link to buy tickets online. The Museums are closed on Vatican Holidays and on Sundays. The exception being the last Sunday of the month which is FREE (We’ll talk about that below). The “scheduled” dates for closure in 2010 are

• January 1, 6
• February 11
• March 19
• Easter and the Monday after Easter – April 4, 5
• May 1
• June 29 (St. Peter and Paul)
• August 14
• November 1
• December 8 (Immaculate Conception), 25, 26

The Vatican is closed on Catholic religious holidays so the remainder of Rome is often still operating. The Basilica is often open (like on Sundays) even when the Museum is closed. Here’s the calendar for 2010 (from their website).

13. The best days to go to the Vatican are…. Everyone has an opinion on this! My “best” two days are Tuesday and Thursday. This is more a process of elimination. Never go on FREE SUNDAYS unless you enjoy being herded like cattle. On a fFee Sunday, the Museum is open from 9:00 AM, with last entry at 12:30 PM. The Museum then closes at 2:00 PM and starts chasing people out at 1;30 PM. I’ve seen people wait in line 2+ hours on FREE SUNDAY… only to be subjected to the BIGGEST crowds ever inside the Museum. NO THANKS!

Avoid Mondays because the Museums are usually closed on Sunday so folks with limited time in town HAVE to go on Monday. I say avoid Wednesdays if the Pope is in town and doing a Papal Audience. The Museums are LESS crowded in the AM while he is speaking, but then the 10,000 – 25,000 people at the outdoor Papal Audience head for the Museums and Basilica when he is finished, so it can get very crowded. Also, while he is doing the outdoor audience, the RIGHT side door of the Sistine Chapel is locked because you are not allowed to go to the Basilica (It’s closed while he is addressing the crowd) – security issues! Saturday is the day that many Italians come into town and they go to the Museums so that day lines tend to be longer…

So that leaves Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday… in that order! If you go in the afternoon, you’ll probably never have to wait in line. I usually plan to enter the Museums about 12 noon – 1300 (1 PM). The last entry is 1600 (4 PM) and you can stay in the Museums until 1800 (6 PM), but they will start herding you to the exits about 1730 (5:30 PM). Do make sure you get to the Sistine Chapel before 1725 (5:25 PM) or your stay will be VERY brief!

I’ve never had to use the “skip the line” tickets as I live across the street from the Museum Entrance and walk by there often. My first time here years and years ago I did wait in line 2+ hours. That was before the extended hours and before I learned the patterns. Now I’ve waited NO MORE than 5 minutes to enter the museum. So plan accordingly and you’ll be fine. The only exception I would make on pre-buying is if there are holidays that week and the Museums will be closed (XMAS and Easter for example) , if you have extremely limited time, or you are locked into going on a Monday, Saturday, etc. Any holiday or closure usually compounds the lines for two days on either side!

14. Yes, you can take pictures in the Museums – so do bring your camera. As we said earlier, don’t bring that HUGE camera bag (larger than a backpack) or they will make you check the bag. You can take pictures ALMOST everywhere in the Museum, with the exception of the Sistine Chapel. There are places where FLASH is not allowed, and you’ll get yelled at if you do so!

©Vatican Museums and Galleries, Vatican City, Italy

“No pictures, No pictures!” You’ll hear this mantra over and over by the security staff in the Sistine Chapel. Why can’t you take pictures in the Sistine Chapel? Because the “rights” to all filming in the Chapel are owned by Nippon TV, a Japanese channel best known for its quiz shows and baseball coverage. They underwrote the cleaning and restoration of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes in return for exclusive media rights to the restored ceiling. Yep, it’s all about copyright! The restoration was started in 1980 and most parts of the ceiling were finished by 1989 and The Last Judgment in 1994. So the restoration work took almost 15 years for these masterpieces. Nippon TV reportedly paid $3-4 million for the restoration. You are paying them back everytime you buy a postcard!

15. Do you need a guide? Of all the places I go, the Colosseo, Forum, Palatine Hill…. and the Vatican are places where I believe a guide will enhance your experience. There is just SO MUCH to see in the Vatican. I’ve read there are SEVEN MILES of corridors in the Palaces. No wonder people get worn out! But if you do not take a guide, at least have a podcast, a few good books, and a LOT OF TIME. You can rent headsets which, although not as good as many guides, can help you tremendously. But if you rent the headsets… you will have to leave ID (DO leave your driver’s license and NEVER your passport!) and unfortunately you will have to come back to the entrance of the Museums to drop off the headset and get your ID… thus you WILL NOT be able to take the shortcut to St. Peter’s Basilica. So plan accordingly.

16. The best Post Office in Italy… is not in Italy! It’s in Vatican City. There are actually three post offices in Vatican City which YOU can use. And trust me, the poor reputation of the Italian Postal Service is well earned. Many ebay vendors NEVER ship to Italy as the products never “get here,” if you know what I mean. Whenever we mail out things to the States, we walk over to the Vatican and use their postal service. We actually walk BY an Italian Post Office to get there. If you mail from the Vatican, you buy your stamps in the Vatican, and the articles must be mailed FROM the Vatican. The stamps are no good in Italy…

The three post offices you can go to are in primarily two locations. There are two post offices in St, Peter’s Square. Most folks are aware of the post office on the LEFT side of the Square facing the Basilica. This is the larger one and it is in the Charlemagne colonnade. The other is in the Constantine colonnade, on the right side of the Square,. It is up under the colonnade, where Il Passetto comes into the Palace (almost under the Pope’s bedroom window!). The third post office is INSIDE the Vatican Museum. It’s right before the EXIT spiral staircase… or as we told you earlier, to the immediate right as you get off the entry escalator.

Here’s the tip. Buy your postcards a day or so in advance. Write your notes, fill in your addresses, and then come prepared. Buy your stamps and drop your outgoing mail into the Vatican Post Office boxes. To mail a postcard to the USA it is currently about 80 cents. A letter runs about 85 cents. You’ll see many people buying postcards in the Vatican and sitting down and writing out postcard after postcard… and you have to because you UNLESS you’re coming back to the Vatican, you will not be able to mail these in Italy. Nothing is more frustrating to these folks than NOT having an address or zip code for someone…. so do yours in advance and save yourself some time and frustration!

The Vatican Post Office under the Pope’s window (Constantine Colonnade)

17. Believe or not, there are pickpockets in the Vatican! Yes, it’s true. One of my friends is a tour guide and he was pickpocketed (unfortunately AFTER he had collected his fees) and lost his wallet and money. Another friend had his money clip “removed” from his pocket. So do be aware. It can get VERY crowded with the large tour groups shuffling through and thus bad things can happen. So do wear a money belt, or secure your belongings. Unbelievable…. but true.

18. Signage in the Vatican is consistent with signage on the roads of Italy – often misleading and confusing. At some points there are signs directing you to the Sistine Chapel pointing in opposite directions! It’s just that there are different ways to get there through the seemingly endless corridors. Be patient, ask a security guard or any guide giving a tour for help… and most will point you in the right direction. They’re used to dealing with tired and confused tourists.

19. The Vatican is wheelchair accessible – Well, sort of. I took a friend of a friend through the Museum who was in her eighties. We talked her into using a wheelchair and that was a WISE decision. There are elevators throughout the Museums, although sometimes we had to wait for an attendant. Thus we were able to navigate the Museums. There are many sets of stairs so we were also fortunate to be able to bypass these. Our elderly guest was treated almost reverently by the security personnel. And we were delighted that she did not have to try and walk the Museum. It made everyones’ day brighter. We “borrowed” the wheelchair from the “checked articles” counter at the entrance to the Museum. We had to leave passport info, but NOT the passport. And of course, we also had to come back to the entrance to drop off the wheelchair. Well worth it for her. Do know they have a limited amount of loaner wheelchairs as on another trip with an eldery guest they were all check out. Without the wheelchair, we did the best we could.

20. Many parts of the Vatican Museums do not have air-conditioning. In some rooms, it can get quite stuffy. Newer wings, like the Pinacoteca, have small. portable AC units. But be prepared if you go in the summer as it can quite HOT. I’d definitely wear lightweight clothing and take water in the summer.

Hopefully these tips will help you have a more enoyable and fulfilling experience in the Vatican Museums – ENJOY!!!

At Christmas, Rome is filled with festivities, festivals, religious ceremonies, concerts, art exhibits, and just plain fun! It’s a wonderful time of year to come to the city. The streets get crowded with shoppers, the seasonal lights brighten narrow alleys, and the air is festive. There are many Christmas markets, most famously Piazza Navona

To get you in the spirit, here’s a few pictures from last year!

The lighting of the Christmas tree at St. Peter’s. We waited almost two hours to see the tree lit.Halfway through the ceremony it started to rain, and rain, and rain. We felt so sorry for the choirs and church officials who “weathered” the entire downpour. This year we will show up 1.5 hours AFTER the “scheduled” lighting time

Each year, a couple weeks before Christmas, there is the Annual Santa Claus race that starts at the Colosseo. It’s pretty incredible to see hundreds of folks in Santa Claus outfits forming up around the colosseo on a Sunday morning. There are rollerbladers, runners, families (all dressed in SC outfits), and guys like this. And then they all take off – Can you imagine riding this bike on the cobblestones of Rome? What fun!

The beautiful Fendi building, located where Via Corso meets Via dei Condotti (Rodeo Drive in Rome). This “bracelet” changes colors every few minutes. Bellisima!

This is the view from the balcony of our apartment near the Vatican. The lights are here from early December until early January. And you will see this in streets all over Rome!

These were the street decorations for Via dei Condotti. They’re beautiful, expensive, and … sponsored by Mercedes Benz. See the logo in the decoration. You would expect no less on this street. They are certainly stunning.

Shopping near the Spanish Steps at Christmas!

This tree decorated the Spanish Steps last year. Each night the steps filled up at shoppers and walkers taking a break. The tree constantly changed colors and is visible all the way down Via dei Condotti.

Piazzas and restaurants certainly get “decked out.” Here is a look at some of the restaurants in front of the Pantheon last year. Yes, a few ALREADY have their decorations in place.

Every Church has a Nativity Scene. Last year the Vatican had two -  one inside St. Peter’s Basilica and this one which is built outside in St. Peter’s Square. It takes a few weeks to build this life-size Nativity scene and they’ve already started building this year’s!

On New Year’s Eve, priorities change in Rome. Here, street vendor sells bottles of champagne. There’s no open container laws in Rome so if you want to walk down the street drinking your champagne, more power to you. Note the “makeshift” table built of cardboard boxes

A full moon over a Christmas tree welcomes in the New Year. This was shot through columns down by Trajan’s Column.

There are concerts all over town on New Year’s Eve in Rome. This is perhaps the largest. See the Colosseo in the distance in the top picture. I’m standing on Via Fiori Imperiali just in front of the entrance to the Forum. It took me about 15 minutes to get here from Piazza Venezia, That’s how crowded this street becomes. All down the street there are huge monitors and speakers so you can watch and hear the bands performing in front of the Colosseo. This is about as far as I got… and then headed for other venues!

It’s hard to explain Piazza di Popolo on New Year’s Eve. So I’ll just try and show you through the above pictures. First, think of 10,000+ people standing around, crowded, shoulder-to-shoulder, with fireworks…  for about two hours. Their goal is to “out-do” everyone else in their contribution to this “locals” firework event. Yes, for almost two hours everyone fires off their own firework stash.

In the first picture you see the outer ring, early in the evening (about 10:15 PM). Here you stand on the outer edge of Piazza di Popolo and in front of you is a clearing. In this “fire-zone,” you run out, place down your Roman Candle or bottle rocket and then run back to the safety of the crowd. While you’re doing this, other folks are ALSO running out with their fireworks. So there is a lot of people running in and out of the danger zone. While you’re running, folks from in the crowd are throwing their firework INTO the cleared area… so you’re sometimes dodging fireworks as you seek safety. How no one gets killed is still something I can’t figure out.

In Picture 2, you see a group of kids who have run to the middle of the Piazza… where the obelisk and lions are. Once you risk your life to get to the middle, you’re really trapped there. But undoubtedly, if you survive, you have the best view – especially if you sit up on one of the lions. You can see the bottle rockets and fireworks going off all around these folks.

In Pictures 3 and 4 you can see how dense the crowd can become. It gets so packed you can’t move! But people are still racing into the clearing and then racing back. Of course, This is Italy, so everyone tries to out-do everyone else. Fireworks are bundled together. multiple explosions drew applause and OOH’s and AHH’s from the crowd. I found myself near the front of the pack and the guy next to me is daisy-chaining Roman Candles together to get the BIGGEST explosion. All the while he’s smoking a cigar!

At 12 midnight, the bells ring and that’s when I was in for another surprise. All night long I’d seen folks buying champagne bottles from the local street vendors and foolish me, I thought they were for drinking. Nope – at 12 midnight, EVERYONE popped their champagne and proceeded to SPRAY EACH OTHER. I am almost drowned in champagne. I realized now that you DO NOT wear nice clothes in Rome on New Year’s Eve. Well, not if you’re going to Popolo!

The last picture is shot outside the Northern gates of the city, as I ran for my life out of Popolo. The fireworks are from Villa Borghese and go on for another 20-30 minutes. These culminate the celebrations at Popolo!

And if you still have ANY energy left on New Year’s Day, you can head over to the Vatican to catch the Pope’s blessing at 12 noon. It’s an incredible event and St. Peter’s Square is very full.

At the conclusion of the New Year’s blessing, the multiple marching bands march out. It’s an disorganized retreat from a structured event. What a contrast.

These two USA marching bands had a great time, playing in St. Peter’s Square and then having a “jam” session just outside Castel Sant’ Angelo – a great way to celebrate the Holidays.

Credit romephotoblog.blogspot.com/

Credit: Flickr – Deborah Swain

Then, there are the markets! The most famous Christmas market in Rome is at Piazza Navona, but they are all over town. You can get all kinds of food, presents and of course, a Befana! These markets are usually open until January 6.

That’s a small taste of the sights in Rome over the holidays. There are many, many other places to see and go. If you’re coming to Rome, you’ll certainly enjoy your Roman Holiday! Auguri!

From the top of the Vittoriano (Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II)

Looking eastward from the Vittoriano, you see the Colosseo, with the mountains and San Giovanni Laterano in the background… and the ruins of the Basilica of Maxentius in the foreground.

Looking westward from the Vittoriano, the Pantheon rises majestically, it’s concrete, spaceship-looking 2nd century dome quite a contrast to the more “modern” rooftops of Rome.

From the Cupola of St. Peter’s – highest point in Rome

View from the Cupola of St. Peter’s looking down onto St. Peter’s Square!

The view of the Vatican grounds from the Cupola of St. Peter.

View on the roof of St. Peter’s Basilica

View In the Constantine Colonade of St. Peter’s Square

View through the Pantheon Oculus

At night, a shot of the waning moon, through the Oculus of the Pantheon!

And conversely, here’s an incredible view of sunlight filtering through the oculus.

From the top of Palatine Hill

The view of the Forum from the north side of Palatine Hill

And from the south side of the hill, a wonderful view of Circo Massimo in the foreground, and Aventine hill in the background.

From Castel Sant’ Angelo

Incredible photo from Castel Sant Angelo looking towards St. Peter’s Basilica. (Photo from Avisekh’s flickr stream).

Looking towards the Vittoriano from Castel Sant Angelo.

The Janiculum Hill (Gianicolo)

From Piazza Garibaldi at the top of the Gianiculum

From the top of the Spanish Steps

Day or night, the view from the top of the Spanish Steps is worth climbing for!

The Aqueducts of Rome

Aqueducts that run for miles here in the city limits of Rome (see our post: Aqueduct Park in Rome)

From the Pincio Gardens, fronting Villa Borghese

A great place from which to enjoy Rome’s picturesque sunsets – this wonderful view looks down upon Piazza di Popolo in the foreground, and the dome of St. Peter’s in the background – WOW!

Piazza of the Knights of Malta

Known affectionately by Romans as the “hole of Rome,” its abiding attraction draws queues of visitors to this peaceable “out of the way” spot. These two shots show the keyhole… and the remarkable view once you look through it!

The lake at Villa Borghese

A wonderful – and romantic – interlude in this busy, busy, city. Head to the Villa Borghese park on a Sunday and enjoy the company of many Italian families. For more info and directions, see our post on Galleria Borghese.

View from Sevelli garden atop the Aventine Hill

The overhang at Aventine Hill provides an incredible view at dusk of the dome of St. Peter’s. One of the most romantic spots in town, young men often come here – at dusk – to propose marriage! And with this view, they’re off to a great start!

Christmas in Rome

Beautiful St. Peter’s Square decorated for the Christmas season!

This is my street – just outside our balcony – dressed up for the season!

The Christmas tree at the Spanish Steps!   For more Christmas pictures, see our post, Roman Holidays!