Traveling In Rome For Less Than 24 Hours
Rome in a Day
Rome was not built in a day, so how can you expect to cover thousands of years of history in just 24-hours? This massive city has monuments and ruins stretching back way before many of the now most popular religions were founded and languages were spoken. Being the foundation of all of Western civilization, the roots for practically all European nations are grown deep into the soil of the Italian Peninsula. With architecture that has ceaselessly dazzled the imaginations of people around the world and religion which lures pilgrims from all corners of the globe, in many ways all roads lead to Rome.
Being one of the center’s of the world, you can not expect to even begin scratching the surface when planning on what to do in Rome in a day. No matter if you are traveling through Italy and have a long layover or have an excursion from a cruise ship, your short time in Rome will have you constantly foaming from the mouth and scratching at the glass as you are inevitably carted away from this ancient city. What you will be able to see in Rome in 1 day will merely leave you obsessed with all of the miracles of man that you were only able to see for an instant. By the time you get back home, you will already be planning your next trip to Italy.
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The Heart of Rome
In modern Rome, you can say that there is far more than just one “downtown” in the city. But in ancient times all of the grand parades and ceremonies were held in the Roman Forum. Looking out over the once lively courtyard is awe-inspiring, but also quite perplexing at the same time. The broken columns and stone foundations are about all that remains of the center of Roman civilization. It is hard to imagine how exactly your average Romans would navigate this city square when viewing the heaps of rubble. As Rome continued to evolve, cathedrals and highways began to cut their way through these historical treasures, leaving only part of the story intact. Despite how hard it is to visualize what life would have been like in the Roman Forum thousands of years ago, witnessing these monuments first hand speaks more volumes than pages of a history book ever would.
The great Roman Forum may seem like an enormous jigsaw puzzle with the pieces all strewn across the lawn, but the splendor of the colosseum has endured the test of time and still stands as proud as it ever has. Despite the withering of the elements and the modern city built up around it, the Roman Colosseum has just as much grandeur as it did in its heyday. Unfortunately, if you are only seeing what to do in Rome in less than 24-hours, you may have the strike the Colosseum from your list. Although you can get plenty of stunning views from the outside, the crowds are just as large as they were during the time of Ceaser. So unless you reserved tickets to the Roman Colosseum online, you will just have to settle with the views of the exterior.
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Rome: Off the Beaten Path
The first things that come to mind when you envision your trip to Rome is staring up at the Sistine Chapel, wandering the Colosseum, and sitting on the Spanish Steps. As essential as all of these destinations are on a travel itinerary, one of the things that will truly make your adventure to Rome one for the books is taking a step off for the beaten track and exploring the back alleys and sleepy neighborhoods of Rome. With countless touts descending on the massive tour groups on the main roads, you may unknowingly step into a whole new world within the city as you escape the masses by ducking down a backstreet.
There are tons of trendy and more local neighborhoods to explore in Rome. So many in fact that you may not even know how to get started when you are planning to search for the stone carvings on the sides of apartments and charming chipped paint on the shutters. Being on a trip less than a day in Rome, Rione Monti is the closest neighborhood near the Colosseum where you can get a more candid look at daily life in the city. But if you manage to find the time, Trastevere is the one neighborhood that might have you considering forgetting your flight and staying in Rome for good.
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A Nation Within a City
You could easily spend your entire day exploring the Roman Forum and the surrounding neighborhoods. With plenty of ruins, temples, museums, and cathedrals, you may become so lost in ancient Rome that you may not even find time to do anything else. But if you are still wanting to cram as much as you can into one day in Rome, you have several options as to where to go next. You have sights such as the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain, but the temptation to visit a country within a country may be too great.
Especially for anyone wanting to get their country count up, you will not want to miss out on visiting The Vatican. If you thought the Roman Forum was overwhelming, touring The Vatican will have you rushed down busy corridors, packed elbow to elbow with hoards of people, and barely having time to catch a glimpse at all the priceless artifacts that you are passing by. Especially if you are one who likes to take your time when visiting an art museum, the tickets to the Vatican will not give you enough time to enjoy all the intricacies as you are scrambling to take everything in.
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The Vatican Museum
Ever since the founding of Christianity, Rome and The Vatican has been the focal point of the religion. It is only natural that the seat of power held by the Pope would exert influence over the world not only by means of politics but also by art. From the Dark Ages, the rebirth of the Renaissance, and even in our modern era the stories of the Bible and man’s faith have led to some of the most remarkable masterpieces to be created. Many of these works of art has found its final resting place in the grand halls of The Vatican, thus creating The Vatican Museum.
Throughout the entire grounds of this Catholic palace, you will find classical sculptures, breathtaking paintings, and even murals covering the walls and ceilings that transform the entire building into a priceless work of art. There is more than enough in these halls to have you jaw dragging against the floor as your eyes are darting from wall to wall. The only thing that will damper your spirits is the endless waves of people crashing through the gates of The Vatican. You may be able to get a breather outside of this human sea by stepping out onto The Vatican Gardens, but this will open up a whole new area of the country which may feel daunting to enjoy properly with everything else on your itinerary.
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Churches in The Vatican
Being the center of Christiandom, The Vatican is not lacking churches and chapels. These places of worship are so much more than just a mere place to pray, they are the resting places for saints, popes, and all those who have given their lives defending the faith. There are many churches within The Vatican that are not open to the public, being reserved for the likes of The Pope and cardinals. As a tourist only traveling in Rome for a day, you will be lucky to check off visiting the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica off of your bucket list. Making your way from The Vatican Museum, most of the visitors will be herded down the narrow hallways towards the Sistine Chapel. Being such a small church, the elaborate murals will catch you from surprise as you are thrown from the packed hallways into one of the most breathtaking works of art in the world.
After spending your time trapped in the waves of people breaking their necks staring up in awe at the work of Michaelangelo, the world’s largest church is just a few steps away. Of course, all of the sculptures and worships happen below in St. Peter’s Basilica, but you may also want to take in the church from a different angle by looking down from the massive dome. Even when you descend back to the floor, the halls of St. Peter’s is very much a museum as well, with even the tombs of popes and saints carved with the most meticulous of details. Much like everywhere else in Rome, you could lose yourself for hours exploring everything throughout the sanctuary.
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Is Rome Worth Seeing In A Day?
So, you find yourself with a chunk of time in Rome and don’t want to let it go to waste. Of course you will want to head out to the ancient ruins of the forum, walk in the same footsteps of Ceaser, and feel the presence of God in The Vatican. Even with a layover in Rome you can still find plenty to keep yourself busy within the heart of the city alone. With thousands of years of history, every inch of Italy’s capital has a story behind it. As long as you keep your eyes open, you can imagine ancient legionaries marching down even the most modern streets in Rome.
Although there is plenty to do in Rome, is it worth trying to see in a day? 24-hours is a short amount of time for any city, but for the cradle of Western civilization, even a month would have you bearly scratching the surface and wrapping your head around all the history and culture which is woven into the fabric of Rome. When visiting this center of the world, you will be having to tear yourself away from the museums and ruins to catch your flight. All while on the plane you will be grinding your teeth, wondering why you couldn’t fit more in an already packed day in Rome. Even though you were short on time, you would have regretted it even more if you never attempted the monumental task of visiting Rome in a day.
