The sheer imperial scale of Rome is sure to knock you out.

It's hard to say what you'll find most breathtaking about the Eternal City - the arrogant opulence of the Vatican, the timelessness of the Forum, the top speed of a Fiat Bambino, the gory resonance of the Colosseum, trying to cross a major intersection, or the bill for your caffe latte.

Make like the locals and souse your senses in the glut of pleasures the city has to offer, from the grandiose thrill of feeling centuries of turbulent history under your feet to the small but potent intoxication of eating chestnut gelati on a hot day.

'As in Rome there is, apart from the Romans, a population of statues, so apart from this real world there is a world of illusion, almost more potent, in which most men live.' - Goethe

Environment

Latitude: 41.8800010681
Area: 150sqkms
Population: 3800000
Orientation:

Rome is halfway down Italy's western coast, about 20km (12mi) inland. It's a vast city, but the historic centre is quite small. Most of the major sights are within a reasonable distance of the central railway station, Stazione Termini. It is, for instance, possible to walk from the Colosseum, through the Forum, up to Piazza di Spagna and across to the Vatican in one day, but you wouldn't really want to. All the major monuments are west of the train station, but make sure you use a map. While it can be enjoyable to get off the beaten track in Rome, it can also be very frustrating and time-consuming.

The Palatine Hill and the Forum are the centre of ancient Rome. Via del Corso runs north from the Forum to Piazza del Popolo, with the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain just to its east. The Vatican is northwest of the Forum, across the River Tiber.

Society

People:

Italian

Language spoken (other): French
Language spoken (other): German
Language spoken (other): Slovenian
Language spoken (other): Albanian
Language spoken (official): Italian

A Latin language related to French, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian. Standard Italian and numerous dialects are spoken.

Weather

Rome's mild climate makes it visitable year-round; however, spring and autumn are without doubt the best times to visit, with generally sunny skies and mild temperatures (although late autumn, November, can be rainy). July and August are unpleasantly hot (many Romans desert the city in August so many businesses close at this time); from December to February there is briskly cold weather, although it's rarely grey and gloomy.

Communication

Area Code:

06

The Italian phone jack has the shape of a shield with three circular pins set on one side. The opposite side holds three matching circular holes and an RJ-11 socket can be found at the base of the plug.

Eat

Thetrattoria is usually a family-run concern serving home-cooking. A ristorante is more formal, with a wider selection of dishes. The osteria is an inn, usually with only a few local dishes and endless wine. Pizzerias can serve antipasto, pasta, meat and vegetable dishes as well as pizza.

Night

You don't have to look far to be entertained in Rome. Opera or soccer, dance or drinking - the Eternal City has it all. Romans don't drink a lot, but there's a bar and club scene catering to those who do, or those who just like getting dressed up; bars are mainly in the historic centre, Trastevere and Testaccio.

See

Shoved from pillar to palazzo, from fountain to Forum.

Sightseeing in Rome is exhilarating and exhausting. That it wasn't built in a day is quickly evident when you start exploring the temples, residences, basilicas, churches, palazzi, piazzi, parks, museums and fountains. All this and the Vatican too!

Shop

Don't feel bad if you find that Rome's shop windows are competing with its monuments for your attention: it happens to everyone. Whether it's designer clothing, jewellery, books, homewares or antiques, chances are you'll find something that just has to be bought.

Sleep

Rome's hotels run the full gamut, from frescoed Renaissance palazziti fin de siècle buildings with original features to family-run pensioni. Hotels in the historic centre charge a premium for their location, and facilities don't always match asking prices.

Pre-departure

When to go

The main tourist season starts at Easter and runs until October; peak periods are in spring and autumn, when the tour buses pour in and tourists are herded around like cattle. Numerous outdoor festivals and concerts and the fact that Romans desert the city for the beaches and mountains, which means very light traffic and a less-crowded city centre, makes summer almost worth the heat. If you do visit in summer, try to hit the sights early, take a long lunch and a nap, and then head out again around 6pm to take advantage of the cooler evening. Be aware some restaurants and shops close for the month of August. Winters are usually mild with few tourists and some fun events around Christmas time.

Visas

EU citizens require only a passport or ID card to stay or work in Italy for as long as they like. They are, however, required to register with a questura (police station) if they take up residence and obtain a permesso di soggiorno (permission to remain for a nominated period).

Citizens of many other countries, including the US, Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Switzerland and Japan, do not need a visa if entering as tourists for up to three months. Passports may not be stamped upon entry, so that three-month rule can be interpreted with a certain flexibility.

If you are entering for any reason other than tourism (for instance, study) or plan to remain for an extended period, insist on having the entry stamp. Without it you could encounter problems when trying to obtain a permesso di soggiorno. Non-EU citizens who want to study at a university or language school must have a study visa. These can be obtained from your nearest Italian embassy or consulate.

Electricity voltage: 220V
Electricity HZ: 50

Health

Dangers and Annoyances

Rome is not a dangerous city but pickpockets and bag-snatchers are active. Wear a money belt under your clothing and wear your bag across your body. Beware if someone knocks your side mirror as they may snatch your watch as you reach to fix it. Watch out for groups of dishevelled-looking women and children carrying bits of cardboard which they use to distract you while they swarm around and pickpocket with lightning speed. If you are being targeted by a group, either cross the street, or shout 'Va via!' ('Go away!') in a loud, angry voice. Be careful on crowded buses (the No 64 bus, which runs from Stazione Termini to the Vatican, is notorious), the Metro (head for the end carriages, which are less crowded) and busy market areas. There is only one foolproof way to deter pickpockets: simply do not carry any money or valuables in your pockets and be very careful about your bags, even in hotels.

Parked cars, particularly with foreign number plates or rental company stickers, are also prime targets for thieves. Try removing or covering the stickers, leave a local newspaper on the seat to make it look like a local car and opt for supervised car parks.

Beware of dodgy shopkeepers short-changing you. Acquaint yourself with euro denominations and count your change carefully.

Events

During Holy Week (Easter) Catholics from around the world make pilgrimages to Rome's various basilicas and to hear the Pope give his address at the Vatican. On Good Friday there's a procession of the Cross from the Colosseum to Capitoline Hill.

Testaccio is the place to be in summer, when one of Rome's best-preserved areas becomes a stomping ground for the young and hip. A festival of nightclubbery and general coolness goes down every evening from 10pm. There's lots of outdoor concerts over the summer, including atmospheric jjazz at the Villa Celimontana.

From June to September, the Estate Romana (Roman Summer), encompasses many summer festivals as Rome comes alive with free concerts, outdoor cinema and much more. Tiberina Island, on the Tiber river, hosts bars, stalls, gigs and open-air films in July and August. Trastevere is filled with street theatre, craft stalls and food booths during the Festa di Noantri (20-28 July). In September the city cranks up on coffee and stays awake all night for the Notte Bianca (white night), when museums, galleries and shops open from 8pm-8am, with free concerts and happenings all over Rome.

Rome's public holidays include Liberation Day (25 April), Labour Day (1 May), the Feast of the Assumption (15 August), All Saints' Day (1 November), the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (8 December) and the Feast of Santo Stefano (26 December).

Epiphany (official holiday) 6 Jan

Activities

Rome's activities (apart from the mandatory sightseeing) usually involve nothing more strenuous than eating, drinking and listening to good music. Conceivably you could work up a sweat running up and down the Spanish Steps; though everyone will get excited thinking you're chasing a pickpocket.

swimming

You can swim in Rome, but only if you're quite determined. Try the beaches on the Lazio coast, or if you can't be bothered going that far, at a hotel pool; the best other alternative is the large outdoor Piscina delle Rose, in EUR, open from May to September.

cycling

You can rent bicycles and cycle near the Porta Pinciana in Villa Borghese.

jogging

Villa Doria Pamphili, 2km (1mi) south of the Vatican, is the largest park in Rome and a lovely spot for a jog or gentle stroll.

bath houses

If you're sore from foot-slogging from one monument to the next, reward yourself by escaping to the relaxing thermal springs mentioned in Dante's Divine Comedy. They're near Viterbo, 90km (55mi) north of Rome.

horse riding

Horse riding is available at the exclusive Il Galoppatoio equestrian club in Villa Borghese, but exclusivity costs money, lots of it.

Easter Monday (official holiday) Mar/Apr

Liberation Day (official holiday) 25 Apr

Labour Day (official holiday) 1 May

Feast of St Peter & St Paul (official holiday) 29 June

Feast of the Assumption (official holiday) 15 Aug

All Saints Day (official holiday) 1 Nov

Feast of the Immaculate Conception (official holiday) 8 Dec

Christmas Day (official holiday) 25 Dec

Feast of St Stephen (official holiday) 26 Dec

Procession of the Cross (festival/event) Mar/Apr

Testaccio Village (festival/event) Jun-Sep

Estate Romana (festival/event) Jun

Festa di Noantri (festival/event) last 2 weeks of July

most Romans take holidays; many shops, attractions and facilities closed. (travel-related date) August

Festa di Sant'Agata (festival/event) 3 Feb

Carnevale (festival/event) Mar-Apr

Festa dei Ceri (festival/event) 15 May

Palio della Balestra (festival/event) last Sun in May

Ardia (festival/event) 6 Jul

Festa della Madonna della Salute (festival/event) 21 Nov

Media

Books

Daily Life in Ancient Rome (Author: Jerome Carcopino)

This social history is a good read if you want the nitty gritty of ancient Roman life.

Traveller's Literary Companion to Italy (Author: Martin Garrett)

A handy potted edition with insights on how great writers saw the country.

Rome: Biography of a City (Author: Christopher Hibbert)

This life of the city makes an excellent background read.

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Author: Edward Gibbon)

The hands-down classic on life in the Roman empire, but at a couple of hefty volumes it can be a challenging read.

Diane Seed's Rome for All Seasons (Author: Diane Seed)

A delicious primer for the flavours of the city that'll have you cooking up the Eternal City in your kitchen.

M (Author: Peter Robb)

A 'faction' biography of Caravaggio that brings 16th- and 17th-century Rome to life.

Roman Architecture (Author: Frank Sear)

Impress you dinner party pals with your erudite building knowledge with this university text.

A Handbook of Roman Art (Author: Martin Henig)

Want to know what all the pretty pictures are about? Pick up a copy of this in-depth tome.

Rome: an Interactive Guide to Ancient Rome (Author: Anne Pearson)

Bored with words? Try this interactive guide which includes models and games about the classical city.

I, Claudius (Author: Robert Graves)

Graves' historofictional page-turner is packed with deceit, poisoning, incest and otter's noses.

Aenid (Author: Virgil)

The original word from one who was there.

Transport

getting around (overview)

Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumicino) airport is 26km (16mi) southwest of the city. One of the most convenient ways to get into town is by the Stazione Termini direct train, which usually runs hourly from the airport. You can also get a train from the airport to Trastevere, Ostiense and Tiburtina. A night bus runs to Stazione Tiburtina. If you're driving, an autostrada runs from the airport to the city via EUR - it's a 45-minute drive and will cost you a small fortune by taxi.

Rome's other airport is Ciampino, about 20km (12mi) southeast of the city. From there you can catch a COTRAL bus to Metro Anagnina, at the end of Metro line A connecting with Stazione Termini, or you can drive down the Via Appia Nuova.

The city bus company is ATAC, and most of the main buses terminate at the bus station outside Stazione Termini where you can get a map of the bus routes. Buses run from around 6am to 12am, with some services running throughout the night. The city's Metro service (which is convenient for many of Rome's sights) has two lines, both of which go through Termini. It operates from 5:30am-23.30 (Sat 00:30), but Line A is undergoing engineering work till 2008 and closes at 9pm.

A bus ticket is also valid for the city's Metro and train services. You need to buy your ticket from a tobacconist, newsstand or vending machine before you get on the train or bus - there are hefty fines for travelling without a ticket, even if you are a dumb foreigner.

Driving in Rome is the next best thing to suicide - especially on a motorbike. Most of the historic centre of Rome is closed to normal traffic, although you will be allowed to drive to your hotel. You'll need to get a parking permit from the traffic police if you wish to park anywhere in the centre, or you'll risk being towed.

To rent a car you'll need to be at least 21 years old. If you organise your car in advance it will cost you less. There are several rental agencies for cars, motorbikes, mopeds and bicycles. If you'd rather leave the driving to someone else, you can pick up a cab from one of the city's many taxi ranks or phone one any time of day. If you call a cab, the meter is turned on as soon as you call, rather than when you are picked up.

getting there and away (overview)

Also known as Fiumicino, Leonardo da Vinci is Rome's main airport, the other being Ciampino. Eurolines is the main bus company for servicing other European destinations, and there are regular train connections to all the major cities in Italy and Europe.

Culture

History Before 20th Century

Ancient Romans believed their city had been founded on 21 April 753 BC, and more recent archaeological discoveries pretty much back this up. According to myth, the city was founded by the twin sons of Mars, god of war, and Rhea Silvia, princess and (until meeting Mars) vestal virgin. The twins, Romulus and Remus, were abandoned on the shores of the Tiber and brought up by a she-wolf. Romulus killed his brother in a battle over who should govern, then established the city of Rome on the Palatino.

The non-mythical city was ruled by Etruscan kings until 510 BC, when it became a republic. By the 2nd century BC the city controlled central and southern Italy, had defeated the rival empire of Carthage and was poised to take over the whole Mediterranean. But as Rome became more powerful abroad, its citizens got more uppity at home - the city suffered several civil wars, with the last wrapping up on the Ides of March, 44 BC, when Brutus backstabbed Julius Caesar.

The Republic ended and the emperors took over, ushering in a frenzy of civic and monumental building. Each emperor wanted to leave his mark on the city and in their eagerness to outdo one another, they sprinkled Rome with many of the famous buildings that still stand today. The Empire reached its apogee under Trajan (98-117 AD), spanning the area from northern England to Mesopotamia, north to the River Danube and south down the Nile.

With the rise of Christianity in the 4th century, Rome lost much of its secular power but became the centre of a new empire, Christendom. The Bishop of Rome was named successor to Saint Peter (or, in other words, Pope). Many of the city's large basilicas - such as Santa Croce, Santa Maria Maggiore, San Pietro and San Sebastiano - were built around this time.

In 410, the Barbarian invasions began, but in truth the citizens themselves did more damage, stripping many of the city's fine buildings for their marble. The Western Roman Empire bit the dust in 476 when Odoacer deposed Emperor Romulus Augustulus - from this time on power moved east, and Germanic and Byzantine empires bickered over authority over Rome. In the late 8th century, Pope Stephen II backed up the claims of Frankish king Pepin the Short that he was the chosen of God, and in return received a parcel of land around Rome. The alliance became known as the Holy Roman Empire - combining the power of church and state.

From the 9th to the 12th centuries the power of the popes grew, although it was under constant attack from the city's various aristocratic houses. The papacy splurged its wealth on several new churches dedicated to the Virgin - the Santa Marias of Cosmedin, Trastevere (with its spectacular mosaic), Aracoeli and sopra Minerva. Although things hit the skids a bit in the 14th century, when the pope was exiled to Avingnon due to factional fighting and the city's population and infrastructure took a plummet, the papacy had re-established its firm grip on the reins by the 15th century. Things got lavish. In cahoots with some of Italy's greatest artists - Raphael, Bernini, Borromini - and their cash-stacked patrons - the Medicis, Farneses and Borgheses - the papacy transformed Rome into a wonderland of Renaissance and Baroque piazzas, churches and fountains. Money poured in as pilgrims came from all over Europe to see the wonders of the Holy See. The only real interruption to papal power came in the form of the Roman Commune, whose republican constitution and classical-style senate were instituted during the Roman revolution of 1143.

But as some guy once said, pride goes before a fall: Charles V's sack of Rome in 1527, the French Revolution, Napoleon's march across Europe and the Franco-Prussian War pulled the rug out from under papal power. In 1870 Rome became capital of the newly united Italy, leaving the pope with mere figurehead status and causing him to abandon the city for the home fires of the Vatican.

Modern History

In the 20th century, Rome went through yet another growth spurt. The pope was made sovereign of Vatican City in 1929. The new administration was more interested in offices and housing blocks than churches, and during the 1930s the city expanded beyond the city walls. During Mussolini's rule, in the 1920s and '30s, Rome took on Fascist airs, puffing out its chest with wide boulevards and overblown architecture. Dreams of imperial glory led Mussolini to form an alliance with Germany during WWII, and the nightmare that ensued helped set the scene for Italy's transformation from a totalitarian regime into a republic in 1946. The postwar years saw Rome expanding physically and becoming the centre of Italy's film industry until the early 1960s.

The 1970s and '80s were marked by more violent transformations, namely those of some radical student groups (who had a long list of complaints about Italy's left-wing governments) into right-wing terrorists. The Brigate Rosse (Red Brigade) was the most notorious group, going so far as to kidnap and eventually murder former prime minister Aldo Moro in Rome in 1978.

Recent History

The last few decades of the 20th century saw a mixture of economic success and wide-ranging corruption scandals which touched many a politician, public official and businessperson. The public reacted with perverse moral indignation in 1994 by electing a stridently right-wing coalition headed by a billionaire media magnate, Silvio Berlusconi. Amid claims of corruption, the government fell, and after some years of typically Italian political musical chairs, Berlusconi returned from the desert to win the 2001 national elections, promising 'few words and plenty of action'. Despite the landslide victory, his right-wing government's activities were regularly greeted with large-scale protests and voters eventually replaced him with the left-wing Romani PRodi in elctions of 2006.

The Jubilee Year in 2000, during which around 16 million Catholic pilgrims visited the city, gave Rome impetus to clean up her act. Billions were spent cleaning church and palazzo facades, improving roads and transport, and reclaiming public spaces from the car parks they'd become. At the start of the new millennium Rome had never looked more beautiful. Meanwhile, Rome proper ostensibly remains, as it has always been, an administrative and tourist centre, without much sign of industry or trade, but lots of political intrigue.

Factoid

Thumbs Up!

When in Rome, be sure to enrol in a short course in Gladiatorial Combat. Intensive three day training seminars are available. The Gladiator school is located on Via Appia. Lions supplied but please bring own trident.

Places of Interest

Museo e Galleria Borghese

Web site: www.ticketeria.it

Summary Review:

This 'queen of all private collections' was formed by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the most passionate and knowledgeable art collector of his day. The collection - including works by Caravaggio, Bernini, Botticelli and Raphael - and the mansion were acquired by the Italian state in 1902; a lengthy restoration took place in the 1990s.

Full Review:

The ground floor contains some important classical statuary and intricate Roman floor mosaics. But Bernini's spectacular carvings - flamboyant depictions of pagan myths - are the stars. His precocious talent is evident in works such as Pluto and Proserpine and Apollo and Daphne, depicting the moment at which the nymph is transformed into a laurel tree, her fingers becoming leaves, her toes turning into tree roots, while Apollo watches helplessly.

The Caravaggios include the wonderfully naturalistic Madonna dei Palafrenieri (Madonna with the Serpent), whose uninhibited realism led to its rejection by its ecclesiastical commissioners rejecting it.

The paintings on the first floor include masterworks by Bellini, Giorgione, Veronese, Botticelli, Guercino, Domenichino and Rubens, among others.

Roman Forum

Web site: www.capitolium.org

Summary Review:

Built over the course of 900 years, the Roman Forum (Foro Romano) was the commercial, political and religious centre of ancient Rome from the Republican era until the 4th century AD. Its importance declined along with the Roman Empire; during medieval times the area was used to graze cattle and extensively plundered for its precious marble.

Full Review:

With the Renaissance came a renewed appreciation of all things classical, and as a result, the Forum provided fresh inspiration for artists and architects.

The area was systematically excavated in the 18th and 19th centuries, and you can see archaeological teams at work in ongoing digs.

The Forum is entered from the piazza leading from the Colosseum. You immediately enter another world: the past. Columns rise from grassy hillocks, and repositioned pediments and columns aid the work of the imagination.

Capuchin Cemetery

Summary Review:

Long after memories of all the rest of Rome's interiors run together in an opulent blur, visitors vividly recall the particulars of the bizarre and macabre chapels of this cemetery, where the decorative elements - from the picture frames to the light fittings - are all made of human bones.

Full Review:

Between 1528 and 1870, the brown-clad Capuchin monks adorned this cemetery with the dried remains of their departed brothers. The message is appropriately pious: 'What you are now we used to be, what we are now you will be'. The effect is rather sensational.

There is an arch crafted from hundreds of skulls, vertebrae used as fleurs-de-lys, and light fixtures made of limb bones. The monks who guard the cemetery request a 'compulsory' donation, so have some small notes handy.

The Chiesa di Santa Maria della Concezione, above the cemetery, contains a gorgeous St Michael by Reni (in the first chapel to the right of the door) and Pietro da Cortona's St Paul's Sight Being Restored (first chapel on the left).

Trastevere

Summary Review:

Although its traditionally proletarian nature is changing as the crumbling palazzi become gentrified, a stroll among the labyrinthine alleys of Trastevere still reaps small gems of a bygone past. Washing strung out from the apartments in best Mama-leone tradition has everyone sighing and reaching for the Kodaks.

Full Review:

The lovely Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere is the area's heart. It's a true Roman square - by day peopled by mothers with strollers, chatting locals and guidebook-toting tourists, by night with artisans selling their craft work, young Romans looking for a good time, and the odd homeless person looking for a bed. The streets east of the piazza is where you'll find the most photographed washing in the world.

Pincio Hill

Summary Review:

The view of St Peter's from the Pincio just has to be seen to be believed. This elegant park with its avenues of shady trees gets its name from the Pinci famaily, who owned it in the 4th century. It's a popular place for a weekend passagiata.

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Giuseppe Valadier designed the lofty gardens (which adjoin Villa Borghese) around 1809-14. Roman families, cyclists and skaters continue the tradition of past strollers, including Keats, Severn, Richard Strauss, Mussolini, Ghandi and King Farouk.

Trevi Fountain

Summary Review:

Rome's largest and most famous fountain, Fontana di Trevi was completed by Nicola Salvi in 1762, and immortalised 200 years later by Marcello Mastroianni and a frolicking Anita Ekberg (spilling out of a black strapless gown) in Fellini's La Dolce Vita.

Full Review:

This extravagant baroque work takes up most of the piazza, appears to meld into the palazzo, and depicts Neptune's chariot being led by Tritons with seahorses - one wild, one docile - representing the moods of the sea. Trevi refers to the three roads (tre vie) that converged here.

Water for the fountain is supplied by one of Rome's earliest aqueducts. Work to clean the fountain and its water supply was completed in 1991, but pollution has already dulled the brilliant white of the clean marble.

The famous custom is to throw a coin into the fountain over your shoulder to ensure you return to Rome. A second coin will have you falling in love with an Italian, and the third marrying him or her. Needless to say, the terraces around the fountain are always packed with tourists throwing coins.

Colosseum

Web site: www.pierreci.it

Summary Review:

Of all the monuments in Rome, the Colosseum thrills the most. It was here that gladiators met in mortal combat and condemned prisoners fought off hungry lions. This great symbol of eternal Rome still excites the imagination as you'll see from the hordes waiting to get in.

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Its construction was started by Emperor Vespasian in AD72 in the grounds of Nero's private Domus Aurea and it was inaugurated by his son Titus in AD80. Thereafter, inaugural games lasted for 100 days and nights, during which some 5000 animals were slaughtered.

With the fall of the Empire, the Colosseum was abandoned and became overgrown with exotic plants; seeds had inadvertently been transported with the wild beasts that appeared in the arena (including crocodiles, bears, tigers, elephants and hippos.) In the Middle Ages it became a fortress, occupied by two of the city's warrior families.

Damaged several times by earthquake, it was later used as a quarry for travertine and marble for Palazzo Venezia and other buildings. To this day, it remains an evocative place to explore.

Pantheon

Summary Review:

Marcus Agrippa's Pantheon is one of the world's most sublime architectural creations: a perfectly proportioned floating dome resting on an elegant drum of columns and pediments. Built in 27 BC, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in 120 AD, it is one of Rome's best-preserved ancient monuments. Its extraordinary dome is the largest masonry vault ever built.

Full Review:

The temple has been consistently plundered and damaged over the years; it lost its beautiful gilded bronze roof tiles in Pope Gregory III's time, and in the 17th century, Pope Urban VIII allowed Bernini to melt down the bronze ceiling of the portico for the baldachin over the main altar of St Peter's.

After being abandoned under the first Christian emperors, the Pantheon was converted into a church in 609 and dedicated to the Madonna and all the martyrs.

The Italian kings Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto I and the artist Raphael are buried here.

Alien

Web site: www.aliendisco.it

Summary Review:

Pure disco, Alien constantly changes its look to keep up with the newest fads. In its latest apparition it's lounge minimalist - flat maxi-screens on the walls, black leather sofas and satinised steel - and the music is house. Theme nights range from fetish to revival and there are also gay nights.

Stardust Live Jazz Bar

Summary Review:

A well-known Trastevere watering hole, Stardust is loved for its smoky jazz atmosphere. There's often live music and the bar staff are equally happy playing Rossini as they are Louis Armstrong. It's open in the afternoon for tea and serves snacks in the early evening but the real buzz kicks in later on. On weekends there's brunch with bagels and American coffee.

Baronato Quattro Bellezze

Summary Review:

Tucked away between Via dei Coronari and Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, Baronato is a quirky little find. Late on Thursday nights, drag-queen owner Dominot likes to treat patrons to a few dazzling Piaf renditions to piano accompaniment. A mainly Tunisian menu will sustain you through your cocktail tipples. Reserve a table for the Piaf show.

Bar della Pace

Summary Review:

People looking for images of la dolce vita would be hard pushed to find a better picture than the Bar della Pace. Sharp-dressed urbanites sip on their drinks, while behind them ivy cascades down the facade of the Art Nouveau cafe. It's not cheap, but as a place for an early-evening aperitivo in summer or a leisurely nightcap in winter, it takes some beating.

Australian Embassy

Web site: www.australian-embassy.it

UK Embassy

Web site: www.britain.it

Ospedale Nuova Regina Margherita

Summary Review:

One of Rome's major hospitals.

US Embassy

Web site: www.usembassy.it

Furla

Web site: www.furla.com

Summary Review:

Despite making a range of accessories, from sunglasses to watches, it's for their bags that Furla are best known. Practical, affordable and always wearable they rarely go unnoticed: handbags in bright fuchsia are not meant to be overlooked.

Ai Monasteri

Web site: www.monasteri.it

Summary Review:

Step back in time. This impressive wood-panelled shop sells herbal essences, spirits, soaps, balms, deodorants, anti-wrinkle creams, bubble bath and various liqueurs. It's all made by monks in abbeys around Italy. The products must work - after all, God is on your side.

Nardecchia

Summary Review:

This Roman landmark is only marginally less famous than Bernini's Fontana dei Fiumi, which is located just opposite. Nardecchia sells antique prints, including 18th-century etchings of Rome by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, as well as more inexpensive 19th-century views of the city.

Pensione Panda

Web site: www.hotelpanda.it

Summary Review:

The only problem with the Pensione Panda is that you're not the only one to have to read about how good it is. But it really is one of the best pensioni in town. There's nowhere else, this close to the Spanish Steps, where you can get a room with a painted ceiling for so little.

Full Review:

To bunk down near Piazza di Spagna normally costs an arm and the best part of two legs. But not at the Panda, a budget refuge in the midst of the swanky cafes and designer boutiques that comprise much of the neighbourhood. Spread over two floors of a 19th-century palazzo, it has a range of rooms that, while basic, do the job. Most are decorated with little more than a bed and a lick of white paint, although three rooms boast their original 19th-century ceilings and room 35 has a balcony overlooking a quiet central courtyard. When booking, bear in mind that rooms overlooking the courtyard are quieter than those facing the street. With air-con an extra charge and rooms being on the small side, you might just want to open your window.

Hotel Dolomiti

Web site: www.hotel-dolomiti.it

Summary Review:

The Hotel Dolomiti is not the only hotel in Rome that hangs pictures of angelic cherubs on otherwise flawless walls, but for such an otherwise attentive hotel it's a rare lapse. A friendly family-run place, the Dolomiti provides good value for money, airy rooms and attractive bathrooms in brown mottled marble.

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In an area not renowned for its charm, the warm welcome you get at the 1st-floor reception is guaranteed to raise a smile. Like many hotels near Termini, the Dolomiti is a converted flat in a large six-storey palazzo, meaning that the reception is little more than a small counter and the public spaces are built into any available corner. Rooms, on the 4th floor, are colour- coordinated with cream walls, cherry-wood furniture, orange fabrics and prints of chubby-cheeked cherubs. They're not the most characterful, but they're comfortable and come with mod cons, including a minibar and satellite TV. Bathrooms are small but well designed with modern showers and original tiling. Breakfast is served in a sparkling marble-clad bar area.

Hotel Bramante

Web site: www.hotelbramante.com

Summary Review:

The pick of hotels in the Vatican area, the Bramante is a model of effortless elegance. Tucked away in a side street behind St Peter's, it occupies the 16th-century building that was home to Swiss architect Domenico Fontana in 1575. Five centuries later and the original wood-beamed ceilings top rooms furnished with stylish restraint and discreet mod cons.

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A Renaissance palazzo in the shadow of the Vatican Wall - you can't get much more Roman than that. Add a charming interior of antiques and wood beams, brocade, fresh flowers and gilt-framed paintings and you've got the Hotel Bramante. This beautiful and wonderfully unstuffy hotel has been offering slick hospitality since 1873 when it was one of the few pensioni in the Vatican area. It's now considerably more than a pilgrim's lodge with refined guestrooms, marble-clad bathrooms and plenty of modern hardware (TV, air-con, Internet point). This is also one of the few hotels in Rome where the breakfast is really worth sitting down to - cooked eggs, no less. Location-wise it also scores highly - just off the picturesque Borgo Pio, about five minutes' walk from St Peter's Basilica.

Agustarello

Summary Review:

Old-timer Agustarello hides its in-the-know hubbub behind frosted glass. Inside it's thoroughly Roman, from the clientele to the food. Near the site of the city's former abattoir, it specialises in making the most of tripe, oxtail, and other bits, so avoid it if you think offal is awful.

Ditirambo

Web site: www.ristoranteditirambo.com

Summary Review:

Just off Campo de' Fiori, Ditirambo enjoys a reputation for its delicious, innovative and mostly organic food, with good vegetarian choices. Warm yourself with a lentil, porcini mushroom and chestnut soup, or experiment with veal served with powdered coffee. Like all serious places the menu changes to accommodate the freshest of ingredients, and all of the bread and pasta is homemade.

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Ferrara

Web site: www.enotecaferrara.it

Summary Review:

This enoteca is spread over three elegant, whitewashed levels. Predictably, wine takes centre stage and the list is encyclopedic, satisfying everybody from serious connoisseurs to enthusiastic amateurs. Foodies won't be disappointed though - the food is high quality and imaginative. Booking is recommended.

Renato e Luisa

Summary Review:

A lively young crowd packs this backstreet trattoria. Decor is simple, cooking complex, with a buttery French twist. Try the delicious starter of goat's cheese with walnuts and honey. Expect haphazard service when busy.

Da Lucia

Summary Review:

In summer sit outside and eat beneath the fluttering knickers of the neighbourhood at this terrific trattoria. Found on a narrow cobbled backstreet, Da Lucia serves up a cavalcade of Roman specialities including trippa alla romana (tripe with tomato sauce) and pollo con peperoni (chicken with peppers). Once upon a time every Roman trattoria was like this.

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