3rd day in Rome, today I’m going to tell you about the program of my last day in Rome, to summarize, I had planned to visit the northwest starting with the Vatican City, passing through the Castelo Micheal Angelo, then through the famous ancient popular district of Trastevere and finally, the Colosseum was the icing on the cake.
Without talking too much, here is my plan for day 3 :
1-Basilica di San Pietro (St Peter’s Basilica) free access.
2-Musei Vaticani (Vatican Museums) + Sistine Chapel. (Paid)
3- Lunch.
4- Castel Sant’Angelo (St. Angel’s Castle) + Ponte Sant’Angelo (St. Angel’s Bridge).
5- Campo de’ Fiori market + Farnese Palace 3D Wall.
6- Pont Sisto.
7- Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere free +fruit Chiesa di Santa Maria dell’Orto + Basilica Santa Cecilia in Trastevere.
8- Bocca della Verità.
9- Colosseum (Colosseo) paid online reservation.
10-Basilica of Saint John Lateran (free access only to the basilica).
*Bonus at the end of the article*
Let’s see what I was actually able to achieve:
My day started at 7 a.m. I left the hotel early in the morning around 7:30 a.m. to have a good cappuccino and taste some local pastry that I saw everywhere on social networks and that I really wanted to try hah ! x)
I had the famous Pistachio cream Croissant and a Cannoli Siciliani filled with Nutella, the Cannoli was too sweet for my liking and the dough was a little hard, I rather preferred the Pistachio Croissant, after having taken an overdose of sugar hah I headed towards St Peter’s Basilica.
1-Basilica di San Pietro (St Peter’s Basilica): Done
Entrance to St Peter’s Basilica is free, except that you have to sty in line to gain access. The line was too long and it moved a little slowly, I remember doing it for 45 minutes (from 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.).
Little advice: The Basilica opens its doors at 7 a.m., I advise you to go there as soon as possible to avoid waiting in a long queue.
Here are some surprising facts I learned about St. Peter’s Basilica:
Chiesa di Sant’ Ignazio di Loyola is actually not the only church with an optical illusion, if you are still looking for magic in the Eternal City, St Peter’s Basilica is a gem not to be missed. The basilica was built in 120 years, more than a century of work where the greatest artists of the time followed one another such as Bramante, Bernini, Michelangelo… It has a famous dome, the latter is the highest of the world with 136.57m high and 42m in diameter. From the street of Via Niccolò Piccolomini you can enjoy a magical illusion. You will notice that the dome gets closer as you move away from it and appears further away as you get closer to it. This view of the dome creates a wonderful illusion of perspective!
Maybe it doesn’t show well in the photos, but this gem is a massive structure rich in decoration and immense pillars, however the nave clearly reflects the gigantic proportions of the church, it is also the largest basilica in the world, ironically the largest Christian basilica in the world is located in the smallest country in the world which is the Vatican aha!
Useful information :
– There is a dress code to be able to access it; modest clothing for men and women. Shoulders must be covered, no mini skirts, no shorts, no sleeveless t-shirts. Shorts and skirts should be at least knee-length.
– Your belongings will be scanned, no large backpacks, and drones are prohibited.
– The basilica is open every day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from April to September. From October to March, it is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
2-Musei Vaticani and Sistine Chapel: Done
The museum is far from the basilica, a 9-minute walk, but the problem isn’t here, the problem was the queue. It wasn’t long like the previous ones but it was a very SLOW queue, I remember waiting for 2 and a half (from 11am until 1:30pm in June, after a good while of waiting I couldn’t give in in the middle of the line) to be able to buy a ticket on site. I didn’t think that it will be such a slow chain but I had no other choice since I had already lost a good few minutes in line.
Tips and useful information:
-It is preferable to avoid queuing in the morning because everyone is doing it at that moment especially during high season, although I noticed that in the afternoon around 4 p.m. there were very few of people.
-You can buy tickets online to avoid queues, but they are generally sold out because agencies and guides buy them a month before. You can still monitor the site a month before your supposed entry and buy your tickets at midnight (local Italian time). Or you can book for guided tours but these cost a little expensive (from 60 euros up to 100 euros and more) while the entry ticket is 17 euros basic +5 euros reservation fee (22 euros in total).
– Don’t forget to bring your snacks with you in case of long queues, and above all, keep yourself well hydrated .
About the Vatican Museums:
The Vatican Museums house one of the most important collections on the planet and belong to the Catholic Church. With 1,400 rooms, more than 70,000 works exhibited over an area of 42,000 m2, it is one of the largest collections in the world.
3-Lunch:
For lunch I planned to try the famous Pastasciutta Roma Pasta, although I wasn’t too hungry because I had a lot of snacks while waiting in line lol. Regarding the pasta, I took a truffle-based pasta which I didn’t really like. It was the first time I tried truffles and I really didn’t like their smells, I don’t know about you, maybe you will like it, after all everyone has their own tastes !
4- Castel Sant’Angelo (St. Angel’s Castle) + Ponte Sant’Angelo (St. Angel’s Bridge): Done
For Castel Sant’Angelo it is a perfect place to escape the crowds of the Vatican. You can take some wonderful photos day or night from the surrounding bridges or other river banks. I didn’t plan to visit it due to lack of time, I was content to only see it from the outside, the view was so beautiful.
Some facts about the castle and the bridge:
Until 590, the monument we all know as Castel Sant’Angelo was called Mausoleum. In 590, a wave of plague fell on Rome and after its end, the Hadrian Mausoleum was called Castel Sant’Angelo and a statue representing the angel was installed at the top of the monument.
Castel Sant’Angelo has inspired many personalities, directors and songwriters throughout history. Its terrace is where Tosca rushes into the third act of Puccini’s famous opera. The Castle also appears in the Hollywood film Angels and Demons and in the video games Assassin’s Creed II and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.
As for the bridge, it was built around 1,900 years ago and is one of only two ancient Roman bridges over the Tiber that still exist today, it is reserved only for pedestrians and you can see twelve statues there of angels, offering a beautiful perspective on Castel Sant’Angelo.
Useful information :
– Opening hours are from Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (last entry at 6:30 p.m.). Closed on Mondays.
– The ticket costs 13 euros on the official website: Here.
Let’s take a little Gelato break at Fatamorgana Chiavari and I’ll see you in the next article to tell you about the rest of my last day in Rome !
*Bonus info*
In Vatican City there is a small office resembling a caravan that many tourists do not know the use of, it is actually a small post office where you can send beautiful postcards from the smallest state of the world ! A unique memory for your loved ones, families, friends, and even yourself hihi.
-The post office is on the right as you exit St. Peter’s Basilica, and the mailbox is yellow.
-You can buy your postcards anywhere in Rome, it’s cheaper than buying them in the Vatican (1euro) and regarding the stamp, it’s available at the post office in the Vatican, I paid mine for 2.40 euros.
What do you think ? It’s a stylish souvenir, isn’t it? 😀