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Report 286: Rome with Husband and Baby

By nicoletta from NJ, Winter 2003

Trip Description: November 2002 in Rome

Destinations: Countries - Italy; Regions/Cities - Rome

Categories: Sightseeing; Independent Travel; 3-4 people; Adults and Young Children

Page 1 of 3: Sights

I spent a beautiful (sometimes rainy) week in November 2002 in Rome with my husband and 7-month-old baby girl. I will try to share some of my experiences of my trip.

We were a little concerned about traveling with our baby but the people were so nice to us. Italians love children!! We were constantly stopped in the street by locals as they admired our child. I am an Italian-American and fluent in Italian so I was able to answer the endless questions about her age, where we're from, etc. We had a wonderful time!

I will divide my posts into sights, shopping, and eating, so as not to make them too long. My descriptions include facts because I made a keepsake book for the baby when we returned from our trip, plus we learned something, too!

Here goes:

Visitor's Guide We found the brochure called "Un Ospite a Roma", (a guest in Rome) handy. This was a great help in finding out when sights are open, restaurants, and all kinds of info. I found this most valuable because certain sights had unusual hours when we traveled.

The Vatican Museums It was a little tricky getting in to the museum...not because of any long lines (there was no line, actually, in November). The hours were limited--they would not let you in past 12 noon because the museum closed at 12:45, I think. And if you are in Piazza San Pietro, you need to take a long walk around the Vatican City wall to get there, so allow yourself at least 15-20 minutes on foot. Best to get there early in the morning, of course, because there is so much to see.

Will the baby behave in the museum? She sure did. It cost 10 Euro to get in and the baby was free. It was so noisy in the Sistine Chapel she could have thrown a tantrum and no one would have noticed! Pictures are not permitted inside and when you enter you hear the guards loudly enforcing this rule. We were in awe---Michelangelo painted over 300 figures on the ceiling, and there are also micro-mosaics which look like curtains all around the walls, and paintings by Botticelli as well. I was so inspired that when we returned home I painted a mural in my house of the creation of Adam and Eve, and the Libyan Sibyl ( I will try to post pics of this).

The map gallery inside the Vatican Museum was really incredible! On display are old, huge maps, which are absolutely beautiful. I picked up reproductions of 16th century maps by Renaissance cartographer Ignazio Danti in the gift shop. I especially liked the Italy and Liguria maps.

Climbing to the top of St. Peter's Dome The view from the top is really spectacular. The climb, however, seemed endless. My husband carried the baby in a chest harness--without it, we could not have done it!! We thought, who would do this, but what do you know--my little seven-month month old baby meets another baby at the top of St. Peter's. We'll remember, but will she? We have the pics to prove it.

Pope John Paul II We wouldn't have missed seeing the Pope! It was a very moving experience, especially when groups spontaneously stood and sang for the Pope. We had the chance to see him on Wednesday, when he has an audience in La Sala Nervi at the Vatican. In the summer the Papal Audiences are held in the piazza for the larger crowds. Tickets are free by contacting the Vatican or going through your local church (as we did--our pastor requested them for us).

FYI: JPII was elected pope in 1978, the first non-Italian Pope since about 1520.

Vatican Post Office I thought it might be a good idea to mail postcards home postmarked from Vatican City. I am not a stamp collector or anything, but I think stamps are a cool souvenir, as opposed to some of the corny items you see in the tourist trap shops in Rome. The nun working in the post office was so delightful, chatting away with us and offering helpful tips. When you go stop and say hi to her!

Quirinale If you happen to be at the Quirinale at around 3:00 in the afternoon, you will see the changing of the guard in the piazza, which has some awesome sculptures. This is the official residence of the president of Italy. Keep in mind that the Quirinal Hill is the highest in Rome, so you have a steep climb, especially if you are starting out from Via Nazionale, with a stroller!( okay, not exactly a fond memory!)

The Pantheon If there is one place in Rome that I would return to over and over it is this one. It is an ancient Roman temple dedicated to all ("pan") the gods ("theon"). It was first built in 27 BC by Marcus Agrippa (his name is inscribed on the outside of the temple). The outside is so impressive with the huge marble columns and the inside is absolutely amazing with endless colors of marble everywhere. There is also the tomb of Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of unified Italy, and the great artist Raphael. There is an oculus, the opening at the top of the dome. The dome is 44 feet wide and the oculus is over 33 feet wide. Incredible!

Santa Maria Sopra Minerva Right behind the Pantheon you will come across the church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. It is a 13th century church supposedly built on the ancient ruins of the Temple of Minerva. The facade is rather unadorned, but wait till you step inside!! Among the beautiful statues you will find the tomb of St. Catherine of Siena on the main altar. The painter Fra Angelico is also buried here, along with other famous Italians. Also if you are noting all the obelisks in Rome, you will like the one in front of the church, which is of an elephant supporting an Egyptian obelisk. A must see!

San Pietro in Vincoli Michelangelo's statue of Moses is located in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter in Chains). We visited the church on a rainy late afternoon... I guess finding it in the dark makes it off-the-beaten-path. To our delight it was completely empty--not a soul in sight. The great sculpture is part of the tomb of Pope Julius II, who commissioned Michelangelo in 1505. The church holds the chains of St. Peter, which were used to shackle him while he was in Rome's Mamertine prison.

Empty Spanish Steps Every picture you have ever seen of the Spanish Steps has people crowded onto the steps, right? On a cloudy day in November, I counted less than 5 people. It was so unexpected, that I questioned whether or not we were in the right place! I think the same day we walked down Via del Corso (I forget the exact route). Via del Corso extends from the Vittorio Emmanuele Monument all the way up to Piazza del Popolo, where the twin churches are divided by Via del Corso. If you begin walking from Piazza del Popolo, along the way you will find many shops, as well as sights to see off of Via del Corso, including Via dei Condotti and Trevi Fountain. From Piazza del Popolo you can also take Via del Babuino , which will bring you to the Spanish Steps.

Il Colosseo Il Colosseo is one of the world's most spectacular works of architecture, everyone knows that! Here's something I did not know: in addition to gladiator battles and such, that it used to be filled with water for navy battle practice!!?! Let's calculate how much water that would be..hmmm...

Trevi Fountain I just wanted to sit here forever. The sound of the water falling and the awesome sculptures were so captivating. Trevi is Rome's largest fountain, completed by Nicola Salvi in 1762. The sculptures are of Neptune flanked by two Tritons, who each lead a horse. The site of Fontana di Trevi originally marked the terminal of the ancient Acqua Virgo aqueduct, built in 19 B.C. This area will be crowded, but definitely a must-see!

Santa Maria Maggiore Do not miss this church! Founded in 356 AD, it is one of Rome's oldest churches, with mosaics dating from the 5th century. It houses La Sacra Culla, or Holy Cradle, which holds fragments of wood from Jesus' manger. There is beautiful statue of a pope kneeling in front of La Sacra Culla, which is enclosed in a glass case.

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Report 286: Rome with Husband and Baby

Page 1 of 3: Sights

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