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Quick question, Father. What is the minimum amount of time to spend in Rome to do justice to a trip there?
[I’d start with 10 years. If you don’t have that, try 10 days 10 times.]
I think that is St. Agnes. The statue is in her church on Piazza Navona.
Dear JustaSinner,
while I was not asked (but this is not a spiritual question, and I do have some expertise about living in Rome)… I think you can do a one-week trip.
I’d suggest, though:
1. Make every day a full day. This includes plenty of amusement, restaurant-going, dancing perhaps (especially for the young) (especially in the evening of course), a day-trip to the sea, etc. – vital parts of Roman life and thus among the things to do – but emphatically no relaxing. You can do that after the return.
2. Don’t buy bed-and-breakfast; that’s for those attending an international congress which just happens to need to be somewhere. You, who want to see and experience the city, can jolly well buy a cappuchino or even caffé in the morning in a bar like everyone else does (except those who make their own coffee at home).
3. Don’t go on a sightseeing-bus-trip. You don’t have time for that. You aren’t going to see all the sights anyway (even I haven’t), so better actually see the ones you do see.
4. While you can go to most places by bus and tram well (metro only where there is a metro), it takes time waiting for the bus, and walking around is a good way to see a city in the first place. You’ll need to give your feet a rest after the journey.
5. Don’t go near the Bocca della Verità. Think very hard if you should go into the Colosseum at all, rather than only walking by. Of course, the ticket for the Forum (which you will see) is also valid for the Colosseum, so that’ll induce a “I’ll visit what I paid for” moment.
6. If you haven’t been there yet, I don’t think you will want to miss the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. If you have… there are no queues to the Capitoline ones, just saying.
7. Do include one day at least of doing things not particularly planned. (You could, perhaps, visit churches that happen to be on the way… at least some… and do a lot of other things. Just don’t relax, and if you do relax, make sure it is on some public bench and not in your hotel.)