Whilst the total mileage of this Rome walking itinerary is not very long, the wonders that you will see in Rome’s Centro Storico (historical centre) are great, including a bustling market, ancient ruins with a colony of cats, an elephant, an architectural wonder, beautiful piazza, and a multi-functional castle with angels on the bridge. Sound good? Let’s walk!
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A gentle but rewarding walk
The funny thing about this walk is that it is only 1 km long ‘as the crow flies’, so you could complete the walk in 14 minutes straight. But guess what? We’re not going to do that, choosing instead to wind through the beautiful streets, picking up some of the main sights in this part of the Centro Storico.
Rome’s Centro Storico covers around 5 square miles (14 square kms), and is largely viewed as the area which sits inside of the city walls. This walk only explores one corner of the Centro Storico, around the south and southwest. There is plenty more to explore in this historic area on other walks.
The route should not be rushed and you can stop for as many coffees and gelatos as you like along the way. Just take your time and soak up the history and atmosphere en route.
As a result, we can conclude that the walk will be a minimum of 1 km, and can last for as long as you like!
Start in Campo de’ Fiori (9-10.00am)
Start today’s Rome itinerary in Campo de’ Fiori (Field of Flowers), a rectangular pizza south of Piazza Navona which has played host to a popular flower market since 1869.
The market runs from Monday through to Saturday from 7am until 2.00pm. Aim to arrive around 9.00am when market stalls are all set out with flowers, fruit, vegetables and other provisions. It’s best to see the market in full flow before they start to pack up.
Around the edge of the square are some lovely shops and delis to explore, plus plenty of cafes from which to grab coffee and breakfast whilst you watch the action.
Despite how pretty it is now, the square used to have a more sinister purpose as public executions took place in the square and it held a horse market twice a week!
Spot cats in Largo de Torre Argentina (10-10.30am)
Once you’ve finished your visit to Campo de’Fiori, walk 7-minutes east until you reach Largo de Torre Argentina, the sunken remains of 4 Republic era temples built in the 2nd and 4th centuries BC. It is thought to be the location where Julius Caesar was murdered in 44 BC. On the west side of the square is the Teatro Argentina, once Rome’s premier theatre.
The temples were only discovered in 1927 and are now home to a colony of 150 feral cats. The Gattare (cat women) feed and care for the cats on a voluntary basis. If you’re visiting with kids, then they might enjoy counting the cats around the site.
Find Bernini's elephant and obelisk (10.45am)
Walk 4 minutes northeast to Piazza della Minerva where you will find a beautiful obelisk featuring a carved elephant by Bernini.
The piazza is flanked on the southern side by Grand Minerva Hotel which has a fantastic rooftop bar terrace overlooking the Pantheon. When we visited, you didn’t need to be a guest to visit the rooftop bar; it could be accessed by the elevators at the back of the Reception area.
The obelisk and elephant are tucked just to the side of the Pantheon and so you will be able to see your next destination quite easily (see Cover Photo)!
Marvel at the Pantheon (11.15am - 12.00noon)
Don’t miss the Pantheon when you’re in Rome as it really is an incredible structure. In fact, it’s the best-preserved ancient Roman building in the Centro Storico.
The Pantheon was completed around 126 AD during Emperor Hadrian’s reign, originally a pagan temple and later a Christian church. It is now a resting place for notable figures such as Renaissance painter Raphael and several Italian Kings.
Whatever it’s purpose, the building was a triumph of engineering and featured the World’s largest unreinforced concrete dome with a diameter of 43.3 meters (142 feet).
The dome of the Pantheon has a hole in the centre called the Oculus (9 meter wide) which lets the sunlight, and rain, into the building, without flooding the building! It can feel very magical when beams of sunlight streaking through the oculus and light up the interior.
To enter the Pantheon – you now need to have a ticket to enter the Pantheon:
- Buy tickets in advance on-line at: www.pantheonrometicket.com if you’re happy to commit to a particular time. 11.15am/11.30am should work well with this walking route. If you’re early, you can grab a coffee in the surrounding Piazza de la Rotondo.
- Buy tickets on the door – you will no doubt have to queue up for tickets on the door and the lines can be long. In addition, the available tickets may require you to ‘come back later’, which is not great if you have other places to see on your schedule.
- Book timed tickets, or a small group tour of the Pantheon through a company such as Get Your Guide:
Options – the best time to visit the Pantheon is actually early in the morning (it opens at 9.00am daily), so you could do this before heading to the Campo de’Fiori for brunch at 10.00/10.30am instead.
I would however still advise prebooking a ticket for 9.00am as the queue to buy tickets on the door can already be long before opening time. It is one of the main attractions in the Centro Storico after all!
Unless you’re on a small group tour, you won’t need much time inside as it’s effectively just one open room – it’s queuing for tickets that takes the longest time!
Lunch in Piazza Navona (12.30-2.00pm)
Once you’ve finished at the Pantheon, or at least have purchased your tickets to visit it later, head to Piazza Navona for lunch. Soak up the atmosphere and admire the 3 wonderful fountains in a row across the square.
The area will no doubt be brimming with street performers, musicians and souvenir hawkers as it’s a very busy area.
Note – Whilst admiring the fountains, buildings and people watching, keep your eye out for pickpockets as Piazza Navona is notorious for thieves (FYI – so is the Metro if you use it). Just be more aware than normal of where your valuables are and don’t let women with babies and small kids distract you!
You can decide to eat lunch at a restaurant directly on Piazza Navona, but that will come with high prices for your view and not necessarily have the best food. A better idea is to pick a restaurant on one of the side streets of the square which are better value and feel more authentic. For more cost effective options, consider some of the eateries on Via di Santa Maria dell’Anima.
Head towards Ponte Sant’Angelo (2-2.30pm)
After a leisurely lunch, stroll along picturesque Via dei Coronari which is full of antique charm towards Ponte Sant’Angelo, about 18 minutes without stops through this section of the Centro Storico.
If you didn’t have pudding at lunchtime, consider grabbing a gelato from Gelateria del Teatro, known for its creative and high-quality gelato.
Ponte Sant’Angelo, the Bridge of Angels, is filled with beautiful carved angels by Bernini, and leads to the Castel Sant’Angelo.
Tour the Castel Sant’Angelo (2.45-4.30pm)
Visiting the castle was a surprise for me on our Rome itinerary – we visited with our kids, but it turned out to be one of my favourite things to do in the Centro Storico on our trip to Rome, so you don’t need to have kids with you to enjoy the Castel Sant’Angelo!
Originally built as an impressive mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century, it evolved to become a defensive fortress on the banks of the River Tiber. The castle is surrounded by circular walls, and you will spot cannons, cannon balls, and catapults as you walk around.
There are intriguing dungeons and a prison at the bottom, plus the Passetto di Borgo, a fortified corridor connecting the castle with the Vatican as an escape route for the Pope in times of danger.
The main castle includes papal apartments with some beautiful rooms, frescoes and other artwork.
From the terrace at the top of the castle, there are panoramic views across to the Vatican and St Peter’s Basilica. You can have a drink in the curved café at the top and admire the views.
If you know what time you want to visit the Castel Sant’Angelo, you could book a guided tour, or a Skip The Line Ticket via Get Your Guide as follows:
Finishing your day
Once you’ve completed your visit to Castel Sant’Angelo, you might want to go back to your hotel for a rest before dinner, or alternatively you could retrace your steps back to Piazza Navona for drinks in the rooftop bar of Terrazza Borromini with views across the square. Note – you will need to plan ahead and book a table at Terrazza Borromini by emailing: bookingterrazze@gmail.com
What time you finish your Rome itinerary in Centro Storico today will depend on when you managed to access the Pantheon, and how long you spent at Castel Sant’Angelo. The main thing is not to feel rushed and to make sure that you soak it all in – the history, the buildings, the people…everything.
Your biggest decision now is which Rome itinerary to do next!
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