Rome Travel: A Panoramic
Bicycle Tour covering the Vatican and Old Rome
Following a nice morning excursion to the hillside
town of Frascati, I had more sightseeing planned
in Rome. After my half hour train ride back from
Frascati I arrived again at the Roma Termini Railway
Station and continued on foot through the streets
of the Esquiline Hill. Past the famous Santa Maria
Maggiore Church I walked again to the Via Quattro
Cantoni to the Office of Top Bike Rental, a company
that provides guided bicycle tours of the Eternal
City. Yesterday I had already enjoyed a bike tour
on the Ancient Appian Way. Today, the Panoramic
Tour of Rome was on the menu.
After a quick excursion to Frascati it was time
to head back to Rome
I briefly talked to the owner Ciro, a former banker,
who made a transition into the bike rental and bike
touring business. His guide Roberto arrived a few
minutes later, and we were ready to head off on
our tour. We were joined by Leandra and Alan, a
couple from Australia that also wanted to get to
know Rome on two wheels.
Our friendly and knowledgeable guide Roberto in
front of the Colosseum
As yesterday, we started our bike ride again by
cycling up to the Oppian Hill and back down towards
the Colosseum which is located just east of the
Forum Romanum, the center of Ancient Rome. Today
was the second time I cycled down the Esquiline
Hill, and the view of the Colosseum and the other
ancient Roman sights was still as breathtaking as
ever.
The Circus Maximus
After passing a variety of t-shirt and souvenir
vendors right next to the ancient amphitheatre we
turned right and cycled alongside the Circus Maximus,
ancient Rome’s largest stadium. Although nothing
much more than a grassy field today, this stadium
had grandstands that held an estimated 270,000 people.
Chariot racing was one of the favourite events at
the Circus Maximus; it also held horse races, athletic
competitions and animal fights.
Tourists are keen to insert their hand into the
"bocca della verita" - the Mouth of Truth
At the end we reached the Piazza della Bocca della
Verita (the Square of the Mouth of Truth). In the
portico of the Santa Maria in Cosmedin Church, hundreds
of people line up every day to put their hand inside
the Mouth of Truth, a carved marble face of a bearded
man that supposedly came from a fountain that was
built in the first century. Other people speculate
that it could also have been a manhole cover.
The Mouth of Truth will bite off your hand if you
lie...
It was believed to have the powers of a lie detector,
and anyone caught telling a lie with their hand
in the Mouth of Truth would have their hand bitten
off. Not surprisingly, tourists are very keen to
insert a hand into this ancient sculpture. Fortunately,
while we were there, all the tourists emerged with
both hands intact after their lie detector test.
I guess we were dealing with a really honest crowd…
The Aventine Hill provides a great view over Rome
Then we headed further on southwards and climbed
the flanks of the Aventine Hill. Today, this hill
is an upscale residential area with numerous ancient
sights. We cycled up to the orange grove in the
Parco Savello from where we had a gorgeous view
over the Tiber River to Janiculum Hill and the western
Side of Rome including the Vatican. Once at the
top we stopped at the Basilica of Santa Sabina,
and then at an old gate on the Aventine Hill, which
provides a magnificent view to the Vatican through
a keyhole.
The Vatican can see you through the keyhole
Our guide Roberto explained that “la mano
lunga del Vaticano”, the long hand of the
Vatican, is everywhere in Rome, and they can see
you even through a keyhole and keep watch over you.
Then we cycled down the Aventine Hill, crossed the
Tiber River and entered one of Rome’s most
popular neighbourhoods: Trastevere.
Some of the narrow streets in Trastevere
Literally translated “beyond the Tiber River”,
Trastevere is an ancient fishing village that was
also home to many sailors. During the Middle Ages,
many narrow and winding streets were built here
that still give this formerly poor quarter a very
romantic look. Today, Trastevere is one of Rome’s
most popular residential neighbourhoods, and appeals
to many artists, expats and celebrities. Much of
the down-to-earth working class character has been
replaced by fashionable restaurants and upscale
boutiques.
Piazza in Trastevere
Once arrived on the Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere,
Roberto allowed us a 15 minute break which I used
to peek inside the church of the same name. This
minor basilica is one of Rome’s oldest churches,
and the floor plan dates back to the 4th century
AD. Santa Maria in Trastevere has an outstanding
13th century mosaic depicting the “Coronation
of the Virgin” and the church tower, the Campanile,
also holds mosaics from that time.
Santa Maria in Trastevere
After a quick bite of pizza we continued onwards
on cobble-stoned streets, climbing the Janiculum
Hill (in Italian: Gianicolo). We passed by the Fontana
dell’ Acqua Paola, an enormous fountain that
is the end point of an aqueduct that was originally
built by Emperor Trajan in Ancient Roman times.
The fountain itself was built in 1612 and is also
referred to as “Il Fontanone” (“the
huge fountain”), due to its size. The shape
of this fountain later inspired Rome’s famous
Trevi Fountain.
The gigantic Fontana dell' Acqua Paola
On we continued to the top of the Gianicolo, which
is not considered one the Seven Hills of Rome because
it was on the west side of the Tiber River and outside
of the ancient city’s boundaries. Towards
the east there is a phenomenal view over downtown
Rome, and the Piazza Garibaldi has a monument to
Giuseppe Garibaldi, the Italian national hero who
unified Italy.
The statue of Garibaldi
Leaving this scenic spot behind we came down on
the north side of Gianicolo and ended up right in
the Vatican, an independent city state and the seat
of the Roman Catholic Church. We cycled up to St.
Peters Basilica where Roberto gave us an hour and
a half to explore the Vatican area by ourselves.
About 1000 people live in the Vatican, mostly priest,
nuns and guards. The 800 official citizens make
this the nation with the smallest population on
the planet.
The Swiss Guard protects the Pope
I planned to venture inside St. Peter's and was
moving along the lineup when I realized that there
were guards checking the attire of all the visitors.
No bare shoulders were allowed, and many of the
tourists were turned away from entering the church.
Given that I was wearing a racer-back athletic shirt
for my bike ride, it was clear that I would be barred
as well.
St. Peter's Bscilica is enormous
But there was no problem, because so many of the
surrounding souvenir stalls sell t-shirts and big
scarves that will easily cover up the offending
bare shoulders. I purchased a souvenir t-shirt of
Rome for my husband and pulled it over my head and
was admitted to St. Peter’s without a problem.
The Piazza San Pietro was laid out by Bernini between
1656 and 1667
St. Peter’s Basilica is truly an awe-inspiring
building. Not surprisingly it is called the “greatest
church of all Christendom”. A shrine was erected
here on the site of St. Peter’s tomb in the
2nd century AD and the first great basilica was
completed in 349 AD. The cornerstone for today’s
structure was laid in 1506 and the huge church was
finally completed 120 years later.
St. Peter's Basilica is a masterpiece
The ornately painted dome is a premier example
of Renaissance art by Michelangelo. The nave is
an astounding 218 m (715 feet) long and there are
many side altars and niches. The Baldacchino, created
by Bernini, resembles a pavilion and is claimed
to be the largest piece of bronze in the world.
The size and the ornamentation of this huge sacral
building are simply overwhelming.
The dome of St. Peter's was designed by Michelangelo
After our brief individual excursion our cycling
group congregated again and Roberto took us to the
next stop: the Castel Sant’Angelo, the Ancient
Roman mausoleum to Emperor Hadrian that became a
medieval fortress and refuge for various popes.
We admired the ancient round castle, when Alan’s
chain detached. Roberto and Alan spent quite some
time to try to fix the bicycle again, but to no
avail.
We have bike problems, but Ciro will arrive shortly
with a replacement bike
But Roberto had given Ciro a call and within a
few minutes Ciro arrived with a replacement bicycle
for Alan. Meanwhile, this little break gave me a
chance to check out the street market that was stretching
along the left bank of the Tiber River to the Palace
of Justice. Now we were ready to continue along
the Ponte Sant’Angelo to the right bank of
the Tiber River into Old Rome.
One of the Venetian masks for sale at the market
next to the Castel Sant'Angelo
We cycled past the beautiful Piazza Navona into
the Jewish Ghetto of Rome, the area where Jews were
forced to live between the 16th and 19th centuries.
Jews had lived in Rome from the 2nd century AD onwards,
but they were systematically persecuted starting
in 1556 when all Jews were forced to live inside
an enclosed ghetto. There is not much left of the
original buildings, but Rome’s main synagogue
which dates to 1904 houses a Jewish museum that
records the history of this area.
Cycling across the Ponte Sant'Angelo
Minutes away we stopped at the Teatro Marcello
(the Theater of Marcellus), the outer wall of a
former amphitheater that opened in 14 AD. The ruined
amphitheater became the home of a place for the
Orsini family in the 16th century and even holds
some apartments on the upper levels today. In Rome
antiquity and modernity are seamlessly intertwined.
The 2000-year old Teatro Marcello still holds some
apartments today
From here we cycled across to the Piazza del Campidoglio,
whose palaces and square were designed by Renaissance
artist Michelangelo Buonarotti. This entire area
is a popular spot for wedding photography, and sure
enough, we came across three bridal couples that
were having their pictures taken in the warm evening
sun. One couple even used my bicycle as a prop!
My bicycle makes a great backdrop for this Roman
wedding photo!
Just west of the square is the Piazza Venezia that
holds the enormous white marble monument to Vittorio
Emmanuele, the first king of a unified Italy. “Il
Vittoriano” is often referred to as the “wedding
cake” or “the typewriter”, and
was derided when it was inaugurated in 1911. Even
though the opinions about this monument are still
divided.
The Vittorio Emmanuele Monument - typewriter or
wedding cake?
The Capitoline Hill not only holds the Campidoglio
with the Capitoline Museums, but behind one of the
Renaissance palaces is one of Rome’s most
spectacular views: a sprawling vista of the Ancient
Roman Forum, all bathed in the warm golden sunlight
of the setting sun. What an absolutely glorious
glimpse of Antiquity – looking at the orange-tinted
Roman Forum was like looking at a romantic 19th
century painting. Rome literally takes your breath
away…
The Roman Forum - Ancient Rome's centre of power
Well, the evening sun was setting and we made our
way back up the Esquiline Hill one more time and
finished our bike tour after 8 pm. Quite tired and
worn out from a long day of cycling and a million
impressions, I grabbed an apple for dinner and collapsed
on the bed of my Rome bed and breakfast and crashed
for one final full day in Rome.
Our bicycling group on the Campidoglio - we enjoyed
a great day of cycling in Rome..
