I remember the first time I desired to visit Rome. I was a little 8-year-old girl watching Hilary Duff zoom around Rome on a Vespa in the Lizzie McGuire Movie. I immediately wanted to be just like her character. I wanted to travel to Rome, find a guy, become a pop-star, and expose the guy for lying to his fans about being able to sing. Meanwhile, I wanted to explore the city on the back of a Vespa and live her life.
In 2018, my little 8-year-old dreams came true. I would be traveling to Rome and going to all the famous sites around the city that Hilary Duff went to in that movie. I didn't find a man, and I didn't get to become a pop-star, but at each site, I experienced something new that I had not yet in Italy.
The first site I went to was the Trevi Fountain. The Airbnb that we were staying at was around the corner, so it was very convenient to walk there. We stepped out of the alley from our Airbnb onto the main promenade, and the street was full of people. Most of those people were tourists trying to navigate around the city. We swiftly made our way through the crowd in the direction of the fountain.
Upon arriving, we integrated ourselves into an even larger crowd of people. Everyone there was trying to get the perfect photo of the fountain. Many Instagram influencers were taking photographs of themselves throwing a coin into the fountain. I had realized how trashed the area was there. It made me a bit disappointed how people didn't care about the magnificent space. I reflected on my time in Italy and realized that Rome was much more of a tourist destination than other cities. I concluded that this is why it was so unkempt. This baroque fountain is one of the most desired destinations to visit while in Rome. Each night there is a cleaning crew that comes through and cleans the area. My advice would be to go early in the morning before the crowds and before it gets messy.
Also close to our Airbnb was the Pantheon. We had gotten some advice to go early in the morning to avoid ridiculous wait times and the hot sun. The Pantheon is one of the best-preserved ancient Roman buildings. That is because it has been in use since its construction. Currently, the Pantheon is in use as a Catholic church. The Pantheon's massive domed cella is magnificent. The detail and attention to the architecture are phenomenal. People do not understand how difficult it is to build a dome roof with the center missing. The oculus is the only source of natural light within the Pantheon. That makes each second fascinating since the light source is consistently moving around the area. The detail of the Corinthian columns adds a little extra bit of finesse to the room too.
I entered the Pantheon after waiting in line for about an hour. There are only a certain amount of people allowed into the building at one time, so it's monitored at the entrance. Also, since the Pantheon is still in use, they are closed on Sundays for their Sunday service. When I stepped into the structure, I immediately looked upward. Everything within the Pantheon leads your eyes upward to the oculus. I had only seen this place in textbooks and photographs online. Standing in the middle of it was unbelievably surreal. We spent about 45 minutes to an hour inside, watching the light travel around the room. Eventually, the people started moving groups of people out of the Pantheon so others could enter, and we went back outside.
I remember the view of the structure from the outside too. It was the oldest structure in the middle of modern ones. It was interesting to see that the street opened up to a clearing that consisted of the Pantheon. The birds would sit on the top of the dome, and I wondered how many would end up getting trapped inside the building. Street performers congregated around the entrance to entertain those waiting to enter. Beautiful music played as the sun beat down. It was a very comforting and welcoming area.
If you want to admire more outdoor fountains, Piazza Navona is the perfect place to venture. In the piazza, the famous Fountain of the Four Rivers by Gian Lorenzo Bernini stands. That is another recognizable fountain in Rome where you can find many Instagram Influencers congregating to get their perfect photograph. There are two other fountains in the piazza too. At the southern end, there is the Fontana del Moro. Bernini added to the statue a Moor wrestling a dolphin. At the northern end, the Fountain of Neptune can be viewed. The surrounding parts of the piazza consist of restaurants and other eateries like gelato shops and cafes. This area is a great place to take a second and relax while having a meal.
If you are looking to get some cardio in, then the Spanish Steps can help you. As a popular hangout area for tourists and locals, there are many eateries and shops along the streets that intersect the steps. With having 135 stairs in total, many tourists believe it will bring them good luck if they can climb to the top without stopping. The steps connect the Piazza di Spagna at the base to the Trinità dei Monti church at the top. In the Piazza de Spagna, (at the base of the steps) the baroque fountain called Fontana della Barcaccia is credited to Pietro Bernini, the father of the famous Gian Lorenzo Bernini. People say that Gian Lorenzo Bernini collaborated with his father on this particular fountain.
These are only a few of the landmarks I was able to see in Rome, but significantly the most popular. Each one allowed me to explore my curious nature in different ways. I relived my favorite childhood film, watch time pass physically, relax, and get some exercise. Visiting these popular locations might have made me the ultimate tourist, but they were magnificent to see.
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