Best Rome holiday apartments

HOTELS, APARTMENTS, VACATION RENTALS, HOSTEL AND BED AND BREAKFAST IN ROME

The capital of Italy has about 3 million inhabitants and is the fourth most populous city in the European Union after London, Berlin and Madrid. It was founded in 753 B.C. and was certainly the first metropolis in history. Universally known as the Eternal City, it is practically an open-air museum: wherever you go in Rome, you will come across a piece of history. It is a destination for tourists from all over the world because of its monuments, culture, art, the Vatican and food.
Rome is a unique city in the world, as well as some of its monuments. It’s a must-see. The original nucleus was built on seven hills: Palatino, Aventino, Campidoglio, Quirinale, Viminale and Celio. It is divided into 35 districts, while the centre is divided into 22 neighborhoods. With 9flats you can easily book the best hotels in the center or even beautiful apartments near the main squares of Rome.

Finding your own Rome

Because tourists come to Rome from far and wide and at all times of the year, it can be a challenge to find suitable accommodations in the city that won’t break the bank. Luckily 9flats.com offers a wide range of accommodation in Rome: hotels, vacation rentals, apartments and bed and breakfast in the most desirable location in the city. Live among the locals in Rome’s Renaissance era center, or choose a vacation apartment in Colosseo, which was once the heart of ancient Rome. 9flats.com gives you the perfect opportunity to experience everyday life in Rome as well as the unforgettable sights.
Once home to the Roman Empire, modern Rome is still touched by its illustrious past, ruins and monuments are sprinkled across the city, reminding the people of two and a half thousand years of history. Step inside the Colosseum where gladiators once engaged in furious battles, or walk the beautiful Spanish Steps in Piazza di Spagna and pay a visit to Fontana di Trevi, where you can throw in a coin for good luck. Vacation rentals in Campo Marzio will put you right at the heart of the city’s incredible heritage. For a taste a nightlife, vacation apartments along the charming cobblestone streets in Trastevere are lined with bars and restaurants. Enjoy the warm atmosphere and down-to-earth locals.

What to visit in Rome?

The main monuments, museums and squares, even if visited by millions of tourists, cannot be left out. Here are just a few that must absolutely be visited:

Ancient Rome

Colosseo

The symbol of Rome and one of the most famous in the world. The real name is “Anfiteatro Flavio”. Built between 70 and 80 AD. With an area of 3357 square meters, it is the largest amphitheater in the world. It can accommodate about 50000 people and was mainly used for gladiator shows. The highest part of the amphitheater measures 48.50 meters and the inner oval arena measures 86 × 54 meters. Of course, it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage list and is a must see at least once in a lifetime.
The Colosseum is located in the area called the Roman Forum, which of course is also worth a visit. In the surrounding areas, with 9flats you can easily book hostels or bed and breakfast.

Foro Romano (Roman Forum)

It’s a unique archaeological area, enclosed between the Palatine, the Capitol, Via dei Fori Imperiali and the Colosseum. It contains an infinite number of archaeological monuments of Rome among which we remember the Temple of Vespasian, the Arch of Septimius Severus, the Tabularium, the Temple of Saturn, the Basilica Giulia, the Temple of the Dioscuri. Originally it was the central area of Rome, the beating heart of the city, where everything took place, from politics to religion and commerce. Another mandatory stop when visiting Rome. Take a nice walk in this area and you won’t regret it: this kind of landscape can only be seen in Rome.

Pantheon

This monument was erected between 27 and 25 BC by Consul Agrippa. It is a true masterpiece of engineering and architecture, so much so that Michelangelo himself defined it as “built by Angels, not by men”. Inside, what is most striking is … a huge empty space, which immediately makes you look up so high, so you can see that the only source of light of the entire monument is an “oculus” that is a hole placed at the highest point of the dome, with a diameter of 9 meters. It is truly impressive. And then the wonderful dome, which has a truly unique feature: the inner diameter of the dome is exactly equal to the height of the Temple! Book an historical apartment in Campo Marzio.

Catacombs

They are a series of tunnels and underground passages, dug and used in antiquity to bury the dead. Their origin dates back to the 2nd century A.D. and they were used regularly until the 5th century A.D. Inside them were buried the corpses of Jews, pagans and early Christians.
The term is Latin and means “near the quarry” and derives from the fact that the first excavations carried out for the burials were outside the city centre of Rome, near the ground of a quarry.
In Rome there are more than 40 catacombs that extend for about 150 km, on several underground levels.
The most famous are surely the Catacombs of San Callisto, built in the 3rd century. Inside were buried 500,000 Christians and 16 Popes. The entrance is located at 110 Via Appia Antica.

Baths of Caracalla

In ancient times known as “Thermae Antonianae”, they were built in 216 A.D. by Caracalla, nickname of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. They are the largest and best preserved thermal baths of antiquity. In this area, in addition to the thermal baths, there were also various sports activities and people went there not only for body care, but also for walking or studying.

Circus Maximus

Located between the Aventino and Palatino hills, it was built for horse racing. Its dimensions are truly exceptional: 600 metres long and 140 metres wide. And to think that this “circus” was built, on several occasions, starting from 329 BC. Its position was strategic because it is located in a flat area near the Tevere river, and therefore it was used not only for equestrian games, but also as a place for meetings and commercial exchanges.

The Squares of Rome

The squares of Rome represent a central element of the city and contribute, to a large extent, to the atmosphere of the Eternal City. The thousand-year history of Rome certainly passes through its squares. There are many of them, each with its own history, soul and culture. Do not miss the opportunity to visit them by having an accommodation that will make your task easier. 9flats offers you a wide choice of private apartments, holiday rentals, hotels and all kinds of accommodation. We have chosen the following squares.

Piazza di Spagna

Another icon of Rome. The square is located at the foot of the famous “Trinitá dei Monti” staircase and houses in its center the “Barcaccia”, a fountain created by Pietro and Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1627. The “Trinitá dei Monti” staircase was built between 1723 and 1725 by Pope Benedict XIII. It consists of 12 flights and 135 travertine steps. It has always been a meeting place for Romans and tourists from all over the world.

Piazza (Fontana) di Trevi

It is a small square that houses one of the most famous fountains in the world, the Trevi Fountain. The version that can be admired today was built by Nicola Salvi starting from 1732 and finished in 1762. The fountain stands on the remains of an ancient fountain dating back to 1400 that, along the streets of the three “mouths” that poured water into three separate pools, took the name “Trevi”. It was visited by millions of visitors not only for its beauty but also for the propitiatory rite of throwing a coin, behind the fountain, so that a wish would come true.

Piazza Navona

Quintessence of the Roman Baroque movement, it was built by the “Pamphili” family and contains an enormous treasure of architecture and art. Here, in fact, there are architectural and sculptural elements by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Francesco Borromini, Girolamo Rinaldi and Pietro da Cortona. These are: the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, the Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone, Palazzo Pamphili, the Fontana del Moro and the Fontana di Nettuno
In this square, moreover, there is a Christmas market which is very beautiful and characteristic.

Piazza del Popolo

One of the most famous squares in Rome, is located at the foot of the Pincio, a small hill 61 meters high. This square represents an excellent example of “architectural stratification” as during its construction 3 different pontiffs have taken turns, each of which has made changes and reworking. On the square there are 3 churches: Santa Maria del Popolo, Santa Maria in Montesanto and Santa Maria dei Miracoli. The square also houses 3 fountains made in different periods. Note that in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo there are 2 famous paintings by Caravaggio: the Conversion of St. Paul and the Crucifixion of St. Peter. In addition, in the center of the square stands the Flaminio obelisk, 24 meters high and built by the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesse II.

Piazza San Pietro

This square is actually located in the territory of the Vatican State. It is a masterpiece square, designed by Bernini. Immense, with a semicircular colonnade that embraces all the stanti. And then St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Obelisk and much more.
Universal symbol of Christianity, it has an elliptical shape with an arch 240 meters wide and a width of 340 meters. On both sides there are 284 columns and 88 pillars. On the balustrades above the columns are 140 statues representing Catholic saints and on the base leading to the Basilica are the statues of St. Peter and St. Paul. This square conveys feelings of wonder, amazement and mystery unique in the world. There is no square in the world like this one. It has two main accesses: Via di Porta Angelica and the great Via della Conciliazione. From here the Pope, on Sundays, recites the Angelus Domini and gives the blessing to those present. Of course, it is always full of tourists and faithful from all over the world. Obviously, it is also necessary to visit the Basilica di San Pietro.

• Basilica di San Pietro is the largest church in the world: 218 meters long, 133 meters high and an area of about 23000 square meters. There are also 45 altars, 11 chapels, 10000 square meters of mosaic and numerous unique works of art. Finally, it can accommodate about 20,000 people!
  It took 120 years to build it. In fact, it started in 1506 and was finished in 1626 although, in fact, the Basilica stands on the remains of an ancient church of the fourth century. The architects who collaborated in its construction were, in order of time: Donato Bramante, Raffaello Sanzio, Antonio da San Gallo il Giovane, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Giacomo Della Porta, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Inside there are, as said, many works of art, the most famous of which is undoubtedly the “Pietá” by Michelangelo. In short, another place in Rome to visit absolutely. Book now an apartment in the Saint Peter’s area.

Museums

Rome is an open-air museum, but of course it hosts many museums that hold an immense amount of archaeological, artistic and historical treasures unique in the world. It is impossible to list them all because they cover practically all areas of art, culture, archaeology and science. Here a general guide. It is worth mentioning the Vatican Museums.

Vatican Museums

They are also part of the Vatican City (even though the entrance is on Italian territory) and display the enormous collection of works of art accumulated over the centuries by the popes. They also house the famous Sistine Chapel.
Founded in 1506, the Vatican Museums were opened to the public in 1771. This complex of museums includes:

• The Vatican Art Gallery, with works by Giotto, Leonardo, Raffaello, Caravaggio and many others.
• A collection of modern religious art, with works by artists such as Francis Bacon, Carlo Carrà, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dalí, Giorgio de Chirico, Venanzo Crocetti, Felice Mina, Paul Gauguin, Wassily Kandinsky, Henri Matisse and Vincent van Gogh.
• Pius-Clementine Museum exhibiting Roman and Greek sculptures.
• Ethnological missionary museum composed essentially of the collection of gifts made to the popes.
• Gregorian Egyptian museum housing a vast collection of artefacts from ancient Egypt, including the Book of the Dead.
• Gregorian Etruscan Museum where you can find artefacts, vases, sarcophagi and more from the Etruscan period.
• Pious Christian museum
• Gregorian profane museum
• Philatelic and numismatic museum
• Museums of the Vatican Library
• Claramonti Museum
  The Vatican Museums also include a series of galleries inside the Vatican Palaces, the Sistine Chapel, the Niccolina Chapel, the Chapel of Urban VII and also a series of rooms belonging to the Vatican Palaces, including the Sala dell’Immacolata, the Stanze di Raffaello, the Loggia di Raffaello and the Appartamento Borgia.
  The Vatican Museums, in short, host an infinite number of works of various kinds and types, all of inestimable value.

What to eat in Rome?

Rome is not only famous for its art, culture and archaeology, but also for its unique culinary tradition. Here is a list of dishes to try during your stay in Rome.

• Rigatoni con la Pajata
  Only in Rome you can taste it. It’s a rather heavy dish to digest but with a unique and strong taste. It’s pasta (rigatoni precisely) seasoned with a sauce prepared with tomatoes and small intestine of the stewed milk calf.
• Spaghetti cacio e pepe
  Spaghetti simply seasoned with Pecorino Romano cheese (cacio) and pepper.
• Bucatini alla Gricia
  Another simple but tasty dish. Pasta seasoned with pecorino romano cheese and guanciale (pork cheeks).
• Coda alla vaccinara
  Icon of the gastronomy of Rome, it is the veal tail slowly cooked in a tomato sauce, with the addition of different aromas.
• Saltimbocca alla romana
  Simple slices of veal filled with cooked ham and sage, rolled and fried in butter.
• Trippa alla romana
  Also a rather heavy dish. It consists of different parts of beef stomach, cooked in tomato sweat and the addition of mint leaves.
• Abbacchio scottadito
  i.e. young lamb meat (preferably suckling lamb) cooked quickly on the plate, so that it is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Eat it strictly with your hands!
• Carciofi alla giudia
  A dish of Jewish origin, it consists of artichokes only of the quality “mammole” fried whole and not cut into the boiling oil.
• Grattachecca
  A simple glass filled with crushed ice at the moment to which fruit syrup is added.

There is something for everybody

Check here our suggested travel to discover six different “tastes” for six cities

Nearby Rome

If you decide to take a trip from Rome, you’re spoilt for choice. In a few hours you can reach other fantastic destinations. For example, we recommend you to book a beautiful apartment in Naples, reachable in an hour and a half by train. Or take the plane and treat yourself to a visit to the “fashion triangle” of Milan, booking a beautiful hotel in the center or a small apartment on the Navigli. If you want to fly beyond Italy, book a hostel in Copenhagen or a cheap hotel in Amsterdam.
On 9flats you can book, with a simple click, apartments, holiday homes, hotels and hostels all over the world.

One day in Rome with the New York Times

What to do in Rome? Check out the 36 Hours Travel Video

Video by New York Times.