A less "churchy" Rome visit

There are plenty of ruins to explore, art museums, piazzas with fountains, food places like markets and delis, Trastevere area, architectural elements like the Michelangelo arch on the Popolo Piazza. Borghese and Pamphillj museums for art. Research Ancient Rome. If you like luxury and have the dollars - there are many high- end fashion stores. You can research the "talking" statues and go on a statue hunt. Victor Emmanuel monument, castel Sant' Angelo, bridges. Time to do some homework. Consider a dvd course by the great courses company. Capitoline hill area. You may like Campo dei Fiori and pay respect to the statue of a man burned to death for basically being an atheist. I think his name was Bruno.

"Rome has huge religious elements to it"

Yes and no. Sure, there are lots of churches, and some visitors do come solely or mainly for religious reasons (you'll see groups of priests and nuns from various countries). But it's very easy to have a visit with minimal "churchy" content. It is, after all, a city with about 4 million people (many of them nominally Catholic but minimally religious), and it's the country's current capital, so lots of stuff is not related to religion at all. It certainly doesn't feel like Jerusalem!

As you say, it's possible to visit churches for reasons other than faith - architecture, art, history, etc. That's certainly what I do. In fact, I always warn people that due to the mobs and the resultant tension, St. Peter's and the Sistine Chapel are two of the least spiritual places around!

You may want to balance Christian sights with the Jewish quarter (modern day residents don't like calling it a "ghetto").

For something of a different era from the "old stuff," go to EUR (details in Rick's book) and don't miss the Square Collosseum, aka the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana; photos don't do this place justice.

If you like art, bear in mind that the 3 most important Caravaggio paintings in Rome are hanging in a church named San Luigi dei Francesi (where they can be seen for free).
This is just the first example that came to my mind to show that "churchy" doesn't mean spiritual in Rome, but I could have mentioned all the churches made with ancient roman columns. Or the Pantheon, a roman pagan temple built around 1,900 years ago that was saved from destruction converting it into a Catholic church. The model for all "dome shaped" public buildings in the world (Washington dc included) is a church today, but who cares? We enter it to see a concrete dome built by the romans 19 centuries ago that's still standing, not to pray.
And frankly, to most Italians those Churches are just museums where you have to cover your knees to enter. Nobody cares much about what's kept behind the altar, but we try to respect those who do.

Religion and the history of Rome are inseparable. Indeed, in few places are those subject so entwined. I think it is nearly impossible to gain an understanding of any historical people without attempting the appreciate the religious lens through which they viewed their world. Almost everything the Ancient Romans did was loaded with religious significance and the relics of their society reflect this. Even the Colosseum is a sort of temple where the Roman view of the world and their place in it was reinforced by the brutal spectacles enacted there. There is literally nowhere else where the evolution of the first 1,500+ years of the Christian understanding of the world can be so directly observed in physical form. You don’t need to personally believe the message of any of images you will see but to truly grasp the history of a place it is vital to recognize that the people who created it did believe and that it shaped their conception of themselves. Otherwise, the whole place becomes a kind of tangled mess of random, meaningless images and gaudy architecture.

Yanksteve,

I'm not a person of strong faith either but Rome's, really all of Italy's, churches are works of art. It's just that they were built and decorated as a testament to faith. If you visit any religious site in Rome, make it the Vatican. Take an escorted tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel - which ends in Saint Peter's Basilica. Even for the 'not faithful' the artwork is incredible.

Even when you eliminate the churches, which seem to be on every corner, Rome has more than enough to keep one occupied for weeks on end. There is almost an endless supply of museums, galleries, antiquities, ruins and villas to tour. My next trip to Rome will definitely include the Appia Antica, Aqueduct Park, and the catacombs.

I suggest watching Rick's episodes on Rome, available on this website (and Amazon I believe) to get some more ideas. One week in Rome may seem like a long time but it's really just a flash in a pan...

BTW - Pizza in Italy is different than the mass-market pizza in the USA - it's almost like they are two totally different foods. And for a completely different take on Pizza, you must go to Forno Campo De' Fiori.

Bruno was burned as a heretic, not as an atheist.

Jeff- said it very well, so I don't repeat it. Until the Enligjtenment, the Church was the main patron of the arts, commissioning works for churches and other religious buildings. Take a deep breath and wander in to see some of them if you want, but if you really have an aversion to it, there are plenty of other things to see.

Yes, I remember Bruno from Neil Degrasse Tyson's "Cosmos" series.

So can you not wear shorts into the churches?

Knees and shoulders must be covered. Even if a church hasn't a guard at the door to enforce the rule, that's the rule.

Giordano Bruno was more a pantheist, he believed God to be the divine soul inside every single atom in an infinite universe. The so called "anima mundi", the soul of the world that makes everything breath in unison. He also believed in an heliocentric solar system and the priests expressed all their disappointment and disagreement burning him alive.
Today Bruno's statue looks exactly toward the Vatican with understandable anger.

Steve, your knees and shoulders must be covered in Rome's churches and those throughout much of Italy as well. It's a gesture of respect. They're expected to be covered in institutions where clergy may be present - such as the Vatican Museums - as well.

I'm not "religious" either but the churches are some of my favorite attractions for the art and architecture. As some have already mentioned, for many centuries the Catholic church and Roman history are inextricably linked; you can hardly appreciate one without the other. It was money from the church or their wealthy patrons who financed Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian and countless others whose brilliance contributed to the sculpture, painting and architecture we so admire today.

The churches, because most of them are free to visit, can be enormous bargains because some of them are art museums in-and-of themselves! We try to make it a habit to drop some euro into the alms box for the privilege. :O)

I'm not big into religion either. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy Rome. The church's and cathedrals are impressive. They can invoke some kind of spirituality even if you're not religious. Looking forward to our upcoming trip to Italy in June. This time, Venice and St Marks and others. But I will say you can OD on churches. Enjoy your vacation

My DH is even agnostic and he LOVED the Vatican, wants to go again someday.

I'm pretty much with everyone else here. So much art, history, and architecture are bound up in the churches of Rome. I am religious, but my DH is not. We both love dropping in on churches as we wander the city. You don't have to be religious, or spritual, to enjoy and appreciate these magnificent edifices, and all they represent. (Do you have to be a soldier to appreciate Gettysburg?)

You do, however, have to be respectful. It's just courteous to respect your surroundings, whether churches, museums, or battlefields.

Have a wonderful trip.

How about that 33 football fields can fit inside St. Peter's Basilica? The Statue of Liberty with pedestal, the Space Shuttle, and more, not at the same time, but you gotta see this structure for its sheer size!

And unexpected things can happen to you inside! I remember one group I entered with acted "drunk" once inside, we all got so excited that guards kept shushing us, but nobody paid any attention to them, it's like we just lost it, the weirdest experience, there was so much to look at, things we could touch, and the sheer space of it put us in orbit! LOL!

When we went to Rome with my inlaws, I though my non-religious civil engineer fil's favorite would be the streets and baths in Pompeii. But he said his favorite thing we saw was St. Peter's.

I'm not a believer either, but it's hard to avoid religion no matter where you go unless it's totally devoid of human population.

Often you'll find examples of places where different religious beliefs are represented in the same location and sometimes on top of each other.

The Basilica of San Clemente al Laterano is one such place. If you have time, I highly recommend a visit for cultural, historical and architectural reasons.

Yanksteve. You might also want to visit the church of San Clamente. Not sure of spelling. It is a series of churches built in on top of each other. All the way back to Roman times.

Just one lapsed Catholic's experience...

In the Vatican, St. Peter's or any of the churches in Italy I've visited, I haven't felt anything like I should be more religious. Maybe I've been concentrating more on the art and architecture aspect of it, or possibly I was numbed by the sheer opulence of it all.

But two years ago, on the spur of the moment we decided to attend Sunday Mass at drafty, somewhat-in-disrepair St. Sulpice in Paris. From a timeframe standpoint, existing since around 1600 is not even 'old' in comparison to what I had seen in Italy. But I felt incredibly moved by the service and the aura inside the edifice, almost feeling transported back hundreds of years for a few moments there.

I am a lapsed Jew, but I am going to rome in July for 4 and a half days. I am seeing the most major monmunts, the victor emanuel mounment, the great synagogue of Rome at least briefly, a guided tour of the Jewish ghetto area - the tour guide may take us to certain churches; the vatican, colosseum/ roman forum/ palatine; I am sure that a lot of other tourists are as unreligious as we are. Nobody can read our minds and know that we are not catholic; in 2017, they don't mind non-Catholics visiting churches; of course you could always just not go inside any churches and focus on Roman-era ruins and Italy since 1860. There may be a museum about Italy in world war II. I felt weird about going into a church before I left the religion but that weirdness melted away after I gave up the religion.

...we decided to attend Sunday Mass at drafty, somewhat-in-disrepair
St. Sulpice in Paris.

Jay, I liked that one too!
Believe it or not, St Pete's is not my favorite in Rome. If I had to choose, it would probably be Santa Sabina.
But I have, oh, 880 or so to go yet.

You and I both ! I love going through a nondescript door and finding a wealth of art, never realizing that the entry opened into a beautiful cathedral !

What amazes me about ALL of the churches I've entered in Europe is that people spent their entire lives building that church. And that in many cases it took hundreds of years to complete.

There are plenty of things to do in Rome that are not related to Christianity/Catholicism. It might take a bit of the pressure off trying to squeeze in everything actually. I think trying to avoid Christianity in Rome is like trying to avoid a huge chunk of the city's history and culture, but it's your trip so travel the way that pleases you. I am not a churchgoer and certainly don't practice the ancient Roman religion, but I can still appreciate a sculpture from Roman mythology. We call it mythology but to them it was a religion. It would be a shame to skip out on the Pantheon because it was repurposed as a church. There are religious overtones to a lot of the ancient sites too, but those might not have such a negative connotation for you, so you might consider the Coliseum/Forum/Palatine. The Castel S'Antagelo is also highly underrated, there is probably some religious connection there but it's not as obvious, to me it was an awesome castle in the middle of Rome that started as a tomb for an emperor.

I found that churches are a nice cool place to get out of the blistering heat in Rome.

Churches in Italy are history and art....leave you preconceptions at home and travel with an open mind. I'm not religious either but I have found myself moved by some religious sites for their beauty or significance or some other secular reason. Things you think you know will be challenged by thoughtful travel.

I sympathize with you, I don't have a believing bone in my body and I'm shocked it's still a thing in these times but I too love art and history, and you can't argue that religion for better or worse has very much shaped civilization as we know it. I looked at my visits throughout Italy through that lens, I had been in less than 5 houses of worship in my life until Italy when I probably explored over 100. Never got old. Architecture, scale, craftsmanship is stunning.

You would be making a mistake in my opinion to avoid some of the more "religious" sites but do as you wish for sure! It's a beautiful place.

You must understand the art is largely in the churches because the 'church' had the money for the patronage of the artists through most of history. In modern history that changed a bit, but through the centuries it was the Catholic Church in Italy. I studied art history in college, so I have gone where the art I want to see is housed. Most churches don't overpower you with religion, unless you believe, etc. However, in the 70's I had to leave the interior of St. Peters because I was so disgusted...conspicuous consumption and many dead bodies and my youth...so it could happen, just walk out. Nonetheless, the experience did add to my understanding of history and people. The Catholic kids that I was with had an entirely different experience. (I did return in 2001 due to my step-daughter's request and just about all of the dead bodies had been removed.) There is much to see in Rome and if something hits you wrong, just walk away; as it is in life.

So many things to do that are not in churches nor religious in nature. Palazzo Valentini Le Domus Romane, the nighttime multi media "events" at Ceasar's Forum and Augustus' Forum, the Appia Antica, walking up the Gianicolo for the view, and on Sat mornings only, Galleria Colonna. You can go to the zoo in Villa Borghese and ride a bike in the park, too.

33 football fields will fit in St. Peters? It is two (American) football fields long, so where do the other 31 fit? Is it that wide?

Interesting take Wray - what dead bodies were there in the 1970s? My issue is not being offended or disgusted by anything - I just don't want to need a religious perspective/belief in order to appreciate a sight.

I was raised Catholic but am not a fan of the Catholic Church these days. My sister will tell you she's a heathen--she believes in God but doesn't go to church. That said, we all thought the Vatican was awesome. I'm really glad I didn't skip it. We went later in the day when the crowds and line weren't bad at all.

They also have the best wifi. My sister called my mom in the US using Vatican wifi on her cell phone. The call was crystal clear and free.

Yanksteve, I didn't go close enough to see who they were. Gross for this New Englander whose family NEVER has open caskets. Purely a cultural thing, I know. And I apologize if I offended anyone. I am a little more mature now and will be polite when in a room with other people's dead relatives.

For a wonderful and almost always near-empty museum full of ancient Roman items, go to the National Museum of Rome in Palazzo Massimo alle Terme. Be sure to check out the reconstructed frescoed rooms on the top floor.
http://archeoroma.beniculturali.it/en/museums/national-roman-museum-palazzo-massimo-alle-terme

Add Villa Farnesina and Palazzo Corsini (in Trastevere) to your list of more secular museums. The Raphael frescos in Farnesina are based on non-Christian mythology and are pretty amazing.

Also, you'll see that the term "the Vatican" is sometimes used to refer to the Vatican Museums (a much more secular experience) or to St. Peter's Basilica (a more religious experience), not to mention the entire micro-nation of Vatican City.

Carla, yup generations of people may have work on one cathedral before it was finished.
The story is told of a visitor to a cathedral being built. She asked the stone Mason "what are you doing?" Ma'am, I'm building a cathedral to the glory of the almighty God. " She encounters a wood Carver, who gives the same answer. She finally encounters a skinny old woman with a broom sweeping up fragments who straightens her back and answers w pride "I'm building a cathedral to the glory of the almighty God "
I love that illustration just to remind us that all labor has value

The "church" in the days when Rome was the center of commerce wasn't necessarily about "religion" as much as it was about religion as a means to an end and that end was control and power. Imperial Rome as you say! The Vatican is a nice history of that journey. I looked at the churches as history not as religious. As a non-believer myself, I thought the Vatican was a great tour and loved the catacombs. Well worth the time!

Don't forget the aqueducts! Amazing.

For me I could have done without the tour of the inside of the coliseum ...and all the history it represents.