We will be in Rome April 30 and May 1, 2019. We’ve been to Rome on two previous occasions and have visited the Vatican Museum, St Peter Basicila, The Forum, Coliseum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain but have not visited any museums. We are thinking of going to the Borghese Gallery and possibly the National Museum (several of the sites). Will this require 2 days or will there be time to visit elsewhere?
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11179 posts
You could do one day of museums and have an outdoor day at Ostia Antica,
I am not the type to try to cram in as many museums as possible for 2 consecutive days
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11316 posts
Note there are some closures May 1, a holiday. Ostia Antica is closed, for example, as are the National Museums of Rome. It appears that the Galleria Borghese is open, though. Get tickets as far in advance as possible. So Ostia Antica and/or National Museums on the 30th and Borghese on the 1st, perhaps.
Posted by
7667 posts
There is a museum on Capitoline Hill that is good. Also, you could visit Trajan's Forum, Castel St. Angelo and the catacombs.
Posted by
Chicago
1944 posts
If you have to be near Termini Station for any reason, allow an hour or two and right across the street visit the Baths of Diocletian and the adjacent National Roman Museum. The Baths were built about 300 A.D., and in the museum there are artifacts dating back to the end of the Bronze Age, 1200-1000 B.C. Fabulous.
Posted by
Wilton, New York, USA
58 posts
Jon:
In addition to the Borghese Gallery, I suggest you consider the Doria Pamphili Gallery, which has among many other major artists, works by Velazquez, Caravaggio, and Bernini. I visit there every time I'm in Rome, and sometimes twice. Besides the artworks, you learn a lot about the history of Rome as one of the relatives became pope (Innocent X). You'll want to see Velazquez's extraordinary portrait of the pope, which is in a separate small room, which also houses Bernini's amazing bust of Innocent X. (The painting is so prized that it's never lent.)
Unlike the Borghese, you don't need an advance ticket to the Pamphili. The Pamphili is not a secret, but it's often overlooked. And, unlike many other museums, it's not so large as to be overwhelming.
Posted by
USA
1662 posts
I agree with Jay about the Diocletian Baths. Really interesting.
Also, each morning (and night), I would look out my hotel windows to get a lovely, eye-popping view of the Baths.
Side topic: Just sparked a memory from my last trip - One morning, as I was enjoying a few moments of the crisp air, I heard a little voice say "buon giorno." I looked across and up to other buildings.
The little voice kept saying, "buon giorno" lol. So cute. I heard them say, "I'm up here." But, I did not see any child. I replied in kind. I also heard another woman call out to the child. I don't know where she was either, lol.
It's the little things...