Which of Rome's landmark sites are under restoration? (2014)

My understanding is that the Colosseum is under scaffolding in stages, it is not the entire thing. You can still go inside and be wowed. The Spanish steps are not much but a large stair case and i believe they are still open, but the fountain and the church are under wraps, but I think you can still get into the church. Again, for me, given the overwhelming grandeur of Rome these things, excluding the Colosseum, are at the bottom of the list. I know many people find the Trevi fountain to be a must see, but again, for me, it is minor in comparison and by missing it you are not depriving yourself. Rome is filled with spectacular churches and sites, believe me you will still be amazed.

My 2 cent, I know others feel differently

Thank you JCK. I appreciate your thoughts.

My sister was just at the Colosseum this week and her pictures do not show scaffolding. So even if scaffolding is there, it is not covered entirely and you should still be able to get some good pictures.

There is a web cam that shows the Trevi fountain area so you could see ahead of time what it looks like. I don't remember the link, but if you do a search, I believe someone mentioned it in these forums.

If that is what you think Rome is, you will be disappointed. Our experience is that restoration is a fact of life whether it is the Fountain or the cathedral in Milan. I think one of Steves' videos jokes about scaffolding being the 11th wonder of the European world. It is there. Just look through it. There is so much more to Rome than few things your mentioned. Look at it this way -- something to look forward to when you return.

If I might hijack this thread, I would be greatly interested in hearing more of the thoughts posted about other sights/activities in Rome as alluded to by JCK and Frank. This September will be my first visit to Italy, where my husband and I will celebrate our 30th anniversary with my sister and her husband will be celebrating their first. We will be in Rome for three nights. While we are looking forward to a guided Vatican tour and seeing the Colosseum, our style of travel is to spend time early in the day to take in an interesting site or two. Then for the remainder of the day, it's fun to wander, find a wonderful cafe to enjoy a leisurely late lunch while watching the world go by, and resting up for a late dinner and a stroll. In other words, we will not be church and museum hopping our entire stay, and would welcome advice about off the beaten path places to see and things to experience (within the city, since we have such a short amount of time). For my part, I want to not only see classic art, but would love to see what contemporary artists are doing as well. We also love live music. Any input of that nature would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks!

Yes, I do mind mpmorowitz.

Frank—I had hoped that in my inquiry I had sufficiently indicated that I understood that the treasures of civilization such as the Colosseum need and require preservation. I also attempted to apologize in advance if it seemed like I was putting too much emphasis on myself (and my chance to visit and view Rome and its sites) as oppose to the greater good. Still, I think it is reasonable to try to have as much information you can to make any trip (to anyplace) as enjoyable and fulfilling as possible. For example, I am reading extensively on Rome’s history because I think that will enhance my time in the city. Unfortunately, no guide book or website contains the information I am asking for. Maybe you think I am shallow, but my 88 year old mother, has always dreamed of seeing the Trevi Fountain, having loved the films of her youth that romanticized Rome and the Trevi. Now, in very poor health, I am taking her to Rome (before it is no longer possible) to see the fountain. I am sure you can understand the heart break she would have flying half way across the planet and going through all the other hassles and expenses of traveling to Italy only to finally make it to the Trevi to then find out it is completely covered and not functioning. At least, having found out that the fountain is being restored, I can prepare her for the disappointment ahead of the trip instead of being surprised and unprepared for having her dream dashed. And as far as your comment about the next visit—the fountain is scheduled to be under scaffold and covered for three years—and my mom does not have the time left nor I the finances to just come back later. So I apologize again for asking what landmarks and sites are under restoration this year. I apologize if you think it is wrong to try to find out or to be disappointed when they are.

The internet is a marvelous unbelievable resource. Forums like Rick Steves’ and Trip Advisor can be invaluable. So many people are genuinely helpful and perhaps Frank, I perhaps just misunderstood your comments and intent. But there are others (too many others) who provide no information or assistance but rather are quick to judge, criticize and even ridicule people who are just asking for a little assistance and trying to have what anyone would want, the best trip possible.

Keith -
I understand your disappointment especially with the challenges presented with going with your mom. You are a great son to take her.

September will be our first trip to Italy too and it is disappointing to know that some things will be hard or impossible to see.

Very kind of you to say Gretchen. Have a safe and wonderful trip.

Keith,

One thing is you may never know what might be open or not. Crack could be found in the Sistine Chapel tomorrow and that place will be closed off. It is great to prepare and be aware however. I swear every year that I have been to Firenze some part of the Duomo is under wraps. Trevi and the Fontana della Baracaccia will not be operational, but the fountains of the Piazza Navona, as far as i know, will be. Bernini's four rivers is spectacular and you can see his disgust with Borromini's Sant'Agnese in vivid detail in that fountain.

I find one of the joys of Rome is to wander and discover a church and enter it and be awed. A church, a back street, an oold crumbling wall, that is not one of the "must sees", for me is what brings me back to Rome every year.

Keith, I do understand your disappointment but jkc has hit the nail on the head: as unexpected deterioration or damage can happen to any of Rome's antiquities at any time, it's impossible to predict what else might be shrouded. EVERY time we've been to Italy - or any other European city, for that matter - something important has been undergoing some sort of work!

But there is good news among the bad; as previously noted, the interior of the Colosseum is not under restoration at the moment, and I believe only part of the exterior is being worked on.

I'm so sorry your mother will find Trevi waterless and under scaffolds but you can at least get close to it. Here's what it looks like via live cam:

http://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/lazio/roma/fontana-di-trevi.html

But there are oodles of other beautiful fountains in Rome, and so many which will be MUCH less crowded than Trevi usually is.

The Spanish Steps are really not what I would call a "must see." and very people actually visit Trinità dei Monti at the top. Again, I do understand why this one might be important to your mother but I have a feeling that, once she's there and is able to see the other wonderful sights, she will be thrilled just to BE in Rome. There are more gorgeous churches than you can count - St Peter's, IMHO, less impressive for decoration than some of the rest - and to my knowledge, none of those are currently undergoing major restoration work.

Hope this helps!

Your current list sounds pretty complete. One Italian news agency that occasionally provides updates on similar topics is http://www.ansa.it/english/index.html. If in doubt, the Rome tourist office call center is a source for open/closed updates during your visit (06-06-08, press 2 for English).

The Trevi being under wraps and closed is certainly a disappointment to me too -- however, the previous poster was dead on correct regarding the amazing fountain at Piazza Navone being at least as beautiful if not more so than the Trevi -- I'll throw my coins in there this time! Re the Spanish Steps -- they obviously photograph beautifully, having been used in one television commercial after another. My first visit to Rome, I absolutely HAD to see them, and they're such a 'non-site' that I walked right past them! Then backed up, looked, and my disappointment was huge. Then I walked on to the Campo di Fiori (get there in the morning, when it's filled with beautiful kiosks selling everything from flowers to salami. It's breathtaking! Buy Mom a bouquet for the hotel room.

The Sistine was under construction once when I was there -- and now it's amazing, and they've even put low voltage lights on so it can be viewed at night via ticket. This time of day or on an early morning tour would be a GREAT time to take Mom, because it won't be shoulder to shoulder and stifling hot. Make sure you book the early tour from the states.

Make prior reservations and take Mom to the Borghese museum which houses some of the most beautiful artwork assembled in one place, and the gardens are spectacular as well. Make sure you're on time for your reservation, and even a little early, as they limit visitors and you will only be allowed two hours (This should be done a month in advance)

Sorry about the disappointing closures, but Rome is magnificent, and your mother won't be disappointed. And she's seriously not going to miss anything re the Spanish Steps, they look better on the "diamonds are forever" commercial than they do in person. I was also in Rome once and the Pantheon was under wraps and scaffolding, and now it's beautiful. I'm very fortunate that I've been able to go as many times as I have.

My daughter and I recently had our first trip to Italy and did not know about all the restorations/scaffolding, not only in Rome but also in Florence (Baptistery completely covered) and Venice (St. Mark's). After a while we just kind of made a joke about it, "Oh look! More scaffolding!" Everything was still beautiful and there was plenty to see. Since you can't do anything about it, enjoy it regardless and find some sights you might not have gone to otherwise.

Hi, Keith,
We just returned from Rome, and here is what I know as of July 1:

The Colosseum's exterior is scaffolded on one section (maybe a fifth). In no way does it detract from the overall majesty of the Colosseum. I wasn't disappointed at all.

The Arch of Constantine is beautiful, not scaffolded at all; in fact, a bride was having her photo taken there with the Colosseum in the background. So I think that's a big vote of confidence. :)

Fontana della Barcaccia--totally scaffolded, not really viewable at all. The Spanish Steps are fine, but they do have the scaffolded Trinita dei Monti at the top. So the view will not be the same.

I'm going to confess my shallow, mere tourist disappointment when we arrived at the Trevi Fountain and found it drained, scaffolded, and fenced off--and I have been to Rome before and seen it in its glory. If your mom is like my mom, then she's seen Three Coins in the Fountain and Roman Holiday, and the Trevi is a must-see. (Same with the Spanish Steps above.) I'm not going to apologize for it, and I don't even get the "I'm 88 years old" excuse. I do think if someone had told me in advance, I might not have been so sad about it.

The Four Rivers fountain in Piazza Navona cheered me up immensely. The fountain is beautiful, it's very accessible, it's on an incredibly beautiful square surrounded by charming (yes, touristy and expensive and probably not fine cuisine) restaurants. We had a lovely lunch overlooking the piazza and watching people.

The Pantheon was pretty fabulous, too. Talk about history....and don't miss Raphael's tomb. It's touching.

The Piazza del Campidoglio on Capitoline Hill is still mostly unscaffolded, and the view is great.

I never cared about the Altare della Patria (the Vittorio Emanuele II monument) before, but we took the elevator up (senior citizens get a discount) and the view of Rome from the top CANNOT be beat. And it's by far the easiest way for an 88-year old person to get a view like that in Rome. There is also an outdoor patio cafeteria-style restaurant on the back side of the monument with a great view of the Forum and the Via dei Fori Imperiali.

St. Peter's is amazing.

I know you have gotten some great advice, but I think the point is--she will treasure her trip with you, you will treasure the trip with her and the memories you make, and it will be wonderful. Best wishes.

I agree with donna that the Borghese is a beautiful museum in a lovely park. Not so big as to feel overwhelming with beautiful Bernini statues. A stroll down Via Giulia, then cross the river to Trastevere for a fun and photogenic walk. The Pantheon and the churches surrounding this area like Gesu Church and Santa Maria della Sopra Minerva are well worth a visit. I too will be in Rome in September and although it will be my fifth time I always feel like I run out of time before I run out of things to see and do! Enjoy your trip.

There is an elevated walkway in front of the Trevi Fountain, so you can see the sculptures but no water is running. I understand how you feel about it for your mom; I suggest a night "tour" of the monuments (I negotiated with a taxi driver for a 90-minute ride, a friend so badly wanted to see the monuments lit up, it was great). If the meter is on, it could run about €45 or so, still cheaper than the bus tours but a lot depends on the driver.

Skylinewebcams.com will give you real time views of the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Colosseo, Piazza di Spagna, and Trevi Fountain.

I am overwhelmed by everyone’s desire to assist and willingness to share their opinions and experiences. I know we will have a wonderful time visiting Rome. Thank you for all of the suggestions.

Personally, I think the amount of graffiti will surprise you, not the restoration projects. You will not be disappointed in Rome at all. It's fabulous. Stand beneath the Arch of Titus. You'll agree.

Chuckles, ;). I often spend few minutes looking at the skyline webcams. I chuckle though because here, in a topic about what in Rome is under restoration we should mention that often the webcams are down for maintenance.

Abject apologies Keith, enjoy your travels with your mother. I'm sure it will be the experience of a lifetime no matter what.

Thank you, mpmorowitz.