Our second day in Rome, was a Sunday. With many places closed (most notably the Vatican), we had to identify all the places open on Sunday and put them into an itinerary on-the-go. I have to say, it really worked out with historic sites in the morning, museums in the afternoon, and a traditional dinner.  In the morning, we did A.) Piazza Campo de’ Fiori, B.) Piazza Navona, and C.) the Pantheon. Around midday, we took the bus 160 up to Villa Borghese and visited D.) Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna and E.) Galleria Borghese for a little survey of modern and classic art. In the late afternoon, we took the bus 160 back south to Aventine Hill to see F.) the Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta keyhole and G.) have traditional carbonara at Trattoria Perilli.

A.) Piazza Campo de’ Fiori

A small plaza with various vendors of pasta, lemoncello, and souvenir-type items.

B.) Piazza Navona

A grand plaza with impressive buildings and interesting fountains.

C.) Pantheon

One of the most famous and most replicated buildings in the world, this Roman temple, now church, is truly breathtaking. The entrance into the rotunda is still very impressive all these centuries later with the oculus (central opening in the roof) streaming light down into the space. The grandeur and amazement that ancient Romans experienced is still felt to this day despite the throngs of people around you. It’s still quite intriguing that in 126 AD, they were able to place a hole in a domed concrete roof and it never caved in. A true engineering marvel!

The Park at Villa Borghese

A quiet getaway from the city, this heart-shaped park is a nice weekend escape for many Romans. You will find peddle-powered carts, rollerblades, bikes, and, yes, the dreaded Segway. You can also give your feet a break and pull up on a bench to people-watch. You’ll discover that local kids on rollerblades will hold onto the carts and get dragged down the main road. And you’ll laugh when the peddler notices by the added weight on the peddles.

D.) Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna

I’m not usually all that into modern art, but this place had some really cool stuff that I had seen in textbooks and was quite excited to recognize. There was that Duchamp urinal (jokingly titled “Fountain”) and a Klimt (not the famous “Kiss” but an interesting one called “The Three Ages of Woman“). Serendipitously, on the first Sunday of the month it’s free for anyone to enter! My favorite piece were Composition A by Piet Mondrian, which completely shaped the De Stijl movement in the Netherlands and produced some cool looking modern houses. The things your college brain retains…

E.) Galleria Borghese

Often cited as one of the best museums in Rome, the Galleria Borghese is a must-see like the Louvre in Paris. It is an impressive classical art collection housed in the 17th-century villa of Cardinal Borghese (nephew to Pope Paul V). This is what we used our Roma Pass for as it is the best bang for your buck. At the time, there was the amazing exhibition integrated into the gallery called Azzedine Alaïa Couture/Sculpture. The fashion designer’s beautiful dresses are incorporated into the museum of classical art in a very interesting and natural way.

F.) Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta keyhole

Aventine Hill is a neighborhood filled with historic churches and the crown jewel is the door to the Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta (the plaza of the knights of Malta). You will easily find the line of tourists waiting for a peep through the keyhole that perfectly lines up to see the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City. I’m not sure if it’s worth a long wait, but it’s a fun little thing.

Some very kind strangers found our polaroid on the ground and put it in a safe place.

G.) Trattoria Perilli

A great family restaurant located right at the base of Aventine Hill. The waiters were really kind and the food was affordable and good. You can tell it’s the kind of place both locals and tourists can enjoy. They have wonderful traditional dishes like carbonara (the rich egg-y kind, not our creamy kind) and oxtail! And no meal would be complete without tiramisu.

What’s your ideal Sunday in Rome?