Discover Rome
What to see in Rome
From La Dimora you can walk to St Peter’s Basilica and reach the Colosseum by metro. Two sights not to be missed, plus many more from the Vatican to day trips out of Rome, with tickets to book online to skip the queues.
Where you are
The neighbourhood
La Dimora is on Via Cardinal Cassetta, in the Aurelio district, a stone’s throw from the Vatican walls: a lived-in residential area, a five-minute walk from St Peter’s Square. If you are wondering where to stay near the Vatican, this is it.
Right downstairs you will find 24-hour supermarkets and local shops. For dinner, the trattorias of Borgo Pio are a fifteen-minute walk away, just beyond the colonnade.
From Roma San Pietro station, 100 metres away, regional trains take you to Trastevere and Ostiense in a few minutes; buses and metro line A (Ottaviano) connect you to the rest of the city.
For a sunset stroll, head up the Janiculum Hill: from the terrace on Piazza Garibaldi you can see the whole of Rome, domes included.
5 min on foot Stop 1
St Peter’s Basilica
A five-minute walk from the apartment lies one of the most moving places in the world. A masterpiece of the Renaissance, St Peter’s Basilica is among the largest churches in Christendom: it took more than 120 years to build, with the work of masters such as Michelangelo and Bernini.
According to tradition, beneath the high altar lies the tomb of St Peter, apostle and first Pope. This is where the Pope celebrates the most important services of the year, often before tens of thousands of faithful.
Our tip: climb the dome. You take the lift up to the terrace, then 320 steps lead to the top, with all of Rome at your feet. Go early in the morning: from the apartment you are there in five minutes, before the groups arrive.
- Construction
- 120+ years
- Dome height
- 136 m
- Steps to the top
- 320
20 min by metro Stop 2
Colosseum
The symbol of Rome around the world, the Colosseum is the largest amphitheatre ever built and a masterpiece of Roman engineering. Commissioned by Emperor Vespasian around AD 70 and inaugurated by his son Titus, it held up to 50,000 spectators for gladiatorial games and wild animal hunts.
Its elliptical plan measures 188 metres long and 156 metres wide, and it stands 48 metres high: even after two thousand years, seeing it in person leaves you speechless.
It is one of the most visited monuments in Italy and the queues can be long: book your tickets online or choose a guided tour to get in without waiting. From La Dimora you can get there by metro: line A from Ottaviano to Termini, then line B to Colosseo.
- Inaugurated
- AD 80
- Spectators
- 50,000
- Height
- 48 m
More to see
From the doorstep to day trips
From the Vatican around the corner to day trips out of town: for each place you’ll find tickets and guided tours on GetYourGuide, with up-to-date prices and availability.
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Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
Walking distanceThe Popes’ collections, the Raphael Rooms and Michelangelo’s Last Judgement. The queues at the entrance are among the longest in Rome: a pre-booked ticket is the way to go.
Vatican Museums tickets -
Vatican Gardens
Walking distanceThey cover more than half of Vatican City State, with fountains, groves and views of the dome. They can only be visited on a guided tour, often combined with the Museums.
Vatican Gardens tours -
Castel Sant’Angelo
Walking distanceHadrian’s mausoleum, the Popes’ fortress and now a museum, with a panoramic terrace over the Tiber and St Peter’s, at the end of Via della Conciliazione.
Castel Sant’Angelo tickets -
Pantheon and historic centre
Historic centreThe temple of all the gods, with the largest unreinforced concrete dome ever built and its oculus open to the sky. Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain are a short walk away.
Pantheon tickets and tours -
Borghese Gallery
By metroSculptures by Bernini and paintings by Caravaggio and Raphael in a villa set in a park. Entry is by reservation only, in timed slots: book well ahead.
Borghese Gallery tickets -
Catacombs and Appian Way
The underground galleries of the early Christians along the Regina Viarum, among tombs and the remains of Roman aqueducts: the oldest Rome, outside the walls.
Catacombs and Appian Way tours -
Tivoli: Villa d’Este and Hadrian’s Villa
Day tripThe Renaissance fountains of Villa d’Este and the ruins of Emperor Hadrian’s villa, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, about an hour from Rome.
Day trips to Tivoli -
Pompeii
Day tripThe Roman city buried by Vesuvius in AD 79, with houses, streets and frescoes just as they were. Many day trips from Rome include transport and a guide.
Day trips to Pompeii from Rome
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