Rome

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Sights and museums

Chaotic, fascinating, exhausting and stunning, Rome is a sight in itself. On a cloud-free day with a hint of summer in the air, and with a good vantage point from a well-placed curb-side café table, you could be forgiven for wondering why anyone would want to trade this for a dutiful traipse around a museum or archaeological site.

 

Churches
Central Rome has more than 400 churches. Through the centuries, popes, princes and aristocrats commissioned architects and artists to build, rebuild and adorn their preferred places of worship. Motives were frequently anything but pious, but all this munificence has resulted in some of Rome’s most spectacular sights.

 

Churches are places of worship. Though only the Vatican imposes its dress code strictly (both in St Peter’s and the Vatican Museums), respect is appreciated and very short skirts or shorts are frowned upon. Many churches ask tourists to refrain from visiting during services; if you are admitted, you will be expected not to take photos, talk loudly or wander around. A supply of coins for the meters to light up the most interesting art works is always handy.

 

The abolition of compulsory military service in 2005 had the knock-on effect of depriving smaller churches of their supply of conscientious objectors to act as custodians; opening hours in some places, therefore, will depend on the whims and workload of the priest.

 

Opening hours
Opening hours are subject to seasonal change, but more often than not you’ll find that timetables are considerably more generous than the winter hours (orario invernale – roughly from October to May) we give in this guide. Some of the major museums and archaeological sites, in particular, keep their doors open until as late as 11pm during summer (orario estivo). Check for current times at the information offices we have listed in the Resources A-Z section at the back of this guide, or at the green Punti informativi turistici (PIT) kiosks dotted around the city.

 

Note that many museums, galleries and ancient sites stop issuing tickets anything up to 75 minutes before the doors shut. Never presume that you can turn up at the last minute for a quick look around, especially in larger museums and sights.

 

Church opening times should be taken as rough guidelines; most open and close an hour later in summer. All but the largest churches close around noon, and remain firmly shut until late afternoon.

 

Monday can be frustrating for sightseeing in Rome, as many museums and sights are closed. Churches are open, though, as are some major sights.

 

Tickets
Entrance to publicly owned museums and sites is free (gratuito) or reduced (ridotto) for EU citizens (and citizens of other countries with bilateral agreements) aged under 18 and over 65; check tariffs at entrances carefully. Under-25s in full-time education may also be eligible for discounts, as may journalists, teachers, motoring association members and various others. Make sure you carry various types of ID to take advantage of any savings.

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