I updated the “Neighborhoods” section, which includes Rome’s sights, museums, churches, and more—and, as you might expect, is more than half the book. There was a lot of fact-checking (and correcting!) involved, so check it out… and let me know what you think! You can get the new Fodor’s edition on Amazon here. (And if you want more personalized advice than what any guidebook can give you, check out my one-on-one Italy travel chats!).
Rumor has it he made his horse a consul, his palace a brothel, and his sisters his, erm, “girlfriends.” Two thousand years later, the jury’s still out on how crazy Emperor Caligula really was.But one thing’s for certain: He was, and remains, a fascinating character.
That’s why I was thrilled to be a host/”story-teller” for the History Channel’s 2-hour documentary on the Roman emperor, produced by North South Productions. And, having premiered in Australia and New Zealand, the documentary is finally coming out in the U.S.
So mark your calendars: The U.S. premiere date for “Caligula: 1400 Days of Terror” is Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 9pm. Tune in to hear me and other friends in Rome, including Katie Parla and Darius Arya, share the latest theories behind this still-mysterious figure!
Update, Oct. 4: The preview has just been put online! You can get a glimpse of the show here.
Update, Nov. 5: You can now buy the documentary for instant download from Amazon for $2.99; get it here.
Want to take travel photos that make Rome look its best? Then read on!
If you're traveling to Italy, you'll probably be taking (lots of) photographs.
And, look. Not everyone cares about taking great travel photographs.(Believe me, I get it—I often take photos just to help me remember where I was!).
Even so, having a few tips in mind can help. For one, it means you'll spend less time on your trip fiddling with settings—or frustrated when your photos don't turn out right. For another, better photos mean you can avoid boring your relatives, and Facebook friends, to death with your trip albums. Not to mention that it's pretty rewarding to return from a trip and have some photographs you're actually proud of (and maybe that you even want to print and frame!).
Here are five top tips for how to take great photos in Rome (or, well, anywhere).
Don't think you need a super-fancy camera or DSLR to take great photos
I didn't have my DSLR on me when I happened to catch the sun setting over the forum. Instead, this is taken with my Sony Cybershot—which is a fantastic camera, but notably less expensive than a DSLR.
I also grabbed a shot with my iPhone 4S, which handled the scene (and lack of light) remarkably well.
Yes, I have a DSLR. (A 3-year-old Nikon D90, to be precise). Now that I've learned how to use it (more on that in a moment), I love it. But some of my favorite photos weren't taken with a "fancy camera"; they were taken with a point-and-shoot or, in some cases, an iPhone.
So, truly. Don't feel like you have to be limited by your equipment. Just learn to use what you've got. And if you don't have the time to learn your camera, don't bother to invest in it. Seriously.
Read the camera manual. Or at least the first few pages.
Can you get a shot like this one if you never open your manual? Sure. Is it a whole lot easier if you know your camera? Absolutely.
This is a favorite tip from my friend, and uber-talented travel photographer, Ken Kaminesky. "Read. The. Manual." He couldn't be more correct.
When I first bought my DSLR, the (100-page!) manual overwhelmed me. So, instead, I did what any aspiring photographer busy person would do: I didn't read it. Instead, for the first year, I took almost all of my photographs on the "automatic" setting.
Here's the thing. Because of the high quality of the camera itself, my photos came out crisper and clearer than they would have with a more basic point-and-shoot. But? I still took a lot of crappy photos. The camera would focus on something I didn't want it to. Or the photo would come out blurry, especially when I was taking photos without much light (more on that later).
Frustrated, I finally sat down and, you guessed it, read the manual. And wow. Did my photography get better. There was no way I could possibly remember everything I read, but it at least laid the groundwork. And I make a point of trying to re-skim it every so often. Every time I do, I find some new capability I could be using that I'd forgotten about.
So whether you've invested in a "serious camera" or not, make sure you read at least the start of your manual. There's no excuse for you to not know how to, say, turn your flash on and off. Seriously.
Avoid taking photos at midday
In the late afternoon, the light has softened to a lovely glow, with interesting shadows
Good photographers know that the best time for picture-taking tends to be in the early morning or late afternoon. Midday, the sun is directly overhead and at its strongest, casting a harsh, unflattering light on everything (and everyone).
But this is a particularly good tip for sunny Rome, especially in the summer. From about 11am to 3pm, the sun bleaches out everything. Even the Colosseum looks uninteresting. So, instead, and especially if it's a sunny day, try to take your shots as far out of that window as possible.
The late afternoon, an hour or so before the sun goes down, is when I tend to have the best luck: The light is warm, flattering, and beautiful, but there's still enough of it that you don't have to worry about camera-shake (keep reading if you don't know what that is).
Know when there is, and isn't, enough light (hello, Rome churches, restaurants, and sunsets)
In a situation like this—the underground of the church of San Crisogono in Trastevere—you'll obviously need some extra strategies to get enough light. But Rome's underground isn't the only place where you'll have to work around the darkness!
Ever taken photos of, say, a church interior, gotten back home, and wondered why they were so fuzzy?
It's probably because there wasn't enough light.
When you're inside, or when the sun is just starting to set, there often isn't enough light for the camera to "see" properly without a flash. That darkness isn't something you always automatically notice yourself, because our eyes naturally adjust in a matter of nanoseconds. But your camera isn't quite as adaptable. You have to tell it to adapt.
So if there's less light, and your camera is doing its automatic thang, then either your flash pops up… or the shutter speed slows down. That lets the camera's shutter stay open, longer, to capture more light. But the longer the shutter is open for, the more the camera isregistering not just the light, but also the natural vibrations of your hands—i.e., "camera shake." Result: blurry photos.
For crisp interior and dusk or nighttime photos, you have a few basic options. You can use a tripod (or rest your camera on a makeshift tripod, like a chair, the floor, or church pew). You can turn on the flash (although please see below first). You can crank up the ISO, which represents your camera's sensitivity to light. (The higher the ISO is, though, the worse-quality, and grainier, the photos tend to be).
To get this shot without a lot of camera shake (my shutter speed was at 1/60, already a little too slow for my liking), I had to crank up the ISO to 1600. Result: it's less fuzzy than it would have been, but is starting to show some graininess.
Or, depending on your comfort with your "manual" setting, you can change the F-stop. The lower the number of the F-stop, the less "depth of field" there is. That means the camera will focus on a narrower and narrower point, blurring whatever's farther away from, or closer than, that particular subject.
An example of low depth of field: Instead of the entire cupcake, wrapper, and table being in focus, only the frosting is. (Also, now I'm hungry).
Finally, a trick I use when I have no other option: Take several photos right in a row, just keeping the button pressed down. Often, what causes the most "shake" is the movement of depressing the shutter button. So while the first photo might be blurry, the second or third one might not be. Here are two photos I took, with all of the same settings, right in a row in this Rome restaurant:
First photo I took
Second photo: same exact specs, but less camera shake
Know when flash is and isn't appropriate
A good tourist, like this one, knows to turn off the flash in a church
Especially when photo-takers notice their nighttime or interior shots aren't coming out right, they tend to turn on the flash.
However. Please keep in mind that, first of all, your flash doesn't go that far. So if you're, say, at the overlook of the Roman forum while the sun is setting, hoping to get that perfect dusk shot of the ruins 50 yards away, the flash is not going to make a difference.
And, depending on where you are, using your flash can be annoying and even rude. Times you should never use flash include:
when you're inside a church and people are praying, or a Mass is going on
when you're at an indoor or outdoor performance (the number of flashes going off at the opera at the arena of Verona killed me… especially because, again, everyone was way too far from the stage for the flash to make their photos come out any better—all it did was annoy everyone)
when you're taking a photo of delicate artwork, including frescoes or (even more importantly) cloth or tapestries (the Hall of Tapestries in the Vatican, I'm talking about you), since the flash is damaging
Other problems with flash: It can bleach out your subject, and its light is pretty flattening. (Not flattering. Flattening).
As a result, here are the only two times I tend to use flash:
when I'm in a hurry and don't have time to fiddle with various settings before the shot slips away, or
when I'm taking a photograph of a subject when the light is coming directly from behind them (for example, a friend of mine standing in front of a sunset). This is called being "backlit." The camera might not automatically tell me it wants to use flash, because it thinks there's enough light from behind my subject. But I know that, if I let it just go on its automatic way, my friend will be just a silhouette in front of a sunset. That can be cool, but if I want to actually see her face, I have to turn on the flash.
One time to use flash: when you'd be backlit otherwise
Want more tips? Check out The Revealed Rome Handbook: Tips and Tricks for Exploring the Eternal City, available for purchase on Amazon, below, or through my site here!
Don't grab a cornetto (Italy's answer to the croissant) at just any old cafe. (Lots of them are bought, frozen, in bulk—ew!). Check out my guide for where to find the best cornetti in Rome for Serious Eats.
Nota bene: This piece required eating an absurd amount of cornetti. And while one goes down easy… but let me tell you, three in a row gets painful. Oh, the sacrifice! #travelwriterproblems
Why just grab a leather jacket off the rack… when you can pick the color and design yourself?
Just in time for the first day of fall: a workshop near the Spanish Steps that makes leather jackets. (And fur coats!). (Update, December 2016: Agostino’s store moved in November 2016. He’s now at Via dei Maroniti 13, near the Trevi Fountain—and only slightly further from the Spanish Steps. The store’s name is now Crisafulli Leather Fashion).
I discovered the Sistina 26 Crisafulli leather workshop a couple of months ago, and the owner, Agostino—a friendly Sicilian with a passion for all things artigianale—was more than happy to give me a tour. He and his wife, Elisa, not only run the shop, but design all of the jackets. And, as is always one of the best things about getting something handmade, they’re happy to alter the designs to suit anyone’s particular preference. And yes, they’re happy to ship abroad.
The cozy workshop in the back was everything an artisan’s workshop should be, included cluttered and humming with a current creation.
In the works: a blue leather jacket
The store in the front has a number of jackets already made, in every color and type of leather imaginable, for both men and women. The styles range from classic to funky to, well, frankly outrageous. (Please see: green-and-yellow jacket, below).
Here are just a few of the leather jackets Agostino showed me:
Agostino models one of his men’s jackets
For the very bold!
My favorite jacket in the store—an absolute classic
And if fur’s your preference, they’ve got that too.
Fox, and beaver, and rabbit, oh my!
So if you’re thinking of splashing out this fall on a leather jacket that’ll last for years, check out Crisafulli. Because the only thing better than a leather jacket from Italy… is a handmade jacket made just for you.
I’m always on the lookout for vintage stores in Rome, and it’s no secret I’m kind of obsessed with Via del Boschetto for shopping. So imagine my excitement to come across King Size Vintage, a brand-spanking-new (it opened just a few days ago) addition to the street.
King Size Vintage already had a location in the gritty students’ quarter of San Lorenzo. But now that it’s moved to Monti, I’ll be paying it many more visits. Especially because the shop itself is beautifully done. The space is large, at least for stores in Rome’s centro storico, and the owners have resisted the vintage-store temptation of completely cramming it with items. Result? Browsing is fun. And anything but overwhelming.
(Note: This information was updated in April 2017).
Especially when a little exploration yields details like these:
(Closeups of some lovely vintage swimsuits)
(Drawers full of wallets and belts)
(Leopard-print Fendi blouse, €65)
(The rack of women’s blouses and dresses)
(Old-school sneakers)
(Beautiful detail on a €25 purse)
Bonus: This is one of the better-priced vintage stores I’ve seen in Rome. Even the high-end designer items are more than fairly priced.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t scoop up a couple of items while doing, um, “research.”
King Size Vintage in Monti is now located on Via Leonina 78/79. Telephone: +39 064817045. Website: facebook.com/kingsize.vintage.
If you liked this post, you’ll love The Revealed Rome Handbook: Tips and Tricks for Exploring the Eternal City, available for purchase on Amazon or through my site here! I’m also free for one-on-one consulting sessions to help plan your Italy trip.
Tired of reading my tips and tricks to Rome and Italy—and want to sit back, relax, and listen instead? Then tune into my half-hour chat with Anthony Capozzoli on the radio show "How to Tour Italy." From the best way to experience Umbria in a day trip, to my take on Italian graffiti, to (most importantly) why funky-looking Italian lemons don't bother either of us, but the sight of puffy, pretty gelato does, we covered a lot of—very varied—ground.
There are a lot of wonderful reasons to visit Rome in autumn. And while most people might not think of rain as one of them… well, I do.
Sure, it's never pleasant to suddenly get dumped on while you're, say, walking through the already-muddy ancient forum without an umbrella. But Rome's rain doesn't usually last for long. And the moment it slows down, the moody clouds and sudden glimpses of sunlight mean that the city might just be at its most beautiful.
Here's proof.
Palatine Hill, even prettier in the rain. Note the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, peeking through the clouds in the background…
Ancient Trajan's Column—and modern traffic. The rain doesn't slow Rome's drivers down, but it does make the streets just a little glossier and prettier!
You know what else rain means? Rainbows!
The Teatro di Marcello, just after a storm
A little rain makes the light in the Roman forum softer and prettier—and keeps the crowds away, too
See? I told you rain in Rome wasn't all bad. Just don't forget your galoshes!
Want more tips about what to do in the Eternal City? Check out The Revealed Rome Handbook: Tips and Tricks for Exploring the Eternal City, available for purchase on Amazon, below, or through my site here!
Want to see Titian's "Sacred and Profane Love"? Then you have to book your spot
For some of the best sights in Rome, you don't need to worry about reservations, or tickets, or a booking. You can waltz right into the Pantheon, explore Rome's lovely small churches, or gawk at Rome's archaeological treasures in the Palazzo Massimo without so much as a booking.
But some of Rome's coolest experiences do need to be planned in advance. How you'll get into the Colosseum or Sistine Chapel without standing in a 3-hour line, for example. (More on that in a future post). And some actually need to be booked.
Yes, you heard me. In the land of la dolce vita and 2-hour lunch breaks, there are tourist sights you can't get into unless you have a reservation.
And here they are.
St. Peter’s tomb
The necropolis under St. Peter’s Basilica—which includes what’s thought to be the tomb of St. Peter—makes a super-cool visit for anyone, not just pilgrims. The ancient tombs here are both pagan and Christian, many still with elaborate mosaic decoration; it gives you a great idea of what a 1st-century, above-ground cemetery would have looked like.
But because the archaeological site is delicate, only 250 visitors can enter per day, on tours only, and must book in advance. Note that visitors also must be at least 15 years old.
To book, email scavi@fsp.va or fax +39 0669873017. You also can ask at the Excavations Office when you’re in Rome, but because these tours tend to book out weeks ahead of time, I wouldn't wait until then to do so. Make sure to include the number of participants, names, which language you need, how to contact you, and the period when you’re available to attend.
Borghese Gallery
The Borghese Gallery, which must be booked in advance
This is my favorite art museum in Rome, and it’s absolutely a must-see. To keep it a pleasant experience, however (and to protect the art), the museum limits the number of people who can be inside at any one time. Entrances are at 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, and 5pm, daily except Monday. Book at least a week in advance in high season.
To book, either go to galleriaborghese.it and click on “Tickets reservations” or call +39 0632810. There is a €1.50 surcharge per ticket for booking online. You also can automatically get a reservation by booking a tour with a reputable tour company.
Palazzo Valentini
If the Borghese is my favorite art museum, this is my favorite ancient, underground site. (Although that sounds quite specific I can assure you that, in a city chock-full of them, it’s not!). Smack in the center of Rome, not far from the Forum, the 16th-century palazzo sits on top of two opulent, ancient Roman villas. An (enthusiastic! and dramatic!) automated tour takes you through them as—drumroll, please—light shows “recreate” what they would have looked like.
You can book online at palazzovalentini.it (just make sure you pick an English, “inglese,” tour!). Or you can call +39 0632810, or make an appointment in person. However, particularly in high season or if you have limited time, I’d recommend booking this at least a week in advance.
From the time I was a little girl, the fall has been my favorite season. It's the time of my birthday, of a fresh start to a new (school) year, of finally being able to cozy up in sweaters and tromp through dry leaves and smell woodsmoke in the air. While I'll always be partial to the glorious falls of New England, the autumn in Rome is pretty wonderful, too.
Here are five things I'm most excited about this fall in Rome.
There's something special about the light in Rome in autumn. Hard to show—and even harder to describe—it's a kind of golden glow that covers everything, and not just in the evening. When I first moved here, it was an October. And this light was one of the things about Rome that made me fall in love.
When it comes to fashion, the fall is when Romans are in their element… thanks to the unpredictability of the elements themselves. The cooling temperatures and flash rainstorms mean that, to keep warm and ward off such horrible made-up diseases as la cervicale, every self-respecting Italian has to bundle up with scarves and coats (and sweaters and and gloves and hats). Even if it's an unseasonably warm day. The impressive part? While I feel like an overstuffed snowman in my layers, they manage to make all of that bundling up look nothing short of stylish.
When it rains in Rome—which it starts to, like clockwork, every September—it's rarely the ongoing, trickling, depressing rain you get in, say, London. Instead, the rain pours down hard. And then, just as suddenly, stops. The result? Dramatic, Turner-worthy skies and a gloss over everything that makes the city that much more beautiful—and photogenic.
Rome's summer heat always sucks the appetite right out of me. But as temperatures drop, tucking into the simple-but-stick-to-your-ribs staples of Roman cuisine, like pasta carbonara (above, from Da Danilo)—isn't just palatable again. It's glorious.
I'm such a New England girl, it took moving to Rome for me to realize that, yes, trees change color in other places, too. In Rome, one of my favorite places to wander in autumn is the Villa Borghese, an oasis of trees, and autumn colors, in the city center.
guidebook hit bookstores yesterday.
