A room with a view of Rome EAMONN O’NEAL
Enjoys a spectacular vantage point to see The Eternal City in all its glory...
WHAT have the Romans ever done for us? When heading for the Eternal City, it’s difficult not to call to mind that famous Monty Python skit.
But when in Rome, it is abundantly clear that this ancient place is a living museum.
Around almost every corner is a piazza at the centre of a web of narrow cobbled streets which offer up astonishing sights. Obviously, there are the headline acts: The Pantheon, Vatican City, Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Spanish Steps and the Colosseum.
They say if you throw a couple of coins into the Trevi Fountain you’re bound to return to Rome. We’ll never know because it’s been under renovation for the past year and is still not finished.
However, that didn’t deter hundreds of people peering through the fences at an empty fountain (including us).
We had flown with Jet2. com direct from Manchester to Rome Fiumicino Aiport, which is a fair way out of the city.
A taxi costs between €25 and €40 depending on where you’re headed, although there is an express train from the airport into the main Terminii.
As we were staying at the Rome Cavalieri, we weighed up the options: a train into the centre followed by the metro for a couple of stops then a free shuttle bus from Piazza Barberini, all lugging a couple of cases. We got a cab.
The Rome Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts, to give it its full title, must be the most prestigious hotel in the area. World leaders, Hollywood heart-throbs and tennis superstars all stay here.
It’s perched high above the city on Monte Mario with spectacular views across Rome, including St Peter’s, which is only a 10 minutes taxi ride away.
As you step into the lobby you immediately get the sense that this is more than a luxury hotel.
It’s an art gallery and home to a collection of masters’ paintings, French period furniture, rare tapestries, exquisite sculptures and many other artefacts. Most of these works have been bought over decades at Sotheby’s and Christie’s.
Each of the 345 bedrooms has a private balcony and the style might be described as opulent, especially in the 25 luxury suites, which occupy the Imperial Club floors.
If you choose to stay in a suite or an Imperial Room, you’ll have access to the Imperial Club which offers private VIP check-in/out, breakfast, afternoon tea and drinks throughout the day, all at no extra cost.
There are three outdoor swimming pools and a huge spa and fitness club,
As well as the hotel’s own choice of bars and restaurants, the roof terrace hosts Rome’s only Michelin-rated three star restaurant, La Pergola.
If you want to treat yourself to the Pergola experience, you must book way in advance (and save up).
Normally, the hotel might not feature so prominently in a review of a city break, but the Cavalieri has a story as good as any.
Its location is of great historical interest as it lies on the ancient Via Francigena, the route thousands of English pilgrims took as they walked from Canterbury through France and Italy all the way to Rome.
This hill, the highest in the area was where the pilgrims got their first sight of Rome and here they rested before the final descent to their destination.
Consequently, the Cavalieri is not right in the middle of the Roman action in terms of city centre. However, the free shuttle bus drops you in Piazza Barberini, which is less than a ten-minute stroll to both the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain.
And after a day wandering the cobbled streets, seeing the sights and possibly doing a bit of shopping, hopping on the shuttle means you can be back in the peace and quiet very easily.
The Colosseum, an arena which is more than 2,000 years old, is very impressive, not least because, after all this time, its walls are still standing straight.
Of course, the gladiatorial activity of The Colosseum is well known and walking round the place it’s not hard to imagine the frenzied excitement and carnage which both emperors and citizens enjoyed.
Across the square you can visit the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. This huge space is where the city of Rome was said to be founded after the fight of brothers Romulus and Remus in year 754 BC. If you are a fan of art, you should visit Villa Borghese, where the magnificent gardens and the Galleria Borghese, with works from Correggio, Raphael, Rubens and Caravaggio will take your breath away.
Naturally, any visit to Italy will involve a great deal of eating. We visited a restaurant which had been recommended to us – The Costanza Hostaria in the Piazza del Paradiso is built into the ancient wall of The Theatre of Pompey. You can enjoy fabulous food and wine on the spot where, in 44 BC, Julius Caesar was warned to beware the Ides of March and where he was stabbed by Brutus.
More than once we settled down to watch the world go by in Piazza Navona, which is built on the site of yet another ancient stadium.
This square is full of artists and performers, and sitting at one of the many pavement cafes was a simple yet delightful way to spend a good couple of hours.
I can’t recommend Rome highly enough, but here are some simple yet essential tips: take some comfy shoes, book all your major visits online in advance, and don’t be frightened to explore away from the main attractions because you will come across some exquisite surprises.