Rome, Italy's capital, rises on the banks of the Tevere about 25 kilometers from its main outlet in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is situated at the center of an undulating plain, the Campagna Romana, which is confined one side by the hills of Monte Mario, Gianicolo and Monteverde and on the other side by smaller hills of volcanic origin - the so-called "Seven Hills."
Two thousand years of history have made the artistic and architectural patrimony of Rome so rich that the tourist feels overwhelmed. Thus it is preferable to outline a precise program and to fix determined objectives, according to one's taste and the amount of time available.

Rome, Italy's capital, rises on the banks of the Tevere about 25 kilometers from its main outlet in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is situated at the center of an undulating plain, the Campagna Romana, which is confined one side by the hills of Monte Mario, Gianicolo and Monteverde and on the other side by smaller hills of volcanic origin - the so-called "Seven Hills."

Two thousand years of history have made the artistic and architectural patrimony of Rome so rich that the tourist feels overwhelmed. Thus it is preferable to outline a precise program and to fix determined objectives, according to one's taste and the amount of time available.

By Plane (from the airport to the city)
- The Leonardo da Vinci airport, situated at Fiumicino (Tel. 06/65951), is about 36 km from Rome. A train line connects the airport to the air terminal, near the Roma Ostiense train station.
The terminal is, in turn, connected via moving platform to the contiguous subway station Pyramid ("Piramide") (line B). The train leaves every 20 minutes from 5:30 to midnight.

It is also possible to reach the city using buses that stop just outside the airport. They go to the air terminal of via Giolitti, situated alongside the Termini Station.

- The Ciampino airport (tel. 06/794941), 16 km southeast of Rome, is the destination for most air charters and for some domestic lines. It is connected to the Termini Station by a local train line and by the buses that go outside the city limits ("extraurban").

The most comfortable solution, but also the most expensive, is given by taxis, which serve both airports.

By Train
All international trains and most Italian trains stop at the Termini Station in Piazza del Cinquecento, situated near the urban center.

For information about Railway schedules or prices, you can phone "Trenitalia (National Railway) Call Center" 892021: to be dialed with no code by telephone from Italy.

At the Tiburtina Station there are stops, especially during the night hours, for some trains headed south.

ATAC, the Roman urban transport society, manages the subways, trams, and buses.

There are two subway lines. The first, line A, crosses the city from the western side (via Tuscolana - via Appia) to the Vatican section; the second, line B, connects the eastern zone (Rebibbia) with the EUR (Exposizione Universale di Roma), crossing line A near Termini Station. Trains start running at 5.30 am. and stop at 11.30 p.m.

All the main tourist attraction can be reached on the hundreds of bus and tram routes that cross the city. There is also a night bus service between 0.30 a.m and 5.30 a.m.

The taxi service in Rome is well organised. The taxis are withe or yellow and fares are shown on a card inside the vehicle.

Touristic information
Azienda di Promozione Turistica di Roma (Tourist office)
Via Parigi 11 - 00185 Roma
Tel. 06 48 89 91- fax 06 48 19 316

Turistic Call Centre
Open every day 9.00 a.m. – 7 p.m. Tel. 06 36004399

Visitor Center
Via Parigi 5 (Piazza della Repubblica)
Lun-Sab 9 - 19 - Closed on Sunday

Information office c/o "Leonardo da Vinci" Airport - Fiumicino
International arrivals - Terminal B
Every day: 8.00 - 19.00

Useful numbers
ACI Breakdown service: 803116
Police 113
Carabinieri 112
Fire brigade 115
Financial Police 117
Medical Emergency Service 118
Italian Red Cross Ambulance 06 5510

Embassies
France
Piazza Farnese, 67 Tel. 06 686011
Germany
Via S. Martino della Battaglia, 4 Tel. 06 492131
United Kingdom
Via XX settembre, 80/a Tel. 06 4220001
Spain
Largo Fontanella Borghese, 19 Tel. 06 6840401
U.S.A.
Via Veneto, 119 Tel. 06 46471

Roman cooking is generally identified with that of Lazio. It is not excessively sophisticated but is among the most flavored of Italy.

The most authentic dishes are prepared with simple ingredients: pasta, tripe, chicken giblets, baccalà (salted fish), beans, artichokes, brain, beef tail ("coda di manzo") - although there is no lack of richer dishes like lamb, goat's meat, pork, and various types of seafood.

The meal usually begins with an antipasto: cold meats, raw vegetables soaked in olive oil or vinegar, olives, "bruschetta" (toasted bread with olive oil and garlic and various toppings such as tomatoes), and seafood.

The real main dish is the first: spaghetti carbonara style, bucatini (a type of pasta) alla matriciana (tomato, bacon and onion), penna all'arrabbiata (tomato, parsley, and peppers), gnocchi alla romana, spaghetti with garlic and oil, fettucini with butter or tomato sauce.
Also traditional are country soups like pasta with beans, or with chickpeas or lentils, or potato gnocchi with tomato sauce.


The second dish can be meat or fish: beef stew, oven-baked lamb or goat, chicken with peppers, lamb alla cacciatora (hunter's style, with rosemary, garlic, peppers, white wine, sage), tripe with tomato and mentuccia romana (a local herb), beef tail "alla vaccinara","baccalà in guazzetto" (white wine, garlic, and parsley) or with "pastella" (fine pasta of water and flour, fried), "ciriole" (bread) "alla fiumarola" and cuttlefish with peas.
Among the fresh cheeses, ricottas and mozzarellas.

As dessert, fruit in season or fruit cocktail, ice cream, "maritozzi" (horn-shaped pastry filled with cream), "mostaccioli," "pangiallo" (a type of fruitcake that contains peanuts above all), "cavallucci" (cookies) and ricotta cake.

Among the wines the Castelli Romani whites are outstanding: Frascati, Monteporzio, Marino, Albano, Lanuvio, Genzano, Velletri. Of particular esteem is the Malvasia of Grottaferrata. Among the reds, the Cesanese of Olevano produced in the Castelli region, the Baccanale of Campagnano, Torre Ercolana, Colle Picchioni and Velletri rosso Riserva.

Opening Hours
In the winter shops are generally open from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 15:30 to 19:30; in the summer they are open from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00. Some shops downtown have continuous hours, from 10:30 to 19:30. They are closed on Sundays and on Monday mornings, with the exception of grocery stores and some stores carrying technical items, which are closed on Sundays and on Thursday afternoons in winter and on Saturday afternoons in summer.

Sales
Sales occur twice a year: from the beginning of January until February and from mid-June to mid-September.

Markets
Besides the Roman shops, the Open Markets are also worth visiting. The following are some of the most typical:
Campo de' Fiori Situated in the heart of the old city, in Piazza Campo de' Fiori, it is open from Monday to Saturday from 7:00 to 13:30. Every morning the piazza fills up with varied stands that sell fruits and vegetables, meats, chicken and fish, dried beans, dried fruits, and flowers. Excellent specialty food and bread shops surround the piazza, rounding out the range of products offered.
Porta Portese, Via Portuense and Via Ippolito Nievo Open Sundays from 6:30 to 14:00. Here one can find anything: clothes, shoes, purses, suitcases, camping supplies, sheets, washclothes, pots and pans, kitchen supplies, plants, puppies, spare parts, cassettes and compact discs, old LPs and 78s.

Rome is a very lively city, celebrated not only for its monuments but also for being the center of "La Dolce Vita." Cafés and bars are open until one in the morning, while discotheques and clubs close late in the night.
Movie theatres are numerous and offer both new releases, just out on the film circuit, and films by little-known authors, projected in film clubs and in experimental theatres.
Programs of popular films take place under the stars in the summertime.
The theatre season is rather brief, from October to May, but more than one hundred companies offer all kinds of shows: comedies by Goldoni, Pirandello, De Filippo, French and English classics, reviews, cabarets, political theatre, experimental theatre, etc. Tickets can be acquired on the day of the show.