Useful information when visiting Rome

European SOS 112
The number 112 can be dialled to reach emergency services – medical, fire and police – from anywhere in Europe. This Pan-European emergency number 112 can be called from any telephone (landline, pay phone or mobile cellular phone). Calls are free. Alongside 112, the following emergency numbers are available:

• 113 – police
• 115 – fire brigade
• 118 – first aid

112 calls are answered within 10 seconds. In addition to Italian, the calls are answered in English, French and German. In some areas, they may also be answered in Slovenian. The 112 operator can detect the location of the caller within about 5 seconds.

Source: website European Commission

Rome was founded on a hill, as legend has it, and it’s kept up its heritage well throughout the years. The ancient city encompasses seven hills but the modern city has expanded to include many more, and man-made structures have further added to the city’s wealth of panoramas.  From the tranquil heights of Monte Mario to the cupola of St. Peter’s, here’s our top 5 list of breathtaking views in Rome:

1. Monte Mario
Elevation:  139 m
Less than a mile north of the Vatican walls, you’ll find the base of the Monte Mario Nature Reserve. Follow the winding paths to the top and you’ll be at Rome’s highest point, with parks, gardens and unrivaled views of the city.  For the best vantage point head to the hilltop restaurant/ café, Lo Zodiaco.  Their terrace is facing just the right way so that, day or night, you can take in stunning views of the sprawling metropolis below.  And their cocktails aren’t bad, either.

2. Campidoglio – Capitoline Hill
Elevation: 48 m
The hill from which the word “capitol” is derived lives up to its name as one of the best places to survey your domain in Rome.   One of the Ancient City’s original seven hills, Campidoglio today lies at a quintessentially Roman crossroads, where preserved ruins meet modern, bustling streets.  You can see it all from any one of three vast and elegant structures on the top: the Piazza di Campidoglio, the Victor Emmanuel Monument or the Santa Maria in Aracoeli.

3. Gianicolo – Janiculum Hill
Elevation: 63 m
See Rome from another angle when you climb up Gianicolo (Janiculum) just west of the Tiber River.  Daylight reveals a sea of brown roofs, pierced by the occasional cupola or national monument, and the night brings a sea of glowing lights as far as the eye can reach.  You’ll find that the crest of Gianicolo makes for pleasant strolling, with a collection of churches and universities populating the area.  Much of the hill is now designated as green space, so you can roam uninhibited over its length of more than a kilometer.

4. Palatine Hill
Elevation: 51 m
Legend, corroborated by archeological findings, suggests that Rome was founded on Palatine Hill.  Romulus and Remus may not have been discovered here attached to a wolf’s nipples, as the story goes, but evidence shows that people have lived in this area since 1,000 B.C.  Today, you can climb 40m to the top and take in centuries of history as you look out on the ruins of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Circus Maximus.

5. Cupola of St. Peter’s Basilica
Elevation: 138 m (external)
This man-made, God-decreed behemoth is a testament to the strength of religion and the virtuosity of Renaissance architecture (both Raphael and Michelangelo worked on this).  The “Grandest Dome in Christendom” competes on the level with God’s own work outside the Vatican walls.  You’ll have to grease the coffers to get up there (6 EUR if you walk up the stairs) but the observation deck offers stunning views of the geometrical St. Peter’s Square and the rest of the sinful city beyond.

Rome is known as the eternal city and brings millions of tourists to visit the city’s amazing sites every year. On your way to these sites, there are fabulous streets where you can eat, drink, or just simply, sit and admire, while you take your photo shoots. As the famous saying states, “All roads lead to Rome”, let us then find the top 5 streets inside the Eternal City.

1. Ponte Sant’Angelo
More than a street or avenue, more emblematic than any bridge, this ponte is the gate to Castel Sant’Angelo, where history meets the novel of Dan Brown, “Angels and Demons”. This bridge is one of those where you can easily spend a long time simply by looking at its architectonic details and admirable view: facing west you can observe and admire the San Pieter Basilica; to the north the astonishing castle of Saint Angelo; and to the south super crowded Rome with tourists, pilgrims or merchants of any type. The history of the bridge goes back to the 2nd century AD, and originally was known as Bridge of Hadrian, named after the Roman Emperor Hadrian. Already in the 7th century, Pope Gregory I named the bridge with its present name, inspired by the legend that an angel appeared to announce the end of the plague that ravaged a great part of the population in that century. Finally, the bridge had its current configuration with Pope Clement IX, when ten angels holding instruments of Passion were placed along the bridge.

2. Via della Conciliazione
On its way from Castel Sant’Angelo towards the west until Saint Peter’s Square we find Via della Conciliazione, one of the most fabulous roads of Rome which leads to the center of Catholicism in the world. At each side of the avenue there are pillars with old-fashioned lamps on the top. Besides that, you can find important monuments in this street, such as Palazzo Torlonia or the church of Santa Maria in Traspontina. Either way, the moment you step onto this street, you cannot leave it without appreciating the view in each direction. As for its history, the avenue was built between 1936 and 1950 and it constitutes the principal access to the Square and Vatican.

3. Via dei Fori Imperiali
If you are in Piazza Venezia and have not yet visited the Colosseum, then you have the opportunity to go through this imperialistic avenue and see monuments such as Forum of Trajan, Forum of Augustus or Forum of Nerva at both of sides of the road. In the end visit the most famous monument of the old Roman Empire (the Colosseum). The construction of the avenue goes back to Mussolini’s regime and his ideal of a new Italian Empire, while honoring the old one, which is the reason why the via crosses main monuments of the old Roman Empire. Nowadays, this via is the place for the celebrations of the foundation of the modern Italian Republic.

4. Streets around Fontana di Trevi
It is really hard to name one street close to Fontana di Trevi worthier than another, simply because the entire area is full of life and joy, including very nice restaurants, cafeterias, ice cream places (and so fabulous they are!), and other places where you can take your time to eat a very typical pizza, drink a tasty red wine and for dessert, of course, a fabulous tiramisu. After that, if you are lucky, you can enjoy the sun next to fountain and throw your coin to ensure your return to Rome!

5. Via Nazionale
If you find yourself with spare time in Rome and want to do some shopping, this is the right street to look for. With plenty of shops on both sides of the road, as well as cheaper restaurants in the perpendicular streets, you can find a nice avenue for some leisure time and filling up your stomach. But not just shops and restaurants are famous in this street. This route is also the place for Tower of Milizie (in the southwestern most point), Palazzo delle Esposizioni and the headquarters of Banca d’Italia. At the northeastern most point, you find yourself in Piazza della Repubblica, where, besides the beauty of the buildings, you can find lot of transportation to take you on your journey through Rome.

• The population of the city of Rome is around 2.7 million. The entire metropolitan area of Rome has an estimated 3.7 million people.
• Rome is known as the “Eternal city” and also “Caput Mundi,” coming from Latin and meaning capital of the world.
• Rome was founded by two brothers nursed by a she-wolf. The two twin brothers were named Romulus and Remus and were abandoned soon after their birth. They were discovered by a she-wolf on the banks of the Tiber, who took them in and fed them. Eventually the boys grew up to found a city. But like brothers, they had an argument about who would be the ruler of their new city, and Remus was killed. Romulus became ruler and named the city after himself: Rome.
• Purple clothing was a status symbol and reserved only for emperors or senators. To achieve the color, a dye was made from murex seashells. It was treason for anyone other than the emperor to dress completely in purple.
• Every night at the Trevi Fountain about 3,000 Euros are swept up from the bottom of the basin. The money is donated to Caritas, a catholic charity, who uses the money to provide services for needy families in Rome.
• Modern Rome has 280 fountains and more than 900 churches.