A stroll on Ponte Sisto.

The best way to soak up the city — and to find some of the quainter (and more affordable) shops — is to zig-zag from vicolo to vicolo (alley), piazza to piazza.

For a good two-hour stroll, start at the bustling Piazza Navona, then head south through Campo dei Fiori, where you'll find cafés and daily food and flower markets, to the beguiling Piazza Farnese, with its pair of fountains and Renaissance palace.

From there, continue toward Ponte Sisto. The ponte (bridge) offers a great perspective on the beauty of Rome, with the Gianicolo hill rising to the west and St. Peter's Basilica to the north. Cross the Tiber to arrive in the utterly charming Trastevere neighborhood, where laundry swings overhead and flowers burst from window boxes.

The current bridge was built by Pope Sixtus IV between 1473 and 1479 as a replacement of a prior Roman bridge named Pons Aurelius.

The bridge is architecturally characteristic because of its central circular "eye".

It connects the popular night-life areas near Campo de' Fiori and Trastevere and has become part of popular culture and recently featured in films, music videos, and adverts.

The Ponte Sisto connects the lively and Popular Piazza Trilussa in Trastevere, where many young Romans gather for an apperitivo on a Friday night, with the via Pettinary and via Giulia in Campo Marte.

On the corner of via Pettinari and via Giulia once stood a fountain, a work

of the Acqua Paola Aqueduct, the water of which was brought over the bridge from the Transtiberim to the Campo Marte via Ponte Sisto.

After the Unification of Italy in 1870, the buildings surrounding this fountain were destroyed, and the fountain itself relocated to Piazza Trilussa on the other side of the bridge, where it delivers water to this day.

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Aventino - A plunge in art and nature of Rome

After a required visit to "Circus Maximum", I propose here an itinerary very interesting in Rome that you should really do.
From the southern part of the Circus, cross the square Ugo la Malfa and take Via di S.Sabina, a small road going uphill.

Before you start to walk for this road, if we are in the period May to October, is really worth visiting the beautiful Rose Garden. The garden counts more than 1100 species of roses from all over the world, including the rose with green petals and a roses with petals that change color, it is also the site of an important world competition. Entry of course it's free.

Keep going up for this street you arrive at the beautiful "Parco Savelli" best known at Romans as "Il Giardino degli Aranci"(Orange Garden). Its name comes from the characteristic presence of numerous orange trees, from here you can enjoy an excellent view of Rome.

Going a litle forward surrounded by green cypresses there is "Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta" this square protected by a wall and decorated with obelisks and military trophies is dedicated to the Templars, monks-warriors defenders of Christianity. Here watching through the hole of the main door's lock you can see surprised the dome of St. Peter, at the end of a tree-lined avenue, that seems framed in a postcard and seems to be within walking distance. It's an amazing view.

Always few steps from here we find the early Christian church of S.Sabina in Rome founded in 425 A.C, is one of the oldest Christian churches still exist. This and many other relics and monuments can be seen across this hill named "Aventino", one of the seven hills of Rome.

It's easy to arrive here, just take the Metro B and get off at Circo Massimo, then reach the places by walk.

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Gianicolo - A glimpse on Rome

Gianicolo is one of the most evocative place of Rome, not very popular for tourists but much appreciated by the Romans, from here you enjoy one of the most charming landscapes of the old Town.

"La passeggiata del Gianicolo" consists in two long tree-lined avenues that crosses the whole hill from Trastevere to the opposite side Porta di San Pancrazio and converge on the top in "Piazza Garibaldi" where is the imposing equestrian monument dedicated to the hero of the Repubblic of Rome,"Garibaldi". This is the heart of Gianicolo, here on this beautiful terrace, Romans love to meet to admire the breathtaking Rome view.

Young lovers have here their romantic dates, families with their children come here on Sunday morning watching the puppet theater of Pulcinella. Who like to come here to relax, for a drink, to read something on a bench, or just for a walk to keep away from the noise of the city for a while, (as I like to do).

There is here also a curious tradition that remains in the heart of Romans since the 1904.

At that time Pope Pius XI to give a standard to the bells of the churches of Rome and avoid a confusion of time , introduced a Cannon that every day at noon sharp shot a blow blank.

Still now, every day on the terrace under the statue of Garibaldi, three soldiers of Army, let leave a shot from the same cannon so announcing the Noon.

This hill with its large public park full of monuments is now considered a sort of memorial of Risorgimento and certainly worth a visit when you come in Rome.

You can reach the Gianicolo with bus 64 from train station Termini or with the same bus from Piazza Venezia, then few minute walking.

Ciao a tutti!

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