Paint a Vulgar Picture

We've crossed paths with Caravaggio, the 16th century artist and murderer (following a dispute over a game of tennis) on several occasions on our travels around Europe. The startling Medusa portrait on a shield at the Uffizi in Florence; his grand masterpiece of the beheading of St. John the Baptist at St John's cathedral in Malta were the ones that captured our initial attention and since then we've made a point to check out his works wherever possible. So when the Caravaggio 2025 exhibition was announced in Rome it was the perfect excuse to return to the Eternal City for a long weekend.

The Colosseum, Rome

The main Leonardo da Vinci International Airport is connected to the centre of Rome by the Leonardo Express train. The direct train doesn't stop on its thirty-minute journey to the main Termini Station, so despite being a very busy service you'll be there in no time at all.

Rome

We were staying in the San Lorenzo district which is a short walk from Termini. For reference it's a thirty-minute walk to the Colosseum, but there are also trams should that be too far for you. It's a lively bohemian area packed full of bars and restaurants which makes it an excellent alternative to staying in the centre of the city. 

San Lorenzo district, Rome

This was our second visit to Rome, some notes around our first trip can be found here. Having previously visited all the main tourist areas we had the luxury of enjoying a slightly alternative, more laid-back three days in the city. We would return to a few main sites as walking the city is the best way to explore, and you can't fail to bump into a few of the big hitters as you meander around this beautiful city.

The Colosseum, Rome

And it was one of the main sites where we returned first with some unfinished business. The Colosseum and Forum are adjacent to each other, and the best ticket options combine visiting both. Last time we ran out of time to explore the Forum, so we booked tickets (available one month in advance) for the first available timed entry to the Colosseum when it opened at 0830am. After a quick whizz around the incredibly impressive stadium of the Gods, it still is a special place to visit, we headed over to the vast expanse of the Roman Forum.

The Forum from Palatine Hill, Rome

After the busy Colosseum it was nice to walk around the Forum in relative peace and check out some of the incredible views, especially from Palatine Hill. By the time we left the Forum the queues to get in were huge. So, get up and get in early!

The Forum, Rome

From the Forum it's a short walk to the Tiber River and there you can test your honesty at the ancient Mouth of Truth, a large sculpture of a face famous for biting the hand of liars. There was a huge line of very earnest people queuing to have their photo taken in front of it, but I was content with my personal karma and instead opted for a quick photo between the very truthful punters testing their integrity.

Mouth of Truth, Rome

Crossing the river at Ponte Palantino has great views of the Isle of Tiberina that sits in the centre of the Tiber and very handily takes you into Trastevere, which is an excellent area to grab lunch. We returned to the superb Tonnarello Paglia Restaurant where we had visited on our first trip to Rome many moons ago and been astounded by the fried artichoke. It didn't disappoint, the pinsa pizza we had was superb. The tomato sauce....blimey!

Trastevere does get very busy so get there early to grab a table at the popular restaurants. To walk off lunch somewhere a little more serene head to the Pyramid of Caius Cestius. It is quite bonkers to see a Pyramid in Rome, but we did see a lighthouse last on our last visit. This particular building was erected for a very rich Roman Official in 12BC but looks like it was built yesterday.

Pyramid of Caius Cestius, Rome

In the shadow of the pyramid is the Non-Catholic Cemetery, Cimitero Acattolico per gli Stranieri di Roma. For a small donation you can explore the beautiful grounds, grab some rare solace in the city, and check out the graves of Keats and Shelley who are buried here. A great find.

Grave of Poet John Keats, 

Another lesser-known place worth a visit is the Quartiere Coppedè, which is an odd little area built by architect Gino Coppedè at the start of the twentieth century. It's a small, compact collection of ornate villas decorated with a strong theme of frogs and fairies set around a central fountain. From there it's a gentle stroll through the public park of Villa Borghese, which is home to the famous Galleria Borghese and will take you back into the centre of the city.

Quartiere Coppedè, Rome

The last time we visited Rome was in January, so it was a little busier this time of year (Easter) at the Spanish Steps. But that was nothing compared to the Trevi fountain which was a heaving sea of humanity and made traversing the busy street a rather an uncomfortable experience, but the fountain still looked calm and aloof.

The Trevi Fountain, Rome

At the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica in Palazzo Barberini we had timed slot tickets for the Caravaggio 2025 exhibition. The rarely seen paintings were an pleasure, with 'David with Goliath's Head' including his terrifying self-portrait being one of the highlights.

Caravaggio 2025 at Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica, Rome

As part of the Caravaggio celebrations there were also small private tours of a nearby Villa, Casino dell'Aurora that is home to several impressive murals. The tour of the villa lasted nearly an hour with the final reveal being a small room with the ceiling decorated by the man himself. It felt quite special to be in such a confined space so close to his work - It certainly didn't take a huge stretch of the imagination to visualise the artist in the same room working and painting. The villa is currently for sale, amidst lots of legal wranglings and is expected to become the most expensive home ever sold at nearly half a billion euros! I don't expect the likes of myself will get an invite once it has been sold, which made this opportunity to visit even more special. 

Caravaggio ceiling at Casino dell'Aurora, Rome