Continuing Walk 3 from St. Peter's.
Walk one kilometer from St Peter’s to Castel Sant’Angelo. If you are continuing directly from the previous walk in the Vatican, just stroll down Via della Conciliazione straight to Castel Sant’Angelo, also known as Hadrian’s Tomb.
You will be entertained on this walk because there is a very large souvenir shop half-way along on the left side and a decent café/restaurant on the right side. From here you can also get a look at the fortified walkway that connects the Vatican with Castel St Angelo by detouring one block to the left and having a look at that impressive crenellated wall as it runs along Borgo S. Angelo. This is the fortified passage the pope would occasionally use if he had to escape the Vatican while being attacked by invading armies, rushing to his fortress at Castel Sant Angelo, as he did during the French invasion of 1527.
At the time of the emperor’s burial nearly 2,000 years ago, this was a much simpler structure, although exact details are unknown. One theory holds it was originally an earthen mound with trees on top, another suggests it was a multi-level memorial structure. Over the centuries the castle evolved into this fortified palace. You might consider visiting inside, but it is mostly a military museum with a couple of decorated rooms for the pope, used as a place of refuge in times of attack -- not terribly exciting, but there is a nice café on top with good views all around.
An awesome spiral ramp inside, which played a thrilling role in Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons (if you’ve read that Rome-based page-turner), is one more reason, albeit minor, for joining the million annual visitors for a quick walk-through. But rather than Hadrian’s Tomb, save your energy for a much more important museum coming up, the Galleria Borghese. The Vatican Museum, St. Peter’s, Hadrian, the upcoming walking tour, lunch, Borghese, Trastevere, dinner and evening stroll is just too much for one day, even for super-heroes. Perhaps you are beginning to realize Rome cannot be seen in a day or two, but we can only do our best.
The beautiful Bridge of the Angels, Ponte Sant’Angelo, crosses the Tiber River here and connects the Castle with Rome’s historic center, your next field of play. The picturesque, pedestrian bridge isbuilt on the foundations of an ancient Roman bridge.
Ponte Sant’Angelo is lined with Bernini’s divine marble statues of angels holding instruments of the Passions of Christ, including the cross, crown of thorns, nails, sponge and lance. The view from the midpoint of the bridge makes a great photo-op: just aim your camera at St. Peter’s, fill the frame and take advantage of wonderful lighting and reflections in the Tiber River for a wonderful postcard shot.
Walk across the Tiber into the heart of town and discover a delightful series of narrow pedestrian lanes you could investigate for several days. Here we suggest a short, interesting route to give you a feeling for the charm. This entire neighborhood within the bend of the Tiber River is completely safe and wonderful to explore. You cannot get too lost because it is only about one square mile, bounded by the river on three sides and the busy Via del Corso on the east edge.
Its cobbled pedestrian lanes are lined with old, five-story brick buildings with little stores and workshops on the ground level and apartments upstairs, an arrangement that is part of a 2000 year old Roman tradition. You will see artisans laboring in shops unchanged for centuries, fruit and flower stands for local residents, attractive little restaurants, fountain faces popping out of walls, stray cats prowling alleys: all of these amidst ivy-covered brick walls 400 years old. Walking in this quiet neighborhood, saturated with charm and character, will be one of the most interesting experiences of your visit.
Dive into the heart of the neighborhood by crossing the bridge and using the traffic light to get beyond the heavy traffic, go straight one short block on Via Panico, then veer left into Via dei Coronari, one of Rome’s most famous, pedestrian shopping lanes. This peaceful narrow street is lined with furniture dealers, jewelry shops, art galleries, antique stores, a few restaurants, little piazzas and gelato shops. This is Roman street life at its best, at its most relaxed. There are cute little side alleys and staircases branching off: they are luring you into their curves, so feel free to wander.
In olden days, 400 years ago, this was the street that led the pilgrims who came afoot from all over Europe to St. Peter’s. Here on Street of the Crowns (Coronari) they would purchase rosary beads and other religious paraphernalia in hopes of getting them blessed at the Vatican.
This is still a residential neighborhood where people live in old apartments upstairs, and though the brick buildings may look picturesquely decrepit, you can be sure these are some of the most expensive quarters in Rome prized for their central, historic location.
In your travels it is rewarding to take time in places like this, where you can simply walk through quiet, peaceful, residential streets. They are historic yet have no headline monuments or famous art works, just off the beaten track and through neighborhoods where average Romans have been living for centuries. You could come back in the evening when it is safe, cool and pleasant for an aimless meander. Most shops stay open until 8:00pm, restaurants are everywhere and this cozy neighborhood is so small you cannot get very lost. These little lanes are found in an area about 500 meters square, between Piazza Navona, Ponte Sant’Angelo and the busy Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
Continuing along Via dei Coronari, turn right on narrow Vicolo di Montevecchio which leads in a few minutes towards Santa Maria dell Pace, the heart of another precious little neighborhood. Find the intersection with Cafe Pace on the corner and the rounded portico of Santa Maria dell Pace at the end of the block.
All around you is another charming slice of Roman life, with a small produce stand, ivy-covered buildings, corner shop, newsstand, gelato nearby, locals hanging out, and Piazza Navona two short blocks away. On a weekend evening this street corner becomes an animated outdoor party filled with young locals, drinks in hand.
The small church of Santa Maria della Pace waits for you at the end of the block. Does the curved façade of this church look familiar? It was designed in mid-17th century by Pietro da Cortona, a noted Baroque painter and architect, and has been copied in many buildings around the world. The little piazza in front of the church extends around in a harmonious architectural ensemble connecting the church with adjacent buildings in a space just large enough for a horse carriage to drop off passengers and turn to exit, creating another human-scale environment of subtle beauty. These buildings have recently been renovated and are now sparkling like new.
Be sure to visit the small cloister in back, entered through a door to the left of the church. This charming little cloister plays a role in the architectural history of Rome because it was designed by Bramante, the initial architect of St. Peter’s Basilica, and yet this is one of his very first works in Rome done when he had just arrived as a young architect. There’s also a small museum upstairs, if you care to pay the slight admission, but the cloister itself is free.
If the church is open, not always a sure thing with its quirky hours, be sure to go inside to enjoy the small interior, a domed octagon with a short nave in front of it.
The church is most famous for a Raphael fresco (on the upper right side) that shows Sybils receiving revelations from an angel. With perfect mastery of the art of utilizing the space at his command, Raphael has here adapted his composition to the curve of the arch so simply and naturally that the consummate skill of the grouping is apt to be overlooked. Equally characteristic of Raphael are the rhythm of the composition, the display of spirited contrasts, and the delicate gradations and passionate emotions; while the gracefulness of the female forms and the sprightly beauty of the angel-boys are specially Raphaelesque.
From Pace you could either proceed back to Piazza Navona, just one block east, or better yet, go wander in the lanes south of Pace, perhaps hooking up with some lanes covered in Walk Two. You will find many little shops, produce stands, and restaurants. Most shops stay open until 8:00pm, restaurants are everywhere and this cozy neighborhood is so small you cannot get very lost.
These little lanes are found in an area between Pace, Piazza Navona, Piazza del Rico, and the busy Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Picturesque lanes here include Via delle Pace, Via di Parione, Via del Corallo, and Via dei Governo Vecchio, just 200 meters south. If you walked that loop and then returned to Piazza Navona, total distance is about 600 meters.
In one direction, to your left, it is called Via dei Banchi Nuovi, which translates as “street of the new bankers” because during the Renaissance this was the Wall Street of Rome, home of the bankers – the financial center of town. The same street, to your right, is called Via del Governo Vecchio and it is this direction we shall be heading.
But first you might enjoy a quick stroll two blocks along Banchi Nuovi to see the antique and furniture restoration shops, pop into the café if you need a break, then return, heading east towards Piazza Navona, our next major destination.
Via del Governo Vecchio is a casual, local place where you see the people passing their time of day, chatting with neighbors, looking out their windows, walking the dog, shopping, and just hanging out.
Governo Vecchio ends at Piazza Pasquino, where you find one of the “talking statues” that functioned like bulletin boards for Romans who would post messages and especially make satirical comments about issues of the day. The statue is originally from the Hellenisitic period of 300 BC but was placed here during the 1500s when it began its role as community forum. People are still using the talking statue today, so you will probably see paper notices attached to the broken torso. One of the many branches of Insalata Ricca, a popular place for salad and pasta, is on this little piazza.
This neighborhood is more interesting late in the day when it becomes a magical gathering place for eating, shopping, strolling and soaking up the scene. We suggest you come back in the evening to enjoy one of the many restaurants in this neighborhood. Our favorite is Cantina e Cucina, at 87 Via del Governo Vecchio, with love by Andrea, Simone and Riccardo. They have the friendliest staff and most delicious foods, so popular people are sometimes waiting in a long line, so make a reservation.
Governo Vecchio is one of those special lanes that is so beautiful it is easily worth walking back and forth.
That completes Walk 3. Coming up next, Walk 4.
Walk 1
Piazza Navona, S Luigi, S Agostino
Pantheon -- SM Minerva & Ignazio
Trevi, Spagna -- Corso, Colonna, lanes
Walk 2
Campo dei Fiori -- St Andrea, lanes
Chiesa Nuova, Via Giulia
Farnese, Giubbonari, Argentina, Gesu
Ghetto, Turtles, Teatro Marcello
Capitoline, Forum – Colosseum, Monti
Walk 3
Vatican -- Sistine Chapel -- St Peter's
Castel St Angelo, V Coronari, SM Pace
Walk 4
Diocletian, P Republica, San Carlino
Piazza Barberini, Trident, Piazza Popolo
Walk 5
Borghese, SM Maggiore
St John Lateran, Caracalla, Farnesina
Trastevere