Rome is a lovely and very large city. This Repeat Visits To Rome guide is loaded with sites to see that many skip during short visits. If you have been before or are planning a longer stay, you should put these on your itinerary. We’ve also included a self-guided ‘tour’ of sites from the movie ‘Angels & Demons’ for the movie buffs out there.
Stunning views of Chiesa di Santa Maria Dei Miracoli and Basilica di Santa Maria in Montesanto from Piazza del Popolo
Our separate Rome Travel Guide is loaded with all the details you need to plan your time in Rome. It includes tips on getting around Rome, where to stay, what to eat, and how to visit top attractions. Check this out, whether you’ve been before or not.
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Here Are 12 Things To See On Your Repeat Visits To Rome
1. Borghese Gallery
Within the Villa Borghese park, you will find the Borghese Gallery. The museum is filled with amazing artworks, including Caravaggio paintings, and Bernini’s Apollo and Daphenie sculpture. You can explore this museum on your own or take a guided tour. Explore the park on foot or rent a bike afterward. Tickets are €13 (plus €2 service) and an extra €8 for the guided tour. Most people spend 2 hours in the gallery.
When you’re finished, head down to Piazza del Popolo or Villa Medici if you haven’t been.
Apollo and Daphenie (Bernini) Borghese Gallery
2. Villa Medici
Villa Medici garden courtyard
Easily accessible from the Spanish Steps and now home to a French School of Art, and once the countryside getaway for the Medici. See the rooms they slept in while on vacation. Walk the garden, catching breathtaking views of Rome, and view the paintings inside ‘the bird room’, a Ferdinando de Medici private study. Guided tours are available for an extra 8 euros a ticket. In addition to the historic rooms and art, you can also find temporary art exhibits here. It is €14 for a guided tour which takes 90 minutes.
3. Galleria Sciarra
Steps away from Trevi Fountain is an architectural gem, with immense art-nouveau vibes and beautiful frescoes with a glass ceiling. The ceiling allows the courtyard to be drenched in sunlight during the day, and internal sconces light it during the evening. The wall paintings are by Giuseppe Cellini and celebrate women. It’s worth a stop to take a few minutes to gaze at this atrium/courtyard from inside.
Galleria Sciarra
4. Palazzo Del Ragno
Located in the Trieste neighborhood, this palace faces the Fontana delle Rane (fountain of the frogs). The Beatles jumped into this fountain, fully clothed, after performing at the nearby Piper club. The Piper Club is still there, the basement nightclub has house and techno beats, as well as live indie bands. This is not too far from the Villa Borghese entrance, which is near the Borghese Gallery.
5. Via Tagliamento/ Via Dora
In general, this is a really cool area to see architecturally, with an avant-garde vibe. From Via Tagliamento to Palazzina del Ragno, walking along Via Dora, you will find a chandelier hanging from the ceiling of a short tunnel.
6. Terme di Caracalla
Ruins of a Roman thermal bath complex. This was in use in the early 200’s – early 500’s. It’s 8€ to enter. The complex is located on the south side of the city, part of ancient Rome, and close to the Testaccio neighborhood.
7. Circus Maximus (Circo Massimo)
Before the famous Colosseum was built, the Romans watched chariot races at Circus Maximus. This is now the ruins of the stone and marble arena that housed 250,000 spectators. The recent Amazon Prime Show ‘For Those About To Die’ was centered around the chariot races at Circo Massimo. Situated just across the river from the Trastevere neighborhood (north of the Testaccio neighborhood).
8. Piazza della Bocca della Verità
This is a great area to walk around. On the northwest side is the restored Temple of Hercules Victor, and the Temple di Purtono (4th & 5th century BC). The Bocca della Verità (mouth of truth) fountain and the Crypt of Adriano are across the street. Also not too far is the Arco di Giano (Arch of Janus).
9. Villa Farnesina
Located in the Trastevere neighborhood, this villa was designed by Baldassare Peruzzi and has frescoes, including some by Rafael. After visiting the villa, head over to the botanical garden to escape the city.
10. Orto Botanico di Roma (Botanical Garden Rome)
Behind the villa is the Casa delle Farfalle (house of butterflies). A great space to escape the city crowds and enjoy a butterfly habitat. You will need to pay the entrance fee and enter through the botanical gardens first. The botanical gardens include over 7,000 plant species, a Japanese tea garden, and a bamboo grove (€5 euro entry fee). It is an additional €5 to become a member of the Butterfly Eden, allowing you access to the butterfly experience. The garden entrance is where Largo Christiana di Svezia and Via Corsini meet.
11. Galleria Spada
They say that perspective is everything, and if you like art and or photography, you’ll want to see this gallery. Francesco Boromini’s Colonnade, also known as ‘The Perspective’, creates the baroque illusion of a long colonnade from a short gallery.
12. Palazzo Farnese
Located a block or two from Galleria Spada. This Renaissance palace houses the French Embassy and offers tours to see the frescoes and the Renaissance grandeur inside. Stop outside to admire this example of Renaissance architecture, designed by a collaboration of artists including Michelangelo.
Another way to take in Rome on your repeat visits to Rome is to take yourself on a self-guided tour. Plan a way to see a certain artist’s works or the sites from a favorite movie that was filmed in Rome.
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Angels & Demons Self-Guided Tour
Are you a fan of Dan Brown’s books? If you’ve read or seen ‘Angels & Demons’, you might enjoy finding the markers across Rome, identified by Robert Langdon’s character. These markers helped them to find the four kidnapped preferiti.
When I (Charlene) was planning my solo trip to Rome, I was watching movies that took place in Rome. When I watched Angels and Demons (for the 15th time), I took note of all the places they went. Good thing because I couldn’t find a list or self-guided tour online. And now I’ve recreated that for you. I’ve inserted links to Google Maps for each location, so open those and save them!
*You may not want to visit these in the order they are depicted in the film. It’s more efficient to visit them as you visit nearby sites and make your way through Rome. Bookmark this page so you can reference it during your trip.
When Robert Langdon arrives at Vatican City, he is told about the first poem they received from the kidnapper.
“We will destroy your 4 pillars. We will brand your preferiti and sacrifice them on the altars of science. Then bring your church down upon you. Vatican City will be consumed by light. A shining star at the end of the path of illumination.”
Robert determines that he must find the path to illumination, a secret path used by the Illuminati to prove themselves. He believes he can find the start of the path in a text written by Bernini. In the text, he and Vittoria find the poem
“From Santi’s earthly tomb with demon’s hole. Cross Rome, the mystic elements unfold. The path of light is laid the sacred test. Let angels guide thee on thy lofty quest.”
1st & 2nd Locations (The Pantheon and Chigi Chapel)
The first place they go is The Pantheon to find that Santi’s (Rafael’s) earthly tomb is actually not there. They find his tomb but realize they need to find a chapel he designed, with pyramids or something scientific. This takes them to the Chigi Chapel (pronounced Key-G, once called Capella della Terra, meaning Chapel of Earth). The chapel has a representation of the planets on the ceiling and some pyramids on the walls. They find the first of the preferiti, with ‘Earth’ brand on his chest, beneath the demon’s hole, on the floor.
‘Devil’s Hole‘ inside Chigi Chapel
The real chapel is located inside the Basilica Parrocchiale di Santa Maria del Popolo. This is next to Piazza Del Popolo, on the north side. This is the large piazza with an obelisk at one end. Chigi Chapel is the 2nd or 3rd chapel on the left of the entrance to the Basilica. *Note that this is purely fictional; this piece is not removable, and there is nothing hidden below. In fact, in the movie, they enter the building across the way; they don’t enter the real basilica.
Habakkuk and the Angel
Langdon realizes that the Habakkuk and the Angel statue (by Bernini) is the first markers on the path. Habakkuk was the prophet who predicted the annihilation of Earth. The angel points to the next marker with an outstretched hand (“Let angels guide thee on thy lofty quest”). Langdon figures out that the next marker is in St. Peter’s Square.
3rd Location (St. Peter’s Square)
At the base of St. Peter’s Square (center), you will see an obelisk surrounded by Bernini stones on the ground. These are flat ‘statues’ or carvings on the ground. ‘Est ponente’ is written around the air ‘sculpture’ which is blowing air towards the city of Rome. The cardinal, with ‘Air’ branded on his chest, is found on the steps to the obelisk.
4th Location (Santa Maria Delle Vittoria)
The air blowing from the mouth has five lines pointing toward Rome. Langdon heads back to the Vatican Archives to locate a church that has something representing fire or water. The last two altars of science. He thinks that the statue of Saint Teresa on Fire, aka The Ecstasy of Teresa, must be the next marker. This is in one of the small chapels inside Santa Maria Delle Vittoria. This is where they find the 3rd of the preferiti branded with ‘Fire’ on his chest. They are still too late to save the cardinal.
Once you climb the steps from Via Venti Settembre, enter the green door of Santa Maria Delle Vittoria. You’ll find the chapel with Bernini’s Saint Teresa on Fire about halfway down the church on the left. This church is still holding regular services, so check their hours to make sure you can go in (it’s free to enter).
Saint Teresa on Fire/ Ecstasy of Saint Teresa
5th Location (Crypt at St. Peter’s Basilica)
While Langdon is at Santa Maria Delle Vittoria, the Camerlengo and Vittoria are discussing the circumstances of the pope’s death. In a video that the Swiss guard received, the kidnapper says
“With man’s solution, we stilled his heart. With his own needle, we pierce his unholy veil.”
They believe this means that the pope was killed with his own medicine.
Vittoria says that an overdose of his medication can be seen and proven after death. Initially, they do not want to check, as papal autopsies are forbidden. Later, they decide to go into the Crypt at St. Peter’s Basilica/ Vatican Grottoes to open his tomb. They discovered that he had been murdered.
6th Location (Piazza Navona)
Fontana dei Quattro Fiume (Piazza Navona)
Inside the chapel with Saint Teresa on Fire (at Santa Maria Delle Vittoria), another angel points towards the next marker. With a map, Langdon determines that ‘crossing Rome’ literally means a cross. Drawing a cross on a map using the first three markers, he finds the fourth one. The next marker is in a fountain designed by Bernini at Piazza Navona.
The fountain of four rivers (Fontana dei Quattro Fiume) is in the center of this piazza. The fountain has an obelisk and a dove (the angel of peace) on top. In this scene, Langdon and a bystander from a restaurant save the cardinal from drowning. This is the only cardinal that they were able to save; he had ‘Water’ branded on his chest. The cardinal tells Robert that he was being held at Castel Sant’Angelo. At the end of the movie, this cardinal becomes the next pope.
7th & 8th Location (Castel Sant’Angelo & Pasetto di Borgo)
To find “the shining star at the end of the path of illumination,” they go to Castel Sant’Angelo. They believe that the shining star is the antimatter canister, being that it is explosive.
Castel Sant’Angelo
Ponte Sant’Angelo
They cross Ponte Saint Angelo, the bridge that is lined with statues, to get to the Castel. This bridge is one of the most picturesque bridges in Rome. In the movie, this is where they go to find the protagonist. They believe that the canister must be there if the cardinals were held there. They see the two statues of the archangel Michael, which are pointing down to the underground tunnels. Robert and Vittoria discover a secret passage to the Vatican (the Passetto di Borgo).
The secret passage is next to a pentagram where the walls overlap. I don’t know if that’s where the entrance actually is. There IS a real passage used to escape danger, and one side is within the Castel. You can take tours that include the passage- from the Vatican. Sadly, it was closed for repairs when I wanted to go. After a run-in with the protagonist, they find the portal (senza chiave), which opens only from inside the Vatican.
9th Location (St. Peter’s Baldachin/ St. Peter’s Basilica)
Still trying to find the antimatter, they review what’s left of the original poem, “Upon this rock I will build my church. Or bring it down upon itself.” They realize that this must be beneath St. Peter’s Basilica. They find the antimatter in the crypt, below the basilica, near St. Peter’s tomb (he was buried below St. Peter’s Baldachin). You used to need special written permission to see St. Peter’s Tomb. Now you can either book through the Vatican Excavation Office or through a tour agency. The tour agency will cost more and has limited time slots. The sooner you book, the better chance you have of securing a time slot. It is free to enter St. Peter’s Basilica (respecting times of service and worship). Most Vatican/Sistine Chapel tours end at St. Peter’s Basilica.
St. Peters Baldachin
It was fun to sprinkle these locations in as I wandered around Rome. It helped me to organize my time in Rome, too. I learned more about the history of the locations and artwork to complement the information I had from the movie.
Looking for other places to visit before or after your time in Rome? Head over to our Rome Travel Guide; it’s designed for first-timers, but it ends with other places to visit. Or read our Calabria Travel Guide and get spicy in Calabria while you soak up the true Italian slow life.
We hope this Rome 2nd Timers Guide has helped you plan a robust trip. If you have any questions or comments, please put them in the comments below so others can get that info too. Or you can email us, and we are happy to share any knowledge we have.
If you’ve already been to Rome, are there any other places you recommend seeing? Tell us in the comments below.
-XO, The Twins
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Contact us by email at thetwins@twicethetraveler.com
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