Related:
"Along The Esquilino From Termini Station To San Giovanni In Laterano"

Rome Tourist Guide Routes  

Along the Esquilino from Termini Station to San Giovanni in Laterano

This route is unlike others in that it covers areas that are distinctly different from one another, resulting in a tour that allows you to sample much of Rome's multi-faceted character. Starting at Termini Station, this route takes you back in time to several significant periods in the city's history and stops in at a number of important architectural and religious sites, coming to a close at the basilica in San Giovanni in Laterano.  

Termini Station, Rome's central train station, is the city's nexus for incoming and outgoing railroad traffic; the main point of departure and arrival for both national and international trains. The Piazza dei Cinquecento, the square next to the station, is the main hub for all city buses. If you ever get lost, this is the best place to go since almost every bus line in Rome begins its trajectory here. During the day, the square is brimming with life and activity, filled with people coming and going. At night the milieu changes considerably, and the area turns into a less than desirable place to spend the nocturnal hours.

The Museo Nazionale Romano lies between the Piazza dei Cinquecento and the nearby Piazza della Repubblica. The collection belonging to this unusual museum can be visited at different locations throughout the city (Palazzo Altemps, Crypta Balbi, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme and Aula Ottagona) and is comprised of an unparalleled wealth in archaeological finds. Not only are these sites some of the most valuable in Rome, they are amongst the most significant worldwide. The collection's most renowned site can be found along this route, located at the far end of this square. These are the remains of the monumental Terme di Diocleziano, the most impressive Roman baths of the 4^th century, which accommodated more than 3,000 people in their heyday.  

Heading down Via Torino from Piazza della Repubblica, you come to the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica. The church was built in the 5th century, and its origins are the subject of a lovely legend. Although the building was remodelled several times over the centuries, it hasn't lost its ability to impress. The church's interior is of an exquisite beauty, featuring a ceiling embellished almost entirely in gold.  

The Esquilino Hill stretches all the way from our starting point at Termini Station to the Coliseum. The main street connecting these areas is Via Cavour, and the best option after your visit to Santa Maria Maggiore is to head down this thoroughfare. Bear in mind that if you decide to do this route in the opposite direction, you will face a rather exhausting climb. The incline on Via Cavour is rather steep, making a downhill stroll the more comfortable option of the two.  Eventually you come across the charming square San Pietro in Vincoli and its namesake church. The church is strikingly small, especially when considering the indescribably valuable pieces that await you inside. Not only is this church the site of Michelangelo's famous statue of Moses, it is also the guardian of one of Christianity's holiest relics, the chains that were used to capture Saint Peter. Regardless of religious beliefs, a visit to this church is one thing that should top every visitor's sight-seeing list.

Admission to the church is free, and it is open every day. However, you should bear in mind that the church is closed at lunch (between 12:30h and 15:30h). If your visit happens to coincide with this time and the church is closed, you can still find plenty of things to do. The area is filled with typical Roman bars and pizzerias where you can enjoy a leisurely lunch while waiting for the church to reopen. The neighbourhood is a well-known university area. In fact, the church is located next to the medical school on Via Eudossiana, meaning that many of the bars and pizzerias cater to a predominantly student clientele. This means that the quality of the food is generally good and the prices more than reasonable.

As you head down from San Pietro in Víncoli towards the Coliseum, you come across the Colle Oppio. All that this park has in common with its magnificent predecessor is a name - otherwise nothing remains of the enchanting gardens that once surrounded the Domus Aurea. The latter, built by the infamous Emperor Nero, is also nothing more than a faint reminder of its former glory. The complex came to be seen as yet another symbol of Nero's decadence, and his successors stripped the imperial residence of its splendour in an attempt to eradicate all memory of Nero's rule. Today the only clues and traces as to the original appearance of the Domus Aurea and its splendid gardens can be found in history books and in the stories that have been passed down over the centuries.

The next stop on the route is Via Merulana, which can be reached by taking one of two main streets. Walking along Viale del Monte Oppio, you pass the ruins of the ancient Trajan baths, a site that has unfortunately suffered from long-term neglect, and the San Martino ai Monti Church. In any other city, this church, adorned with beautiful mosaics and the remnants of classic sculpture, would rank amongst the most exceptional. Not so in Rome, a city of innumerable churches, where far more glorious examples leave this one lingering in obscurity. If you instead opt for the Via de San Giovanni in Laterano, which leads directly to the city's cathedral, you can make a stop at the San Clemente Basilica. This is one of the city's most unusual churches; it is built on several different levels, each one corresponding to a different time and architectural period. 

Via Merulana is difficult to miss; the street is much wider than all those in the vicinity. Once you are here, head southward on this classic avenue, lined with an assortment of traditional, Roman shops. These stores have none of the elegance that marks the area around Piazza di Spagna or Via del Corso, but they have a far more authentic feel to them and there is no shortage of bargains to be found. Continuing on this street until Via Labicana, you now come to the San Antonio de Padva Church on your left. This is an authentic, popular neighbourhood church, the perfect place to get a glimpse of what daily Catholic life is like in Rome. If you happen to be here on June 13^th, don't miss out on a visit to the church. This is when the community celebrates the church's patron saint, allowing you the rare treat of witnessing an authentic, local religious celebration.

Via Merulana finally brings you to the Piazza San Giovanni, a square dominated by the monumental San Giovanni in Laterano Basilica. Before entering the church, you should visit one of the holiest sites in the Christian faith - the Scala Santa or Holy Staircase. These steps, reputedly the same ones Christ ascended in Jerusalem on his way to trial before Pontius Pilate, are the destination of thousands of Christian pilgrims each year.

Leaving the Scala Santa behind, you reach the Palazzo Lateranense on Piazza San Giovanni. This palace has witnessed some of the most important events in the history of the Catholic Church, including the signing of the Letrán Pact in 1929, which established the Vatican as an independent state. The adjacent San Giovanni in Laterano Basilica is Rome's official cathedral, considered by many to be the most important church in the city. Everything about this church, from its enormous doorways to the majestic interior and the beautiful cloister, is impressive. The Baptistery located next to the Basilica is where the earliest Christians were baptised. In addition to its interesting history, the Baptistery also includes several important and well-preserved chapels. At the centre of the square stands the oldest obelisk in Rome. The monumental piece measures 30 metres in height and was brought over from Egypt. The Porta San Giovanni marks the far end of the square and leads out to the long thoroughfare Via Appia Nuova, one of the most important avenues for traffic entering and leaving the city centre.