Sightseeing in Rome Off The Beaten Path

Avoid the tourist crowds and do some sightseeing in Rome off the beaten path.

If you’ve visited Rome for the first time, chances are you’ve seen Rome’s architectural marvels, the Coliseum, St. Peter’s, Trevi Fountain and its other famed and fabled tourist attractions. But if you’re willing to get away from the crowds and discover some unusual tourist attractions, you’ll be rewarded with a some very special glimpses life in the eternal city.  Consider adding some of these intriguing Roman sites to your itinerary:

Cat Sanctuary

Rome is home to more than 3, 00,000 cats and almost all of them stay outdoors, in the streets. In the past few decades though, the feline community have come to stay in a common area and most of them stay in the Torre Argentina excavation site. Local residents have been kind enough to feed them regularly. So many cats roaming around is quite a sight. The Roman Cat Sanctuary, Largo di Torre Argentina is open for tourists daily at 11.00 am.

The Keyhole

Obviously, the keyhole is on a door and you will have to visit this site and look through to discover the surprise. The Keyhole is at the Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta on the Mount Aventine.  An unforgettable vision.

San Lorenzo

San Lorenzo is an alternative cultural centre to Rome. When you drop by, you will see a lot of foreign and Italian students at cheap bars, intellectuals at the sidewalk cafes and street parties. This is a more economic part of the city where culture, music, festivals are practiced. San Lorenzo is located around Piazza Tiburtini, south of the Termini Station.

EUR

EUR is expanded to Esposizione Universale di Roma district south of the city which is known for its magnificent architecture which combines both modern and ancient Rome architecture. The entire architecture has both Fascist representations and modern architectural representations. The EUR was started in the 1930s as the site for the 1941 world’s fair which Mussolini planned to celebrate twenty years of Fascism in Italy.  The planned exhibition never took place because of WWII.  Several excellent museums are located here; the Roman Culture Museum, The National Museum of the Middle Age and a new planetarium.

Centrale Montemartini

Is a museum with magnificent contrasting collections. For starters, the museum was built on a power plant in Ostiense. The museum has collections that are contrasting with their surroundings and that are its most important features. Ancient statues standing against an industrial backdrop is the most important example.

Church of St. Ignatius Loyola

The church is known for its magnificent architecture and ornate design. It is a baroque church and is the second oldest Jesuit church in Rome. Among its brilliant features are the frescos and trompe l’oeil paintings by Andrea Pozzo in 1685. The church was built in a manner so that it did not deprive the neighbouring gardens from receiving direct sunlight.

Porta Portese Market

This market sells almost everything, new and used, under the sun. You can find — kitchen gadgets, bicycles, books and jewellery, Olivetti typewriters, there’s always a surprise in the market. The settings are not plush and can seem a little shady but do not let that dissuade you.  Even if you do not buy anything, just roaming around and watching the local people bargain can be an experience worth remembering.

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About The Author:  Maureen is a traveller and also writes articles and blogs on Travel & Tours. He also loves to cover rare destinations world-wide. He came across Asaptickets.com that provides cheap fares to many international destinations. Check and compare the price of international flight tickets at Asaptickets.com
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Photo Source:  Google Commons