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Doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re on a long vacation, living in the city as a resident expat, or even a native Roman. There is simply too much for one lifetime<\/strong>. Non basta una vita<\/em>, as the Romans say…<\/p>\n \n Beyond that, I\u2019ll say that even the most famous sites never cease to amaze. I can\u2019t tell you how many times I’ve walked past the Pantheon, and yet it still takes my breath away. Every. Single. Time. You just can\u2019t get \u201cused to it,\u201d nor should you. It\u2019s living history, and it\u2019s miraculous<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \n Still, we all have our \u201ctop sites to see in Rome\u201d lists.<\/strong> While you can\u2019t see it all, if you\u2019re on vacation in The Eternal City for a few days, you should certainly try to experience the best of the best in this endlessly appealing \u201cCapital of the World.\u201d And nobody breaks it down better than my friend Elyssa Bernard. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n On her blog, she has the perfectly curated Rome Top Ten List<\/a>. Rightfully so, The Vatican and The Colosseum are numbers one and two. The list is rounded out by Piazza Navona, The Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain\u2026 all the usual suspects. Again, as it should be.<\/p>\n \n But on the podcast, I explicitly ask her to go beyond this list, and tell us \u201cwhat else\u201d we should see in Rome<\/strong>. My theory is that some of the most interesting sites in Rome are hiding in plain sight, available (and often free of charge) for anyone to stumble upon. But be careful, because some of these places aren\u2019t open when you\u2019d expect, and they aren\u2019t always so easy to find. Elyssa has all those details, too, so you won\u2019t waste a moment of your vacation.<\/p>\n \n During my tour next year, we will certainly hit the most popular sites. However, it is my intention to let people have some free time for their own discoveries<\/strong>, and the suggestions by Elyssa are the perfect place to start.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In fact, I\u2019m going to use Elyssa\u2019s suggestions as a starting point for a list that I\u2019ll give my guests when we arrive in Rome next September. But I\u2019m willing to bet that someone in our group will stumble upon a gem that even myself and Elyssa have never visited. THAT is the constant allure of Rome.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n Elyssa Bernard is an American expat in Rome, married to a native Roman. Her U.S. base, like mine, is in Florida, where she received her BA in Anthropology from the University of Florida in Gainesville. <\/p>\n \n Besides living a Roman life with her husband, she counts among her friends Roman art historians, archeologists, tour guides, chefs, authors, and many other fascinating people who’ve given her a real vision of Roman life like nothing a person could discover on their own.<\/p>\n \n Her blog, Romewise<\/a>, grew from a single FAQ page on the website of the B&B that her and her husband owned and operated. Now, in my opinion, it is the single best independent website for information on visiting Rome.<\/p>\n Elyssa Bernard<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What are the four Papal Basilicas of Rome <\/strong>and which one is the most important in the Catholic Church?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Which churches are the best “free museums”<\/strong> in Rome, where are they, and whose works can we see?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n What are some of the lesser known sites of ancient Rome?<\/strong> Some are newly opened to the public, hidden, or literally underground. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I would like to thank Elyssa for being so generous with her time and knowledge, and I encourage anyone planning a trip to Rome to check out her extensive base of information on her website, Romewise<\/a>. <\/p>\n Click the link to check out other episodes and see my list of the best podcasts about Italy<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/elyssa_sm-946x604.jpg\" "\\"elyssa_sm\\"")
<\/span><\/p>\nTop Sites to See in Rome<\/h2>\n
Elyssa Bernard<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/elyssa-pantheon_sq.jpg\" "\\"elyssa-pantheon_sq\\"")
<\/span><\/p>\nElyssa answers…<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n