Page 364 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Rome

362  TR A VELER ’ S NEEDS

Sightseeing with Children buildings looked like from their
remains. The scant ruins of the
Forum and Palatine, on the
other hand, may not appeal
so strongly. Ostia Antica, where
the remains include a theater,
store, and 20-seat public
restroom, is much more likely
to interest them (see pp272–3).

Mosaics
There are scores of vivid,
sometimes quirky, mosaics
in buildings all over Rome.
Many of these are particularly

Entrance to the Villa Borghese Zoo
General Tips Museums your children will
Rome does not have many enjoy include Museo Explora,
museums with child-friendly, full of interesting hands-on
hands-on exhibits. Instead, look exhibits for children, and the
for fun or unusual details while Museo delle Mura, which
exploring streets and squares. explores a short length of the
Bernini’s marble elephant (see Aurelian Wall (p198). Among
p112) and the fat facchino, or the churches, St. Peter’s (see Mosaic from the Vatican
porter (p109), tend to appeal pp228–9) and San Clemente
to kids. The Capuchin crypt at (see pp188–9) are the most fun. appealing to children. Details
Santa Maria della Concezione At the Vatican children will in the mosaics range from
(p256), the catacombs (pp266–8) like the animal statues and brilliantly colored flowers,
and the Mamertine Prison (p93) mosaics in the Animal Gallery leaves, animals, and buildings
will grab the more ghoulish and also the Sistine Ceiling (in the churches of San
imaginations, and children (pp244–5), especially once Clemente, Santa Prassede,
will also enjoy putting their they know that Michelangelo and Santa Maria in Trastevere,
hands into the Bocca della had to paint it hunched up see pp188–9, p173 and pp214–
Verità (p204). on a scaffolding platform. 15) to the debris of a banquet
Keep your children’s interest Remember that Vatican dress (in the Vatican’s Museo
alive by looking for details like etiquette (see p229) applies Gregorio Profano, see pp232–3).
the dirty toenails on figures to kids too.
in Caravaggio’s paintings, the Entertainment
Etruscan votives, which were
offered to the gods, at the Ancient Ruins To find out what’s on for
Villa Giulia (pp264–5), and the The ancient ruins best children in Rome, scour the
illusory collapsing ceiling in appreciated by children are cinema pages of news papers
the Chiesa Nuova, (see p126) the Colosseum (see pp94–7), and the listings in TrovaRoma
as well as the fake dome and Trajan’s Market (see pp90– and Wanted in Rome and
of Sant’ Ignazio di Loyola 91). You can still make entertainment websites (see
(see p108). out what both these pp346–7). Most theaters and
movie theaters have reduced
entry fees for children, but
shows are often only in Italian.
Cartoons are shown at Villa
Borghese’s Cinema dei
Piccoli and there are
traditional puppet
shows every afternoon,
except Wednesday,
on Janiculum Hill.
Located inside Villa
Borghese, the Casina
di Raffaello is a
Miniature train in Villa Borghese playhouse and mini-library

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