7 Free things to do in Rome

Mighty Rome, Italy’s capital and one of the most visited cities in the world, is vast and full to the brim of exciting historical things to see. The city can be busy and expensive depending on what you want to see and do. As we were on a tight budget travelling Europe, we were able to discover and create an itinerary of free things to do for those also tightening the purse strings in this great city.

7) Altar of the Fatherland
A grand sight in the Piazza Venezia area and the building is a controversial monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of Italy. The people of Rome destroyed part of the historic Capitoline Hill to build the modern memorial.

Entry to the museums inside is free and there are masses of exhibitions full of Roman paintings and artifacts.

Access to the roof isn’t free (around €7pp) where you will find incredible views of the Roman Forum and Colosseum.

6) The Trevi Fountain
Yes, it’s completely free to see, just be wary of tourist crowds in their hundreds and the fountain being out of use for maintenance (as we experienced). The Trevi Fountain is one of the city’s most visited sites and dates back to 1732. It is named so because of its location at the junction of three roads (tre vie).

The site of the fountain in the Trevi district marks the terminal point of one of the aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome. The facade of the fountain is said to represent the Romans finding a source of pure water 14 miles from the city that eventually served the citizens of Rome for 400 years.

You will see many tourists throwing coins into the fountain and it is estimated approximately €3,000 is thrown in every year. The coins are collected every night and given to an Italian charity called Caritas who use the money for a supermarket program giving rechargeable cards to Rome’s so they can buy groceries.

The Round the World Magazine team arrived in Rome at a time of a £2 million restoration of the Baroque masterpiece, people were still throwing in coins despite there being no water.

It was interesting to see the Trevi Fountain with no water and experience the temporary bridge that had been put up allowing visitors to take a closer look at the art work around the facade.

The Trevi district will also put on a great show of beautiful buildings dating back to the early centuries like the Santa Maria in Trivio church right by the fountain.

All churches are free to enter in Rome and they are worth a visit purely to admire how long these building have actually been standing.

5) The Spanish Steps
Built between 1723 and 1725 as a way of linking the Trinità dei Monti church (under the patronage of the King of France), the Spanish Steps became a playground for artists, poets and painters attracting wannabe models and subsequently rich travelers to the area. The steps have long been a meeting place in Rome and are now usually full of relaxing tourists.

A Baroque fountain, Fontana della Barcaccia (Fountain of the Old Boat), can be found at the bottom of the steps is said to be based on an old legend. The legend dates back to the 16th century and the story is about a fishing boat that was carried to this exact spot during a flood of the Tiber River in the 16th century.

4) The grounds of the Vatican
If you’re battling time and a tight budget, the grounds of the Vatican are completely free to enter offer and a grand display of mighty buildings which are some of the most famous in the world. See the chaos of Saint Peter’s Square for yourself as crowds in their hundreds queue for entrance into the Basilica and neighboring sites such as the Sistine Chapel.

St. Peter’s Basilica is free to enter, queue permitting, and make sure there isn’t a Mass on else expect to be denied entry or have to endure queuing for hours on end.

The church is free to enter and is home to the 18th century meridian line (a type of sundial) that was requested by Pope Clement XI so he could predict Easter more accurately.

The Maderno Fountain is another site to be seen for free, it has been standing in working order since 1612 and is one of two in St. Peter’s Square.

Wander around the grounds of the Vatican and see the local Catholic church workers go about their day. We spotted a few dwellings housing nuns at the back of the Vatican.

Right in the center of St. Peter’s Square a four thousand-year old Egyptian obelisk stands in front of St. Peter’s church. There are 13 Egyptian obelisks in Rome – more than anywhere else in the World, including Egypt itself. The Vatican Obelisk is the only ancient Egyptian obelisk in Rome still standing from the Roman era. Another attraction to do is to take a Vatican catacomb tour.

4) Triton Fountain (Fontana del Tritone), Piazza Barberini
Located in Barberini Square, close to the National Gallery of Ancient Art, the Triton Fountain has become a central meeting point in the city and is less busy that it’s older famous sister, the Travi Fountain.

Full of fresh drinking water, the Triton Fountain is a great resting point for tired tourists. The fountain was built in the seventeenth century in Baroque style and depicts a larger than life-size muscular Triton, which is a minor sea-god of ancient Greco-Roman legend. The god appears to kneel as a merman on the scene of four dolphin tail fins which the water really brings to life.

3) The grounds of the Colosseum
Wandering around the grounds of the Colosseum will not only allow you to see one of the Seven World Wonders from different perspectives, it will also give you a great insight into the history of this magnificent city.

Inside the Colosseum will allow you to see how the 50,000 to 80,000 spectators watched gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as animal hunts, executions, shows based on classical mythology and re-enactments of famous battles. The Colosseum is the largest amphitheater ever built, way back in AD 80, and can be admire inside and out.

There is a hill beside the courtyard outside the Colosseum that allows a sneaky peek into the grounds.

Right beside the Colosseum and Palatine Hill stands the Arch of Constantine which was built in 312AD to commemorate Constantine I’s victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge.

If you didn’t go inside, you’d save €12 and miss out a view like this:

There are also many exhibitions and relics spread across the inner grounds.

The Arch of Constantine is located right by the Colosseum and it is the last of its kind in Rome. The Arch is decorated sculpted art from the eras of Trajan, Hadrian and Marcus Aurelis.

The structure can be seen for free from the courtyard outside of the Colosseum.

2) Imperial fora
A series of monumental fora (public squares), were built separately to the Roman Forum site and can all be seen for free. Several forums built by different rulers were constructed over a period of one and a half centuries, between 46 BC and 113 AD. They were once the center of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire and stand as well maintained ruin sites today.
Julius Caesar was the first to build in this section of Rome at a site which is now known as the Forum of Cesar where parts of buildings are still intact from 46 BC. Caesar built with the initial purpose of extending the Roman Forum that ended up being a separate place for public business. The relics of the site are truly remarkable and it can be seen from street level free of charge.

Trajan’s Forum and the Forum of Caesar are located side by side a stone’s throw from the Altar of the Fatherland and the Roman Forum. Trajan’s Forum is a ruin site where the buildings, that once included two Roman libraries and a grand civic space, were constructed between 112 and 113 AD.

Trajan’s Column can be found here which is the first triumphal column of its kind and is the root of inspiration to other victory columns across the world, both ancient and modern.

The location of the fora is a stone’s throw from the Roman Forum and the Colosseum and is also home to the Santa Maria di Loreto church which, like all churches in Rome, is free to enter.
The fora isn’t ticketed and closed off to non-payers like a lot of the famous grounds of Rome.
We paid to enter the Roman Forum and found just as much architectural satisfaction looking on to the Imperial Fora.

1) The Column of Marcus Aurelius
Out of all of the overwhelming buildings in Rome, this stood out as one of our favorites. It really took our breath away, you have to see this column in the flesh to believe it, the detail of the art work is unbelievable.

The column can be found in Piazza Colonna and it was built around 180 AD. It was built by Commodus in memory of his parents and was inspired by Trajan’s column near the Colosseum.
The art work depicts an episode of battle and is truly a masterpiece of historical sculpture. The stories on the column portray Roman warfare including a depiction of troops crossing a pontoon bridge.

Other money-saving tips:

Museums are free on the first Sunday of the month

All Churches in Rome are free to enter.

You can buy a combined entrance ticket for the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum €12, be sure to allow enough time for all three.

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