The Zaha Hadid-designed MAXXI museum is a destination for contemporary art, but its galleries are rarely crowded. (
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With landmarks like the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps, Rome hardly has a problem attracting tourists. But toss a new pope into the mix, and there’s a renewed interest in seeing the Eternal City (and, naturally, the Vatican). For visitors this summer, that means more people swarming the narrow cobblestone streets and packing into piazzas. Expect long lines for Rome’s famous gelato and even longer lines for the Colosseum.
And while you can’t have a Roman holiday without tourists, here are several ways to get a break from the crowds while still seeing some great art and history. Bonus — many are free!
Rome Cavalieri Art Collection
If you haven’t been to this idyllic hotel high atop Monte Mario overlooking Rome, you’ve likely seen it on TV — it’s where Don and Betty Draper famously rekindled their romance, however briefly, in “Mad Men.” The Waldorf Astoria property, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, is a star in its own right — with a museum-worthy private art collection of 4,000 pieces — many of which you can see, for free, even if you aren’t a guest. The highlight is a massive, three-panel painting by Venetian artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, valued at $28 million, which serves as the backdrop of the lobby’s Tiepolo Lounge. Opposite hangs a rare 1725 Beauvais tapestry, as fine as any you’d see at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Above the concierge and reception desks are lush landscapes by Venetian painter Giuseppe Zais; the lobby hallways are lined with 17th- and 18th-century sculptures and paintings by esteemed Belgian, Italian and Swiss artists. Download a free podcast on the hotel web site that details the artwork in the public areas, or, if you’re a hotel guest, sign up for a guided tour from an art expert so you can see even more on the upper floors — including framed ballet costumes worn by Rudolf Nureyev. If you’re lucky and the top-floor suites aren’t occupied, you can view works by Andy Warhol and Robert Indiana. (€150 for private tour, contact romhi.concierge@waldorfastoria.com.) Rooms from €220, romecavalieri.com
The MAXXI
A stunning building designed by Zaha Hadid is home to the MAXXI, the National Museum of the 21st Century Arts, with three floors of rotating contemporary exhibits, along with a small permanent collection. It’s tucked in the quiet, leafy Flaminio neighborhood, convenient to get to via the Metro but just far enough from the Old City to escape the crowds. The minimalist interior, ingeniously bisected by ramps that appear to float in midair, is worth the €11 admission, but it’s also fun just to hang out (at no charge!) in the surrounding courtyard, where scores of Romans gather on sunny days and let their kids run, cycle and rollerblade around the large-scale outdoor artworks. fondazionemaxxi.it
Battistoni
When you tire of battling the hordes of window-shoppers along Via Condotti, duck into this clubby men’s boutique, tucked away in a serene courtyard just off the main drag. Opened in 1946, Battistoni (Via Condotti 61A) has clothed everyone from Marlon Brando to the Duke of Windsor to Sir Ben Kingsley — and just about every Italian film director. Known for its tailoring — custom shirts start at around $500 — the shop also offers an enormous selection of silk ties, from classic to whimsical patterned ones, that can be had for around $100. Even if you’re not in the market for menswear, stop by to check out the amazing artwork that covers the walls: drawings and paintings by Picasso, Modigliani, De Kooning, Cocteau and Utrillo, to name just a few. (The shop’s late founder, Guglielmo Battistoni, attended Rome’s School of Fine Arts while supporting himself as a shirt designer.) battistoni.com
Tour of St. Peter’s Basilica
OK, we can’t promise it won’t be crowded — after all, this is the world’s most-visited church. But we can tell you how to get the most out of the experience, with a free guided tour given by Pontifical North American College (American seminary students in Rome). You won’t get to jump the security line, but you will get a good introduction while you wait — learning all sorts of factoids (e.g., The church sits atop what was once the “city of the dead,” an ancient Roman burial ground; it’s not the original St. Peter’s Basilica, which collapsed in the 1400s; it’s the largest church in the world by volume). Not only will you get in-depth explanations of the architectural styles, the mosaics (which replaced all but one painting) and the Bernini statues, you’ll also get the opportunity to ask your guide all sorts of questions (e.g., How does one become a saint?). Mon.-Fri. at 2:15 p.m. Tour lasts about two hours. Meet at the visitors center inside the Vatican City post office.