Off-the-beaten track sightseeing in Rome on Bus #3

Stuck in the rain one recent afternoon at Rome’s National Gallery of Modern Art on the north side of the Villa Borghese, my sister and I hopped on a #3 bus, which follows the route of the old #3 tram currently out of commission due to construction along the line. We weren’t even sure where it went and tried to follow along on a map.

It turned out to be a great sightseeing experience, taking us on a big semicircle around the east side of the city from the museum to Trastevere. Along the way we saw such off-the-beaten sights as the Policlinico Umberto I, Italy’s biggest public hospital; Sapienza University of Rome, founded around 1300; Campo Verano cemetery; Porta Maggiore in the city’s old Aurelian Wall; the Church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme and majestic Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano; the Coliseum; Aventine Hill; and Piazza Portuense, the site of Rome’s biggest Sunday flea market.

Better yet, the #3 is a slice of everyday Roman life, packed with gossiping old ladies, businessmen and students who provide information and running commentary when they see confused-looking tourists squinting at their maps. All aboard.

Susan Spano, L.A. Times staff writer

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 9:31 am by Susan Spano and is filed under Europe, Italy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.