Location
Porta Pia is in the heart of the city. B&B San Michele guests are just a short walk away from the famous sites, monuments, fountains and squares that have contributed in creating Rome's rare magnificence.
Villa Borghese. In addition to the extraordinary collections of works by Canova, Caravaggio and Raffaello on exhibit at the Galleria Borghese, this vast park is also famous for many other attractions like the Bio-park, the beautiful lake garden with the Temple of Aesculapius, the Pincian water clock and National Etruscan Museum.
Via Veneto. Walking down this street is like stepping back into the 50's atmosphere of Federico Fellini's 'La Dolce Vita’. Here you can stop in one of its famous cafes or tempt your palate by one of its restaurants and admire the splendid buildings lining the street, now housing luxurious hotels.
The Spanish Steps. One of Rome's parlors, it becomes the stage for fashion and TV shows in the summer. During the rest of the year it is one of the splendid stairs dominated by the Trinità dei Monti church is one of the city's classic hang-outs. Via dei Condotti, the city's acclaimed shopping street, opens out of the square with the world's most infamous fashion label boutiques.
Piazza Navona. This square's irresistible appeal reaches its apex in December when Christmas markets and stalls crowd the square, dusted with a white sprinkling of snow; Piazza Navona is the celebration of Baroque style which, through the facade of the Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone, the Fountain of Four Rivers and Palazzo Pamphili frescoes, permeates every corner of this oval square, once used as a stadium in ancient Domitian Rome.
Walk down Via 20 Settembre to the Quirinal hill, home to the President of the Republic and admire the oval-shaped Church of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, one of the most elegant examples of Baroque style. Not far are Piazza Barberini and Bernini's splendid Triton Fountain; just further on, down the beautiful Via delle Quattro Fontane, the famous Trevi fountain appears, one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions. Don't forget to throw a penny in the fountain to guarantee your return to the Eternal City!
Porta Pia. On September 20, 1870, the Royal Italian Bersaglieri soldiers opened a breach in Porta Pia and entered Rome to complete the unification of Italy, ending the temporal power of the Pope.
Designed by Michelangelo and commissioned by Pope Pius IV, Porta Pia replaced Porta Nomentana, on the city's Aurelian walls; it is highly symbolic marking Rome's return to Italy, as indicated by the bronze and marble monument at the on the breach.
Additionally:
- The Colosseum, the gladiators' area
- The treasures of the Vatican Museums
- Trastevere night life
- The enchanting Pantheon dome
- From Ostia to Frascati, visiting villas and castles
- St. Peter's, a must
- Piazza Venezia and the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II
How to reach us
By train
From the Termini train station, take bus 36 or 90 from Piazza dei Cinquecento to get to the B&B San Michele; get off at the Porta Pia stop on Via Nomentana, cross the street and walk down Via Nomentana leaving Porta Pia behind you. The first street on your left is Via Messina where the B&B San Michele awaits you.
By plane
The Fiumicino ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ airport is 30 km away. To get to the B&B San Michele, take one of the local trains that leave every 30 minutes for the Termini train station; from here, follow the directions as described in ‘By train’. The Ciampino airport is 15 km away. To get to the B&B San Michele, take the Terravision shuttle to the Termini train station and continue as described in ‘By train’.
By car
After arriving in Rome by highway, take the Grande Raccordo Anulare (GRA) and exit at number 11 ‘Nomentana’. Follow the directions for ‘Roma Centro’ towards Porta Pia; when you see Porta Pia near the underpass (don't take it!), make a right on Via Messina, where the B&B San Michele awaits you at number 15.
