Italy

The upside of the mediaeval Roman Catholic Church’s immense wealth was its ability to support hundreds of artists, including masters such as Raphael, Michelangelo, Caravaggio and Bernini. Many of the basilicas and churches that house their work still cost nothing to visit today. There are close to 1,000 of them in the city, however, so how is one to choose?

This list of churches in Rome to visit shows suggests where you can see beautiful mosaics, paintings, sculptures, ancient Roman ruins and significant relics, grouped according to their location, and how to reach them using public transport. There’s also a map that I created and used at the end of the post. Take your pick and have fun exploring!

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How much is your time worth? This is a question you might ponder as you wait in line to enter St Peter’s Basilica. Meanwhile, touts hover like vultures in the square, telling you that it’s another hour before you get to the front. I haven’t heard of anything good coming out of their offers to skip St Peter’s Basilica queue. Instead, I found a couple of ways to avoid the train that winds around the colonnade. It takes a little dedication but they’re easy to follow. But first… [Read on]