This was one of the most interesting museums I think I have ever seen in my life- no joke!! I…read moreGoogled weird things to do in Rome (no joke) and this was on it. I never heard of it but when I did I knew I had to go!! This was only 2 Euros. CHEAP!! I felt like they could have charged more LOL. I was here for hours even though your average person would probably be here for like 30-45 minutes lol. It's on a quiet side street in a less touristy part of the center of Rome and very easy to miss. I saw a couple tourists lost when I left who were clearly trying to find it. When you go in, you just pay and put your stuff in a locker (no added fee). This is much larger than you think it will be when you enter has it's 3 stories but compacted space. When you first enter, you see a lot of torture devices used mainly in Italy but some in other countries like Germany and Spain. I didn't know that many torture devices existed! You see pictures of things executioners wore which was creepy af! When you are done looking at the torture section, I believe right after that was the contraband section!!! You see stuff like shanks confiscated from prisoners, as well as smuggled objects into Italy like forged paintings and pornography (LOL!! This was retro porn too!). After that section you see things taken at scenes of crimes, pictures of murders and mafia members along with their stories. The only reason this wasn't given 5 stars from me is that the exhibit was all in Italian and maybe 60% of it was translated into English. I took pictures of stories that looked in interesting that were only in Italian so I could Google later. I also would have loved a gift shop but they didn't have one =( The toilet here was clean too!

If you visit early, you are able to get very nice pictures in the front and you won't have to pay…read more I recommend 6am ish, we had great lighting and even if there was a small crowd you just wait your turn and can get good pictures without waiting too long. I think they clean the fountain on monday and friday mornings so avoid those days. Another thing to note is that I never felt like I was at risk with pickpockets. There was always enough room and no one was acting strange.

This was our first stop in Rome and to be honest it was the worst. The fountain itself is large…read moreand beautiful, but the mass and rows of tourists pushing to get their selfies and willing to stand in line and pay 2 Euros to get a selfie left a bad taste in my mouth. I refused to pay the 2 Euros and stand in the long line to get a self indulgent picture. Although Trevi fountain wide and impressive, I liked the 1651 Baroque Four Rivers (Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi) by Bernini at is at Piazza Navona better. One of those River Gods had some impressive, muscular thighs. 8-)

So much history here. It was hard for me to imagine what once was an empire to be neglected into…read moreruins but that is what happens when empires fall and there is no money for maintenance. People pillaged and plundered these buidings and repurposed the material to build other things elsewhere. This is located right next to the colosseum and you can get a combined admission ticket to see both. FYI that there are metal detectors and scanners at the security checkpoint. I got a lot of steps in that day! Many of the paths here to not connect so need to double-back much of the time. Five stars!

Some countries have ghost towns, dusty abandoned places where you might find an old gas station or…read morea closed mill. Italy has the Roman Forum, an awe-inspiring collection of ruins, the remains of the heart of ancient Rome. Founded in the 8th century BC, the Forum was the center of city life until around the 6th century AD. Temples and government buildings, a thriving marketplace, a compound of vestal virgins. Meetings and speeches, trials and gladiator battles--this place was happening over two thousand years ago. The Forum fell into disrepair, the temples and shrines abandoned by the 8th century. It was ruthlessly dismantled and exploited, especially during the Italian Renaissance, when its materials were extracted for building projects. Like, for example, St. Peter's Basilica. Seems like a mistake to convert downtown ancient Rome into a marble quarry, but hindsight 20/20 and all that. What remains standing in 2025 is absolutely incredible. The ruins are well preserved and quite legible, at least with the help of a guide (we took a Forum and Colosseum tour with Crown Tours, which I'd highly recommend). It was downright surreal walking around those grounds, imagining the life of ancient Rome. I mean Julius Caesar hung out here, among buildings he had erected. If you're visiting Rome for the first time, I'm sure you're planning to hit the Colosseum. Don't miss the Roman Forum while you're there. It's just as amazing, a unique, transporting journey into the rich depths of history.

I love to sew, so naturally I look for local fabric stores wherever I travel to. I'm as delighted…read moreto find this lovely, well organized shop in the heart of historic Rome. The silks and cottons were divine, and I'm glad one of my suitcases is half empty The staff was incredibly kind & helpful, and most spoke enough English that I knew the fiber content and price of everything before I had it cut.

Service was Bar. None! Selection was excellent and value was more than what I expected. The only…read morecomment I would make is that the bolts of fabric are lying down horizontally so it's hard to see them unless you pull them out.