Rome for Children
According to the BBC2 panel game hosted by Stephen Fry, QI (Quite Interesting), Nero couldn’t have fiddled while Rome burned: The violin, it seems, didn’t yet exist. It’s suggested Nero might have instead played the bagpipes. But here’s another cliché a lot of people seem to agree on, not yet challenged by the veteran of erudition and his guests: Don’t book holiday accommodation in Rome if you’re a family with children. Apparently there’s not a lot for the young people to do.
It has to be a sign of the MTV-generation times that a holiday with the promise of an ice cream, sun, and different views, could fall short of expectations and might even be ‘boring’. It’s even more a sign of the times that a significant number of grown-ups seem to agree that adequate and targeted entertainment should be provided for their children at all times between leaving and returning to their Rome holiday apartment. Arguably a Rome holiday apartment rental is the best way to go for families, affording freedom of space.
The UNESCO Heritage Committee lists the historic centre of Rome as a World Heritage Site. In fact Rome is so packed with heritage the modern-day Romans are having trouble digging a path for a much needed third metro line: They keep bumping into important artefacts buried beneath the earth. Each new discovery stops work for the engineers as archaeologists ponder the historical significance of the latest find, and decide whether or not to excavate.
They’ve unearthed all sorts from child remains still entombed to the most lavish of ancient Rome accommodation - imperial homes. When they ran into the base of an imperial palace, a whole metro stop was scrapped and the planned line redrawn. The ruin was reburied for future excavation.
Of course Rome is not lacking in historic wealth above ground. The Colosseum, - centre of ancient Rome’s gladiatorial contests and public spectacles - seated around 50,000 guests and stands testimony to an era capable of grandeur and gore in equal measure. The ancient Romans might not have fed Christians to the lions (another QI revelation), but they did like a dose of gratuitous violence to get them through another week. Young people and adults have a macabre history with parallels into today to explore as far as they can stomach, while the costumed gladiators of today’s Colosseum will please the youngest visitors.
Even the most annoying teenager might happily leave the comforts of a Rome apartment and venture outside with the rest of the family for the subterranean chapels of Santa Maria della Concezione, and the skeletons of over 4,000 monks that decorate it.
Rome has all the normal urban attractions from eateries to swimming pools. It’s said Rome’s museums aren’t up to much, but the hands-on Explora, the Rome Children’s Museum (Via Flaminia 82), is an exception and a gem for the under-12s. Rome’s only amusement park, Luneur, is over 30 years old, adding an extra edge to the older looking rides. And there’s a zoo with the lions the ancient Romans apparently didn’t have.