Extract from Rome: Moods & Places.

All free, all wonderful and another of those very Roman juxtapositions of the ancient and the modern. Climb the sloping steps on Piazza d’Aracoeli to escape the petrol-fuelled mania below and emerge into a rational world of calm, order and elegance. Michelangelo’s piazza is one of the joys of Rome, which offers great views across the city and particularly fine free snooping directly into the adjoining ancient Roman Forum. On its own this is stimulating enough but we also recommend a visit to the Capitoline Museum (Tue-Sun: 9am-8pm), situated on the piazza, for an intoxicating immersion in the classical world. This alas is not free, but is worth every euro.