"Holiday in Rome" Topic

I know it probably a bit of an inane topic but i am going to Rome for a week at the end of May to see the wife's auntie. Wondering if anyone could point out some good military museums -with Italian wars stuff in particular. Recommend any good Castles – I have been to the Castel Sant Angelo (but plan to take my 2 and half year old boy there this time!) but anything else is good. Any nice medieval type places not too far from Rome (i.e. Public Transport issues). Oh and any wargame shops in Rome.

Ta Richard

PS don't tell my Missus I asked :-)

Can you make it to Florence at all?

they have the BEST military museum I have visited, The Stibbert. It has one of the most amazing collections of armour and weapons, especially their Samurai collection.

If you want to see something interesting and unique, though not militaria, there is the Crypt of the Capuchin monks link They had to move their cemetery in 1870, and someone made displays on the bones. Worth seeing. link

There is a ton of stuff in Rome. There is the archaeology museum, which was the best museum I visited while I was there. It shows different stages of the city during construction and decline.

What I really recommend is walking everywhere while in the city, don't take the subway you will see so many more things on your way from one place to the next than you would otherwise.

There is at least one wargame shop in Rome and I think there are, or were, three. The one I went to was very good and I bought a bunch of confrontation stuff there when you couldn't get it in the states. I wish I could remember the name but it has been 7 years now.

I went to a great miniatures shop as well, might have been the same one. I couldn't tell you what it was called either, but I could probably find it on a map, and if I was in Rome I could find it again.

Oh in Roman Holiday they put their hand in the lions mouth, I'd just have to do that.

As a wargamer, Trajan's column was the highlight, but my daughter's fondest memory to this date is the Etruscan excavation which was been overrun by cats.

There must have been over two hundred cats there, just sunning themselves, and she loved it.

As far as museums go, I never really found one as I woukd have expected. This is apart from the fact that Rome itself is a living museum.

When I went Trajan's column was covered in scaffolding and green plastic stuff and I couldn't see a thing. One of the major things I wanted to see in Rome and could see nothing of it!
Go to Castel St Angelo – works on 2 levels; Hadrian's tomb and Renaissance fortress.

I checked Battlefront's list of stores before visiting Australia. The stores they directed me to in Perth and Sydney not only carried Battlefront products, but other things as well. Unfortunately, the Italian shops whose towns I can identify are all off to the north of Rome. I'd check on other companies, to see if they list any distributors in Rome.
Grelber

I'd recommend a guided tour. Much of ancient Rome is in walking distance. Try:

rome-day-tours.com

acorntours.com/

vinorossotours.com/index.htm

Ralph

Why do you want to wast time in Rome by visiting toy soldier shops?

I've just got back from a week in Rome with my wife. I can recommend everything we saw but it was mainly pre medieval so not quite what you are wanting. However, I did avail myself of the wargames shop Strattegia et Tacticca just up from the Colosseum. A superb wargames shop, owners speak English, really happy to chat and show you round and a wide range of stuff to buy. Well worth it.