Travel to Italy with your dog: Seeing the sites of Rome

When we traveled to Italy with Cosmo, seeing the sites of Rome was as much fun for Cosmo as it was for us! There was plenty to sniff as well as see and we were able to do many of our excursions by foot and paw, although taking a quick subway ride was also no problem with a dog.

First stop was the Colosseum, one of the grandest of all Roman monuments. Then we walked past the Arch of Constantine down Via di San Gregorio...

... toward the Circus Maximus.  Once known as THE place for chariot racing, there's not much left to see there now. But it is possible to imagine the splendor of the site and now it's an excellent place for a dog walk. A little further down the road we had hoped to visit the Bocca della Verità, or Mouth of Truth... 

Here, Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck test the legend of the Mouth of Truth in the 1953 movie Roman Holiday. The story is that the sculpture represents the face of an ancient god who knows if you are telling the truth or lieing! If you tell a lie while inserting your hand in its mouth, it will bite it off! But since the sculpture is now sectioned off as part of a tour of the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, we were not allowed in to try out Cosmo's paw at the truth! While we found dogs are seldom allowed inside of museums and churches, there are still plenty of historic sites to see from the outside.

Next we walked along the Tiber River toward the area known as the Jewish Ghetto, where we passed Rome's main synagogue near the east bank of the Tiber.

Strolling through the Jewish Ghetto, we saw many shops, restaurants and bakeries...

... and stopped for a quick bite of gelato! Most food establishments in Rome do allow dogs, making it very easy to enjoy the journey with your canine companion! After continuing on to the market in Piazza del Campo dei Fiori, we headed on to Piazza Navona.

We enjoyed views of the fountains and activity in the Piazza...

... as well as being able to spend some time viewing the Pantheon nearby. This time Cosmo was allowed inside...

... where he expressed worthy admiration of  the coffers in the concrete dome, and the central opening, or oculus, to the sky!

Nearby, Cosmo provided equal admiration to some meat -- after all he is a dog! The nice lady slicing the mortadella didn't mind too much until Cosmo leaned in just a little closer!!

Later than evening we strolled back toward the Piazza Navona...

And stopped at the famous Four Rivers Fountain. Then it was on to our new evening ritual of hot chocolate, Italian style.

As usual, Cosmo gets to enjoy the experience right along with us and was typically offered some tasty treat by the restauranteurs. After a long day enjoying all that Rome has to offer, there's only one thing to do...

Cosmo dreams about the adventures of the day and whatever lies ahead!...

If you're planning a trip to Italy or an international trip with your dog, here are a few other posts you might enjoy:

• International Paperwork Preparation
• How to Prepare Your Dog For a Long Plane Ride
• Arriving in Rome, Dog-Friendly InterContinental Hotel, Piazza del Popolo
• A Walk Through Parco della Villa Borghese
• Great restaurants to enjoy with your dog in Parco della Villa Borghese
• Circus Maximus: Cosmo says bring on the gladiators
• St. Francis Watches Over All Animals
• Milan: The Duomo

And now it's time to check out what our pals are doing at the Pet Blogger Hop!

Wordless Wednesday: Cosmo Havanese says bring on the gladiators!

Cosmo Havanese channels his inner gladiator at the Circus Maximus in Rome. What do you think he was really doing?

Close up... Is Cosmo imagining the life of a dog/gladiator 2,000 years ago?

Now a park, once upon a time the Circus Maximus was THE place for chariot racing and the occasional gladiator fight. Cosmo takes a moment to soak up the significance.


So what WAS Cosmo doing in his gladiator pose?!!


Other posts about our trip to Italy you might enjoy:

• International Paperwork Preparation
• How to Prepare Your Dog For a Long Plane Ride
• Arriving in Rome, Dog-Friendly InterContinental Hotel, Piazza del Popolo
• A Walk Through Parco della Villa Borghese
• St. Francis Watches Over All Animals
• Milan: The Duomo

Travel to Italy with your dog: A walk through Parco della Villa Borghese

In our last installment of Travel to Italy with your dog we visited  Piazza del Popolo, one of the entry points to Parco della Villa Borghese -- a wonderful place to take a stroll with your dog.

From either Piazza del Popolo or the top of the Spanish Step it's an easy stroll to the top of Pincio Hill and the entrance to Parco della Villa Borghese. Here, Cosmo Havanese and I enjoy the panoramic view of the center of Rome and St. Peter's.

Entering Parco della Villa Borghese, or Borghese Park, you're sure to find lots of activity... from bicyclists to rollerbladers AND lots of dogs!

Heading down one of the many paths and walkways...

...we came upon the Valley of the Dogs, an area designated for off-leash dog play. A handful of larger dogs and their people enjoyed the late winter afternoon. Cosmo preferred to observe from a distance. Further down the path...

... we listened to some music. Cosmo's nose was working at full capacity!

The park, one of Rome's largest, has many lovely gardens, two art museums a grass-covered amphitheater and a lake. Some of the trees were particularly impressive.

These tall sculpted-looking trees are known as Umbrella Pines, a species of pine native to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. The pines even inspired a symphonic tone poem -- Pini di Roma, the Pines of Rome --  by Italian composer Ottorino Respighi in 1924. Listen! 

 After all that walking, there are plenty of places to stop for a quick snack! 

And sometimes a little dog needs a free ride!  But even up in the air, Cosmo's head was always on a swivel and his nose working overtime!  

Next up: great places to eat with your dog in Borghese Park! Here, Cosmo and I are leaving Casina Valadier after a wonderful lunch with a view!

Other posts about our Italy adventure you might enjoy:

• International Paperwork Preparation
• How to Prepare Your Dog For a Long Plane Ride
• Arriving in Rome, Dog-Friendly InterContinental Hotel, Piazza del Popolo

Travel to Italy with your dog: Arriving in Rome, dog-friendly hotel and an outing to Piazza del Popolo

In the United States, dog people often long for a bit of Italy, where you can take your dog most anywhere. So when we embarked on our journey to Italy with Cosmo, we were excited to see all the sights, enjoy the food and shopping, and not have to leave Cosmo behind! 

     

 

We flew non-stop from Atlanta to Rome and arrived  at 7:30 a.m. in the morning after flying all night.  Cosmo traveled in his SturdiBag under the seat in cabin and slept the entire way! Above, he shakes off the sleep, does a few downward dogs and he's ready to go!

Going through customs in Rome was a breeze. We showed passports, got our bags and were outside the airport in less than 30 minutes. We had all the required international paperwork for pet travel, but didn't need to show anything on this end. Outside the airport in Rome, above, Cosmo is ready to chase some Italian squirrels! I'm ready for a nap.

           

We stayed at the pet-friendly InterContinental De La Ville Roma. The hotel is beautiful, the staff super friendly, and it is conveniently located at the top of the Spanish Steps.

Cosmo was treated like a celebrity -- with hearty greetings and pats --  every time he entered the lobby of the InterContinental De La Ville. After checking in, we hit the town to see the sights and search for some much-needed cappuccino!

First stop, just a few steps from the front of the hotel we walked down the Spanish Steps to Piazza Di Spagna.  Above, we stopped for a photo opp in front of the Barcaccia Fountain. At the bottom of the steps to the right, you can see a corner of the Casina Rossa, where the poet John Keats spent the end of his life.  At the top of the stairs is the 16th-century Church of Trinita dei Monti. From here we walked down Via del Corso to the Piazza del Popolo.

So much to see... and eat! Along the way, we stopped for a scoop of warm chestnuts. These vendors are on almost every corner!

At Piazza del Popolo, we stopped at the Canova Cafe for cappuccino and brioche! Ahhh, nothing like Italian cappuccino! 

Cosmo sat at the table and enjoyed the people, and dog, watching in the piazza ... and, the sound of the bells from the twin churches that flank either side of the Via del Corso. Built in the Neo classical style, the churches Santa Maria di Montesanto and Santa Maria dei Marcoli were designed by Carlo Rainaldi in 1658. Listen...

On a  beautiful Sunday morning in December, there were plenty of people out strolling through the Piazza del Popolo, enjoying the sunshine and soaking up the centuries of history. The obelisk at the center of the piazza was originally erected at the Circus Maximus to commemorate the conquest of Egypt by Augustus in 10 BC. It was moved to Piazza del Popolo  by Pope Sixtus V in 1589. Cosmo takes a sunbath and we listen to the cellist playing next to the obelisk in the center of the square. Take a look and enjoy!

Next we headed to the west end of the piazza, below, where the steps lead up to Pincio Hill and the entrance to Parco Della Villa Borghese, a wonderful park for a dog walk!

Next post: A walk through Borghese Park and lunch in the Park at Casina Valadier!