MAKING children excited about history can be as tricky as getting them to
finish a plateful of broccoli. The group of eight-year-olds I took to The 02
Dome to see the Tutankhamun exhibition were semi-delirious with boredom
after 15 minutes of looking at golden artefacts.
Since museums were a big yawn, I thought the best way to get my daughter,
Holly, 8, excited about her next big school project was a family trip to
Rome to show her the sights - with, perhaps the odd detour for me to those
other classic Italian landmarks, Prada, Gucci and Max Mara, and gelati
pitstops to keep her five-year-old brother, Rory, sweet.
I had it all sorted. To get us in the mood, the first stop would be a
multi-sensory film show near the Piazza Venezia, the Time Elevator: a “half
hour of entertainment and adventure” that would take us back 3,000 years
from the days of Romulus and Remus, through the Republic to the last days of
the Caesars - Et tu, Brute? and all that.
Sadly, it was not to be. “Ancient Rome is shut, due to a technical fault. Can
you come back on Tuesday?” the woman in the kiosk said.
We then tried one of those “hop on hop off” bus tours that always seem a
delightful way to get around the sights. Perhaps we were unlucky, but
instead of an open top double-decker we got a dank and dark coach. At our
first stop, the guide told us to get off and look at a nondescript church
for ten minutes while, presumably, he had a crafty corretto.
We gave up and took a taxi to the Colosseum, where old codgers in gladiator
outfits were larking about, posing for pictures in return for a small
consideration. With their lantern jaws, rough-hewn looks and well-polished
armour, they looked like Russell Crowe's grandad, and it was worth every
euro.
The Colosseum may have ended up as a medieval B&Q for Romans wanting to carry
away some stone and marble to build their palazzi, but it's still fairly
easy for a child to visualise what went on in Emperor Vespasian's
50,000-seater arena - part of the vast stage has been reconstructed, which
helps enormously.
However, unless you want to fork out for the audio tour, which I didn't
because they're invariably too complicated and long-winded, you need to
bring a good guidebook to get the most out of the visit. One of the best is
Rome Past and Present, available from local bookshops or some of the tacky
souvenir stalls. Its acetate overlays picture the city's monuments then and
now. Holly was fascinated by the velarium, the immense awning stretched over
the Colosseum by a special squad of sailors from the imperial fleet to
protect spectators from the sun.
Another essential bit of kit is Ancient Rome for Kids (from Feltrinelli
International on Via E Orlando), which sensibly leaves out the Blue
Guide-style architectural descriptions in favour of gory tales of
gladiators, wild beasts and naval battles, and the story of how Cleopatra
smuggled herself into Julius Caesar's rooms rolled up in a carpet...
Both books were invaluable when we walked through the Imperial Forum, the
symbolic heart of the Empire - there are no signs or costumed guides to
point the way, and it's hard to make sense of the layout, but there are
plenty of stone pillars to lie or jump on and no pesky curators to spoil the
fun. We ended up at the recently renovated Trajan's market, which looks
remarkably like an ancient Bluewater but, boringly, turns out to have been
administrative offices.
After lunch and fabulous multicoloured gelati, we strolled to my favourite
Roman monument, the Pantheon, built by Hadrian in AD119-128. Were Holly and
Rory impressed by the fact that it's probably the best-preserved building of
its age in the world - its original bronze doors are still intact - and
certainly the largest unreinforced concrete dome? Not really, although they
were appalled by the thought that rain could pour in through the circular
hole in the centre of the dome and enjoyed watching the members of Italian
monarchist groups guarding the royal tombs. You can always rely on the
Romans to give good uniform.
The children had had enough, so we headed back to our hotel. The Cavalieri
Hilton may have £15 million-worth of Tiepolo paintings in its lobby, but
it's mercifully family-friendly in a city that is not particularly child-oriented.
Twenty minutes from the Vatican and far away from the honking Vespas and
incessant traffic that make navigating the centro storico a pain, the hotel
is big and glitzy, with plenty of space to run around. If your five-year-old
wants to play on the stairs, nobody will take a bit of notice.
The indoor pool is great (an outdoor pool is also open in the summer), the
breakfast buffet is extraordinary, there are parrots in the garden and at
Sunday lunch entertainers whisk children away to make pizza while you quaff
prosecco. The Cavalieri will even, for a hefty fee, arrange gladiator
lessons for children aged seven and over, but my tweenager was having none
of it and said that she would prefer to spend half an hour with the Ancient
Rome colouring book she had been given at check-in.
The next day, after the obligatory photo stop at the Bocca della Verita, made
famous by Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday (and apparently used by Roman
husbands to test the fidelity of their wives), we tramped through the Circus
Maximus and up and over the Palatine and the ruins of Domitian's palace. On
a gloriously sunny January morning it was easy to see why imperial movers
and shakers built their homes up here away from the marshlands, the heat and
the noise of the crowds.
Did the trip inspire Holly to produce a historical masterpiece when she
returned home? She certainly gathered enough souvenirs to stage a
spectacular show and tell. I fear the visit had less impact on Rory. When
his teacher asked him what he liked best about Rome, his reply was “the toy
shop”. Well, at least he ended up with a model Colosseum and some plastic
gladiators.
Child's guide to the Eternal City
The best time to visit is between November and March. Otherwise the city is
too hot and too crowded.
There is a combined entrance ticket for the Colosseum and the Palatine. Queues
are invariably shorter at the latter, so go there first.
Don't overdo it. Alternate sightseeing with pootling around Piazza Navona and
the Trevi Fountain.
Roman food is ideal child fodder. For excellent pizzas and spaghetti, go to
L'Archetto, via dell'Archetto 26 (00 39 06 678 9064). Great value.
Try the stupendous antipasti at L'Orso '80, via dell'Orso 33, (00 39 06 686
4904). You'll barely need to order anything else.
Let off steam in the Borghese Gardens, where you can ride bikes or ponies and
picnic. Or book a timed slot at Explora, the Children's Museum of Rome, via
Flamina 82 (00 39 06 361 3776, www.mdbr.it),
a hands-on playtown for under-12s.
Need to know
Julia Brookes and family travelled with Citalia (0871 664 0253, www.citalia.com).
Four nights' B&B at the Cavalieri Hilton, including private transfers and
British Airways flights, starts at £575pp in two inter-connecting rooms.
all good
sunita, switzerland,