How does an Ancient Rome bike tour sound? You can enjoy viewing the beautiful monuments of Rome independently. The whole tour will take around 3-4 hours approximately. The best part is that you are going to do a bike tour in rome with a local guide who will make sure you reach the destinations without any hassle.
What is an E-bike tour in Rome?
An eco-friendly electric bike Rome tour explains what an E-bike tour is. This type of tour is ideal for summer as one can get tired easily due to the humid weather. It is highly recommended to take an rome E bike tour as less energy is needed. Since you hardly have to even pedal. Most cyclists can enjoy the cool breeze whilst viewing different ancient sights. The hills of the Eternal City can be climbed on these bikes. You do not have to go through the trouble of walking at all. These bikes are fit to reach more or less all the difficult places.
What to expect on an E-bike Tour?
- Professional tour guides will be provided. Luckily the guides speak different languages. These include- French, Spanish, English, German, and French.
- By traveling on an E-bike you can experience the beauty all the way from Ancient Rome to modern Rome.
- Adequate training will be provided before the tour. So that you are comfortable riding the bike. The tour will take you to many places some of them include- Spanish Steps, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and many more.
- You will be provided with a bike and helmet. So there is no need to go through the trouble of bringing your gear.
- There will be other cyclists. Since e-bike tours are usually done in groups.
- Ponchos will be available for protection from the rain.
- The tourist guide will allow time to stop in front of monuments for taking pictures.
Things to see on a Rome E-bike tour
Piazza Navona
The Piazza Navona is known as one of the most well-known squares in Rome. In 86 Domitian built a stadium at the site of the square. It was covered with marble and rectangular with rounded short sides. A total of 30000 people could be seated at a time. The place was mainly used for athletics and other types of physical activities. But in the 15th century, the stadium was covered and the creation of Piazza took place.
Piazza Navona contains a church and three fountains. These were designed by Bernini, Borromini and Giacomo della Porta.
The names of the fountains are
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Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (The Fountain of the four rivers)
This fountain was designed by Bernini back in 1651. It is the largest amongst the three fountains. There are four figures on the fountain which represent a river from four different continents. The rivers are Nile (Africa), (China), Rio Della Plata (The Americas), and Danube (Europe).
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Fontana del Moro (The Fountain of the Moor)
This fountain was called the Seashell Fountain at first. It is situated on the southern side of the square. The name comes from figures that represent Ethiopian fighting with a dolphin. The fountain was sculptured in 1654 by a Bernini designer.
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Fontana del Nettuno (The fountain of Neptune)
The fountain is located on the northern end side of the piazza. Della Porta was given the responsibility to design the fountain in 1574. But unfortunately, the work remained incomplete for around 300 years. Then in 1878 Antonio Della Bitta was assigned to complete the fountain by carving the statue of Neptune slaying an octopus. Also, Zappala was in charge of carving sea figures roaming around in the basin, two cherubs, two dolphins, two seahorses, and a couple of sea nymphs.
Originally the name of the stadium was ‘Circus Agonalis’. Then over the years the name changes multiple times from ‘in Agone’ to ‘Navone’ and eventually to ‘Navona’.
In the 1600s Pope Innocent X began a tradition on Saturdays and Sundays of covering the drains of the fountains. This was to allow people to enjoy the pooled water.
Unfortunately, Pius XI stopped this tradition in 1866 and put an end to it.
Every year in Piazza Square a Christmas market is held. Also, the Piazza is seen in the scenes of many movies nowadays. Dan Brown displayed the place in his movie Angels and Demons.
Pantheon.Till now the Pantheon is known to be one of the most remarkable monuments of Rome. The construction was completed during 126-128 AD. The word Pantheon means ‘honor all Gods’. The building stood as a temple to the Gods, especially because of its unique design. When Michelangelo took a first look at the building he remarked that the work was done by angels rather than humans.
Unfortunately due to a deadly fire, the Pantheon burned in 80AD. Then in 110 AD it was struck by lightning and destroyed once more. Finally later on Emperor Hadrian managed to build it again taking help from the designer Apollodorus of Damascus.
The main attraction of the Pantheon is the massive dome, which has a hole on the top. For 1300 years the dome was the largest. Even today it is still known as the largest dome in the whole world which is unsupported.
The interior of the Pantheon is of a cylinder shape which is covered by a half-sphere. Inside lies Italian kings and poets as well as the well-known artist Raphael. The marble floors are designed with geometrical patterns.
On April 21 a lighting effect can be seen when the sun strikes a piece of metal just above the doorway. Back in the day, the Romans used to celebrate April 21 as it was the date the city was founded.
The ‘Fountain of the Pantheon’ is situated right in front of the Pantheon. In 1711 Pope Clement XI hired Fillippo Barignoni to modify the fountain. Currently, the design includes a different basin that is made of stone. Also, four dolphins help to decorate the base.
Spanish Steps
The Spanish steps were designed by Francesco de Sanctis and built between 1723-1725. The main intention of the steps was to create a connection between the Trinità dei Monti church and the Spanish square below. This idea originated in the 17th century. Since the French planned to situate a statue of King Louis XIV right at the top of the staircase.
The steps represent the perfect example of Roman Baroque Style, with its butterfly design. There are a total of 138 steps which are placed amongst a mix of curves, terraces, and straight flights. There is a fountain placed at the lower end of the stairs which goes by the name of ‘Fontana Della Barcaccia’. The design of the fountain represents a sinking ship. When climbing the stairs on the right side a museum can be seen. This is the house of the English poet named John Keats who died here in 1821.
Today the steps are used by many artists and painters for landscaping. In Rome, the Spanish Steps are still known as a famous meeting place.
Trevi Fountain
This fountain was completed by Giuseppe Pannini in 1762. It is located in the district of Trevi. It took around 30 years to complete the fountain. The Trevi was constructed at the end of three roads. It has a height of 85 feet and a width of 160 feet. The Statue of Oceanus is seen on the fountain. This rests on a huge shell pulled by two horses with wings.Both of the horses represent the water. One shows that it is calm while the other shows that it is uncontrollable.
There are also two other statues and a snake around the fountain to symbolize many things. The fountain is in the middle of plants of thirty different types. The plants include – oak, pear, grapes, wild figs, and architrave. There is an inscription in Latin at the top of the building.
Travertine is the material that has been used to construct the fountain. The same material was used to build the Colosseum which unfortunately left many dead, because of the large stones. The water which went by the name of Acqua Vergine was known as the tastiest water in Rome. The fountain gives out 2,824,800 cubic feet of water daily, which is recycled. When Michelangelo passed away five kegs of this water were found in his residence. But now you cannot drink water directly from the fountain.
Back in 1996 the fountain was covered in a black crepe and turned off. This was due to the death of the famous actor Marcello Mastroianni.
Today people that visit the Trevi usually throw coins in the fountain. People say that if you throw three coins in the fountain then it could lead to marrying a Roman! The money is in fact used to donate to different charities. But that still doesn’t stop thieves from trying to steal coins. As in the past a lot of them have managed to make a fortune by diving in to steal coins!
Colosseum
This particular monument is known to be the most popular in Rome. It was built between 72-80 AD. It took nearly a decade to build the Colosseum which was done by 60,000 Jewish slaves. The building was built as a gift to the citizens of Rome from the Flavian Dynasty. It was done to increase popularity. Also to display various forms of entertainment and to show the world that Romans are skilled at engineering.
The Colosseum got its name from the statue named ‘the colossus of Nero’. The building had 84 gates and could hold up to a total of 50,000 people at a time. The exterior part had three stories of entrances that were arched. Also, the columns were of different styles.
At the bottom were simple columns in Doric order. The arch of Constantine was at the front entrance. This was built in AD. 315 in honor of the victory of Constantine over Maxentius.
A funny fact is that during the period of the middle ages strangely several trees began to grow in the Colosseum. It looked as if either people threw the fruit in the air or they spat out seeds inside the premises.
Unfortunately due to the earthquakes which occurred in 847 AD and 1231 AD, the structure of the building got ruined. The Colosseum’s southern side collapsed at that time. But later on, it was reconstructed.
The Colosseum represents a symbol of capital punishment. In Italy, the death penalty was announced back in 1948. If anyone over the world has their death sentence announced. Then the illumination lights of the night change into gold from white, of the Colosseum.
Circus Maximus
The Circus Maximus was the first stadium in Rome built in the 6th century BCE. The stadium is the largest public space in Rome even now. It is located in the valley which lies between the Palatine and the hills of Aventine.
It was used for several events such as chariot races, animal hunts, and also gladiator fights. The circus could hold up to 250,000 spectators at a time. The seats were made out of stone, concrete, and wood.
The most famous sport in ancient Rome was chariot racing. People used to make huge bets and those who won became both rich and famous amongst others. Scorpus the chariot horse had won more than 2000 races. Unfortunately, the last chariot race at the Maximus was held back in 549CE.
Nowadays the site of the circus is used as a large public park. Meetings and concerts are often organized there. Celebrations of victory were held in the circus after the Italian World Cup in 2006. And you can do the ancient Rome bike tour circus maximum as well.
Roman Forum
The Roman Forum was completed throughout many centuries. It is currently located in a valley that lies between Palatine and Capitoline Hills.
The earliest buildings were completed in the 8th century BC. Previously it was known as a multi-purpose site used for several functions. Which included – public meetings, elections, criminal trials, educational events, and many more? It was also used as a place to show people the body parts of rivals.
There were many buildings, statues, and temples located in the forum. Some of them were the Temple of Saturn, The Rostra, Arch of Titus, The Sacra Via, and many more.
The forum underwent construction several times. The design was changed according to each period and then eventually put together. The designs were influenced by Greek designs and the materials used were marble and concrete.
Romulus was laid to rest at the site of the forum. And also historians strongly believe that the shrine shows the site where Romulus was killed. The forum was a place for offering sacrifices to Gods. When Cicero lost against Mark Antony, his hands and head were up for the show for public viewing at the Forum.
The forum consists of the temple of Caesar which is also known to be Caesar’s grave. Unfortunately, the ruler was killed on the steps of the Theatre of Pompey. It is known as the site where Caesar got cremated back in 44 BC. After his death, the public paraded a wax statue of Caesar at the Forum.
Sadly the Forum fell after the fall of the Roman Empire. The churches at the Vatican and Catholic churches in Rome used marble from the Roman Forum to construct them. Luckily many archaeologists have discovered that there are a lot of hidden treasures buried in the site. Back in 2009 archaeologists found remains of ceramic around a wall from the 9th century.
Precautions to take on an E-bike Tour
Getting to know your bike
Firstly you should take necessary training when it comes to traveling on E-bikes. The cyclist must feel at ease since the bike is a lot different from a scooter. In general, E-bikes tend to be a lot more in weight. Before heading out you should practice how to stop and slow down the bike.
Make yourself visible
One way that this can be done is by modifying the bike. A lot of the companies offer accessories such as front lights and bells. This makes the bike stand out more on the road. Even the use of hand signals can make you visible before making a certain turn or changing direction. This will make it much easier for other road users to be cautious of the cycles on the road.
Secondly, you can take precautions by wearing clothes that are bright and luminous. This is exceptionally helpful for those who plan to be on the road when it gets dark.
Constantly check the battery and speed
Since an E-bike runs on a battery. It is obvious that at one point the bike will stop. It is a good idea not to go around the city in turbo mode throughout the whole tour. This will lead to the battery draining out much quicker. The bikes have different modes to change the speed. This depends on where the bike has to go. If you are planning to climb hills, then you have to change the mode to a higher level and vice versa. Traveling light by carrying minimum baggage on the bike also helps the battery to last longer.
It is strongly advised to pedal smoothly rather than pressing hard on the pedals. Low gears must be put to use when it comes to climbing hills. By doing so, the load is a lot less on the bike which also extends the battery life. You must also learn to control the brakes properly. As it is a good idea to at least slow down the speed before approaching road crossings and stop signs.
Be co-operative on the road
When traveling on a busy road it is important for you to constantly keep watch of the other bikes, cars, and pedestrians. Whilst passing other users a warning signal such as the bell must be used to make them cautious. Riding with the flow of traffic is recommended otherwise it will create congestion on the roads. When the traffic is slow, you should also travel at a slow pace. Also, there are restrictions in some areas as bike riding is prohibited at night. When traveling amongst others in a group, it would be a good idea to adjust your speed. This will help to keep up with the others.
Since there are no separate traffic rules for an E-cyclist. Hence you should act just like the other road users. This is by obeying traffic signs and signals. By doing so accidents can be prevented.
