The Pantheon and Piazza Navona: a guide to Rome's historic centre

Between the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, a few hundred metres are enough to cross twenty centuries: an intact Roman temple, an ancient stadium turned baroque square, museums in Renaissance palaces and a dozen churches worth the detour, almost all free. It is the most visited part of Rome and the one you return to in the evening. This guide suggests a walking route, says what can be visited (hours and prices checked in October 2026) and flags the traps of the centre, from inflated terrace prices to picture menus.

The historic centre at a glance

The area covers the rioni of Parione and Sant'Eustachio, between Corso Vittorio Emanuele II to the south, the Tiber to the west and Corso del Rinascimento. It is entirely walkable: from the Pantheon to Piazza Navona, allow five minutes. There is no metro station: the nearest, Spagna (line A), is a twenty-minute walk, and buses 40, 64 and 70 stop on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II.

The streets are narrow, cobbled and very busy from 10am to 6pm. Before 9am and after 8pm, the centre is much calmer.

A walking route from Piazza Navona to the Pantheon

Piazza Navona and the Fountain of the Four Rivers

Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona follows the outline of Domitian's stadium, built around AD 86. Three fountains punctuate it, including Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers, facing Borromini's church of Sant'Agnese in Agone. Visit early in the morning or late at night; by day, the portrait artists and terraces are expensive and the square is mostly a thoroughfare. Read the prices before you sit down.

The nearby museums: Palazzo Altemps and the Museo di Roma

Two museums open a few steps from the square, often almost empty while the square is packed.

Palazzo Altemps, one of the National Roman Museum's sites, displays the Ludovisi collection of ancient sculpture in a Renaissance palace. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, with the single €15 ticket valid for 7 days.
The Museo di Roma at Palazzo Braschi, on Piazza San Pantaleo, tells the story of the city from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, at €11.

Both are closed on Monday. Both are free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month.

Pasquino and Via dei Coronari

Against the corner of Palazzo Braschi stands Pasquino, the "talking statue" on which Romans have pasted satirical verses against those in power since the 16th century. Further north, Via dei Coronari, a long straight street opened in the 15th century for pilgrims heading to St Peter's, is lined with antique dealers and restoration workshops.

The churches of the centre

The Pantheon's façade on Piazza della Rotonda

The centre has several churches with free entry. Respect services and cover shoulders and knees.

San Luigi dei Francesi: the French national church holds Caravaggio's three paintings of St Matthew in the Contarelli Chapel.
Santa Maria sopra Minerva: one of Rome's few Gothic churches, with Bernini's elephant carrying an obelisk on the square outside.
Sant'Ignazio: its dome does not exist; Andrea Pozzo painted it in trompe l'oeil in the 17th century.
Il Gesù: the mother church of the Jesuits, with a dazzling baroque interior.
Sant'Agostino holds Caravaggio's Madonna of the Pilgrims; Santa Maria della Pace, near Piazza Navona, houses frescoes by Raphael and a cloister by Bramante.

The Pantheon

The Pantheon is Rome's best-preserved ancient monument: a temple rebuilt under Hadrian around AD 118-125, turned into a church in 609. Its dome, pierced by a 9 m oculus, remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. Entry costs €7 since 1 July 2026 (€2 for 18-25s, free for under-18s); it is open every day from 9am to 7pm, last entry at 6.30pm. Entry is free on the first Sunday of the month and during the Sunday Mass at 10.30am.

Eating and drinking in the area

The centre is the part of Rome where it is easiest to eat badly: Piazza Navona terraces, touts, menus with photos in several languages. A few pointers:

Move away from the squares: two streets behind the Pantheon or Piazza Navona, prices drop and the cooking improves.
Coffee standing up: the historic bars, such as those on Piazza di Sant'Eustachio and Via degli Orfani, serve an espresso at the counter for far less than at a table.
Ice cream: see our selection of the best gelato in Rome, including several addresses a few steps from the Pantheon and Navona.
Tourist menus: avoid those that display photos and a fixed-price "tourist menu", and read our guide to scams to avoid in Rome.

For more addresses, read what to eat in Rome.

Summary table: the stops in the centre

Stop	What you see	Entry	On foot from Piazza Navona
Piazza Navona	Fountains, Sant'Agnese in Agone	Free	On site
Palazzo Altemps	Ludovisi ancient sculptures	€15 (single 7-day ticket)	3 min
Museo di Roma, Palazzo Braschi	History of the city	€11	2 min
San Luigi dei Francesi	Three Caravaggios	Free	3 min
Pantheon	Ancient temple, dome	€7	5 min
Santa Maria sopra Minerva	Gothic church, Bernini's elephant	Free	8 min
Sant'Ignazio	Pozzo's false dome	Free	10 min
Il Gesù	Mother church of the Jesuits	Free	12 min

Prices checked in October 2026. Walking times are approximate.

Where to stay, how to get here and how to plan the day

The centre is very handy for sleeping: you do everything on foot, but rooms are expensive and noisy at weekends. Our guide where to stay in Rome compares the neighbourhoods. For buses and tickets, see getting around Rome. In the evening the centre is one of Rome's most pleasant areas: see Rome at night.

For a full day, start with Piazza Navona and the nearby museums in the morning, have lunch away from the squares, then visit the Pantheon and the churches in the afternoon. With two days, add Campo de' Fiori and the Jewish Ghetto, within walking distance: see the Campo de' Fiori page and our guide to the Jewish Ghetto.