ROME
We visited Italy in August of 2007 – Rome, Florence and Venice. This was the height of the tourist season and it was very warm. We went to Rome, and the Borghese gallery first. After buying tickets, we entered through a door around back (in the garden) for wheelchair accessibility. Once inside you could move from floor to floor by elevator, but it was so small that you had to stand while someone carried your wheelchair up the stairs. The artwork and sculptures are really worth the effort if you can make it!
We got around Rome entirely on foot. Only one subway line had accessible stops – and only a few stops at that! But Rome is an easy city to get around in if the weather is good. Some of the other places we visited were: The Vatican, The Colosseum, Pantheon, The Roman Forum and nearby Pompeii (don’t even think about going there).
-The Vatican was very accessible. We took a guided tour which made it very interesting and we highly recommend it! There are elevators, ramps and special routes available for wheelchairs.
-The Colosseum had an elevator that made it very accessible and you could go almost everywhere.
-The Pantheon is on ground level and ramped – so not an issue.
- The Roman Forum is a bit more difficult to get around. There are some ramps, but to get around everywhere you need some strong helpers. The pathway is rough, with some old cobblestones and has gravel in some areas.
-Pompeii ….now that’s another story! Pompeii was very fascinating, but there are no ramps, and the roadways have huge stepping stones linking some crude paths. Without someone to lift your chair – you are a gonner! Check out the following photo for an example.
FLORENCE
Florence has sidewalks and most of the sites to visit are on the ground level. In Florence we went to the Duomo and related museum (Museo dell’Opera del Duomo), Ponte de Vecchio, Academia and The Uffizi. We also took side trips to Vinci, Pisa and Siena.
-The Duomo is the calling card of Florence and a must see. There is a side entrance for wheelchairs that allows you to bypass the often long lines. There are stairs to the top of the Dome for an amazing view, but unfortunately elevators are not available. The museum for the Duomo is very accessible with elevators – and it’s air conditioned! The Baptistry is supposed to be a wonderful visit as well, but the lines were too long for us when we were there. The wood carved, original doors to the Baptistry are in the Bargello.
-Ponte de Vecchio is a bridge with lots of shops (mostly jewelery). There is a great view of the Arno River. The bridge is very accessible.
-Academia is a museum that includes Michelangelo’s “David”. Accessibility was very good.
-The Uffizi has no accessibility issues. It was The Medici’s private collection of art that was turned into a museum.
-Vinci, birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci is a cute little town with a museum dedicated to Da Vinci’s inventions. It is an old castle – like structure with a steep road from the parking area. The museum was accessible for the most part, but you had to get up a flight of stairs to get to the wheelchair entrance – crazy!
-Pisa is extremely accessible and there is no cost involved. Just find parking in a nearby side street and use the sidewalks to the grass courtyard where the Leaning Tower is.
-Siena is a pretty town. We were there during the Palio (a traditional horse race that takes place in the town), so it was more crowded than typical, and the parking was a little more challenging. The walled, medieval town has some fairly steep roads, but they are smooth and we got around very well. Here is a picture of the town square where the races are held:
VENICE
Most people will tell you that Venice is very difficult to explore in a wheelchair – and they are right! But I really wanted to see it badly …and where there’s a will – there’s hopefully a few strong family members to carry me over the many bridges! Actually you can take the Vapparetto from the mainland to St. Mark’s square without an accessibility problem. Most of the stops are wheelchair accessible – but to move far beyond the stop may be difficult because of the many canals and bridges. If you can get help getting into a Gondola – that’s a great way to see the city!