A popular way to visit Rome is a guided and pre-planned tour on the hop-on/hop-off (Ho-Ho) buses…open-top double-decker. All the companies offering tours on Ho-ho buses allow the tourists to purchase the tickets as they board at any stop for a cost of around 18-20 Euros. The tickets let you avail any available seat along with earbud headphones to plug into outlets for running commentary on approaching sights. Commentary is offered in nearly every European language. Most companies follow more or less the same route and the tourists can opt for a  complete Ho-Ho loop in which you can stay on until you arrive at each point/area you wish to visit, do so, then hop back on another bus (for that bus line) for the next point/area of interest.

It would be a good idea to keep your cameras handy as you can take pictures from the upper-deck, but you need to be careful with your balance while in-motion. An early start will also help choice of seat location to help camera angles. The different bus companies offer vastly different service levels.

Unfortunately, due to Rome’s narrow streets, the HOHO buses cannot go directly to a few of the more popular sites such as the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and the Spanish Steps. Also the buses being open on top are no fun in the rain or wind. Most of the companies in Rome offer a 24 or 48 hour ticket.

For the most part, the routes are all similar. Most operators offer some form of a discount for children and family. While almost all the tours start at Roma Termini, you can buy a ticket on the buses at every stop. At Termini, the drivers tend to take their breaks so often you may have to wait here for the “route” to start.

The Piazza della Minerva is as its name suggests a piazza situated in Rome. Lying close to the renowned Pantheon, this piazza is a sight to behold. A large number of beautiful buildings are foundin this vicinity. In fact it is named after the temple built by Pompey dedicated to Minerva Calcidica.

A very famous elephant, sculpted by one of Bernini’s students as per his instructions adorns the centre of this piazza. It is situated atop an Egyptian obelisk. The name given to the elephant by the Romans is “il pulcin della Minerva”, or “porcino”. The obelisk comes from the Iseum, in whose cloister it was excavated.

The church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, after whom the piazza is named, is also located at the centre of the square. Its exterior features a number of important inscriptions regarding the flooding of River Tiberia. The former Accademia dei nobili ecclesiastici, now known as the the Palazzo dell’accademia ecclesiastica, an academy for training the diplomats of Vatican City is situated opposite the church.

The 16th century Palazzo Fonseca stands to the right of the church. The hotel Minerva lies here. This hotel is extremely famous among the Romans and its guests include celebrities like Stendhal and José de San Martín.

Ruins of an archaic convent (or casa profess) of the Dominicans of the 13^th century is also present here. The convent’s influence grew over the years and it even became the base of the Roman Inquisition or Holy Office. The historic trials of Galileo Galilei, was held here.

The piazza thus holds several places of historic as well as aesthetic value and is a good visit.