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Pantheon
The temple of the Pantheon in Rome was built in 27 before Christ on
the order of the Consul Marcus Agrippa. It carries the inscription
M• AGRIPPA• L• F• COS• TERTIUM• FECIT, (Marcus Agrippa, son of
Lucius, consul for the third time, built this). Between 118 and 128
after Christ the building sees various modifications: the addition
of the pronaos, and the building of the largest cupola in beton ever
realized. The hemispherical dome has a skylight oculus of 8.9m in
diameter. The interior is a perfect circle and the diameter and
height are exactly the same, measuring 43 metres. In 608 Pope
Bonifacio IV consecrates it to the Christian cult and calls it "Sancta
Maria ad Martyres". Today, Italian kings are buried there, as well
as the famous artist Raphael.
Colosseo
The Colosseum of Rome was built in bricks and clad of travertine in
a valley among the Palatino, Esquilino and Celio hills after having
dried a small lake that Nero was using for the Domus Aurea. The
construction of the Colosseum began under Emperor Vespasian in AD 72
and was completed by his son Titus, in the 80s AD. Originally known
as the Flavian Amphitheatre, it was capable of seating 50,000
spectators. The elliptical arena measures along the axis about 77m
for 46. There were two entrances: the "Triumphalis Door" for the
gladiators or the animals to come in, and the "Libitinensis Door"
the dead bodies of the fighters to be taken out.
Domus Aurea
 After
the Great Fire of 64 AD architects Severus and Celer built this
Golden House (Domus Aurea) for Nero and the most spectacular section
was located on the Colle Oppio. The extensive gold-leaf that gave it
its name was not the only extravagant element of its decor: the
dining room had ceilings of fretted ivory with sliding panels. The
room was circular and revolved continuously day and night, just like
the earth. There is a guided underground tour that allows you to see
some of the most important rooms in Nero's residence.
Bath of Caracalla
One of the most beautiful and luxurious public bath complexes in
Rome. Equipped with sophisticated plumbing systems, the complex
could hold up to 1,600 bathers. Begun by the emperor Septimius
Severus in AD 206 and completed by his son, the emperor Caracalla,
in 216. It consisted of a frigidarium (cold room), tepidarium
(medium), and caldarium (hot room), as well as two palaestras (gyms
where wrestling and boxing was practised). Also part of the complex
is an aqueduct (for the thermae or water reservoirs), where water
was brought in. The Baths of Caracalla continued in use until the
6th century.
Imperial Forums
 The
Imperial Forums consist of a series of monumental fora (public
squares) in ancient Rome. The Roman Forum, the most important
archaeological area in Rome, extends from the Capitol Hill to the
Palatine. As far back as the 7th century B.C., the Forum was the
centre of political, commercial and religious life. Later on, to the
original Roman Forum were added the Imperial Forums: Foro di Cesare,
Foro di Augusto, Foro di Nerva, Foro di Vespasiano and the most
imposing one, the Foro di Traiano, of which one can still admire the
huge Column of the Markets.
Castel Sant'Angelo
 Castel
Sant'Angelo was built in the early 2nd century by the Emperor
Hadrian, as a monumental tomb for himself and his successors. The
monument's fate was decided in 403, when the Emperor Honorius.
incorporated it into the city walls, making it into a bridgehead on
the river. From the 13th century it became an "annexe" of the nearby
Vatican, and Pope Nicholas III created the famous "Passetto di
Borgo", a covered corridor connecting St. Peter's to the Castle. The
fortress became famous through time, especially as a prison. The
name with which the fortress is known derives from a miraculous
event which took place in 590: Rome was in the midst of a severe
plague, and Pope Gregory had organised a solemn procession to pray
for its end. When the procession reached the Mole of Hadrian,
Archangel Michael was seen flying up and sheathing his flaming sword,
symbolising the end of the plague. The statue of the angel, placed
on the top of the castle to commemorate the event, was replaced six
times.
Trevi Fountain
The fountain is the terminal part of the Vergine aqueduct built by
Agrippa in 19 B.C. to bring the water coming from the Salone springs,
19 km away, to Rome. The spectacular fountain was designed by
architect Nicoln Salvi in the 18th century and built over 30 years.
The central niche seems to impart movement to the imposing figure of
Neptune who firmly guides a chariot drawn by sea horses. As they
gallop over the water, the horses are guided in their course by fine
figures of tritons which emerge from the water, sculptured by Pietro
Bracci in 1762. The setting all around consists of rocks. The charm
of the fountain is enhanced by the contrast between its large size
and the small square that contains it. Don't forget to throw the
famous coin to ensure your return to the Eternal City. To do it
properly, stand with your back to the fountain and throw the coin
with the right hand over the left shoulder.
Spanish Steps and Square
 Piazza
di Spagna takes its name from the Spanish Embassy which was
established there in the seventeenth century. Beyond the Barcaccia
Fountain (designed by Pietro Bernini) rise the beautiful Scalinata
della Trinitr dei Monti, or the Spanish Steps. The staircase
consists of 138 steps of travertine stone rising in three successive
flights. It was finished by 1726 by Francesco De Sanctis and became
a favorite rendezvous for artists and their models, most of them
peasants from the countryside south of Rome. Still today it is one
of the most popular meeting-places in Rome for foreigners and
Italians alike.
Vatican City
Vatican City in Rome is an autonomous State governed directly by the
Pontificate and officially recognized through the Lateran by the
Italian Republic. The size of the memorable St Peter's square facing
St. Peter's Basilica is surrounded by the magnificent four-row
colonnade masterpiece of Gian Lorenzo Bernini (son of Pietro Bernini).
Only when you get inside the basilica, you will be truly amazed by
the size and splendour of the largest church in the world, the
symbol of Christianity, extending over a total of about 22,000 sqm.
The building is 136 m. high and the diameter of the Cupola, designed
by Michelangelo, measures 42 m. The church contains the masterpieces
of important artists: the 29 m. high bronze baldachin by Bernini,
the Pietr by Michelangelo, the tomb of Clement XIII by Canova and
the mosaic of the Navicella by Giotto, located above the middle
entrance to the Portico. The Vatican Museums contain the famous
Sistine Chapel with the frescoes of Michelangelo on the vault and on
the back walls with the "Universal Judgement".
St. John in Lateran
 St.
John in Lateran is the Cathedral of Rome and one of the five major
in basilica's of the Catholic Church in Rome. Around 313 a basilica
with five apses dedicated to Christ Saver was built. The earthquake
of 896 almost completely destroyed the church and after this,
several other natural calamities damaged it. The facade with five
passages characterised by the 15 statues of Christ surrounded by
Saints, is a project of Alessandro Galilei dating back to 1734. The
basilica is across the street from the Holy Stairs. These are the
stairs that Jesus walked up to be judged by Pilot. They were brought
back from the Holy Land by St. Helen. You are only allowed up these
stairs on your knees.
Piazza Navona
Piazza Navona is one of the most extraordinary examples of town
planning in the city. The original shape of the piazza, in fact,
repeats with extreme faithfulness the perimeter of the ancient
stadium of Domitian built in 86 A.D. for athletic competitions. The
remains of this ancient complex lie 5-6 metres below the current
road level. Piazza Navona is longitudinally marked by the presence
of the three fountains; the lateral "Fountain of Neptune or of the
Calderoni" and "Fountain of the Moro" were designs of Giacomo della
Porta, while the central "Fountain of the Four Rivers" was designed
by Gian Lorenzo Bernini between 1648 and 1651. The church of Sant'Agnese
in Agone stands on the spot where, according to legend, the
twelve-year-old Agnes was martyred at the end of the 3rd century
during the violent persecutions of emperor Diocletian. The piazza is
surrounded by excellent cafes and ice-cream shops.
St. Mary Major
 The
Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore is the only Roman basilica that
retained the core of its original structure, left intact despite
several additional construction projects and damage from the
earthquake of 1348. It is one of the five ancient basilicas of Rome.
Pope Liberius commissioned the construction of the first Chiesa di
Santa Maria Maggiore circa 360. The night between August 4th and 5th
352 the Pontiff dreamed that the Blessed Virgin Mary invited him to
build a Basilica where on the next day he would have found snow.
According to legend, the outline of the church was physically laid
out on the ground of the miraculous snowfall that took place on
August 5, 358. Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title
of Our Lady of the Snows, local Roman Catholics commemorate the
miracle on each anniversary by dropping white rose petals from the
dome during the feast mass.
Campidoglio - Capitoline Hill
The Capitoline Hill (or Campidoglio) was the centre of the political,
social, and religious life of Rome. In the Middle Ages, this had
already become the center of the city's political life with the
erection here of the Palazzo Senatorio and the Palazzo dei
Conservatori. The piazza as you see it today is the work of
Michelangelo, following the orders of Pope Paul III. Michelangelo's
grandiose plan for the piazza was not completed until 1940 when the
paving stones were laid down. As you go up his monumental flight of
steps, the Cordonata, the extraordinary scenario unfolds before your
eyes. The side buildings take on the role of the wings of a stage
while the Palazzo Senatorio, the symbol of the city's institutions,
provides the backdrop to the undisputed main actor of this stage -
the statue of Marcus Aurelius in the center of the piazza. Today,
the Palazzo Senatorio is Rome's City Hall. The other buildings - the
Palazzo Dei Conservatori, on the right, and the Palazzo Nuovo, on
the left- house the Capitoline Museums, an immense collection of
artwork initiated by Pope Sixtus IV when he donated the famous Lupa,
statue of the she-wolf and symbol of Rome.
Bocca della Verità
The church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin was built in the 6th century
on the ruins of the Altar of Hercules, which are still visible from
the crypt. It was one of the most important churches of the Roman
deaconate. The church is famous for an absolutely profane element,
the Bocca della Veritr (Italian for Mouth of Truth) in the atrium.
Placed here in 1632, the Bocca della Veritr is a river god that used
to be a drain cover, but since the Middle Ages, has served as a lie
detector. It was believed that if one told a lie with his or her
hand in the mouth of this god, it would be bitten off.
The Palatine
 A
walk of incomparable beauty along the most ancient memories of Rome:
the Domus Augustana, residence of the emperors, and other private
houses. The Palatine Hill (Latin Palatium) is the centermost of the
seven hills of Rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city
of Rome. Legend tells us that Rome has its origins on the Palatine.
Indeed, recent excavations show that people lived there since
approximately 1000 BC. According to Roman mythology, the Palatine
hill was where Romulus and Remus were found by the she-wolf that
kept them alive. According to this legend, the shepherd Faustulus
found the infants and, with his wife, Acca Larentia, raised the
children. When they were older this is where Romulus decided to
build Rome.
Villa Borghese and Gardens
Villa Borghese is the second largest public park in Rome (80
hectares or 148 acres) after that of the Villa Doria Pamphili. The
Spanish Steps lead up to this park, and there is another entrance on
Piazza del Popolo. The most romantic place on the villa grounds is
undoubtedly the lake with its little island dominated by the Temple
of Aesculapius. A modern overpass connects the villa to the Pincio,
in the south part of the park, and offers one of the greatest views
over Rome. The Villa itself is one of the most renowned villas in
Rome, ordered by Cardinal Scipione Borghese in the early 17th
century. It now contains the Galleria Borghese.
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Last update ( 10/11/2007 )
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