Rome, the 'Eternal City', is the capital and largest city of Italy and of the Lazio (Latium) region. It's the famed city of the Roman Empire, the Seven Hills, La Dolce Vita (sweet life), the Vatican City and Three Coins in the Fountain. Rome, as a millenium-long centre of power, culture and religion, having been the centre of one of the globe's greatest civilizations ever, has exerted a huge influence over the world in its circa 2500 years of existence.
Situated on the River Tiber, between the Apennine Mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea, the "Eternal City" was once the administrative center of the mighty Roman Empire, governing a vast region that stretched all the way from Britain to Mesopotamia. Today it remains the seat of the Italian government and home to numerous ministerial offices. Rome has 2.7 million inhabitants while the metropolitan area is home to around 4.5 million.
Italians are very fond of their landmarks; in order to make them accessible to everyone one week a year there is no charge for admittance to all publicly owned landmarks and historical sites. This week, known as "La settimana dei beni culturali", typically occurs in mid-May and for those 7 to 10 days every landmark, archaeological site and museum belonging to government agencies (including the Quirinale presidential palace and gardens, the Colosseum and all of the ancient Forum) is accessible and free of charge.
The main area for exploring the ruins of ancient Rome is in Rome/Colosseo either side of Via dei Fori Imperiali, which connects the Colosseum and Piazza Venezia. Constructed between 1931 and 1933, at the time of Mussolini, this road destroyed a large area of Renaissance and medieval buildings constructed on top of ruins of the ancient forums and ended forever plans for an archeological park stretching all the way to the Appian Way.
Enjoy a few hours of pure relaxation, walking through the most fashionable streets of the capital, is an experience not to be missed! In the area of the Trident, close to the Spanish Steps, there are the streets of Roman fashion: Via Condotti and Via...
Admiring immortal artwork is a must for anyone visiting Rome, but tucking into local delicacies is equally important if you want to discover the city's unique flavors and unearth its history. Local gastronomy dates as far back as the city's incep...
The Pantheon has represented the maximum expression of the glory of Rome for over 2000 years. It’s story is in dissolutely tied to the Eternal City of which it has been the image throughout the centuries. The Pantheon was an inspiration for one of...
An elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering. Occupying a site just east of the Roma...
The Fontana di Trevi - or Trevi Fountain in English -is a fountain in Rome, Italy. It is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and the most beautiful in the world. A traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the ...
Paul came to Rome in 61AD for his trial by the Roman court which condemned him to death as a Christian. The sentence was carried out in a place called ‘palude Salvia’ close to Rome (later known as the Three Fountains after the three springs that gus...
The Spanish Steps are a set of steps in Rome, Italy, climbing a steep slope between the Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, dominated by the Trinità dei Monti church at the top. The Scalinata is the widest staircase in E...
Piazza Navona is a city square in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in 1st century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans came there to watch the agones ("games"), and hence...
MAXXI represents an awareness of the importance of promoting the current creative expressions of a nation such as Italy, characterised by centuries of primacy in the artistic and architectural fields. The aesthetic tensions of our time are, in...
The Roman Forum is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum M...
The MACRO is now home to an experimental project which hosts all the figures that are actively involved in the creation and contemporary artistic and cultural production, and - with the artist at the forefront - to create a structured program and ...
If you feel like visiting quintessential Rome, there's no better place to do it than at the Campo de' Fiori open air market or mercato all'aperto. Taking a stroll through this market, gives you a glimpse of Italian culture. Once inside, you'll witne...
By Anita Draycott Some of Rome’s liveliest bars and restaurants are scattered around the Campo De Fiori. At Ristorante del Pallaro, Largo del Pallaro 15, the slogan is, “Here you’ll eat what we want to feed you.” There’s no menu but you can’t go wro...
Messina is the largest city and capital of the Italian province of Messina, and it is also the third largest city in Sicily. It is nestled on the northeast corner of Sicily, along the Straits of Messina. The city has grown popular due to wine produc...
Admiring immortal artwork is a must for anyone visiting Rome, but tucking into local delicacies is equally important if you want to discover the city's unique flavors and unearth its history. Local gastronomy dates as far back as the city's incep...
