Tour Rome

1) The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel (optional):

The first section of the Vatican Museums was formed from the collection of sculptures organized by Julius II and was exhibited in the "Courtyard of the Statues", currently the Octagonal Courtyard. The Museums and the Pontifical Galleries, as art collections held in suitable buildings, and accessible to the public, were originated by Clement XIV and Pius VI and for this reason, the part arranged by these two popes took the name of Pius Museum - Clementine. Pius VII greatly widened the collections of Classical Antiquities by the addition of the Chiaramonti Museum and the New Wing and expanded greatly the Epigraphic Collection welcomed in the Lapidary Gallery. Since then, all the popes have given a great contribution to the growth of the Vatican Museums. Gregory XVI founded several museums: the Etruscan Museum with artifacts coming from the excavations in Southern Etruria, carried out from 1828 onwards, the Egyptian Museum with Egyptian monuments from the ancient discoveries in Egypt, together with those who were already in the Vatican Museum and in the Capitoline. Julius II and Leo X decorated the Stanze and the Loggia of Raphael with frescos, while the Sistine Chapel, took the name of its founder Sixtus IV.

Info: Click here!

2) San Peter’s basilica and Square:

The Basilica of St. Peter, the symbol of Catholicism, is the largest church in the world: the long central nave is 187 meters while the dome reaches a height of 136 meters. The first building was built in the fourth century by the Emperor Constantine on the place where St. Peter, martyred at the time of Nero, had been buried. The construction of the Basilica began in 1506 under Pope Julius II. At the direction of the work took turns leading artists of the Renaissance, including Bramante, Raphael and Michelangelo, who also designed the dome. The work on the basilica was finished in 1626, but only in 1667 the great portico with columns was realized by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Inside the church, with three aisles are kept several masterpieces, among which the Canopy by Bernini (1633), built over the grave of the saint, and the Pieta by Michelangelo ( 1499 ).

3) Castel sant’Angelo:

Castel Sant'Angelo was built in 123 A.C. as a tomb for the Emperor Hadrian and his family. The castle is located in the Borgo district, near Ponte Sant'Angelo, at a very short distance from the Vatican. The structure and its use have changed radically over the centuries, from a funerary monument to a fortified outpost, from a prison to a Renaissance residence until 1925, when he the National Museum of Castel Sant'Angelo was established and provided with weapons, pottery, paintings and sculptures. The legend tells that in '590 year Rome was exhausted by a terrible plague. Petitioning for the end of the disease, the newly elected Pope Gregory the Great ( 590-604 ) called people in procession. While this procession went in the tomb of Hadrian, at the top of that appeared the Archangel Michael in the act of sheathing the sword as the announcement of the end of the plague, which happened actually. From this event onwards, the mausoleum of Hadrian took the name of Castel Sant'Angelo.

Info: Click here!

4) Piazza Navona:

The current appearance of Piazza Navona was fixed in the seventeenth century, when the noble family of Pamphili, who resided in this area, assigned to the most important architects of the period the task to make that area one of the most striking areas of the city. At the center of the square there is the Fountain of the Rivers assigned to Gian Lorenzo Bernini by Pope Innocent X Pamphili for the Jubilee of 1650. The fountain consists of a cliff of stone representing the earth, excavated from caves from which a lion together with fantastic animals come out in order to drink and of an obelisk, which prods the sky, recovered from the Circus of Maxentius on the Appian. Around there are the statues of four rivers: The Ganges, the Nile, The Danube and the Rio de la Plata, symbolizing the four continents. The legend tells that the gestures of the statues are directed to Borromini, Bernini's rival: the Nile has his head covered as not to see the building and the Plata has his hand raised to avert the collapse of the church. In front of the fountain there is in fact the church of St. Agnes to which Borromini gave an unusual vertical thrust producing a very high tambour and changing the face ,already begun with a concave one, bordered by two towers that frame the dome.

5) The Pantheon:

The first thing you notice is the large inscription of the Pantheon in the Latin letters made of brass: M. Agrippa LFCos. Tertium.Fecit ( "Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time, built" ). In fact, this was written in the first "version" of the Pantheon, the one built by Agrippa, the son of Augustus in 27 BC. What you see today, however, is The Pantheon completely rebuilt by Hadrian in 118-125, who wanted to keep on the front of the building the original inscription to which the scholars haven’t managed to give an exact chronological collocation for a long time. The Pantheon, in greek, is the place where gather all the gods. Its function in the ancient Rome is still uncertain. According to historians, it was built to house the statues of many gods of the pagan Rome, but the name may also derive from the fact that the dome drew the sky. Agrippa almost certainly wanted to make a temple dedicated to the worship of the protectors of the Julian family, especially Mars and Venus.

6) Piazza Venezia and the Victorian:

Who goes to Rome cannot go to Piazza Venezia, because all roads converge at this place. You can ignore, but I do not know why you should do it, any other building, but not the Victorian. Majestic. At the top of the stairs there is the National Shrine dedicated to the so-called Unknown Soldier, with its guard of honor. Inside the building you can visit the rooms, statues, the spaces , the famous Sanctuary of the Flags and the Museum of Risorgimento. I suggest you to go outside on the terraces, you can enjoy a unique view, it must be said, the Fori Imperiali. Of course, the climb is a bit 'hard, but for the lazy there is the elevator, it costs € 7.00, but it's worth it.

7) Trevi Fountain:

The sound of the falling water in the tanks is mixed with the shouts of tourists intent on launching the famous "dime's return to Rome." The central part of the façade is developed as a triumphal arch, with a deep niche beside the Corinthian columns. At the center of the attic there is a large inscription which commemorates the construction of the fountain commissioned by Pope Clement XII, whose portrait is flanked by two Fame of Paolo Benaglia at the top , while four large statues , dated from 1735 adorn the building itself and symbolize, from the left, The Plenty of Fruits by Agostino Corsini, the Fertility of the Fields by Bernardo Ludovisi, the Gifts of Autumn by Francesco Queirolo and the Beauty of the Meadows by Bartholomeo Pincellotti. In the great central niche there is a huge statue of Oceanus, which is driving a large shell-shaped chariot, pulled by two winged sea horses, the first is angry while the second appears peaceful, led by two tritons ,the first young, the second old symbolizing the characteristics of the different ages of men and nature. The realization of the Ocean, the newts and the horses were assigned to Giovan Battista Maini in 1738 who temporarily positioned on the fountain some models made of plaster that were ,after his death, between 1759 and 1762, executed in marble by Pietro Bracci.

8) The Spanish Steps:

The Spanish Steps in Rome, together with the Trinità dei Monti, are surely one of the most famous monuments of the capital as well as of the entire peninsula, almost a symbol of Italy. The staircase of 135 steps was designed by Alessandro and Francesco De Sanctis, two architects active in the first half of the eighteenth century. The stairway was opened in 1725 (Jubilee year) by Pope Benedict XIII and originally served to connect the Spanish embassy ( hence the name "Spanish Steps" ) to the church of Trinita dei Monti. The steps of the Trinita dei Monti turns out to be a wonderful showcase for the fashion. A lot of catwalks shows are held here frequently. One of the most famous event is in fact “Woman under the stars” a fashion and entertainment event involving internationally renowned designers and celebrities of cinema and television. Created by AltaRoma organization, “Women under the stars”takes place every year during the month of July.

9) The Coliseum and the Roman Forum:

The Coliseum (this is the name with whom it is called the Flavian Amphitheatre) has always been considered the symbol of the greatness of Rome as well as of the glorious splendor of its ancient times. Flanked by the famous Arch of Constantine and constantly crowded with tourists and Centurions ( of course in the mask ), always ready to be photographed for a few euros, the Coliseum is an unforgettable destination for anyone who goes to the capital, thanks to the beauty of the scenery created by the via dei Fori Imperiali that leads to Piazza Venezia, in the background. Its construction is due to the will of the emperors Vespasian and Titus then, who realized this amphitheater (which could contain up to 60,000 spectators, a majestic figure if compared at the time), which held fights between gladiators and beasts, in the years between 70 and 80 a.D.

  Info:   Click here!

10) The Circus Maximum:

The Circus Maximus, nestled in the valley between the Palatine and the Aventine, is an ancient Roman circus, the most important of the ancient Rome from the foundation of the city. The Circus Maximus occupies an immense area: along 621 meters and wide 118 could accommodate about 250,000 spectators. Here were held the horse races with chariots and naumachiae, simulations of the past naval battles in the history. At these times the water of the Tiber was conveyed to the Circus Maximus in order to accommodate ships. Around the area of the circus there were many workshops and taverns, which must have been a focal point for commerce and socialization.

11) The landscape of Gianicolo:

The Gianicolo is a green and inhabited hill, located in the central West of Rome. Although it is not covered within the famous seven hills of the capital it is one of the most frequented places of the city mainly because of the beautiful landscape. At the foot of the Gianicolo it is located the famous historic district of Trastevere, nestled between the hill and the Tiber river while most of the hill is occupied by the Monteverde district.