MONUMENTS AND NATURAL BEAUTIES

• Ara Pacis Augustae: this monument celebrates the peace that followed Gaul and Spain events.

• San Giovanni in Laterano: this is the Cathedral of Rome, the "mother" of all the churches in Rome and in the world. Next to the church there is the building of the Scala Santa: according to tradition, these Holy Stairs are the stairs of the praetorium of Pilato in Jerusalem, the stairs on which Jesus walked up and brought to Rome by Saint Helen. The faithful climb these 28 steps on their knees.

• Santa Maria Maggiore: it is the biggest of the churches dedicated to Our Lady and it is the only basilica that preserved its original form, notwithstanding the many decorative interventions made on it.

• Basilica di San Pietro: the charming square together with the colonnade by Bernini represent the perfect the frame of the biggest church of Christianity, dominated by the great dome by Michelangelo.

• Musei Vaticani: this museum is full of great artistic works, collected during the centuries by the Popes, there a lot of collections including Greek and Roman art (Vatican owns the richest collection in the world), Egyptian and Etrurian art, and, of course, the wonderful masterpieces of Renaissance art, especially the frescos by Raffaello and of Cappella Sistina. Its restoration lasted twenty years: thanks to it, the chapel now has the bright wonderful colours of its origins. It contains frescos representing episodes taken from the Bible, among them the one by Michelangelo representing the Last Judgement, there are almost 400 characters living the most dramatic moments of humankind. The chapel contains also XV century frescos, among them are the works by Botticelli, Perugino and Ghirlandaio.

• Basilica di San Paolo fuori le Mura: it is the second biggest church in Rome. Inside there are mosaics that represent the portraits of 262 popes, from Saint Peter to Giovanni XXIII. Its small cloister is very famous thanks to the variety of its small column.

• Bocca della Verità: it is a masque representing a fluvial god. According to a legend, if a liar puts his/her hand in its mouth, he/she will lose it. This stone masque is in the entrance hall of Santa Maria in Cosmedin church.

• Circo Massimo: it is like a square 600 m long, races took place there in the past.

• Fontana di Trevi: this fountain is one of the symbols of Rome, it represent a successful example of classic and baroque art. According to a legend, if a person throws a coin in the fountain, he/she will surely come back to Rome.

• Isola Tiberina: this isle is like a ship, it is linked to the right bank of the Tiber through Ponte Cestio and to the left one through Ponte Fabricio.

• Piazza di Spagna: this square is one of the most famous places in Rome, with its Spanish Steps (138 steps), the Barcaccia and the noble palaces.

• Santa Maria in Trastevere: in the portico there are marbles, sculptures and epigraphs that once were in the basilica or in the catacombs. Trastevere is the ideal place to walk through the small streets, the little squares and the typical Roman colours.

• Terme di Diocleziano: thermal baths built during the government by Diocleziano.

• Via Veneto: this street has become the symbol of "Italian dolce vita" thanks to Fellini’s movies.

• Arco di Costantino: this arch was built using pre-existing materials to celebrate the victory against Massenzio in 312 in Ponte Milvio battle.

• Piazza del Campidoglio: this square was designed by Michelangelo creating the shape of a trapezium. It is surrounded by Palazzo Senatorio, Palazzo dei Conservatori and Museo Capitolino (in the art gallery there are very important paintings of really famous masters, such as Tiziano, Pietro da Cortona, Caravaggio, Guercino, Rubens and many others). Along the fourth side there is the Cordonata.

• Colonna Traiana: this column is covered by a basso-rilievo that originally was lively coloured. It is very tall (m. 39,87) and tells episodes taken from the victorious war fought by Traiano against Dacians.

• Fori Imperiali: forums dedicated to Caesar, Augustus, peace, Nerva, Traiano (including Colonna Traiana) and markets. They represent the passing from Republic to Empire and are a very rich archaeological area.

• Palazzo di Montecitorio: it has been seat of the Chamber of Deputies since 1871.

• Pantheon: it has a classic portico surmounted by a triangular tympanum. It is made of a big round room, covered by an hemispheric calotte, at the centre of it there is a hole with a 9 m diameter. This hole is the only source of light. It was ordered by Agrippa in 27 b. C.

• Piazza Navona: it was built during XVII century on Domiziano stadium; it preserves its shape and size. During Christmas period, it hosts a traditional market.

• Trinità dei Monti: these Spanish Steps are decorated with azaleas and they are really wonderful in Spring.

• Villa Torlonia: Mussolini lived here during the Fascist period. Since 1978 it has become a park. Underground there are Hebrew catacombs, made of two graveyards III and IV centuries and decorated with Hebrew symbols.

• Campo dei Fiori: according to tradition, the name comes from Flora, loved by Pompeo, but it probably comes from the fact that at the end of 1300, this place was abandoned and became a meadow. Since 1869 it has been the place where a lively market takes place. At the centre there is a monument dedicated to Giordano Bruno, who was burnt alive here as a heretical in 1600.

• Colosseo: its real name is Anfiteatro Flavio. It was built thanks to emperor Vespasiano and was inaugurated in 80 a.C.. In ancient times it hosted Naumachie or naval battles, Munera or gladiators’ fights, Venationes or hunting of wild beasts and could host up to 87.000 people.

• Foro romano: it was the centre of civic and economic life in Rome during Republican age and preserved its role also during imperial age.

• Piazza del Popolo: this square is closed on the North by the homonymous gate. Along the Eastern side there is Pincio promenade. In this place in the past there were fairs, games and popular shows. At the centre there is an Egyptian obelisk, 36.5 m tall. In the square there the twin churches of S. Maria di Monte Santo and S. Maria dei Miracoli.

• Piazza Venezia: the name comes from the palace in it, Palazzo Venezia.

• Santa Maria degli Angeli: it was built using a part of the thermal bath of Diocleziano.

• Terme di Caracalla: thermal baths very crowded until 537 (they could contain up to 1600 people), when Goths invaded Rome and there was no more water for the baths.

• Via del Corso: it is more than 1500 meters long. During XVIII century this street was the centre of cultural, political and artistic life thanks to the cafés, the fashion shops, the bookshops, etc.

• Vittoriano: a monument dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele II di Savoia, first king of the united Italy. The Altare della Patria was inaugurated in 1925, after the burial of the Unknown Soldier.

• Villa Borghese: it is the most famous park in Rome, it is very big and can be entered by several parts of the city. The most famous square is Piazza di Siena, used for horse races.

• Villa Doria Pamphili: it has been since 1971 the biggest public park of Rome.

• Castel Sant’Angelo: it hosts a very important museum, Museo Nazionale, where visitors can admire stuccoes, frescoes, furniture from papal apartments, and a very rich collection of ancient arms. From its terrace, from where it is possible to admire the whole ancient area of the city, Tosca committed suicide: she was the protagonist of an opera by Giacomo Puccini. It was ordered by Adrian and the name comes from an angel who is putting away his sword. This angel appeared to Pope Gregorio Magno during a penitential procession in 590.

• Scavi di Ostia: these archaeological remains provide the possibility to know more deeply the history of Rome.

• Catacombe dell’Appia Antica: these catacombs tell the story of the first Christians in Rome and provide the possibility to understand Christian presence in the past. These catacombs and underground graveyards, situated outside the walls of the town because in the past dead bodies could not be buried inside the walls.

• Catacombe di Priscilla: these catacombs are on Via Salaria, they contain the Cappella Greca, a chapel in which there is the most ancient portrait in any catacombs of Our Lady.

• Cinecittà: it is the place where Italian and international cinema was created. In Cinecittà Studios more than 3000 movies were made, among them 82 movies obtained the nomination for the Oscar and 47 won.

   

   

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  Testi: Stefania Maffeo