Located in a valley between Palatine Hill and Capitoline Hill, the Forum Romanum is one of the foremost archaeological sites in the world. Long before the first millennium the forum was the center of political and cultural life for the Roman Empire. Under construction for centuries, by the 7th century BC it was already a […]

Few ancient buildings have survived the ravages of time so well as the Pantheon in Rome. It is the only example of similar age, size and span that remains intact. The fact is no accident – it’s largely the result of superior engineering. Often copied, sometimes equaled but never surpassed, it had more architectural innovations […]

Like many metropoli, Rome is a glorious combination of ancient monuments and modern, bustling life. Visitors will find far too much to do, no matter what their tastes. For those who love fine art, Rome is second in Italy perhaps only to Florence. Like Florence, that isn’t only because of its numerous museums such as […]

Formally known by the name Basilica di San Pietro, St. Peter’s Basilica is one of Rome’s foremost tourist attractions. This one site alone has enough to see to occupy an entire day or more. St. Peter’s is among the most well-known and frequently visited buildings inside Vatican City. Though legend has it that the site […]

Though the name may not be entirely accurate (they were built by the French), the Spanish Steps in Rome deliver true delight to visitors of any nationality. ‘Ah,’ some will say, ‘they are just stairs’. A way to get from the Villa Mèdici to the Piazza di Spagna. But, as any traveler knows, it’s how […]

The fountains of Rome have an ancient and glorious history. Examples range from the Eternal City’s glory days in the 1st century AD to its even more glorious days during the Renaissance to the 18th century and beyond. Other cities offer fountains that are barely beyond the utilitarian. But not Rome. Rome must have a […]

An entire article could easily be taken up solely by listing the names of all the galleries and museums comprising the Vatican Museums. Naming the artists and their works would take up several more. Describing them takes entire catalogs, held in the Vatican Library. Growing from humble beginnings with Pope Julius II’s 1506 acquisition of […]

Though named after Pope Sixtus IV, who commissioned the chapel construction, the Sistine Chapel was given everlasting fame by Pope Julius II. For, in 1508, it was he who commissioned Michaelangelo to paint frescoes to cover the 10,000 square foot ceiling. But on the way to the ceiling there are many delights for visitors to […]

Il Colosseo as the Romans refer to it began life as the Flavian Amphitheater, an enormous elliptical stadium capable of seating 50,000 spectators within its six acre domain. During the 1st century AD, and for hundreds of years thereafter, the Colosseum was host to grisly spectacles of human-human and human-animal combat. Slight evidence of those […]

Rome is an outdoor city. Though, of course, there are many churches, museums, restaurants, theaters and other indoor attractions, the city shines best when seen from one its piazzas. The word means public square. But unlike some other internationally renowned cities, the piazzas of Rome are truly gathering places for people who love the beauty […]