A Travel Guide to Rome, Italy
Rome is probably one of the most well-known cities throughout the world. It once held control over the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe. Today, it is the capital of its region of Lazio and lies in central Italy of which it is also the capital of. Today the significant ruins indicative of its past are considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Such ruins are symbolic of their everyday life and the facilities needed to run a successful empire. Government and administration was organised in ‘The Roman Forum’ in the centre of the city.
Combat took place at ‘The Coliseum’ a greatest achievement of architecture and engineering and the largest amphitheatre in the world. Chariot racing took part in ‘The Circus Maximus’ which is now a public park.
For cleanliness they would go to places like ‘The Baths of Caracalla’ and haggle for a bargain at ‘Trajan's Market’.
For godliness they would visit ‘The Pantheon’ which has now been converted to a church.
There are other memorials that commemorate emperors like Trajan’s Column that has a frieze that works its way around a tower that retells the emperor’s victories against the Dacians. There are also burial sites such as the Mausoleum of Augustus and the Mausoleum of Hadrian more commonly known as Castel Sant’Angelo that is now a museum.
There are also the Catacombs, an underground cave network that are the burial sites of the Christians and Jews.
Other wonderful sites to visit are the Trevi Fountain and The Mouth of Truth that both featured in the 1953 film Roman Holiday.
No trip to Rome is complete without visiting the Roman Catholic centre of the world – the Vatican City. It is enclosed within Rome but it is its own sovereign state by right with the Pope as the head. It was built on the foundations of the old Basilica that Constantine the first Pope and Emperor had built.
It is a late Renaissance church and houses the tomb of Saint Peter and other popes that led the Roman Catholic Church. It is a vast majestic building with the Cupola – the famous Dome and the largest in the world sitting atop. It is a long climb up many steps but there are elevators for those less able to get there.
There is also the Apostolic Palace the official residence of the Pope and the large square of St Peter that is used by the Pope to address many audiences. The square itself is a masterpiece with the Egyptian Obelisk in the middle and an earlier fountain designed by Maderno and later matched by Bernini with a symmetrical fountain of similar design.
The Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums are a must with the beautiful decorated ceiling of the Chapel and the four rooms of Raphael whose are is simply breath-taking.
There is a wide variety of self catering holiday accommodation in Rome ranging from apartments offering verandas that open to a vista that overlooks the splendour of Ancient Rome’s magnificent buildings to luxury penthouse apartments with their own leisure facilities.
