Rome Attractions

The most famous building of the Roman Empire is probably the Colosseum. The building accommodated more than 55.000 spectators and was home to many games featuring gladiators and wild animals.

The Pantheon was built in 118 AD by Emperor Hadrian as a temple for all pagan gods. The building's immense dome was the largest dome in the world for more than 13 centuries.

The Circus Maximus was an arena specially built for the wildly popular chariot races. The largest stadium in ancient Rome, it had a seating capacity of over 250,000 people.

The largest church in the world, this great building with Michelangelo's impressive dome is the center of Christianity. The opulent interior bears testimony to the wealth of the Catholic church in the 16th and 17th century.

Rome's most spectacular fountain is the Fontana del Trevi or Trevi Fountain. The large 18th century fountain occupies a small square which is usually packed with tourists.

As the de facto heart of Ancient Rome, the Forum boasted plenty of temples, arches and basilicas. Most are now reduced to rubble but with some imagination you can see the Roman Empire come back to life.

Vatican City or 'Holy See' - the world's smallest state - is completely enclosed by the city of Rome. It encorporates the St. Peter's Basilica as well as the Vatican Museums and adjacent gardens.

The Piazza di Spagna is one of the most popular tourist locations in Rome. The famous Spanish Steps lead from the square to the Trinità dei Monti, a beautiful French church.

The long Navona square follows the oval shape of the former Domitian stadium. It contains no less than three beautiful fountains, built during the 16th and 17th century.

The Arch of Titus is one of two remaining arches on the Forum Romanum. It was built between 81 and 85 AD to commemorate the capture of Jerusalem over the Jewish Zealots.

Villa Borghese, located just north of the Spanish Steps, is the largest public park in Rome. Created in the early 17th century, it features a lake, temples, fountains, statues and several museums.

According to Roman mythology, Romulus founded the city of Rome on this hill in 800 BC after he slayed his twin brother Remus. Centuries later Rome's emperors built expansive palaces on the hill.

The Baths of Caracalla was the largest thermae in the world when it opened in 217 AD. More than 1600 people could be accommodated in this Roman version of a leisure center.

This museum complex houses one of the world's most important collections brought together by popes over a period of four centuries, with the Sistine Chapel as its largest crowd puller.

The Capitoline Hill was the political center of the Roman Empire. At the top of the hill is the Piazza del Campidoglio, a beautiful square designed by Michelangelo.

Castel Sant'Angelo was originally built in 123 AD by Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum, but it was later turned into a fortified castle used by the papacy as a refuge in case of danger.

The Arch of Constantine, located right next to the Colosseum, is the largest of the remaining Roman triumphal arches. It was built in 315 AD after Constantine's surprising victory over Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge.

Trajan's Forum was built between 106 and 113 AD as the last and greatest of the Imperial Forums. The complex included a basilica, two libraries as well as a column and a temple dedicated to Trajan.

Via Appia Antica or the Appian Way is the most famous of the many roads that radiated from Rome. It was built in 312 BC and led all the way to Brindisi in the southeast of Italy.

This enormous monument honors Italy's first king, Victor Emmanuel II. It was built on a slope of the Capitoline Hill, at the heart of the city. The monument was inaugurated in 1911, 50 years after the unification of Italy.

In 113 AD a 42m (138ft) tall column was erected in honor of Emperor Trajan. A long winding band of reliefs on the column depicts the victories of Emperor Trajan in the Dacian Wars.

Piazza del Popolo is a large oval square near the Borghese park. In the middle of the square stands a 3300 year old obelisk taken from the Sun Temple in Egypt by Emperor Augustus.

What was started by Caesar as an extension of the Roman Forum became the city's most important political and economical center with temples, public squares, libraries, markets and a basilica.

Piazza Venezia is a central square in Rome, surrounded by several landmark buildings, including Palazzo Venezia and the Vittoriano Monument, honoring Italy's first king.

This elliptical piazza was created in the 17th century by the renowned sculptor and architect Bernini as a grand entrance to the St. Peter's Basilica. The Egyptian obelisk at the center of the square was installed earlier, in 1586.

Once the center of Catholicism, the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano is now the cathedral where the Pope officiates as bishop of Rome. Inside you'll find 12 large statues of the apostles sculpted by Borromini.

The Theater of Marcellus was conceived by Julius Caesar but eventually built by Emperor Augustus in 13 BC. It was the largest theater in ancient Rome, seating more than 12,000 spectators.

The Arch of Septimius Severus was built in 203 AD as a triumphal arch to commemorate the victories of Emperor Severus in Parthia. It is one of the best preserved monuments on the Forum Romanum.

The Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace) was built by Emperor Augustus in 9 BC after the conquest of Gaul and Hispania. The altar was one of Rome's most important monuments.

The Roman equivalent of today's modern shopping mall, this 2nd century complex housed 150 shops, warehouses and offices. Unlike the adjacent Forum of Trajan, the markets are relatively well preserved.

One of Rome's best museums, spread over two palazzos standing on either side of the Campidoglio Square. The museums boast a large collection of Roman sculpture as well as a picture gallery.

This luxurious and expansive countryside residence near Tivoli was built by emperor Hadrian from 118 until 133 AD. The enormous estate contains temples, theatres, thermae and other historic buildings.

The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is one of Rome's four papal basilicas and the largest church in the city dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The church was built in the fifth century.

The Mouth of Truth is a famous marble disc in the shape of an enormous face. According to a medieval legend, the mouth would close if someone put their hand in it and tell a lie, so it was used as some kind of lie detector.

In 28 BC Emperor Augustus built a large mausoleum in white marble. The ashes of many members of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, including those of emperors Augustus, Tiberius and Claudius were deposited here.

This 36 meter tall pyramid was built by praetor Caius Cestius as his tomb. It was built about a decade after the Roman Empire had conquered Egypt and all things Egyptian had become in vogue.

During the Middle Ages, this was one of Rome's busiest squares. Today the Campo de' Fiori is still a lively square thanks in part to its daily market. A statue at the center commemorates one of many people executed here.

Forum Boarium, once the site of the city's cattle market dates back to ancient Rome's republican times. Two temples of that era survived: the Temple of Herculus and the Temple of Portunus.

The complex of the Baths of Diocletianus, built in 306, was the largest thermae in all of Ancient Rome. Remains of the baths are now integrated in other structures such as churches and a cloister.

The Fountain of the Four Rivers is the centerpiece of the Navona Square. The acclaimed design by Bernini shows four large figures, allegorical representations of what were considered the four greatest rivers in the world.

Piazza Barberini is a heavily trafficked square featuring two nice fountains, the Triton Fountain and the Fountain of Bees, both created in the 17th century by the renowned sculptor Bernini.

EUR is modern district in Rome, originally created in the 1930s for the cancelled World Exposition of 1942. It was built as a showcase of Fascist architecture, most of which can still be seen today.

The Aurelian Wall was built in the third century AD to defend Rome against the ever growing threat of Germanic tribes invading the Roman Empire. About two-thirds of this nineteen km (12 mile) long wall is still intact.

A winding road leads from the Piazza del Popolo to these gardens on top of the Pincio Hill. The gardens feature a couple of attractions such as an obelisk and water clock, but it's also popular for its beautiful views over Rome.

Just 11 columns remain of the original Temple of Hadrian. It is now integrated in Rome's 17th century exchange building, located at the Piazza di Pietra, a small square in the heart of Rome.

This square near the center of medieval Rome is dominated by the Palazzo Farnese, a magnificent Renaissance palace built in the 16th century for the Farnese family.

Since ancient times this small island in the Tiber River has been associated with health. In 291 BC a temple was built here in honor of Aesculapius, god of Medicine and healing.

In 1849 Garibaldi's troops confronted the French here at the Janiculum. The park on top of the hill is littered with monuments celebrating the Italian patriot and his comrades.

A long flight of marble steps leads up to this church built on top of the Capitoline Hill. The roots of this church go back to the sixth century, when it was built at the site of the ancient Temple of Juno.

The highlights of this museum of the civilisation of Rome are a large scale model of Imperial Rome and the reliefs of Trajan's Column. The museum is located in EUR, a suburb south of Rome.