Travel Articles

Colosseum – A structure that still stands proudly after 2000 years, the Colosseum fully deserves the admiration of the millions of tourists that visit it every year. From an architectural point of view it is truly a marvel because new building techniques, such as the use of bricks and the arch, were introduced for its construction, to raise its height and make it lighter. If you are going to Rome, we suggest you get pre-paid admission tickets to the Colosseum through tour operators in order to skip tiring and time-consuming lines.

Pantheon – An ancient Roman Temple dating to the first and second century A.D., the Pantheon is loved by the people of Rome as much as by visitors from all over the world. Its shape and structure has widely influenced Western architecture, especially from the 16th century onwards. An example? The Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Spanish Steps – Piazza di Spagna! It’s probably the best known square of Rome throughout the world. The Square itself became famous after the “Barcaccia” fountain was built on the design of Pietro Bernini, while the Spanish Steps actually date from the early 18th century. Ever since then the area has been considered ideal for romantic promenades, beautiful flower exhibitions and fashion parades. Curiously enough, the first Mc. Donald’s restaurant in Italy was opened in 1986 in the vicinity of the Spanish Steps.

Navona Square – The name – literally it means “large ship” – is deceiving. Contrary to popular belief, no mock naval battles have ever taken place in this square, where instead there used to be in the 1st century A.D. a stadium built under Emperor Domitian, named “Agonalis” and subsequently corrupted into “in Agone” and eventually into “Navona”. The fountains decorating the square are: the Fountain of the Four Rivers, the Fountain of Neptune and the Moor’s Fountain. Ron Howard shot some scenes from Angels and Demons in this square.

Trevi Fountain – Built in the 18th century at the end of the Aqua Virgo aqueduct, this fountain is considered the most representative of all Baroque fountains in Rome. Located in the very heart of Rome, it is haunted by tourists and Romans alike because of its charming appearance and world renown. Can you guess it? It’s been the background to countless movies and some scenes involving it, like Anita Ekberg’s and Marcello Mastroianni’s in La Dolce Vita, have become part of movie history.

Bocca della Verita (Mouth of the truth) – Its peculiar name is due to an ancient practice of testing the words of crime suspects by asking them to put their hands in the Mouth. If they had told the truth, nothing would happen; otherwise they would lose their hands (the trick was to have judges hiding behind a wall and deciding whether the man was innocent or …!). As a matter of interest, the Mouth was originally the cover of a sewer manhole in the Roman Forum!

Janiculum Hill – Do you wish to have a splendid view of Rome without moving away from Rome? All you have to do is go up Janiculum Hill, which is located not far from the River Tiber. Tourists walking up the hill are also rewarded at noon when a cannon fires a blank shot as part of a tradition going back to the 19th century.

Vatican Museums – What is Rome’s best museum? We have no hesitation in replying, the Vatican Museums. Contrary to what one might think, these museums do not deal only, or even mainly, with the history of the Church. In fact, they have huge sections that are dedicated to Ancient Egyptian material, Greek and Roman sculptures, Etruscan archaeological findings, Renaissance paintings and other works of art. If you wish to skip the mile-long visitor lines, we suggest you ask your tour operator to purchase your ticket in advance. For your information, on the last Sunday every month admission to the Museums is free.

Sistine Chapel – You have just visited the Vatican Museums and another, even more incredible sight awaits you. Michelangelo’s Last Judgement decorates splendidly the ceiling and walls of the Chapel offer a breathtaking view to visitors. Equally magnificent are the frescoes by other Italian artists such as Perugino, Ghirlandaio and Pinturicchio.

St. Peter’s Basilica – This church is the heart of Christianity: it’s the biggest church in the world and is part of the Vatican City. Its construction took so long – from 1506 to 1626 – that in Rome, to indicate that something is taking a very long time to be completed, people usually say: this is like St. Peter’s construction. Geniuses such as Michelangelo, Bramante, Bernini and Maderno, worked to create this architectural marvel.