Rome

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The Roman Forum was the political and religious center of the ancient city, Rome, Italy

The Pantheon's concrete dome has remained intact for nearly two thousand years, Rome, Italy

The Trevi Fountain was completed in 1762 to a design by Nicola Salvi, Rome, Italy

The Spanish Steps lead from Piazza di Spagna up to the church of Trinità dei Monti, Rome, Italy

About Rome

Rome has been continuously inhabited for well over two thousand years, and its layers of history sit side by side: ancient ruins beside Renaissance churches, Baroque squares and busy modern streets. Built around the Tiber River and its famous hills, Italy's capital was the center of the Roman Empire and later of the Catholic Church, and Vatican City, an independent state, lies within its boundaries.

Ancient Rome is easiest to grasp around the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, where the remains of temples, basilicas and imperial palaces spread across the valley. Capitoline Hill, redesigned by Michelangelo, holds major museums and looks back over the Forum. A short walk away, the Pantheon still stands with its vast unreinforced concrete dome, and Piazza Navona keeps the oval shape of a former stadium. The Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps draw constant crowds, while across the river, the Vatican Museums lead to the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica stands nearby, with Castel Sant'Angelo guarding the riverbank.

The city rewards walking, though distances and summer heat can be tiring, so many visitors split their days between morning sights and long lunches. Trastevere and Monti are popular neighborhoods for evenings, and the Appian Way, Ostia Antica and Tivoli make good half-day trips. Booking timed entry for the Vatican and Colosseum saves waiting, especially in spring and fall.

Best seasonApril to June and September to October bring warm days and lighter heat than midsummer.

Ideal stayFour to five days allows the ancient sites, the Vatican and relaxed time in the neighborhoods.

ArrivingMost travelers fly into Fiumicino Airport, or arrive by train at Roma Termini from other Italian cities.

WiserMap travel guideRome Italy Colosseum Vatican Trastevere and Trevi FountainPlan Rome: the Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain's new ticketed basin, the Vatican, Trastevere and Borghese, plus Roman food, where to stay and transit tips.Read the guide

12 Reasons to Visit Rome

Ancient Rome 3

The Colosseum

Inaugurated in 80 AD under Emperor Titus, the Flavian Amphitheatre held tens of thousands of spectators for gladiator fights, anim...

The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

For centuries the Forum was the political, religious and commercial heart of Rome. The Via Sacra leads past the Curia where the Se...

The Pantheon

Rebuilt under Emperor Hadrian around 125 AD, the Pantheon is the best-preserved building of ancient Rome and has served as a churc...

Museums 3

Capitoline Hill

The smallest of Rome's seven hills was once its religious center, home to the great Temple of Jupiter. In the 1530s Michelangelo r...

The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel

Founded by Pope Julius II in the early sixteenth century, the Vatican Museums hold one of the richest art collections on earth. Hi...

The Borghese Gallery and Villa Borghese

Cardinal Scipione Borghese built this villa in the early seventeenth century to display his collection, and it remains one of Euro...

Landmarks 3

Piazza Navona

The long oval of this piazza traces the Stadium of Domitian, a first-century athletic arena whose remains still lie beneath the no...

The Trevi Fountain

Completed in 1762 to a design by Nicola Salvi, the Trevi is Rome's largest Baroque fountain and the end point of the Aqua Virgo, a...

The Spanish Steps

Built in the 1720s to link Piazza di Spagna with the French church of Trinita dei Monti above, this sweeping staircase of 135 step...

Churches 1

St Peter's Basilica

Built over the traditional tomb of Saint Peter between 1506 and 1626, this is one of the largest churches in the world and the cen...

History 1

Castel Sant'Angelo

Begun as Emperor Hadrian's mausoleum in the second century, this massive round fortress later became a papal stronghold and prison...

Neighborhoods 1

Trastevere

Across the Tiber from the historic center, Trastevere is a tangle of cobbled lanes, ivy-covered houses and small piazzas that come...

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