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Arco di Costantino
To the east of the Colosseum, the Arco di Costantino (Arch of Constantine) was built in AD 312 to commemorate the Emperor Constantine's victory over his rival Maxentius at the Battle of Ponte Milvio. One of the last great Roman monuments, it is, in fact, a patchwork of panels from other sculptures - the lower stonework dates from Domitian's reign (AD 81-96) while the eight large medallions depicting hunting scenes are Hadrianic (AD 117-138).
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Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano
A huge white landmark, this monumental cathedral was founded by Constantine in 313 and consecrated 11 years later. It was the first Christian basilica to be built in the Rome and, until the late 14th century, was the pope's principal residence. The Vatican still has extraterritorial authority over it, despite it being Rome's official cathedral and the pope's seat as Bishop of Rome.
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Basilica di San Lorenzo fuori le Mura
The only of Rome's major churches to have suffered bomb damage in WWII, the Basilica of St Lawrence Outside the Walls is one of Rome's seven pilgrimage churches.
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Basilica di Santa Sabina
One of Rome's most appealing churches, this atmospheric basilica is the jewel in the Aventino. Returned to its original look in an early-20th-century restoration, the basilica dates to 422, when it was founded by Peter of Illyria. It was subsequently added to in the 9th century and again in 1216, just before it was given to the newly founded Dominican order.
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Basilica di SS Cosma e Damiano
Connected to the Roman Forum by the Basilica di Massenzio, this 6th-century basilica incorporates a library from the Foro di Vespasiano and part of the Tempio di Romolo, visible through the glass wall at the end of the nave.
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Castel Sant'Angelo
With its chunky round keep, this castle is an instantly recognisable landmark. Begun by Emperor Hadrian in 128 AD as a mausoleum for himself and his family, it was converted into a fortress for the popes in the 6th century AD. It was named by Pope Gregory the Great in AD 590, after he saw a vision of an angel above the structure heralding the end of a plague in Rome.
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Chiesa del Gesù
A formidable and much-copied example of Counter-Reformation architecture, the Chiesa del Gesù is Rome's most important Jesuit church. It was built between 1551 and 1584 with money donated by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, who was subsequently said to own the three most beautiful things in Rome: his family palazzo, his daughter and the church of Gesù.
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Chiesa di Sant'Andrea della Valle
The setting for the first act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Tosca, this towering 16th-century church is topped by Carlo Maderno's huge dome, the second-highest in Rome after St Peter's. The impressive baroque interior features frescoes by Mattia Preti, Domenichino and, in the dome, Lanfranco. Competition between the artists was fierce and legend has it that Domenichino once took a saw to Lanfranco's scaffolding, almost killing him in the process.
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Chiesa di Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza
Hidden in the porticoed courtyard of Palazzo della Sapienza, the Italian state archive, this tiny church is unique testament to the genius of Borromini. Based on an incredibly complex geometric plan, it combines alternating convex and concave walls with a circular interior topped by a twisted spire. Inside, there's not a lot to see but it's interesting to note how Borromini uses light to create a sense of spaciousness in such a small area.
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Chiesa Nuova
Something of a misnomer, Chiesa Nuova is far from new. It was built in 1575 as part of a larger complex to house members of Filippo Neri's Oratorian order. A popular and charismatic figure, Neri founded his order in the mid-16th century to help Rome's poor and needy. Originally he'd wanted a large, plain church, but after his death in 1595 the artists moved in.
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Dome
Entry to the dome is to the far right of the basilica. A small lift takes you halfway up but it's still a long climb to the top. Press on and you'll be rewarded with some stunning views of Rome. It's well worth the effort, but bear in mind that it's a long and tiring climb and not recommended for those who suffer from claustrophobia or vertigo. Note also that the best time to photograph the view is in the afternoon when the light is much softer.
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Elefantino
A short skip south of the Pantheon brings you to the Elefantino, a curious and much-loved sculpture of a puzzled elephant carrying a 6th-century-BC Egyptian obelisk. Unveiled in 1667 and designed to glorify Pope Alexander VII, the elephant, symbolising strength and wisdom, was sculpted by Ercole Ferrata to a design by Bernini. The obelisk was taken from the nearby Chiesa di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva.
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Fontana dell'Acqua Paola
This monumental fountain was built in 1612 for Pope Paul V to celebrate the restoration of a 2nd-century aqueduct that supplied (and still supplies) water from Lago di Bracciano, 35km to the north of Rome. Four of the fountain's six pink-stone columns came from the façade of the old St Peter's Basilica, while much of the marble was pillaged from the Roman Forum. The large granite basin was added by Carlo Fontana in 1690.
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Fontana delle Tartarughe
This 16th-century fountain depicts four boys gently hoisting tortoises up into a bowl of water. Apparently, Taddeo Landini created it in a single night in 1585 on behalf of the Duke of Mattei, who had gambled his fortune away and was on the verge of losing his fiancée. On seeing the fountain, Mattei's father-in-law was so impressed that he relented and let Mattei marry his daughter. The tortoises were added by Bernini in 1658.
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Mercati di Traiano & Museo dei Fori Imperiali
Incorporating the Great Hall of the 2nd-century Trajan markets (an ancient three-level shopping mall), the striking new Museum of the Imperial Fora showcases ancient artefacts found in Trajan's Forum and the surrounding fora of Cesare (Caesar), Nerva and Augusto (Augustus). In its heyday, Trajan's Forum boasted libraries, a temple, a triumphal arch, Rome's largest basilica, the Colonna di Traiano and the impressive market complex.
Read more about Mercati di Traiano & Museo dei Fori Imperiali
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Mosque
To the northwest of Villa Ada, Paolo Portoghesi's vast postmodernist mosque sits amid the greenery of the posh Parioli district. One of Europe's largest mosques - it extends for some 30,000 sq metres - it was inaugurated in 1995, 11 years after the first stone was laid in 1984. It's open daily for Muslims to pray and at the stated times for visitors.
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Museo Storico Artistico (Treasury)
The sacristy entrance (halfway down the left aisle) leads to the treasury, which has sacred relics and priceless artefacts. Highlights include a tabernacle by Donatello; the Colonna Santa, a 4th-century Byzantine column from the earlier church; the 6th-century Crux Vaticana (Vatican Cross), made of bronze and beset with jewels - a gift of the emperor Justinian II; and the massive 15th-century bronze tomb of Sixtus IV by Pollaiuolo.
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Palazzo del Quirinale
Flanking Piazza del Quirinale, this immense palazzo served as the papal summer residence for almost three centuries until the keys were handed over, begrudgingly and staring down the barrel of a gun, to Italy's new king in 1870. It was passed on to the president of the Republic in 1948.
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Palazzo della Cancelleria
As impressive an example of Renaissance architecture as you'll find in Rome, this huge palazzo was built for Cardinal Raffaele Riario between 1483 and 1513. Something of a rogue by all accounts, Riario is said to have financed up to a third of the palace with gambling winnings.
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Palazzo della Civiltà del Lavoro
Dubbed the Square Colosseum due to its superimposed loggias, the Palace of the Workers is EUR's architectural icon - a solid, gleaming office block clad in white travertine. Designed by Giovanni Guerrini, Ernesto Bruno La Padula and Mario Romano (and inaugurated in 1940), its six rows of nine arches honour the project's Fascist commissioner - Benito having six letters, Mussolini having nine.
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Palazzo Madama
The seat of the Italian Senate since 1871, Palazzo Madama was originally the 16th-century townhouse of Giovanni de' Medici. It was enlarged in the 17th century, when the baroque façade was added together with the decorative frieze of cherubs and bunches of fruit. The name 'Madama' is a reference to Margaret of Parma, the illegitimate daughter of Charles V, who lived here from 1559 to 1567.
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Palazzo Spada
Built in 1540, the Mannerist Palazzo Spada was restored by Borromini a century later and is worth the rather steep ticket price for his famous perspective. What appears to be a 25m-long corridor lined with columns and leading to a hedge and life-sized statue is in fact only 10m long. The sculpture, a later addition, is actually hip-height and the columns seem to diminish in size not because of distance but because they actually get smaller.
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Pantheon
Marcus Agrippa's Pantheon is one of the world's most sublime architectural creations: a perfectly proportioned floating dome resting on an elegant drum of columns and pediments. Built in 27 BC, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in 120 AD, it is one of Rome's best-preserved ancient monuments. Its extraordinary dome is the largest masonry vault ever built.
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Pasquino
A grubby statue covered with tatty bits of paper, the Pasquino is Rome's most famous 'talking statue'. During the 16th century - when there were no safe outlets for dissent - a Vatican tailor named Pasquino began sticking notes to the statue with satirical verses lampooning the church and aristocracy. Others joined in and soon there were talking statues all over town. Even today Romans still leave messages, known as pasquinade .
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Piazza Barberini
More a traffic thoroughfare than a place to linger, this noisy square owes its name to the Barberini family, one of Rome's great dynastic clans. In the centre, the eye-catching Fontana del Tritone (Fountain of the Triton) was created by Bernini in 1643 for Pope Urban VIII, patriarch of the Barberini family. It depicts the sea-god Triton blowing a stream of water from a conch while seated in a large scallop shell supported by four dolphins.
