Monument sights in Rome
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A
Pantheon
Competition is fierce, but the Pantheon is surely ancient Rome’s most astonishing building. This Roman temple has been standing for almost 2000 years, and it’s a unique, unparalleled experience to enter its great doors and have your vision directed upwards, just as it would have been for the ancient Romans. Its current form dates to around AD 120, when the emperor Hadrian built the Pantheon over Marcus Agrippa’s original temple (27 BC). For centuries, historians read the name Agrippa in the inscription on the pediment and thought that Hadrian’s version was the 1st-century-BC original. When excavations in the 19th century revealed traces of the earlier temple, they realise…
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B
Il Vittoriano
Love it or loathe it, as most locals do, you can’t ignore Il Vittoriano, the massive mountain of white marble towering over Piazza Venezia. Known as the Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland), it was begun in 1885 to commemorate Italian unification and honour Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy’s first king and the subject of its gargantuan equestrian statue. It also hosts the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Whatever you make of it, there’s no denying that the 360-degree views from the top are quite stunning. To get to the top, take the glass lift, Roma del Cielo from the side of the building. Inside the body of the structure, the Museo Centrale del Risorgimento, often …
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C
Arco di Costantino
The Arco di Costantino (Arch of Constantine) was built in 312 to commemorate Constantine’s victory over his rival Maxentius at the Battle of Ponte Milvio (see). One of the last great Roman monuments, it is 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 (117–138). Between the Colosseum and the arch you can see the brick foundations of an ancient fountain known as the Meta Sudans (Sweating Meta).
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D
Mausoleo di Augusto
Once one of Ancient Rome’s most imposing monuments this is now an unkempt mound of earth, overgrown with weeds and surrounded by unsightly fences. Plans for a revamp have been on the table for some years, but as yet there’s no sign of activity. The mausoleum, which was built in 28 BC, is the last resting place of Augustus, who was buried here in AD 14, and his favourite nephew and heir Marcellus. Mussolini had it restored in 1936 with an eye to being buried here himself.
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E
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 to the statue notes 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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F
Elefantino
A short skip south of the Pantheon stands 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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G
Porta Maggiore
Porta Maggiore was built by Claudius in AD 52. Then, as now, it was a major road junction under which passed the two main southbound roads, Via Prenestina and Via Labicana (modern-day Via Casilina). The arch supported two aqueducts – the Acqua Claudia and the Acqua Aniene Nuova – and was later incorporated into the Aurelian Wall.
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