La Storia di Roma Attraverso La Costruzione
Southern Rome
This vast relief sculpture on the side of an EUR government building tells the story of Rome as Mussolini wanted it told when it was created in 1939…
Must-see attractions in Rome
Centro Storico
This battered, armless figure is Rome’s most famous ‘talking statue’. During the 16th century, when there were no safe outlets for dissent, a Vatican…
Rome
Beneath the greenery of Villa Torlonia lie reminders of a dark chapter in Rome's history. Between 1940 and 1943, Mussolini had two air-raid shelters and…
Basilica di San Nicola in Carcere
Centro Storico
This innocuous-looking 11th-century basilica, hidden behind scaffolding when we last visited, harbours some fascinating underground ruins. Beneath the…
Ancient Rome
Most of the Palatino as it appears today is covered by the ruins of Emperor Domitian's vast 1st-century complex, which served as the main imperial palace…
Centro Storico
Home to Italy’s Chamber of Deputies, this baroque palazzo was built by Bernini in 1653, expanded by Carlo Fontana in the late 17th century, and given an…
Basilica di San Lorenzo in Lucina
Centro Storico
Little remains of the 5th-century church that was originally built here atop a well sacred to Juno. But that shouldn’t detract from what is a very pretty…
Centro Storico
Striking off west from Piazza Pasquino, Via del Governo Vecchio is an atmospheric cobbled lane full of boutiques, lively restaurants and vintage clothes…
San Giovanni & Testaccio
According to tradition, two Roman soldiers, John and Paul (not to be confused with the Apostles), lived in these houses before they were beheaded by the…
Southern Rome
Over five very historic miles from the start of the Appian Way, this ruin was once a tomb dating to the 1st century BC. In the eons since it has been a…
Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale
The Rome branch of Larry Gagosian’s contemporary art empire has hosted the big names of contemporary art since it opened in 2007: Cy Twombly, Damien Hirst…
Ancient Rome
Also known as the Tempio del Divo Romolo, this 4th-century brick temple on the Roman Forum was once thought to have been dedicated to Valerio Romolo, the…
Centro Storico
Resembling a mini Colosseum, the Teatro di Marcello is the star turn of the dusty Area Archeologica del Teatro di Marcello e del Portico di Ottavia, a…
Ancient Rome
With its vast arched vaults, this hulking brick construction is the largest building on the Roman Forum. Started by the Emperor Maxentius and finished by…
Centro Storico
The columns, arches and fragmented pediment of this quadriporto (four-sided porch), which dates from 23 BC, once formed part of a vast rectangular portico…
Ancient Rome
Overshadowed by Trajan's towering administrative complex (the Mercati di Traiano), this was the last of the Imperial Forums to be built, dating to the…
Centro Storico
Nicknamed the pulcino della Minerva ('Minerva's chick'), the Elefantino is a curious and much-loved statue of a puzzled-looking elephant carrying a 6th…
Trastevere & Gianicolo
Right where the cute little Ponte Sisto pedestrian bridge crosses the Tiber, this small square is a fine entrance to Trastevere. The star attraction is…
Chiesa di San Giorgio in Velabro
Ancient Rome
The medieval Chiesa di San Giorgio in Velabro is a beautiful, atmospheric church whose original 7th-century portico was completely destroyed by a Mafia…
Ancient Rome
Hidden beneath Palazzo Senatorio, and accessible via a tunnel linking Palazzo dei Conservatori to Palazzo Nuovo, the Tabularium was ancient Rome's central…
Southern Rome
The Archaeological Park of the Tombs of the Via Latina holds a trove of ancient Roman tombs in a park setting. Following an extensive restoration, the…
Centro Storico
Seat of the Italian Senate since 1871, the regal Palazzo Madama was originally the 16th-century residence of Giovanni de’ Medici, the future Pope Leo X…
Basilica di San Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini
Centro Storico
The last resting place of Francesco Borromini and Carlo Maderno, this graceful 16th-century church was commissioned by Pope Leo X as a showcase for…
Chiesa di Sant'Agnese in Agone
Centro Storico
With its theatrical facade and rich, domed interior, the Chiesa di Sant’Agnese in Agone is typical of Francesco Borromini’s baroque style. The church,…
San Giovanni & Testaccio
Sticking out like, well, an Egyptian pyramid, this distinctive landmark looms over a busy traffic junction near Piramide metro station. A 36m-high marble…
Centro Storico
Commissioned by Giovanni Battista Pamphilj to celebrate his election as Pope Innocent X in 1644, this elegant baroque palazzo (1650) has been home to the…
San Giovanni & Testaccio
Housed in Rome’s former slaughterhouse, the Mattatoio complex is one of Rome's top contemporary arts venues. Its cavernous halls, themselves fine examples…
Ancient Rome
Entering the Roman Forum from Largo della Salara Vecchia – you can also enter directly from the Palatino or from the Arco di Tito – you’ll see the Tempio…
Southern Rome
Mausoleo di Romolo, located within the grounds of Villa di Massenzio, was built by Maxentius for his 17-year-old son Romulus. The huge mausoleum was…
Centro Storico
This cobbled Renaissance street lined with antique shops, boutiques and costume jewellers is a lovely place for a stroll. It follows the course of the…
Ancient Rome
Accessible through the Chiesa di Santa Maria Antiqua, this ramp is actually a vast passageway that allowed the emperors to enter the Roman Forum from…
Ancient Rome
The cobbled Via Sacra, the main road through the Roman Forum, traverses the site, running from the Capitoline Hill to the Arco di Tito at the forum's…
Trastevere & Gianicolo
Dating to the Middle Ages, this tower was part of the fortified holdings of the powerful Anguillara clan, which ruled this part of Rome until the 15th…
Centro Storico
Beneath Piazza Navona lie the remains of the 1st-century-AD Stadio di Domiziano, over which the square was laid out in the 15th century. This 30,000-seat…
Southern Rome
Wouldn't you know it! The pick of the three seldom-visited museums on this weed-strewn rationalist square is closed for 'renovations'. But just in case it…
San Giovanni & Testaccio
Overlooking Palazzo Laterano, this is said to be the world's largest standing Egyptian obelisk. Topping off at almost 46m, it's also the oldest of Rome's…
Museo Nazionale Romano: Crypta Balbi
Centro Storico
The least known of the Museo Nazionale Romano's four museums, the Crypta Balbi sits over the ruins of several medieval buildings, themselves set atop the…
Ancient Rome
This small museum traces the development of the Palatino with video presentations, models and archaeological finds. Highlights include busts of the…
Southern Rome
Done up in faux-Egyptian style, this soaring central EUR obelisk was a favourite of Mussolini's. It features the usual array of buff workers beavering…
Vatican City, Borgo & Prati
Accessed from the left nave of St Peter's Basilica, the Museo Storico Artistico (Tesoro; Treasury) sparkles with sacred relics and priceless artefacts,…
