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Monuments
Ara Pacis Augustae
Where: Via di Ripetta
The altar of the Pace Augustea was constructed between the 13th and 9th centuries B.C., by decree of the Roman Senate, to honor Augustus and celebrate the peace that followed his victories in Spain and Gaul. The altar, in white Carrara marble, is decorated with elegant decorative motifs, with interlaced flowers and leaves alongside historical and mythological scenes: Aeneas, the birth of Rome, and the celebrated Procession in which the Emperor with his family took part.
After its archaeological discovery, the Ara was reconstructed using the few original fragments available from various museums, substituting cement reproductions for the missing parts, and covering all with a protective transparent structure.
Arch of Costantine
Where: Piazza del Colosseo
Among the oldest of Rome's mouments, the Arch of Constantine was erected to commemorate the victory of the emperor over Massenzio, in the battle of 312 a.D. at Ponte Milvio.
Almost 25 meters high, it has three arched passageways, mostly decorated by ornaments taken from other buildings, such as the monuments of Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, Domiziano, Hadrian, and Commodo. Worthy of note are the stupendous bas reliefs over the central part of the arch and the eight rectangular bas reliefs in the upper part.
Arch of Titus
Situated at the eastern edge of the Roman Forum, at the end of the via Sacra, is the oldest triumphal arch surviving in Rome.
Built at the time of Domiziano to commemorate the victories of Titus and his father Vespasiano over the Judeans, it is covered with marble with columns and reliefs showing the triumphs over Jerusalem and the apotheosis of Titus.
Castle Sant'Angelo (Castle Lungotevere)
The emperor Hadrian had this castle built between the years 130 and 139, as a tomb for himself and his family. Over the centuries it underwent various transformations and served as fortress, prison, barracks, and museum. Now it appears closed within a square block of defensive walls with angular towers named for the saints Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John. The tower of Benedict IX, in the XI century, and the pontifical apartments, during the Renaissance, were superimposed onto the cyclindrical construction of the Roman epoch . On top, the Angel took the place of Hadrian's statue.
The castle was restored at the beginning of our century and in 1933 was transformed into a vast museum covering four floors. The style is predominantly military, but paintings, antique furnishings, and tapestries are also in the collection.
The Catacombs of Priscilla (via Salaria 430)
Along the via Salaria, one of the oldest Roman roads, used to transport salt from the Adriatic to the Tyrhennian Sea, one finds the Catacombs of Priscilla, founded by a group of Christians belonging to a senatorial family.
Only the first of the two levels, the older one, can be visited. This small space contains one of the first representations of the Madonna and Child, from the second century. After traversing the long tunnels, one arrives at the Greek Chapel, named for the Greek writing on the walls. It is divided in the middle by an archway covered with frescoed scenes from the Old and New Testaments.
Catacombs of San Callisto (via Appia Antica)
These are the largest catacombs of the city. They originated as private tombs of the second century and become the official tombs of the Roman bishops in the third century. They extend over four floors, but the visit is limited to the second. Burial recesses carved into the rock line both sides of the corridors. Some recesses that were created to hold many bodies, for many members of the same family, have also been excavated. Via a fourth century ladder, one reaches the Crypt of the Popes, one of the oldest nucleuses, where various pontifical martyrs, recorded in the Greek inscriptions, were buried. In the crypt alongside this one finds the tomb of Saint Cecilia, martyred at the beginning of the third century. Her remains were transferred to the Church of Saint Cecilia in Trastevere. The cubicle is decorated with frescoes from the fifth to ninth centuries.
Catacombs of San Sebastian (via Appia Antica)
These are the only catacombs to have stayed open in every era and therefore they are in bad condition. They were excavated on four levels, but the first is partially destroyed.
The visit begins on the second floor, where one finds the crypt of Saint Sebastian, containing the bust of the saint, attributed to Bernini. Interesting also are the remains of a third-century environment called "Triclia," where three funeral niches were posed one above the other. The walls are covered with drawings that represent Peter and Paul. Near the entrance to the galleries is the Church of San Sebastian, founded in the fourth century and rebuilt in the seventeenth century by Ponzio and Vasanzio. Inside, a single nave with three side arches and a ceiling made of wood one finds the statue of Saint Sebastian, the work of Antonio Giorgetti.
Circus Maximus (via del Circo Massimo)
Situated in the valley between the Palatino and the Aventino, it is the largest circus in Rome, dating to the era of Tarquinius. Enlarged and often rebuilt, it could hold more than 200,000 spectators. The track where the horses ran was more than one kilometer long and in the arches stores and taverns were located.
Column of Marcus Aurelius (Piazza Colonna)
Raised between 180 and 196 near the present piazza, it celebrated the victories of the emperor Marcus Aurelius over the Sarmati, the Quadi and the Marcomanni. It is in spiral form, with 190 internal steps, in Lunese marble, decorated by a circular frieze whose reliefs, though less refined than those of Trajan's Column, are still very effective likenesses. At the top of the column was the statue of Marcus Aurelius, substituted in 1588 by that of Saint Paul
Trajan's Column
Raised in the Trajan Forum in 113 A.D., it is one of the most representative monuments of imperial Rome and for a long time conserved the golden urn with the ashes of the emperor. Twenty-seven meters high, it is encircled by a marble shaft with over 200 meters of bas reliefs narrating the two Daci wars of Trajan. It is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of sculpture of all time. Probably the author was Apollodorus of Damascus, the architect of the Forum. On the summit was situated the statue of the emperor, later substituted by that of San Peter. The column is winding, and can be negotiated inside via a spiral stairway leading to the top.
The Colosseum (Piazza del Colosseo)
Begun by order of Vespasiano in 72 A.D., on the site of the Domus Aurea of Nero, the great amphitheatre was finished by his son Titus, eight years later. It was called Colosseum because of the gigantic statue of Nero that was erected nearby, with the help of 24 elephants.
It is the greatest monument of antiquity: elliptical in shape, with a circumference of 527 meters, the major axis of 188 meters, the minor one of 156 meters, the maximum height 57 meters. The total length of the stands is 30,000 meters, the seats numbered 68,000, standing places 5000.
The public entered the arena, divided into four levels, through four entrances and 80 arcades, numbered progressively. Entrance was free for everyone, but the places were subdivided according to the census: for senators were reserved the places nearest the arena.
Thousands of men and animals were massacred there solely for the pleasure of the crowd massed in the stands. In the fifth century the emperor Onorius prohibited the gladiatorial games and successively the Colosseum belonged to the Frangipane, who used it as a castle-fortress, and then to the Annibaldi. In 1312 Henry VII gave the amphitheatre back to the city. In 1451 the pope took away part of the building materials for the stairway at Saint Peter's and the door at Ripetta.
Within the amphitheatre there were houses, shops, a cemetery, a church, a theatre, and a hospital. From the highest levels one has a beautiful panorama of Rome, especially of the Forum.
Domus Aurea (via Labicana, 136)
Ruins of the old residence of Nero, built after the fire of Rome in 64. After his death successors dismantled or covered up the constructions, erecting new buildings in some areas. Trajan had his baths built and walled up part of them to serve as his library. Nero's house was called "aurea" (golden) because its facade was in fact covered with gold. The floor plan was rather complex and the internal decorations were of an incredible luxury. Alcoves, courtyards, a temple dedicated to water spirits with mosaics of Polyphemus, beautiful rooms such as the Octagonal Room, surmounted by a dome, and the Room of the Golden Vault, have all come to light.
Trevi Fountain (Piazza di Trevi)
This is the most famous fountain in Rome. Built alongside the Poli Papace and fed by the aqueduct of the Virgin Waters, it was initially of modest proportions.
It assumed grandiose form, 20 meters long and 26 meters high, thanks to the plan of Nicola Salvi in 1732.
Finished in 1762, it is one of the last examples of Roman baroque.
The statue of Neptune , surrounded by allegorical figures and by four statues representing the seasons, dominates the fountain. Below, two tritons drive the chariot of the Sea God.
According to legend, whoever throws a coin into the pond will return to Rome. Few tourists avoid this tradition.
Forum of Trajan (entrance from the via 4 November)
In the tenth century B.C., between the Campidoglio and the Palatino, there was a stagnant plain dotted with primitive habitations.
During the monarchy the swamp was blessed and chosen as the center of political, commercial and religious life. In the time of the Republic, it was enriched by new monuments, but the expansion of Rome necessitated new areas designed for public activities. Thus the antique Forum was abandoned, buried by fortresses and churches that were constructed over the ruins. Those now recognizable include the 12 columns of the Temple of the "Consentes" Gods, the vestiges of the Temples of Vespasiano and Concordia, the Arch of Settimio Severo (see chart), the Temple of Saturn, the Curia, the Arch of Tiberius, the Basilica Giulia and the Basilica Emilia, the Temples of Antonino and Faustina, Castor and Pollux, and Julius Caesar, the Domus Regia, the Temple of the Vestal Virgin (the oldest marble temple in Rome, dating to the second century B.C.), the House of the Vestal Virgins, the Arch of Augustus, the Fountain and Altar of Giuturna, the Oratory of the 40 Martyrs, Santa Maria Antica, the Temple of Romulus, the Basilica of Massenzio, Santa Maria Nova and the Arch of Titus (see chart).
Forum of Augustus (via dei Fori Imperiali)
Financed by the booty of wars, this forum was built by the emperor Augustus to commemorate the victory of Filippi, in 42 B.C., when Brutus and Cassius died. Within one can still admire the three columns of the Temple of Marte Vetore, avenger of the homicide. The Senate met here to declare war and to ratify peace treaties. Inaugurated in 2 B.C., it symbolizes, with the beauty of its Corinthian columns, the ideals of the Augustan period.
It was surrounded by a high wall that isolated it from the turbulent Suburra neighborhood.
On the left rises the House of the Horsemen of Rodi. Built in the twelfth century and rebuilt in the fifteenth, it presents all the characteristics of a Renaissance dwelling, with large, richly decorated rooms
Mausoleum of Augustus
The Mausoleum of Augustus has the typical structure of Etruscan tumulus tombs and was the burial place of the emperor's family.
Erected in 29 B.C. after the conquest of Egypt, in the twelfth century it was transformed into a fortress for the Colonna family. Then it became an arena for bullfights and in the nineteenth century was used as a concert and circus hall. Only in 1926 did archaeological research begin. Three niches were uncovered, containing the ashes of Augustus and of his wife Livia, his sister Ottavia, and his nephews Caius and Lucius Caeser. The mausoleum is circular, ringed by internal corridors.
At the summit of the tumulus, covered by cypresses, the statue of the emperor was erected.
Trajan Markets (via 4 November)
Situated next to the Forum of Trajan, the markets formed an authentic shopping center, extending over two levels and including 150 rooms.
They were almost certainly built by Apollodorus of Damascus, the architect of the Forum of Trajan. The lower level was semicircular, connected to the rounded doorway at the northeast extremity of the Forum with three rows of storerooms.
The market is dominated by a thirteenth-century Militia Tower.
Aurelian Walls
The Aurelian Walls, which enclosed the seven hills, were 19 kilometers long, had 18 doors and were defended by 381 towers. They were built between 272 and 279 to protect the city from the menace of the Germans, defeated by the Emperor Aurelius.
Servian Walls
In front of Termini Station and in the underground passageways, one can see the few remains of these ancient walls, built in the fourth century B.C. Compared to the Aurelian Walls, they enclose a much more limited area.
Vatican City
Formed as a sovereign and independent State after the Lateran Accords of 1929, stipulated between Italy and the Holy See, Vatican City extends over an area of 44 hectares, along the right bank of the Tevere between the eastern peaks of Monte Mario and the western peaks of the Gianicolo. It includes the piazza, San Peter's Basilica (see chart) and the palace of the Vatican.
It is surrounded by a high wall and has its own administration and services: post, bank, newspaper, radio station, train station, and supermarkets. All tax-free.
Argentine Tower Zone
The Argentine Tower is a building from the fifteenth century built by Bishop Burckhard of Strasbourg, then head of the diocese of Argenturatum, from whence comes its name.
In the broad zone of the Argentine, four temples from the republican period were found during the excavations of 1926 to 1930: temple A, on a rectangular plan, was erected in the third century B.C.; temple B, on a circular plan, is the most recent of the four, built in 101 B.C. by Lutazio Catullus; temple C, the oldest, was built in the third and fourth centuries B.C.; temple D dates to 200 B.C. and is thought to be dedicated to Lari Permarini. To the west of this zone is the Argentine theatre, whose facade dates to the eighteenth century.
Palatine (via di San Gregorio)
According to legend, on this hill Romulus traced with a plough the limits of the city, thus founding the "squared Rome".
Confirming the legend, the remains of a village dating from the eighth century B.C. have been discovered. In the Republican era many influential citizens, among them Catullus and the orator Hortense, had their villas built on Palatine Hill, the freshest and most peaceful place in the city.
Since the time of Augustus, it was the residence of the Roman Emperors. With the arrival of Christianity, churches, convents, and fortresses were added to the ancient buildings.
The Palatine has remained even today one of the most beautiful places in the capital, not only because of its archaeological remains, but also because of the rich vegetation and splendid panorama.
Porta Pia (via XX Settembre)
Ordered built by Pius IV in 1561, this was one of the final works of Michaelangelo, later rebuilt in 1853-61 by Vespignani. Here one finds the Historical Museum of the Bersaglieri, containing relics of the heroes of the Roman "Risorgimento" (the period of Italian nationalism).
Porta Portese (via Portuense)
The present door was constructed in the seventeenth century to substitute for the ancient Porta Portuensis. Each Sunday, in the piazza of the same name created by Urban VIII, a well-known flea market resembling that of Portobello in London is held.
Porta San Paolo (Piazza di Porta San Paolo)
The old doorway was called Ostiensis and led through the Aurelian walls. The interior front portion dates from the third century, while the external portion with its two battlement towers dates from the fifth century. It owes its present name to the nearby basilica of San Paolo Fuori le Mura (Saint Paul Outside the Walls).
Porta San Sebastian (Via di Porta San Sebastiano)
Is the ancient Appian gate, rebuilt in the fifth century under the emperor Honorius and restaured in the sixth century according to the demand of Belisario. It is a single arched passageway flanked by towers with squared marble bases in which are inserted a semi-cylindrical trunks topped by battleworks.
Portico d'Ottavia (via del Portico d'Ottavia)
Built by Quinto Cecilio Metello in 146 B.C., this doorway was rebuilt by Augustus in honor of his sister Ottavia in 23 B.C. It had a double column decorated by statues and included various temples dedicated to Giove and to Giunone. Today, in place of the temples one finds the little church of Sant' Angelo di Pescheria.
Museums
Sistine Chapel (Vatican)
Famous throughout the world, above all for the frescoes of Michaelangelo, the Sistine Chapel was constructed between 1475 and 1480 by Baccio Pontelli, under the order of Sistus IV.
It is on a rectangular plan with barreled vault and small side vaults. It has a pavement of polychromic inlay. The presbytery is divided by a barrier and opens out to 12 windows.
The internal decoration was assigned to many artists: Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio and Rosselli, assisted by Pinturicchio, Piero di Cosimo, Bartolomeo della Gatta and Signorelli. The work began in 1481 and lasted two years. In 1508 Julius II commissioned Michaelangelo to decorate the vault, which originally represented a starry heaven. After four years of intense work, this incredible work was finished. The vault is decorated by nine rectangular panels that show Genesis, the Expulsion from Paradise, and Noah.
Twenty-five years later, in 1533, Michaelangelo began working on The Last Judgment, which he was asked to do by Clement VII. In less than one and a half years the masterpiece of 200 meters square, with 391 figures, was finished. The nudes, by order of Pius IV, were covered with draperies painted by Daniele da Volterra, who for this reason was called "Braghettone" ("bracche" are men's baggy undershorts).
This ridiculous intervention changed the message that Michaelangelo had wanted to give in his work.
Fortunately with the latest restoration, recently finished, the draperies have been removed and the colors and figures have returned to their original splendor and force.
Borghese Gallery (via Pinciana)
Constructed according to the plans of Giovanni Vasanzio between 1613 and 1615 for the cardinal Scipione Borghese, this was the greatest collection of art for its time.
The collection was continued by Marcantonio Borghese, then by Camillo Borghese, husband of Paolina Bonaparte, and finally by Luigi Canina. In 1902 it was acquired by the State.
Crossing the portico, one enters the Salon, with its richly-painted ceiling and floor decorated with Roman mosaics of the second century. To the right one enters the first room, where one can admire the nineteenth-century statue of Paolina Borghese by Canova. In other rooms one finds the David of Bernini (1623-24), Apollo and Daphne, the Rape of Proserpina, Aeneas, Anchise and Ascanio, all by Bernini. From the Room of the Emperors one reaches the famous Gallery, in which one finds many celebrated masterpieces, including the Deposition by Raphael, a crucifix by Pinturicchio, the Virgin with Child and Saint John by Lorenzo di Credi, Saint John the Baptist by Bronzino, David with the head of Goliath by Caravaggio, the Deposition by Rubens, Sacred and Profane Love by Tiziano and other paintings of great value.
National Gallery of Ancient Art
Where: Via delle Quattro Fontane
In the sixteenth-century Barbarini Palace (see chart) one finds the National Gallery of Ancient Art, displaying the works of the Corsini-Colonna collections and the gatherings of Barberini, Chigi and Sciarra.
Among the most significant works are the tryptic of the Beato Angelico showing the Final Judgement, the Ascension and Pentacost; two works by Filippo Lippi, the Virgin with Child and the Annunciation; the Magdalene by Piero di Cosimo, the Fornarina by Raphael; a fresco by Andrea Sacchi, the Nativity and Baptism of Christ, by El Greco; Christ and the Adulteress by Tintoretto; the fresco by Pietro da Cortona decorating the ceiling of the main room of the palace (the Allegory of Divine Providence).
Capitoline Museums (Piazza del Campidoglio)
The Capitoline Museums are located in the Palace of the Conservators, built by Giacomo Della Porta according to the design of Michaelangelo in the second half of the fifteenth century, and in the New Palace, built by Girolamo Rainaldi in the seventeenth century (in front of the the Palace of the Conservators). .
In the Museum of the Palace of the Conservators are rows of rooms with works of great interest, including the Gallery of the Lamiani Orchards, with the Esquilina Venus; the room of the Magistrates, with statues from the fourth century; the Spinario, a bronze of the first century B.C.; the Wolf of the Campidoglio, an Etruscan bronze of the sixth century B.C. In the same building one finds the Capitoline Art Gallery, containing many paintings. The New Palace, northeast of the piazza of the Campidoglio, has a collection of many antique sculptures, including the so-called Capitoline Aphrodite, a Roman copy of a Hellenic statue, the Morente Galatea, copy of a work from the school of Pergamo of the third century B.C.; the Faun, a statue in red marble. Interesting also is the Room of the Emperors, with 65 busts representing famous people.
Vatican Museums (viale Vaticano)
The Vatican Museums contain the largest collection of antiquities in the world. This itinerary follows that adopted by the Museum Administration: From the Atrium of the Four Gates one arrives at the Gregorian Egyptian Museum, which has eight rooms. Among the most interesting of the works contained here is the immense statue of the Queen Tuia, mother of Ramses II, and the basalt statue known as Naoforo, from 525 B.C. In the Chiaromonti Museum, organized by Canova in a gallery of Donato Bramante, about a thousand Greek and Roman statues are exposed, including large statues of Minerva, Augustus and Tiberius. The Pius-Clementine Museum is dedicated primarily to sculpture, the art which most interested Clement XIV.
The Gregorian-Etruscan Museum, made up of objects coming from southern Etruria and from private donations, presents one of the most beautiful collections in the world of Etruscan remains.
Advancing sequentially, one finds the Biga Room, the Gallery of the Candalabra, the Arazzi Room and the Maps Room, the apartments of Pius V, the Sobieski Room, the Immaculate Conception Room and the Raphael Rooms. The latter are four large rooms in the apartment of Julius II and his successors up to Gregory XIII, in which the painter from Urbino began to work at the age of 26. This commission, which marked the debut of Raphael in Rome, concluded in the year of his death, 1520. Following are the Loggia of Raphael, the Palafrenieri Room, the Chapel of Nicolas V, the Borgia Apartments, the rooms containing the Collection of Modern Religious Art, the Sistine Chapel (see chart), the Vatican Library, the New Wing, the Art Gallery, the Museum Gregoriano Profano, the Christian Museum, the Ethnological Missionary Museum, and the Historical Museum.
Palaces
Barberini Palace (via delle Quattro Fontane)
This is one of the most important examples of Roman baroque, begun in 1625 by Carlo Maderno with the help of Boromini, according to the desires of Urban VIII, the Barberini pope. After Maderno's death, Bernini was given the post and in 1633 completed the palace. The central building is flanked on both sides by two wings of three levels,extending on each end as far as the ornate vistas from the loggia. Bernini's facade is stupendous: Doric in the porticles and arcades, Ionic on the first floor, and Corinthian on the topfloor. Since 1949 the palace has contained the National Gallery of Antique Art.
Borghese Palace (Piazza Borghese)
Known by the name "Cembalo" ("harpsicord") because of its strange shape, it was begun in 1560 according to the design of Vignola for Cardinal Borghese, who became Pope Paul V in 1605. The works were finished by Flaminio Ponzio at the beginning of the seventeenth century. Until 1891 it contained the art collection of Cardinal Borghese, now exposed in the Borghese Gallery (see chart).
Chigi Palace (Piazza Colonna)
Built in 1580 for the Aldobrandini family, it passed into the hands of the Chigi family in 1659. It has five floors, a beautiful courtyard decorated with a fountain, and a broad stairway that leads to the living rooms. It housed the Austrian ambassador from 1915, then the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Since 1961 it has been the headquarters of the President of the "Consiglio."
Colonna Palace (Piazza Santi Apostoli)
This is one of the largest and most sumptuous palaces of Rome, built by commission of Martino V in the fifteenth century and completely restructured in 1730. The Church of the Holy Apostles was a part of the palace and together with the Colonna Gallery is open to the public. The Gallery was begun by Antonio del Grande in 1654, followed by Girolamo Fontana in 1671. It was inaugurated by Filippo Colonna in 1703. The collection includes paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck, Tintoretto, Veronese, Brill, Rosa and Carracci.
Corsini Palace (via della Lungara, 10)
Built in the fifteenth century by Cardinal Domenico Riario, it became the residence of Queen Cristina of Sweden, who died there in 1689. It was rebuilt in the seventeenth century in the baroque style by Fuga, for the Corsini family . Acquired by the State in 1883, it is the site of the Lincei Academy and contains the Corsini Collection, with works by Caravaggio, Rubens and Van Dyck.
Doria Pamphili Palace (via del Corso)
This building from the fifteenth century was built for the cardinals of the diocese of Santa Maria and inhabited by the Della Rovere, the Aldobrandini and the Pamphili before becoming the property of the Doria family. The Doria-Pamphili Gallery, one of the most beautiful in Rome, includes works by Tiziano, Tintoretto, Correggio, Raphael, and others.
Farnese Palace (Piazza Farnese)
This is one of the most beautiful Renaissance palaces of Rome. Begun in 1514 by Antonio da Sanagallo the Younger for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, the future Pope Paul III, it was continued in 1546 by Michaelangelo, who was responsible for the side wings, large windows, frontal cornices, and the two superior rows of columns in the courtyard. Finally, it was completed by Giacomo della Porta in 1589. Since 1871 the palace has housed the French Ambassador.
Lateran Palace (Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano)
Papal See until 1309, year of the Avignon exile, it was destroyed by fire in the fourteenth century. In 1586 Sixtus V charged Domenico Fontana with the reconstruction of the palace. He gave it the present structure, with three monumental vistas and a vast courtyard with three levels of arches. Together with the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, it belongs to the Vatican and has the privileges of extraterritoriality. Presently it is the headquarters of the Roman Vicarate.
Quirinale Palace (Piazza del Quirinale)
Begun in 1573 by Martino Longhi, by commission of Pope Gregory XIII, its construction was continued by Maderno, Bernini, Fontana and, in the eighteenth century, by Ferdinando Fuga. In 1592 it was the residence of Clement VIII and, later, of other pontificates. From 1870 it was the headquarters of the King of Italy and since 1947 as been the official residence of the President of the Republic. The main entrance, the Sala Regia, and the Paolina Chapel are by Maderno; the Chapel of the Annunciation is decorated by frescoes by Guido Reni; the gallery of Alessandro VII is decorated by frescoes completed under the direction of Pietro da Cortona; the vast courtyard is the work of Fontana.
Palace of Expositions (via Nazionale 194)
Built according to the design of Pius Piacentini at the end of the nineteenth century, it hosts exhibits of ancient and contemporary art, film festivals, and theatre productions. It also contains a bookstore, shop, bar, and restaurant.
Palace of Montecitorio (Piazza di Montecitorio)
Designed by Bernini for Innocent X, the building was begun in 1650 and finished in 1694 by Carlo Fontana after several interruptions. The name derives from the location, "monte accettorio" (literally, "welcoming hill"), where the centurians of ancient Rome gathered to vote. Since 1871 the palace has housed the Chamber of Deputies. The semicircular hall where the Chamber assembles was designed by Ernesto Basile and panelled with oak. Inaugurated in 1918, it is in need of renovation and of a new facade in Piazza del Parliamento.
Madama Palace (Corso del Rinascimento)
Built by the Medici in the sixteenth century, this building derives its name from Madame Margherita of Austria, the illegitimate daughter of the Emperor Charles V, who married first Alessandro de'Medici and then Ottavio Farnese. The palace has a beautiful sixteenth-century facade, the work of Maruccelli and Cardi, and beautiful rooms with frescoes and various decorations. It has been the headquarters of the Senate since 1871.
Massimo alle Colonne Palace (Corso Vittorio Emanuele)
Built between 1532 and 1536 by Baldassare Peruzzi, for the nobleman Pietro Massimo. The original convex facade follows the curves of an earlier "domiziana" construction, on which the palace foundation rests. The ornate stucco portico is interesting, though deteriorating. Its columns seem to to bend under the weight of the building. Little
Farnesina Palace (Corso Vittorio Emanuele, 168)
A stupendous Renaissance palace begun in 1523 according to the plans of Antonio Sangallo the Younger and finished in 1546, it was constructed for the French prelate Thomas le Roy. Le Roy was the intermediary between Francesco I, King of France, and Pope Leo X. The facade that faces Corso Vittorio Emanuele was designed by Enrico Gui in the twentieth century. Now the building is the property of the city of Rome and houses the Baracca Museum, with sculpture from the Egyptian, Assyrian-Babylonian, Phoenicean, Etruscan, Greek and Roman periods.
Senatorial Palace (Piazza del Campidoglio)
Built by Giacomo della Porta and Girolamo Rainaldi at the end of the sixteenth century, this is the central part of an architectural complex envisioned by Michaelangelo for the Piazza del Campidoglio. Even the double stairway that preceeds it is in Michaelangelo's style, including a fountain with an ancient statue of Minerva, who came to represent the Roman Goddess. Today the Palace is used as the City Hall.
Spada Palace (Piazza Capo di Ferro)
An elegant building created by the architect Giulio Mazzoni between 1540 and 1550 for Cardinal Girolamo Capodiferro, it later became the property of Cardinal Bernardino Spada. The stonework of the facade is decorated with flowers, medallions, and statues, while the courtyard with its porticos is ornately decorated in fantastic and mythological figures. To the left is the Spada Gallery, a small gathering of paintings divided into four rooms, with works by Guido Reni, Guercino, Rubens, Giovan Battista Gaulli and an unfinished painting by Tiziano. Today the Palace is used as the State Council Offices.
Venezia Palace (Via del Plebiscito)
This was the first large Renaisssance palace built in Rome, built in 1455 by Cardinal Pietro Baro, future Pope Paul II. It was first the Papal headquarters, then Embassy of the Venetian Republic, then given to Austria and finally to the Italian State. Austere as a fortress, with Guelph battlements, a tower on one corner and the facade marked in horizontal bands, it typifies in its sombre appearance the harmony of Renaissance construction. On one floor is the Museum of the Venetian Palace, a collection of medieval art, sculpture, ceramics, textiles and other artifacts.
Pantheon (Piazza della Rotonda)
This is the most well-preserved monument of ancient Rome, built in 27 B.C. by Marco Vipsanio Agrippa and rebuilt in its present form under the rule of the Emperor Hadrian between 119 and 128 A.D. The building has a circular plan with an entranceway (Greek prònaos) held up by 16 columns in grey and pink granite, decorated with Corinthian capitals. Inside one can admire the immense panelled dome, 43.3 meters in diameter, with an "eye" at the center (9 meters across), the only opening through which light can enter; the niches separated by columns and a passageway that leads along the edge of the cornice-works around the inside of the dome. The tombs of two Italian kings, Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I, and that of Raphael, with an inscription by Bembo, are conserved within.
Squares
Piazza Bocca della Verità ("The Mouth of Truth")
This beautiful piazza with its garden dominates the Roman-style belltower of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, guardian of the "Bocca della Verità", a stone mask that according to legends bites the hands of liars. In the piazza there are two Roman temples, the temple of Portuno and that of Ercole Vincitore, as well as a fountain from the eighteenth century. On the north side is the Casa dei Crescenzi, which belonged to a powerful Roman family.
Piazza Campo dei Fiori
A typical Roman piazza, noted above all for its market of flowers, fruits and vegetables, this tranquil spot is where those condemned to death were once executed. One of these was Giordano Bruno, who was accued of heresy and burned alive. The statue of the philosopher, at the center of the piazza, recalls this event.
Piazza del Campidoglio
Located in a low spot between the two peaks of the Capitoline Hill, this was carried out in the seventeenth century according to the plans of Michaelangelo, who also designed the three palaces that surround it: the Senatorial Palace (see chart), the Conservators Palace, and the New Palace. The last two palaces contain the Capitoline Museums (see chart).
Piazza del Popolo (the People's Piazza)
This grandiose urban square was created in the beginning of the nineteenth century by Valadier, who abandoned the traditional concept of closed space and opened the piazza to the east, along the tree-lined hills of the Pincio (see chart).
Its limits are defined by two semi-circles, each one decorated by a fountain at one end, with sphinx and statues representing the seasons. In the southeast corner are two little baroque churches. Santa Maria di Montesanto is on an elliptical plan and Santa Maria dei Miracoli is on a circular plan. They were begun by Rainaldi but finished by Bernini and Fontana.
At the center of the piazza is the oldest obelisk of Rome, which came from Egypt and dates to the twelfth century B.C. Behind the obelisk is the Porta del Popolo ("People's Gate"), built in the middle of the sixteenth century by Nanni di Baccio Bigio and completed by Bernini, who added the internal facade in 1655.
Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Piazza)
Piazza di Spagna is one of the most celebrated and evocative piazzas in Rome, with the fountain of the Barcaccia, designed by Pietro Bernini in the early seventeenth century, at the center. On the south side of the piazza is the scenic stairway of Trinità dei Monti, a monumental eighteenth-century work by de Sanctis, which leads to the baroque church of the same name.
Two of the most important streets in Rome, via Condotti and via Frattina, now pedestrian islands, lead away from the piazza. Many famous people once lived in the surrounding area, among them Wagner, Liszt, Balzac, Stendhal, Rubens, Tennyson, Byron and Keats.
Piazza Navona
This famous baroque elongated piazza traces the perimeter of the stadium of Domiziano, the Circus Agonalis. Its name derives from the deformation of the word "n'Agona." The arena, once the site of athletic competitions, was used for games and tournaments up until the seventeenth century.
Innocent X made it a masterpiece of baroque style, charging Bernini with the construction of the Fontana dei Fiumi (Fountain of the Rivers), a monumental work of the seventeenth century presenting allegorical statues of the four rivers Nile, Ganges, Danube, and Rio de Plata, symbolizing the four parts of the world.
At the extreme end of the piazza there are two other fountains, that of Neptune and that of the Moor with Triton, constructed according to Bernini's models.
The large facade of the Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone, with its belltowers on either side, overlooks the piazza. The church was begun in 1652 by Girolamo and Carlo Rainaldi and finished by Borromini in 1657. Even Bernini took part in the work, making decorations and modifications to the external design. The inside, in the form of a Greek cross, contains frescoes, altarpieces and sculptures. The subterranean parts contain remains of the stadium of Domiziano and a marble bas relief representing the miracle of Saint Agnes. Next to the church is the Pamphili Palace, a sixteenth-century building constructed by Girolamo Rainaldi and donated by Innocent X to his cousin Olimpia Maidalchini Pamphili.
Piazza San Pietro (Saint Peter's Square)
Piazza San Pietro is Bernini's architectural masterpiece. In 1656 he encircled the elliptical area with two majestic semicircles, each formed by four files of doric columns crowned with 140 statues of saints rising towards heaven. At the center rises an obelisk (26 meters high), which originated in Heliopolis and was brought here in 1585 by the order of Sixtus V, under the direction of Domenico Fontana. On each side there are two huge fountains from the seventeenth century, the work of Maderno and of Carlo Fontana. In the background stands the largest Christian church in the world, Saint Peter's (see chart), dominated by the dome designed in the style of Michaelangelo.
Piazza Venezia
Situated at the center of the city, this piazza is teeming with continual traffic, because the main arteries of the city converge here. The grandiose Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II (also known as the Altar of Patriotism), erected between 1885 and 1911 by Giuseppe Sacconi to glorify the first king of Italy, is at the center of the piazza. At the base of the monument is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, by Zanelli. Nearby is the Venetian Palace (see chart), which, together with the ancient church of San Marco (fourth century) and the Venetian Palazzetto, forms a vast architectural complex.
Churches
Sant' Agnese fuori le Mura (Saint Agnes outside the Walls) (via Nomentana)
This is one of the rare examples of Constantianian basilicas, built in the fourth century at the request of the daughter or niece of Constantine, over the catacombs where the martyr was buried. The catacombs, dating to the third century, are well conserved, presenting many inscriptions, burial niches and recesses.
Saint Augustine (Piazza di Sant'Agostino)
This was one of the first Renaissance churches of Rome, built by Pietrasanta at the end of the fifteenth century. The interior, divided into three naves, holds the Madonna del Parto by Sansovino, 1521; a fresco by Raphael of the prophet Isaiah, 1512; and the Madonna of the Pilgrims, masterpiece of Caravaggio, 1605.
Sant' Andrea al Quirinale (via del Quirinale)
This small elliptically-shaped church was designed by Bernini and built between 1658 and 1671 for the Cardinal Camillo Pamphili, nephew of Innocent X. It is decorated in gold, stucco and marble, with works by Baciccia, Borgognone and Raggi. The height of the dome increases the sensation of awe, while the abundant goldwork gives the interior a suggestive glow.
Sant'Andrea della Valle (Corso Vittorio Emanuele)
A large baroque church begun in 1591 by Giacomo della Porta and Francesco Grimaldi and finished in 1625 by Maderno with the construction of a marvelous dome. The interior, in one nave, contains frescoes from the seventeenth century by Domenichio and Lanfranco, statues in bronze, works by Raggi and the tombs of Pius II and Pius III.
Santi Apostoli (Piazza dei Santi Apostoli)
A basilica of the sixth century rebuilt in the fifteenth century and the beginning of the eighteenth century by Domenico and Carlo Fontana. The doorway with its nine arcades that enclose some Roman ruins is the work of Baccio Pontelli and dates to the late fifteenth century. The nineteenth-centuryfacade is by Valadier. The interior has three naves, with a chapel surmounted by a dome. The frescoes by Baciccia and Odazzi are interesting, as is the altarpiece by Domenico Muratori. At the back of the left nave is the monument of Clement XIV, the first Roman work by Canova.
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (via del Quirinale)
Commonly known as San Carlino, this tiny seventeenth-century church, planned by Borromini, is situated near Sant'Andrea al Quirinale. The monastery and the chapel were built first, then the church, on an oval design, white with very few decorations. The facade was begun in 1669, two years after the death of Borromini, according to his designs. It shows a play of concave and convex surfaces that defies traditional style.
Santa Cecilia inTrastevere (Piazza di Santa Cecilia)
The church was constructed between 817 and 824, on the site of an earlier fifth century building. It has a vast courtyard and garden in front. The facade by Ferdinando Fuga is eighteenth century in style, with a beautiful medieval doorway and a twelfth-century belltower. Inside there are three naves and the famous statue of Saint Cecilia, created in the seventeenth century by Stefano Maderno. Upon the altar stands a gothic tabernacle by Arnolfo di Cambio.
San Clemente (via di San Giovanni in Laterano)
Constructed between 1110 and 1130 over an earlier Roman building, this church has belonged to the Domenican order since 1677. The upper church, with three naves, has a beautiful floor paved with marble inlay from the twelfth century. The middle nave has an eighteenth-century panelled ceiling with a central fresco. In the apse there is a magnificent mosaic from the twelfth century representing the Triumph of the Cross. From the sacristy one descends to the lower church, which conserves interesting frescoes from the sixth and twelfth centuries.
Santa Costanza (via Nomentana)
A splendid paleo-Christian church situated near the basilica of Sant' Agnese, this was originally a mausoleum built in the fourth century for Costanza, son of Constantine. It was subsequently transformed into a baptistry and then into a church towards the middle of the second century. One can still admire the original construction with its dome and columns. The colonnade is surrounded by a circular gallery whose walls are decorated with splendid fourth-century mosaics. In the church the precious sarcophagus of Constantine, in pink porphyry, was found. It is now in the Vatican Museum.
San Giovanni in Laterano (Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano)
San Giovanni in Laterano is the Roman cathedral. The Pope is its bishop. It was built according to the desires of the pontefex Melchiade in the fourth century on a piece of land belonging to the Planzi Laterani family. It was first consecrated to Christ the Redeemer and only later to Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist. Often damaged by earthquakes and fires, it has repeatedly been rebuilt and embellished. Of special note is the intervention of Borromini, who in 1650 completely renovated it for the Giubilee, according to the wishes of Innocent X. The eighteenth-century facade, including the doorway with its five entrances to the basilica, is by the architect Alessandro Galilei. The inside, with five naves, is richly decorated by Borromini. There are thirteenth-century tombs and mosaics, a thirteenth-century gothic tabernacle and precious frescoes. The adjacent cloister, decorated by a pair of mosaic columns, is the work of Jacopo and Pietro Vassalletto. The Baptistry is also interesting. It was built for Constantine, then rebuilt in the fifth century and completely redesigned in 1637. It has an eight-sided plan and a barrier in the center composed of two lines of columns that hold up the dome. The baptismal font is in green basalt, while its seventeenth century cover is in gold-plated bronze.
Santi Giovanni and Paolo (Clivo di Scauro, near via S. Gregorio)
A fourth-century basilica built on the site of the house belonging to Giovanni and Paolo. These were officials of Constantine, condemned to death in 362 by order of Giuliano the Apostata and buried under their house. The church was devastated by the Goths, damaged by the earthquake of 442, and sacked by Roberto il Guiscardo in 1084. It was rebuilt towards the mid-twelfth century. The interior was rebuilt in the eighteenth century. The facade, decorated with third-century columns, is the oldest part of the church.
Sant' Ivo (Corso del Rinascimento)
Begun in 1642 and finished in 1660, this is one of Borromini's masterpieces, along with San Carlo alle Quattro Fontae. The church has an original hexagonal form, with corners alternatively rounded or pointed. From the outside one notes the dome with its curious spiral lantern. The church is situated to the east of the Sapienza Palace, behind a beautiful courtyard decorated by arches, the work of Giacomo della Porta.
San Lorenzo fuori le Mura (Piazzale di San Lorenzo)
This primitive basilica was erected in 330 by Constantine at the burial place of San Lorenzo. Later, behind this one, Sesto III had a second church built, and dedicated it to the Virgin between 432 and 440. In the twelfth century the apses were built and the two building were united; with a doorway and a Roman belltower added. Often redesigned, the church was damaged by the bombings of 1943 and restored once more in 1949.
San Luigi dei Francesi (Piazza di San Luigi dei Francesi)
San Luigi is the French national church in Rome. It was built and rebuilt in the sixteenth century, finally being completed by Fontana. The Renaissance facade attributed to Giacomo della Porta has recently been restored. Inside there are three late fifteenth-century masterpieces by Caravaggio: the Vocation of Saint Mathew, Saint Mathew and the Angel, The Martyrdom of Saint Mathew.
Santa Maria in Aracoeli (Piazza d' Aracoeli)
This church, built in the seventh century, belonged to the Benedictines and then to the Frati Minori, who rebuilt it at the beginning of the 1300s. One enters via a beautiful marble stairway built in 1348. The interior, with three naves divided by classical columns, has an interesting thirteenth-century floor in the "Cosmati" style, a beautiful Renaissance ceiling and precious frescoes.
Santa Maria in Cosmedin (Piazza Bocca della Verità)
It's one of the most beautiful medieval churches in Rome, built in the sixth century next to a building of which some columns remain. It was enlarged according to the wishes of Hadrian I and donated to the Greek colony of Rome. "Cosmedin" in Greek means ornament and could refer to the decorative work carried out under Hadrian. Within, divided into three naves, the works in the "Cosmati" style are admirable: the mosaic pavement, the wooden pulpits, the tabernacle of the largest altar, the chorus, the Easter candelabra, the episcopal cathedral, and the tomb of Alfano.
Santa Maria in Dominica (via della Navicella)
Built in the sixth century on the remains of a Roman building, it was rebuilt in the ninth century. Even though it was restored in the sixteenth century and nineteenth century, it has preserved its medieval character. Its name derives from a deformation of "dominicum," a term used by the first Christians to indicate a holy place. The beautiful Renaissance facade with its elegant doorway is by Andrea Sansovino. The inside, with three naves separated by antique granite columns, houses magnificent ninth-century mosaics, which decorate the apse.
Santa Maria Maggiore (Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore)
This is one of the four patriarchal basilicas of Rome, situated to the north of the Esquilino. Built at the request of Sisto II in 432 and enhanced by a new apse in the thirteenth century, it was given a tall belltower in the fourteenth century. The eighteenth century facade, with its doorway and loggia, is the work of Ferdinando Fuga. Inside, the central nave is as long as it is wide, and is divided into lateral naves of 40 columns, 36 in marble and 4 in granite. The "Cosmati" floor is the reconstruction of a twelfth-century original. The mosaics and the panelled ceiling are interesting.
Santa Maria sopra Minerva (Piazza della Minerva)
The church was built in the seventh century on the ruins of a temple dedicated to Minerva. It was rebuilt in Gothic form in 1280. Redesigned many times, it gives testimony to many periods: the seventeenth century facade opens onto ninth-century marble doorways; the gothic interior with three naves was restored in the last century. Some of its twenty chapels are decorated by precious works of arts.
Santa Maria della Pace (vicolo della Pace)
Is a small Renaissance church built in the fifteenth century according to the plan of Baccio Pontelli and restored according to the request of Alexander VII by Pietro da Cortona, who in 1656-57 made the baroque facade with its semicircular atrium. The interior is composed of a rectangular nave that ends in an octangonal space surmounted by a dome. In the first chapel on the right one can admire the celebrated Sibyls of Raphael, painted in 1514. The main altar, a seventeenth-century work by Maderno, is surmounted by the Madonna of Peace, from the fifteenth century. Especially interesting is the cloister of Bramante, planned at the beginning of the sixteenth century.
Santa Maria del Popolo (Piazza del Popolo)
Built to celebrate the liberation of the Holy Sepulcre in the first crusade, was reconstructed in Renaissance form in the fifteenth century, according to the wishes of Sixtus IV. The facade is the work of Andrea Bregno while the luminous and spacious interior was planned by Bernini, following baroque outlines. Inside are three naves, rich in artistic treasures: frescoes by Pintorecchio, tombs of the cardinals Cristoforo and Domenico della Rovere, works by Andrea Pregno, decorations by Carlo Fontana, painted panels from the thirteenth century and two paintings by Caravaggio.
Santa Maria in Trastevere (Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere)
A basilica dating to the fourth century, it was rebuilt according to the wishes of Innocent II in 1130, with the addition of a Roman belltower. On the front one can see a twelfth-century mosaic of the Madonna enthroned with Child. The doorway from 1702 is the work of Carlo Fontana. The interior, with three naves, presents a floor in the "Cosmati" style and a panelled ceiling by Domenichino. Particularly interesting are the thirteenth-century mosaics of the apse, by Pietro Cavallini.
Santa Maria della Vittoria (via XX Settembre)
This church was built in the seventeenth century by Carlo Maderno, at the request of Cardinal Scipione Borghese. The baroque facade was added later by Giovanni Battista Soria. The inside, a single nave, is rich in baroque decorations. Particularly interesting is the Cornaro Chapel by Bernini, commissioned by the Venetian Cardinal Cornaro after he took residence in Rome in 1664.
San Paolo fuori le Mura (via Ostiense)
San Paolo fuori le Mura is one of the four patriarchal basilicas of Rome, built at the request of Constantine in 314 and later enlarged. In 1823, after being almost completely destroyed by fire, it was rebuilt by the architect Poletti and finished in 1854. The facade, decorated with elaborate mosaics, is preceeded by a doorway in four sections, formed by 146 columns. The interior, with five naves, is rich in mosaics of byzantine inspiration. Particularly interesting is the Easter candelabra, the tabernacle above the Altar of San Paolo (1285, by Arnolfo di Cambio), and the thirteenth-century chapel by Pietro Vassalletto.
San Pietro in Montorio (via Garibaldi)
Was built in the ninth century at the place where Saint Peter was supposedly crucified (probably in the Circus of Nero at the foot of the Vatican hill), and was rebuilt at the end of the fifteenth century. Inside, a single nave with polygonal apse is decorated by precious frescoes and paintings. In the courtyard to the right of the church rises the celebrated Tempietto by Bramante, a circular building with dome, enclosed by 16 granite columns. Built in 1502, it is considered one of the masterpieces of the Renaissance.
San Pietro in Vaticano (Piazza San Pietro)
The basilica originally was built in 324 at the request of Constantine on the site of the tomb of the Apostle. For more than a thousand years it was the center of Cristiandom, until in 1452 Nicolos V decided to have it rebuilt. This rebuilding, however, was was not begun until 1506, under Julius II. He gave the task to Bramante, who made a plan in the form of a Greek-cross with a large central vault and four small domes. In 1514, the year of Bramante's death, the four large central pillars and the large arches supporting the vault were finished. The work continued under the direction of Antonio da Sangallo, until in 1546 Michaelangelo took over and created a basilica in the shape of the Greek cross, with a grandiose and imposing appearance, conceptualizing a new dome that would constitute the dominant element of the entire structure. At the death of Michaelangelo in 1564, Giacomo della Porta followed the plans of the master. In 1605 Paolo V wanted to transform the plan of the Greek cross to a Latin cross. He assigned the task to Carlo Maderno, who prolonged the nave so that it reached what is now Saint Peter's Square, adding three chapels per side and finally erecting the facade.
The 18th of November 1626, the immense basilicia was consecrated by Urban VIII. Bernini was assigned the task of continuing the work. The impressive baroque decorations inside are due to him. In the first chapel on the right one finds the incomparable marble group of the Pietà, done by Michaelangelo when he was still young. At the far end of the nave is the statue of Saint Peter in bronze by Arnolfo di Cambio. The main altar is dominated by the celebrated drapery of Bernini. From the left nave one enters the area of the Treasures of Saint Peter. The Museum of Art History includes objects of great value saved from the Saracen invasions, the Sack of Rome and the Napoleonic assaults. One can even climb up to the dome or descend into the caves of the Vatican.
San Pietro in Vincoli (Piazza di San Pietro in Vincoli)
Built in the fifth century at the request of the Empress Eudossia, who wanted to keep custody of the chains that Saint Peter bore during his imprisonment in Jerusalem, the church was rebuilt under Hadrian I, in about 780. The doorway was added in the sixteenth century. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, Francesco Fontana had ionic bases added onto the 20 antique doric columns of the nave. The interior, with three naves, holds the mausoleum of Julius II, built by Michaelangelo under commission to the pope. At the center of the monument is Moses holding the tables of the Ten Commandments, an imposing bearded figure of great power and sensitivity.
Santa Prassede (via Santa Prassede)
This basilica, built in 822 at the request of Pasquale I, has been reconstructed many times. The interior, with three naves, presents a beautiful floor in the "Cosmati" style and is rich in ninth-century byzantine mosaics. The byzantine influence is noticeable also in the Chapel of San Zenone, built as a mausoleum for Teodora, mother of Pasquale I. Two columns in black granite surround the entrance and support a beautiful cornice. The walls and vaulted ceiling are entirely decorated with golden mosaics. For this reason they have received the name "garden of Paradise."
Santa Sabina (via di Santa Sabina)
Was built on the summit of the Aventino Hill in the fifth century, where there stood a house belonging to a woman named Sabina. Her name was soon confused with that of the saint. This is a typical example of an ancient Christian basilica. Works of restauration and decoration were carried out in 824 and in 1216. Finally Domenico Fontana reconstructed the interior in 1587. The splendid external doors decorated with scenes of the Old and New Testament date back to the fifth century. The interior, with three naves, is illuminated by magnificent ninth-century windows. Dating from the same period are the wooden pulpits, the episcopal throne and the choir section (scuola cantorum). The mosaics that decorated the apse have unfortunately disappeared, but the fresco of Taddeo Zuccaro, from 1560, reproduces the theme.
Santo Stefano Rotondo (via di Santo Stefano Rotondo)
This was built at the end of the fifth century on a circular plan, an exact copy of the church of the Holy Sepulcre at Jerusalem. The entrance is through a doorway with five arches, added in the twelfth century by Innocent II. The interior is made up of a central space surrounded by two concentric naves separated by majestic columns. The dome to the right is decorated with a seventh-century mosaic that presents Christ between two saints with a cross in the background. Particularly interesting are the 34 frescoes illustrating the tortures undergone by Christian martyrs during their persecutions.
Other things to see in Rome
Tiberina Island
This island rises in a bend of the Tevere. It is 300 meters long and 80 meters wide, covered in travertine paving from the imperial era. It is reached on the left side by the Fabricio Bridge, the oldest of Rome, built in 62 B.C., and on the right side by the Cestio Bridge, built in the first century B.C. and redone in the nineteenth century. On the island can see the hospital Fatebenefratelli, the old church of Saint Bartolomeo, reconstructed in the seventeenth century, and the medieval Tower of the Caetani.
Trastevere
Trastevere is one of the most characteristic neighborhoods of Rome, with its narrow streets animated by artisans' shops.
The inhabitants claim to be the only true Romans, but their diverse origins - Roman, Greek and Hebrew - seems to belie this pretension. Nonetheless, they make up a group apart and speak their own dialect.
The neighborhood, rather poor during the past century, today takes advantage of its characteristic style for touristic purposes. It is the site of many typical restaurants.
Via Veneto
From Porta Pinciana, which leads through the Aurelian wall, the via Vittorio Veneto begins. It is one of the most important arteries of the city, extending as far as Piazza Barberini, past hotels, bars, small shops and luxurious stores.
In the Fifties this was the center of the "Dolce Vita" and a popular site for celebrities, who enjoyed their nightlife here. Nightlife is still animated, because its locales attracts many clients.
Villa Borghese
This is the largest and most beautiful public park in the city. It extends beyond the Pincio (see chart) and has a perimeter of 6 km.
Created in the seventeenth century for Cardinal Scipione Borghese, in 1901 it became the property of the King Umberto I and finally was donated to the city. Its paths and fields wind among lakes, fountains and forested sections.
Pincio
A splendid public park designed by Valadier between 1809 and 1814, Pincio is situated on the hill bearing the same name. It is accessible from the Piazza del Popolo via two twisting, climbing roads. To the northeast it is bordered by the park of the Villa Borghese (see chart) and to the southeast by the private gardens of the Villa Medici.
Theatre of Marcello
Where: via del Teatro di Marcello
Begun by Caesar during the second half of the first century B.C., it was completed in the twelfth century B.C. by Augustus. The latter dedicated it to his nephew Marcello, who had died at a young age.
It is an immense construction with a diameter of 120 meters, capable of holding 20,000 spectators. The two circles of arches, one above the other, were later imitated in the building of the Colosseum. Twelve arches out of 41 have remained intact thanks to the transformation of the theatre into a fortress during the medieval period, and into a palace during the sixteenth century.
On the right stand three elegant columns, the only remains of the ancient temple of Apollo Sosiano.
Baths of Caracalla
Where: Piazzale Numa Pompilio
Built between 212 and 217 by the emperor Caracalla, extending over an area of 11 hectares, they were the center of the city's social life, including a gymnasium, two libraries (Greek and Latin), an art gallery, gardens, communal swimming pools and single baths.
They presented innovative architectural solutions, perfect hydraulic systems and the capacity to receive over 1600 people.
Baths of Diocletian
Where: Piazza della Repubblica
Built by the Emperor Diocletian between the third and fourth centuries, on a grandiose design, they could receive up to 3000 people. They included three covered pools called "Calidarium" (hot water), "Tepidarium" (warm water), and "Frigidarium" (cold water), as well as libraries, gymnasiums, streets, and open swimming pools.
Now the baths contain the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, built by Michaelangelo at the request of Pius IV and later redesigned by Vanvitelli. In the vestibule are the tombs of Salvator Rosa and Carlo Maratta. Next to the church is the Wax Museum, where the most important people of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are represented.
Of particular importance is the Roman National Museum, partly established in the Baths of Diocletian, partly in the ex-convent of the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli. Some sections of the museum have been transferred to the palace of the ex-Collegio Massimo, in Piazza del Cinquecento. |
