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Rome
Via Veneto
The entire area of Via Veneto in Rome, which became famous with the public fulcrum of Rome of the period of the "dolce vita" of the cinema of Fellini, was designed around 1889 and called Vittorio Veneto.The layout that is starting from the Pinciana Door and ends in Piazza Barberini , crosses the antique property of the Ludovisi family, and is signed by the presence of numerous hotels and bars that are still nowadays, as they were in the years 60, a privileged stage for the Roman stays of the Italian and foreign celebrities.
On Via Veneto, moreover, are located the Embassy of the United States hosted in the Palazzo Margherta , projected by the Architect Gaetano Koch between 1886 and 1890 and the church of Santa Maria della Concezione , also known for the Roman with the name of "i Cappuccini", built around 1624 by the Cardinal Antonio Barberini, on the area of the pre-existing church of Sant'Antonio from Padova. Although it contains works by renowned artists like Guido Reni, Domenichino, Pietro da Cortona, and Caravaggio, the church is really famous for its cemetery. In its five crypts, the entire decoration is provided by the bodies of 4000 Capuchin Friars who died over the various centuries.
Piazza di Spagna
A masterpiece of the XVIII century, the square, with its irregular shape, extends itself at the feet of Pincio hill ; on top of it the French Church Trinita dei Monti (1502) is located. The square and the church are connected by the monumental Spanish steps , built between 1723-1726 (designed by Francesco de Sanctis).
The Spanish steps, once a year in the summertime, host a famous fashion show, and they are used as a catwalk.On the square we find the Barcaccia Fountain , built in 1598 by order of the Pope Urbano VIII to commemorate the disastrous flood caused by Tevere river the very same year. The most glamorous Rome streets lead to Piazza di Spagna (via Condotti e via del Babuino).
The area around Piazza di Spagna is where to find the most prestigious boutiques such as Prada, Valentino, Gucci etc. It is an ideal starting point for your shopping in Rome .
The Sistine Chapel
This chapel owes its name to Sixtus IV, the Pope who commissioned the building of the chapel at the end of the 14 th century. The Chapel was decorated by famous 15 th century painters such as Botticelli and il Ghirlandaio. Later, in the 16 th century, Michelangelo was called upon to paint all the frescoes on the chapel's vaulted ceiling: about 1000 square meters. He painted frescoes representing stories from the Bible such as the amazing Universal Judgment, which caused a scandal because of the nudity of about four hundred people in it, and the Creation of Mankind.
San Pietro - (St Peter's Basilica)
The Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly called Saint Peter's Basilica , is one of four major basilicas of Rome ( St. John Lateran , St. Peter's, Santa Maria Maggiore and St. Paul outside the Walls ). It is the most prominent building inside the Vatican City and built on the ruins of Old Saint Peter's Basilica . Its dome is also a dominant feature of the Roman skyline. Saint Peter's is also incidentally the patriarchal basilica of Constantinople, whereas the Lateran Basilica is the patriarchal basilica of Rome. Possibly the largest church building in Christianity , it covers an area of 5.7 acres (2.3 ha ) and has a capacity of over 60,000 people. One of the holiest sites of Christendom in the Catholic tradition, it is traditionally the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter , who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus . According to Catholic tradition, also the first Bishop of Antioch , and later first Bishop of Rome . Although the New Testament does not mention Peter's presence or martyrdom in Rome, Catholic tradition holds that his tomb is below the baldachin and altar ; for this reason, many Popes , starting with the first ones, have been buried there. Construction on the current basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica, began on April 18 , 1506 and was completed in 1626. Although the Vatican basilica is not the Pope's official seat ( Saint John Lateran ), it is most certainly his principal church, as most Papal ceremonies take place at St. Peter's due to its size, proximity to the Papal residence, and location within the Vatican City walls. The basilica also holds a relic of the Cathedra Petri , which is, according to Catholic tradition, the episcopal throne of the basilica's namesake when he supposedly led the Roman church, but which is no longer used as the Papal cathedra . It is believed that a piece of this cathedra, or chair, is contained within the altarpiece, designed by Bernini .
Piazza Navona
Possibly the square that better represents the 'bombastic' Baroque Epoch in Rome .
It was built exactly at the same place where the Domiziano Stadium was located, in 86 bc (the Roman ruins are still visible in the crypt of Sant' Agnese in Agone Church ). Piazza Navona, which is a pedestrian area now, has 3 baroque fountains and the central one ( Fountain of Four Rivers ) designed by Bernini .
Opposite to the piazza Navona fountain, we can find Sant' Agnese in Agone Church , which facade (by Borromini) is one of the most famous baroque masterpieces of Rome . Piazza Navona is a lively place with plenty of stylish restaurants, gelato (ice-cream) bars, and everyday musical or artistic performance.
Campidoglio
Piazza del Campidoglio is located on top of the Capitol Hill in Rome, where Roman Divinities were once praised and nowadays it is headquarter of the Italian Government.
The current structure is dated to 1560, as a result of the project by Michelangelo Buonarroti inspired by pre-existent buildings.
The access to the Piazza is through a majestic flight of steps, and the square contains 3 main buildings:
Palazzo Senatorio (which structure was completed by Giacomo dalla Porta and Girolamo Rinaldi between 1582 and 1605) and seat of the city municipality; Palazzo dei Conservatori (on the right side of the square), build by Guidetto Guidetti and Giacomo Dalla Porta in 1568, following original drawings by Michelangelo, host nowadays the Pinacoteca Capitolina (Capitoline Art Museum); Palazzo Nuovo (on the left side of the square), build by the Rinaldi brothers in 1655 again following original drawings by Michelangelo, where the Capitoline museum is located (museum with Hellenic and Roman masterpieces). On piazza del Campidoglio you can also find the famous statue of She-wolf with the twins (Romulus and Remus).
Pantheon
In the middle ages the Pantheon, the Roman "temple of all the gods", became a church, later in time this magnificent building with its grandiose domed interior became a symbol of Rome itself. Its genuine beauty and scale can be appreciated from the interior of the building. Pantheon was designed by the Emperor Hadrian (AD 118-125) who replaced an earlier temple built by Marcus Agrippa, son-in-law of Augustus. The shrines that now line the wall of the Pantheon range from the Tomb of Raphael to those of the kings o modern Italy. Roman Pantheon stands at the heart of Piazza della Rotonda.
Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi)
The Trevi fountain, inspired by Roman triumphal arches, is the largest and most famous Baroque fountain in Rome (standing 25.9 meters high and 19.8 meters wide).
In 1629, Pope Urban VIII, asked Bernini to sketch possible renovations of the fountain, finding it insufficiently theatrical. After the Pope's death the project was abandoned. Bernini's lasting contribution was to situate the fountain from the other side of the square to face the Quirinal Palace (so that the Pope could see and enjoy it).
The Trevi Fountain as we know it today, was designed by Nicola Salvi in 1732 and competed in 1762. The central figures of the fountain are Neptun (God of the sea), flanked by two Tritons. One struggles to master a veru unruly "sea horse", the other lead a far more docile animal. These symbolize the two contrasting moods of the sea. The site originally marked the terminal at the Aqua Virgo aqueduct built in 19 BC.
One of the firts-storey reliefs shows a young girl (the legendary virgin after whom the aqueduct was named) pointing to the spring from which the water flows. Appropriately for a fountain resembling a stage set, the theatrical Trevi Fountain has been the star of many films shot in Rome, including romantic films such as " Three coins in a fountain " and " Roman holiday ", but also " La dolce vita ", Federico Fellini's satirical portrait of Rome in the 1950s. Tradition has it a coin thrown into the water guarantees a visitor's return to Rome .
Colosseum (Colosseo)
The Colosseum is arguably ancient Rome's most famous building. This massive structure, with arch upon arch reaching 48m (157ft) into the air and measuring 190m by 155m (620ft by 513ft), used to hold up to 50,000 boisterous Roman citizens. Opened in AD 80 by Emperor Titus in a ceremony that included 100 days of games, the Colosseum played host to Rome's favourite spectator sports – gladiatorial contests, combats between men and wild animals and even mock naval battles. Today, only the shell remains along with a view down to the passages through which slaves and animals were led before entering into battle. Unlike other Roman amphitheatres that are dug into hillsides, the Colosseum is a free-standing structure of stone and concrete and has long served as a model for stadia around the world.
Piazza Venezia
Located almost in the 'geometric centre' of Rome (after a complex series of reconstructions),
Piazza Venezia was named after the Cardinal Venezia who, in 1455, ordered the construction of his own Palace (Palazzo Venezia ) that later became the seat of 'Serenissima' (Republic of Venice). Close to the palace we can find Palazzetto Venezia that was reconstructed in 1882 and placed in the current location. On the sqare, opposite to the palace we can observe the building of Assicurazioni Generali (insurance company) that replaced old structures. On the southern side of the piazza the outstanding Monument of Victor Emanuel II ('Il Vittoriano') can be easily spotted: it was build between 1855 and 1911 to celebrate the Italian Unification. On the opposite side (north) we can see the Palazzo Bonaparte (home of Napoleon's mother) and Palazzo delle Aste with via del Corso in between. Close to the Palazzo Venezia stands San Marco Church , founded in 1336 by the Pope Marco, restored in 1792 and rebuilt in 1833 (the tower is the only original part of the church).
The entire area of Via Veneto in Rome, which became famous with the public fulcrum of Rome of the period of the "dolce vita" of the cinema of Fellini, was designed around 1889 and called Vittorio Veneto.The layout that is starting from the Pinciana Door and ends in Piazza Barberini , crosses the antique property of the Ludovisi family, and is signed by the presence of numerous hotels and bars that are still nowadays, as they were in the years 60, a privileged stage for the Roman stays of the Italian and foreign celebrities.
On Via Veneto, moreover, are located the Embassy of the United States hosted in the Palazzo Margherta , projected by the Architect Gaetano Koch between 1886 and 1890 and the church of Santa Maria della Concezione , also known for the Roman with the name of "i Cappuccini", built around 1624 by the Cardinal Antonio Barberini, on the area of the pre-existing church of Sant'Antonio from Padova. Although it contains works by renowned artists like Guido Reni, Domenichino, Pietro da Cortona, and Caravaggio, the church is really famous for its cemetery. In its five crypts, the entire decoration is provided by the bodies of 4000 Capuchin Friars who died over the various centuries.
Piazza di Spagna
A masterpiece of the XVIII century, the square, with its irregular shape, extends itself at the feet of Pincio hill ; on top of it the French Church Trinita dei Monti (1502) is located. The square and the church are connected by the monumental Spanish steps , built between 1723-1726 (designed by Francesco de Sanctis).
The Spanish steps, once a year in the summertime, host a famous fashion show, and they are used as a catwalk.On the square we find the Barcaccia Fountain , built in 1598 by order of the Pope Urbano VIII to commemorate the disastrous flood caused by Tevere river the very same year. The most glamorous Rome streets lead to Piazza di Spagna (via Condotti e via del Babuino).
The area around Piazza di Spagna is where to find the most prestigious boutiques such as Prada, Valentino, Gucci etc. It is an ideal starting point for your shopping in Rome .
The Sistine Chapel
This chapel owes its name to Sixtus IV, the Pope who commissioned the building of the chapel at the end of the 14 th century. The Chapel was decorated by famous 15 th century painters such as Botticelli and il Ghirlandaio. Later, in the 16 th century, Michelangelo was called upon to paint all the frescoes on the chapel's vaulted ceiling: about 1000 square meters. He painted frescoes representing stories from the Bible such as the amazing Universal Judgment, which caused a scandal because of the nudity of about four hundred people in it, and the Creation of Mankind.
San Pietro - (St Peter's Basilica)
The Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly called Saint Peter's Basilica , is one of four major basilicas of Rome ( St. John Lateran , St. Peter's, Santa Maria Maggiore and St. Paul outside the Walls ). It is the most prominent building inside the Vatican City and built on the ruins of Old Saint Peter's Basilica . Its dome is also a dominant feature of the Roman skyline. Saint Peter's is also incidentally the patriarchal basilica of Constantinople, whereas the Lateran Basilica is the patriarchal basilica of Rome. Possibly the largest church building in Christianity , it covers an area of 5.7 acres (2.3 ha ) and has a capacity of over 60,000 people. One of the holiest sites of Christendom in the Catholic tradition, it is traditionally the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter , who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus . According to Catholic tradition, also the first Bishop of Antioch , and later first Bishop of Rome . Although the New Testament does not mention Peter's presence or martyrdom in Rome, Catholic tradition holds that his tomb is below the baldachin and altar ; for this reason, many Popes , starting with the first ones, have been buried there. Construction on the current basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica, began on April 18 , 1506 and was completed in 1626. Although the Vatican basilica is not the Pope's official seat ( Saint John Lateran ), it is most certainly his principal church, as most Papal ceremonies take place at St. Peter's due to its size, proximity to the Papal residence, and location within the Vatican City walls. The basilica also holds a relic of the Cathedra Petri , which is, according to Catholic tradition, the episcopal throne of the basilica's namesake when he supposedly led the Roman church, but which is no longer used as the Papal cathedra . It is believed that a piece of this cathedra, or chair, is contained within the altarpiece, designed by Bernini .
Piazza Navona
Possibly the square that better represents the 'bombastic' Baroque Epoch in Rome .
It was built exactly at the same place where the Domiziano Stadium was located, in 86 bc (the Roman ruins are still visible in the crypt of Sant' Agnese in Agone Church ). Piazza Navona, which is a pedestrian area now, has 3 baroque fountains and the central one ( Fountain of Four Rivers ) designed by Bernini .
Opposite to the piazza Navona fountain, we can find Sant' Agnese in Agone Church , which facade (by Borromini) is one of the most famous baroque masterpieces of Rome . Piazza Navona is a lively place with plenty of stylish restaurants, gelato (ice-cream) bars, and everyday musical or artistic performance.
Campidoglio
Piazza del Campidoglio is located on top of the Capitol Hill in Rome, where Roman Divinities were once praised and nowadays it is headquarter of the Italian Government.
The current structure is dated to 1560, as a result of the project by Michelangelo Buonarroti inspired by pre-existent buildings.
The access to the Piazza is through a majestic flight of steps, and the square contains 3 main buildings:
Palazzo Senatorio (which structure was completed by Giacomo dalla Porta and Girolamo Rinaldi between 1582 and 1605) and seat of the city municipality; Palazzo dei Conservatori (on the right side of the square), build by Guidetto Guidetti and Giacomo Dalla Porta in 1568, following original drawings by Michelangelo, host nowadays the Pinacoteca Capitolina (Capitoline Art Museum); Palazzo Nuovo (on the left side of the square), build by the Rinaldi brothers in 1655 again following original drawings by Michelangelo, where the Capitoline museum is located (museum with Hellenic and Roman masterpieces). On piazza del Campidoglio you can also find the famous statue of She-wolf with the twins (Romulus and Remus).
Pantheon
In the middle ages the Pantheon, the Roman "temple of all the gods", became a church, later in time this magnificent building with its grandiose domed interior became a symbol of Rome itself. Its genuine beauty and scale can be appreciated from the interior of the building. Pantheon was designed by the Emperor Hadrian (AD 118-125) who replaced an earlier temple built by Marcus Agrippa, son-in-law of Augustus. The shrines that now line the wall of the Pantheon range from the Tomb of Raphael to those of the kings o modern Italy. Roman Pantheon stands at the heart of Piazza della Rotonda.
Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi)
The Trevi fountain, inspired by Roman triumphal arches, is the largest and most famous Baroque fountain in Rome (standing 25.9 meters high and 19.8 meters wide).
In 1629, Pope Urban VIII, asked Bernini to sketch possible renovations of the fountain, finding it insufficiently theatrical. After the Pope's death the project was abandoned. Bernini's lasting contribution was to situate the fountain from the other side of the square to face the Quirinal Palace (so that the Pope could see and enjoy it).
The Trevi Fountain as we know it today, was designed by Nicola Salvi in 1732 and competed in 1762. The central figures of the fountain are Neptun (God of the sea), flanked by two Tritons. One struggles to master a veru unruly "sea horse", the other lead a far more docile animal. These symbolize the two contrasting moods of the sea. The site originally marked the terminal at the Aqua Virgo aqueduct built in 19 BC.
One of the firts-storey reliefs shows a young girl (the legendary virgin after whom the aqueduct was named) pointing to the spring from which the water flows. Appropriately for a fountain resembling a stage set, the theatrical Trevi Fountain has been the star of many films shot in Rome, including romantic films such as " Three coins in a fountain " and " Roman holiday ", but also " La dolce vita ", Federico Fellini's satirical portrait of Rome in the 1950s. Tradition has it a coin thrown into the water guarantees a visitor's return to Rome .
Colosseum (Colosseo)
The Colosseum is arguably ancient Rome's most famous building. This massive structure, with arch upon arch reaching 48m (157ft) into the air and measuring 190m by 155m (620ft by 513ft), used to hold up to 50,000 boisterous Roman citizens. Opened in AD 80 by Emperor Titus in a ceremony that included 100 days of games, the Colosseum played host to Rome's favourite spectator sports – gladiatorial contests, combats between men and wild animals and even mock naval battles. Today, only the shell remains along with a view down to the passages through which slaves and animals were led before entering into battle. Unlike other Roman amphitheatres that are dug into hillsides, the Colosseum is a free-standing structure of stone and concrete and has long served as a model for stadia around the world.
Piazza Venezia
Located almost in the 'geometric centre' of Rome (after a complex series of reconstructions),
Piazza Venezia was named after the Cardinal Venezia who, in 1455, ordered the construction of his own Palace (Palazzo Venezia ) that later became the seat of 'Serenissima' (Republic of Venice). Close to the palace we can find Palazzetto Venezia that was reconstructed in 1882 and placed in the current location. On the sqare, opposite to the palace we can observe the building of Assicurazioni Generali (insurance company) that replaced old structures. On the southern side of the piazza the outstanding Monument of Victor Emanuel II ('Il Vittoriano') can be easily spotted: it was build between 1855 and 1911 to celebrate the Italian Unification. On the opposite side (north) we can see the Palazzo Bonaparte (home of Napoleon's mother) and Palazzo delle Aste with via del Corso in between. Close to the Palazzo Venezia stands San Marco Church , founded in 1336 by the Pope Marco, restored in 1792 and rebuilt in 1833 (the tower is the only original part of the church).
