Piazza di Spagna & the Spanish Steps

Rome

　　A magnet for visitors since the 18th century, the Spanish Steps (Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti) provide a perfect place for people watching. The 135 gleaming steps rise from Piazza di Spagna to the landmark Chiesa della Trinità dei Monti. 　　Piazza di Spagna was named after the Spanish Embassy to...

Gianicolo

Rome

　　The verdant hill of Gianicolo (or Janiculum) is dotted with monuments to Garibaldi and his makeshift army, who fought pope-backing French troops in one of the fiercest battles in the struggle for Italian unification on this spot in 1849. 　　The Italian hero is commemorated with a massive monument in Piazzale...

Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli

Rome

　　Pilgrims and art lovers flock to this 5th-century basilica for two reasons: to marvel at Michelangelo's colossal Moses sculpture (1505) and to see the chains that are said to have bound St Peter when he was imprisoned in the Carcere Mamertino (in Vincoli means in chains). Also of note is...

Quartiere Coppedè

Rome

　　The compact Quartiere Coppedè, centering around the magnificent Piazza Mincio, is one of Rome's most extraordinary neighbourhoods. Conceived and built by the little-known Florentine architect, Gino Coppedè, between 1913 and 1926, it's a fairy-tale series of palazzos with Tuscan turrets, Liberty sculptures, Moorish arches, Gothic gargoyles, frescoed facades and palm-fringed...

Via Margutta

Rome

　　Small antique shops, commercial art galleries and artisanal boutiques are arrayed along Via Margutta, one of Rome's prettiest pedestrian cobbled lanes. Strung with ivy-laced palazzi, the street is named after a 16th-century family of barbers but has long been associated with art and artists: Picasso worked at a gallery at...

Campo de' Fiori

Rome

　　Colorful and always busy, Il Campo is a major focus of Roman life: by day it hosts one of the city's best-known markets; by night its bars and restaurants do a brisk trade. The piazza's poetic name (Field of Flowers) is a reference to the open meadow that stood here...

Cimitero Acattolico per gli Stranieri

Rome

　　Despite the roads that surround it, Rome’s 'non-Catholic' cemetery is a verdant oasis of peace. An air of Grand Tour romance hangs over the site where up to 4000 people are buried, including poets Keats and Shelley, and Italian political thinker Antonio Gramsci. 　　Among the gravestones and cypress trees, look...

Giardino del Lago

Rome

　　Designed and laid out in the late 18th century, this leafy area is centred on a small, romantic lake where you can hire a rowing boat. The highlight, other than the serene atmosphere, is the Tempietto di Esculapio, a copy of a Roman temple sited on the lake's artificial islet....

Arco degli Acetari

Rome

　　For one of Rome’s most picture-perfect scenes, head to this dark archway just off Campo de’ Fiori. The arch in itself isn’t especially memorable, but go through it and you’ll emerge onto a tiny medieval square enclosed by rusty orange houses and cascading plants. Cats and bicycles litter the cobbles,...

Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vittoria

Rome

　　Designed by Carlo Maderno, this modest church is an unlikely setting for an extraordinary work of art – Bernini’s extravagant and sexually charged Santa Teresa trafitta dall’amore di Dio (Ecstasy of St Teresa). This daring sculpture depicts Teresa, engulfed in the folds of a flowing cloak, floating in ecstasy on...

Pincio Hill Gardens

Rome

　　Overlooking Piazza del Popolo, 19th-century Pincio Hill is named after the Pinci family, who owned this part of Rome in the 4th century. It’s quite a climb from the piazza, but at the top you’re rewarded with lovely views over to St Peter’s and the Gianicolo Hill. Alternatively, approach from...

Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi

Rome

　　The church of Rome’s French community since 1589, this opulent baroque chiesa is home to a celebrated trio of Caravaggio paintings: the Vocazione di San Matteo (The Calling of Saint Matthew), the Martirio di San Matteo (The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew) and San Matteo e l’angelo (Saint Matthew and the...

Tempietto di Bramante & Chiesa di San Pietro in Montorio

Rome

　　Considered the first great building of the High Renaissance, Bramante’s sublime tempietto (Little Temple) is a perfect surprise, squeezed into the courtyard of the Chiesa di San Pietro in Montorio, on the spot where St Peter is said to have been crucified. It's small but perfectly formed; its classically inspired...

Piazza del Campidoglio

Rome

　　This hilltop piazza, designed by Michelangelo in 1538, is one of Rome's most beautiful squares. There are several approaches but the most dramatic is the graceful Cordonata staircase, which leads up from Piazza d'Aracoeli. 　　The piazza is flanked by Palazzo Nuovo and Palazzo dei Conservatori, together home to the Capitoline...

Jewish Ghetto

Rome

　　The Jewish Ghetto, centered on lively Via del Portico d’Ottavia, is an atmospheric area studded with artisan's studios, small shops, kosher bakeries and popular trattorias. Crowning everything is the distinctive square dome of Rome's main synagogue. 　　HistoryRome’s Jewish community dates back to the 2nd century BCE, making it one of...

Palazzo Colonna

Rome

　　The guided tours of this opulent palace are among the city's best, introducing visitors to the residence and art collection of the patrician Colonna family. The largest private palace in Rome, it has a formal garden, multiple reception rooms and a grandiose baroque Great Hall built to honour Marcantonio II...

Via Appia Antica

Rome

　　Named after consul Appius Claudius Caecus, who laid the first 90km (56 mile) section in 312 BCE, ancient Rome’s regina viarum (queen of roads) was extended in 190 BCE to reach Brindisi. Via Appia Antica has long been one of Rome’s most exclusive addresses, a beautiful cobbled thoroughfare flanked by...

Trevi Fountain

Rome

　　Rome's most famous fountain, the iconic Fontana di Trevi, or Trevi Fountain, is a flamboyant baroque ensemble of mythical figures and wild horses taking up the entire side of the 17th-century Palazzo Poli. Thousands visit the fountain every day, keeping up with the tradition of tossing a coin into the...

Domus Aurea

Rome

　　Nero had his Domus Aurea constructed after the fire of AD 64 (which he is rumoured to have started to clear the area). Named after the gold that lined its facade and interiors, it was a huge complex covering almost one third of the city. Making some use of video...

Villa Borghese

Rome

　　Locals, lovers, tourists, joggers – no one can resist the lure of Rome's most celebrated park. Originally the 17th-century estate of Cardinal Scipione Borghese, it covers about 80 hectares of wooded glades, gardens and grassy banks. Among its attractions are the landscaped Giardino del Lago, Piazza di Siena, a dusty...

Circo Massimo

Rome

　　Now a huge basin of dusty grass, Circo Massimo was ancient Rome’s largest chariot racetrack, a 250,000-seater capable of holding up to a quarter of the city’s population. The 600m track circled a wooden dividing island with ornate lap indicators and Egyptian obelisks. 　　At its southern end, a small segment...

Museo e Galleria Borghese

Rome

　　If you only have time for one art gallery in Rome, make it this one. Housing what's often referred to as the queen of all private art collections, it boasts paintings by Caravaggio, Raphael and Titian, plus sensational sculptures by Bernini. Highlights abound, but look for Bernini's Ratto di Proserpina...

Piazza Navona

Rome

　　Why you should goWith its showy fountains, baroque palazzi and colorful cast of street artists, hawkers and tourists, Piazza Navona is central Rome’s elegant showcase square. Built over the 1st-century Stadio di Domiziano, it was paved over in the 15th century and for almost 300 years hosted the city's main...

Pantheon

Rome

　　A striking 2000-year-old temple built to honor the seven planetary deities and later transformed into a church, the Pantheon is the best preserved of Rome’s ancient monuments and one of the most influential buildings in the Western world. 　　Emperor Hadrian commissioned this feat of engineering to be erected on the...

Capitoline Museums

Rome

　　Dating from 1471, the Capitoline Museums are the world's oldest public museums. Their collection of classical sculpture is one of Italy's finest, boasting works such as the iconic Lupa Capitolina (Capitoline Wolf), a life-size bronze of a she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus, and the Galata morente (Dying Gaul), a moving...

Palatino

Rome

　　An atmospheric area of towering pine trees, majestic ruins and memorable views, the Palatino (Palatine Hill) is the birthplace of Rome. This is where Romulus supposedly founded the city and where ancient Rome’s emperors lived in unabashed luxury. 　　Archaeological excavations have unearthed evidence of Iron Age settlements on the hill...

Roman Forum

Rome

　　An impressive – if rather confusing – spread of ruins, the Roman Forum was ancient Rome's showpiece center, a grandiose district of temples, basilicas and vibrant public spaces. It can be hard to picture this nowadays but if you can get your imagination going, there’s something truly magical about walking...

St Peter's Basilica

Rome

　　Even in a city of outstanding churches like Rome, St Peter’s is special. Everything about the Vatican’s showpiece basilica is astonishing, from the sweeping piazza that announces it to its grandiose facade and lavish interior. 　　Chief among its many treasures are two of Michelangelo’s most celebrated works: his Pietà sculpture...

Colosseum

Rome

　　An electrifying, spine-tingling sight, the Colosseum is the most thrilling of Rome's ancient monuments. It was here that gladiators met in fierce combat and condemned prisoners fought off wild beasts in front of baying, bloodthirsty crowds. 　　Two thousand years on and the 50,000-seat stadium is one of Italy's top attractions,...

Vatican Museums

Rome

　　Home to the Sistine Chapel and mile after mile of priceless masterpieces, the Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani) are one of the world’s largest, busiest and most spectacular museum complexes. 　　The vast institution, made up of 26 museums and 7km (4.3 miles) of halls and galleries, houses the art and antiquities...