What is Rome? First of all, this is the city, which is the capital of Italy and the entire Catholic world. A unique city, founded, according to legend, by Romulus and Remus, who were two twins, and were fed by a she-wolf. The history of Rome has 29 centuries. Now it is one of the largest, most significant and richest in sights cities not only of the country, but of the whole world. It is difficult to find another similar place in which there is such a variety of monuments of Antiquity, neoclassicism, as well as the Renaissance.
General information
The capital is Italy's most populated city. The population of the city of Rome is 4 million inhabitants, which do not include a large number of tourists.
Rome is located on the Tiber River, in the very center of the Apennine Peninsula. Near it lies the coast of the thermal and beautiful Tyrrhenian Sea. The city is not multinational because 95% of its inhabitants are Italians.
This beautiful Italian city is full of various titles. First of all, it is one of the oldest cities in the world, since it was founded in 753 BC. e. It is also called the cradle of Christian and European civilization. On the territory of the Vatican is the famous St. Paul's Cathedral, which is the main world shrine of Catholics.
Description of the sights of Rome
Most likely, you heard that all roads lead to Rome. If once this expression was associated with trade, transport accessibility of some settlements, as well as tax collection, nowadays this saying has a completely different meaning. The Italian capital attracts tourists not just as an interesting European city, but as something more. People come here not just to walk and see the sights. Rome is visited to return to the roots.
Thanks to its centuries-old history, Rome has become an “eternal” city. It was in Ancient Greece and Rome that the foundation was laid for the humanities and technical sciences. For example, we can distinguish the following sciences:
- Geometry.
- Philosophy.
- Physics.
- Rhetoric.
- The medicine.
It is such a rich cultural and historical heritage that interests tourists who come here from all over the world.
As a rule, tourists will not have the question "where to go in Rome", because you can always visit one of the museums, of which there are dozens. Each of them surprises visitors with its artifacts and artifacts, which you will not see anywhere else. One trip will definitely not be enough to get acquainted with the museum heritage of Rome.
In the city center there are many architectural monuments that are very valuable to the world community. In general, the city center is called an open-air museum, in which each building is an exhibit, and a new street is a transition to the next hall. In addition, the capital of Italy is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Therefore, be sure to go on a sightseeing tour of Rome so as not to miss anything interesting.
And since you have visited the city, then dilute sightseeing with shopping and visiting various institutions. Here is a very tasty cuisine and wine. In every district of Rome there are shops, shops, shopping centers where you can buy interesting accessories, clothes and shoes.
Roman Vatican
This is the world-famous smallest sovereign state in which the residence of the pope is located. There is no permanent population. About 1000 people live in the state. These are mainly church fathers, nuns, and civilians who work in local infrastructure.
The Vatican is the hallmark of Rome. He acquired his political status in 1929. Under his leadership are some institutions and facilities that are located outside the Vatican. This list also includes individual educational institutions in Italy, land plots, as well as property in Spain.
The budget of a small state is formed thanks to the proceeds from tourism, the sale of postage stamps, church donations, as well as land leases.
On its territory there are monuments that have great historical and artistic value. There is even a whole Vatican museum in which a large number of halls and rooms are filled with legendary creations of ancient sculptors, representatives of the Renaissance, as well as contemporary artists.
Saint Paul's Cathedral
Known as the largest temple in the world. This majestic and large building is located on the territory of the Vatican. It is also famous for its museum of art. The best artists of the Renaissance participated in the creation of its interior decoration. The cathedral has its own amazing atmosphere, which is very impressive for tourists, so you should definitely visit it in order to feel the greatness of the religious building.
The entrance to the main portal is decorated with a fresco on which Giotto worked. There are five doors in the cathedral, one of which can only be opened by the pope in the jubilee years after carrying out certain rituals. The bronze gates are decorated with the image of Paul and Peter, and to the right of them is a sculpture of Michelangelo, which is known as the "Mourning of Christ."
There is a statue of Peter made of bronze. In his hands he holds the keys to the kingdom of heaven. The sculpture is a shrine to which pilgrims come in order to kiss his foot, as well as ask to open the gate leading to paradise. On holidays, the sculpture is covered with beautiful and elegant robes, so it seems that it is a living priest.
The Majestic Coliseum
You can’t visit the city and not visit the theater in Rome. This is one of the main attractions of the capital. Another name for the Coliseum is the Flavian Amphitheater. A long queue is always lining up for him, and its representatives are of different nationalities.
From the largest ancient amphitheater, which was erected by the emperors Titus and Vespasian, only ruins remained. But, despite its dilapidated condition, the attraction is still admirable.
You can buy a ticket to the Colosseum in Rome for 12 euros. This is not enough when you consider several factors. The ticket price also includes a visit to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. It is valid for two days.
Trevi Fountain
One of the most interesting melodic objects is the Trevi Fountain. This is an unusual symbol of Rome. A very beautiful building, the sound of which inspired not a single Italian composer to create a musical masterpiece.
The fountain was created in 1762. The object is 26 m high and 20 m wide. It is so large that it occupies almost the entire area on which it is located. Pure water flows from it, which is supplied through the existing old water conduit, and it is taken from the keys located outside the city. Before the construction, the beautiful Poly Palace was located.
The composition is made in the marine theme. Here you will see Neptune, who is seated on a chariot depicted in the form of a sea shell, and seahorses and newts are harnessed to the wagon. The water flows beautifully down the sculpture, and then falls to the stones, so the noise of the sea surf is imitated. Neptune is also surrounded by other symbolic figures.
At this place you can always meet thousands of travelers who admire the marine composition. You can drink water from the fountain, and it is also customary to throw coins into it to return back.
Arch of Constantine
This is the largest arch that has ever existed in the city. She really has amazing sizes:
- The height of the structure is 21 m.
- Width - 25.7 m.
- Depth - 7.4 m.
The arch was built in honor of the victory of Constantine in the battle against Maxentius. The main part of the structure is made of marble blocks. The Konstantinovsky arch is a real story, since it depicts the military campaign of the emperor.
Villa and Gallery of Borghese
If you do not know what to see in Rome on your own, then be sure to go to Villa Borghese. It is located in the northern part of the city, on a hill called Pincho. In the XVII century, Cardinal Borghese ordered to set up a landscape park here, where the villa is located. In addition to her, there is a large number of various antique sculptures, as well as an artificially created lake. Over time, the park became a landmark of Rome, after which not only locals, but also travelers began to come here. There is also a museum and a theater on its territory.
If you visited the park, be sure to go to the gallery, which is made in a classic style. It contains interesting sculptures and canvases by famous artists and sculptors:
- Lorenzo Lotto.
- Titian.
- Clade Monet.
- Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini.
- Rubens.
- Luigi Valadier.
- Van gogh.
The Baths of Caracalla
In ancient times, the baths were a very important place. Local people came here not only to wash, but also to make useful contacts or just chat. The famous baths of Caracalla, with marble cladding, decorated with mosaics and niches, are the most magnificent building of its kind. Even in ancient times they were recognized as a miracle of the Eternal City.
Now they have only ruins. Despite this, opera singers often perform here, as well as various theatrical productions, as well as concerts by famous contemporary performers.
Triumphal Arch of Titus
Among the interesting places in Rome, one should highlight the triumphal arch of Titus. It would seem that such a surprise in the arch, which is in many cities? But the very first such structures appeared in this city, and the triumphal arch of Titus is one of them. They built it in 81 AD. The arch is dedicated to the suppression by Titus of the popular uprising that took place in Jerusalem.
This is a single-span structure with a height of 15.4 m and a width of 13.4 m. It is made of Pentel marble, and the structure is decorated with bas-reliefs, half columns and inscriptions.
Piazza Navona
In the past, there was a stadium where 15,000 spectators could fit in to watch athletic competitions.
In the Middle Ages, the church of St. Agnes was built on the site of the stadium, as well as the basilica, which was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In those places where there were once stands, the construction of residential buildings began. The only place that remained empty is the former arena. It is on this territory that Piazza Navona is now located. In addition, here you can see interesting fountains and the Palazzo Pamphili.
Pantheon
The temple was built in 126 AD. Over time, he was consecrated as a Christian church, which was dedicated to St. Mary and the Martyrs.
The building has interesting architectural features. The building has absolutely no windows, and inward light penetrates through the holes in the dome. Previously, it was customary to place niches along the inner perimeter of the structure in which statues of the gods were installed. It turned out that the rays of the sun, which fall into the building through the holes, illuminated some deity.
Palatine Hill
Palatine is not far from the Roman Forum. According to history, the city was founded on Palatine Hill. During the republican period, a Roman noble lived on this site, who built chic palaces.
For this reason, there are many ruins of beautiful buildings, including:
- The Flavian House is a palace that was built in 81 AD. The building served as the state and official residence of the emperor Domitian.
- Libya House - This building is best preserved. A modest structure, from the walls of which the remains of frescoes and mosaics are preserved.
- The House of Augustus is the former residence of Octavian Augustus. The house was also decorated with frescoes that have survived in our time.
- Gardens of Farnese - were designed on the ruins of the palace of Tiberius. These gardens were among the very first in Europe.
- The Domitian Hippodrome - it’s still unknown what it was used for. Perhaps it was just a garden or a stadium where races were held.
- The Palatine Museum - although it is small in size, but it has many interesting rarities that were found as a result of excavations conducted on the hill. There are frescoes, sculptures, mosaics, as well as other valuable objects.
Roman catacombs
Catacombs - underground burial of Jews and Christians. They were founded by Christians who did not want to accept the pagan custom of burning bodies. In order to solve this problem, the Christians created large underground cemeteries, because there was no other way out, since there was not enough space and money on the land in Rome.
The catacombs have a huge number of underground passages, thanks to which real labyrinths are created. Their length can be several kilometers, along the labyrinths are rows of burial niches.
There are more than 60 catacombs in the city. Each of them consists of hundreds of kilometers of underground passages, and thousands of tombs are located in them. Now only a few are open to tourists.
Trastevere District
Those who are interested in what Rome is recommended to visit the atmospheric Italian area. This is the best place for walking around the city. Here you can have a very delicious dinner or lunch. Walking through the streets of the district, you can see the modest medieval churches, look at the daily life of the Romans, as well as visit small shops that have a very interesting assortment.
Altar of the Fatherland
Vittoriano - Altar of the Fatherland, which is located in Venice Square. The construction was erected in the XX century in honor of Victor Emmanuel II, who was the first king of a united Italy. Inside the building there is a museum called Risorgimento.
The huge monument reaches a length of 135 m and a height of 70 m. It consists of a large number of Corinthian columns and staircases made of white marble. There is an equestrian bronze sculpture of Victor Emmanuel, which is located in the center of the structure.
Spanish Steps
Another place to go to in Rome is simply necessary - this is the square of Spain, as well as the Spanish Steps. A very popular attraction among city guests.
The staircase was built in the XVIII century, and at its foot is a beautiful fountain of Barkaccia. She leads to the top of Pincho Hill.
The Sistine Chapel
The building, without a visit to which it is impossible to imagine what Rome is, is the Sistine Chapel. It used to be a house church in the Vatican. Today, a conclave is convening here to elect the Pope. This place is famous for its magnificent frescoes by Michelangelo Buonarotti, as well as other murals.
Now you know what Rome is. This is an ancient city, which is visited by a large number of tourists every year, which is not surprising, because there is something to see. When visiting Rome, be sure to visit its most popular and famous places to learn about its history, be inspired by the grandeur of architecture, and also touch the origins. The sea of positive emotions and unforgettable impressions is guaranteed!