To come to the Eternal City for one or two days is a crime. Mostly against yourself. For there are so many sights in Rome that by lunchtime the tourist’s brain simply refuses to accept new information. In order to preserve some distinct memory about the visit to the capital of Italy, rather than the feeling of a merry holiday with carousels, we advise you to divide the excursions into three time periods:
- Ancient Rome;
- Middle Ages and Renaissance;
- Baroque and classicism.
By the way, the city tourism department also finds this convenient. Therefore, it issues special themed tickets. Having bought such a “pass” equipped with an electronic chip, you can not only save on public transport. Excursions in Rome will also take less time, because you do not have to stand in lines in each museum separately. In this article, we will focus on the attractions of the ancient city. Although, while walking from one sandstone ruin to another, nothing will stop you from entering the baroque church of the Holy Trinity or climbing the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
How much are "antique" tickets
Queues (especially during the summer season and during the holidays) are the main scourge of Rome. An unprepared tourist risks standing for several hours under the scorching sun, and as a result of not seeing the Colosseum. But this is a visiting card of Ancient Rome! We will talk about the Coliseum below. In the meantime, we will give a couple of practical tips on how to get acquainted with the monuments of Rome of the ancient era.
If you plan to spend three days in the capital of Italy, then the best option would be to purchase a Roma Pass card. It costs twenty five euros and lasts 3 days, starting from the first activation. With this card you can use an unlimited number of public transport and museums. In addition, SMS messages with information about cultural events taking place in the city at the moment will be sent to the Roma Pass owner’s mobile phone. There is another option: a general ticket to the forum, the Colosseum and the Palatine. It costs twelve euros, and is valid for two days. It is better to buy it at the Roman Forum - there are fewer lines.
Antique sights
Rome was a huge city even in the ancient era. If you set out to inspect all the ancient monuments, then a map of Rome with sights will help you find them. In some hotels it is issued to guests free of charge. But you can buy it in one of the countless souvenir shops. What is included in the memorials of the gray hair of the deep Eternal City?
Firstly, the Colosseum is the visiting card of Ancient Rome, then the Palatine, the forum, the temple of Romulus, the Baths of Caracalla, the palaces of Tiberius, Flavius ​​and Augustus, the arch of Constantine, the Pantheon and much more. It is also worth seeing the catacombs, at least briefly, in which the first Christians gathered for secret services. Travel guides recommend trips to Ostia Antica and Tivoli as an independent one-day excursion out of town. In the latter are the Villa Adriana and the Palace d'Este (both residences are included in the UNESCO List).
Palatine and Forum
Although Rome is called the Eternal City, but still there is a place of its foundation. This Palatine is another visiting card of Ancient Rome. The best view of it opens from the Capitoline Museum. On the Palatine Hill, according to local tradition, Romulus, fed by a she-wolf, laid down his city. Between this height and the Capitol is an ancient Roman forum.
Here were the main temples and altars. It was also the main public gathering place in Republican Rome. The altars of Vulcan and Saturn, the shrine of Vesta with the house of virgin priestesses, the source of Yuturna and the arch of Septimius Severus are still preserved. Later, during the period of the Empire, the forum was repeatedly updated. So, the column of Trajan established in 113 AD still adorns the city. Not far from the forum stands the huge basilica of Constantine and Maxentius.
Flavian Amphitheater - a visiting card of Ancient Rome
Contrary to popular belief, the Colosseum is not the oldest antique landmark in the Eternal City. But surely she is the most recognizable! Photos of the Coliseum in Rome were circulated in such quantities that now even a child knows that the arenas are a symbol of the capital of Italy, like the Eiffel Tower - France, and Big Ben - Great Britain. The Flavian Amphitheater is located - this is the official name of this building - in the depression, between the Palatine, Tselievsky and Esquiline hills.
Previously, at this place was a pond adjacent to the Golden Palace of Emperor Nero. Surprisingly, a grand amphitheater with a capacity of more than fifty thousand people was built in just eight years. The first stone was laid in 72 by the emperor from the dynasty Flavius ​​Vespasian. With this step, the suppressor of the rebellion of the Jews tried to erase from the memory of the people of the year of the reign of Nero and at the same time to seduce the Roman plebs. Built the Colosseum one hundred thousand prisoners of war Jews. Eight years later, the emperor Titus consecrated the arena with his visit .
Place of merrymaking and executions
For a long time, the Flavian Amphitheater was a place of amusement for the Roman plebs. It hosted gladiatorial battles, animal harassment, and even naumahii - sea ​​battles. But when the heir to the throne, Titus Domitian, built basements under the amphitheater, filling the arena with water became impossible. But the Roman plebs had a new tickling nerves spectacle: the execution of Christians.
In 217, the Colosseum suffered a fire, but was rebuilt by Alexander North. Emperor Philip celebrated the millennium of Rome in the arenas in 248. When Christianity became the state religion, Pope Honorius banned gladiatorial fights. But animal harassment was a favorite pastime of Roman mob until Theodoric’s death.
Back in 1332, bullfights were organized here. In 1349 there was a powerful earthquake that brought down the southern part of the amphitheater, and the subsequent use of stone for new buildings turned the once magnificent structure into what a modern photo of the Colosseum in Rome shows.
The latest attraction of the city
The largest fountain in Rome was built in the mid-eighteenth century in the Baroque style by architect Michele Salvi. It adjoins the palace of Paulie. The facade of the palazzo and the Trevi Fountain (Italy) are now perceived as a single ensemble. This landmark of Rome is replete with allegorical figures.
As if from a niche, the palazzo leaves the Ocean on a chariot-shell. Tritons, hippos, nymphs are seen everywhere. But famous was the Trevi Fountain cinematography. In the movie “Sweet Life” by Fellini, this place became the same main character as Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg. Added fame to the fountain and the belief: throw a coin into the water - you will return to Rome again. Two coins - you will meet your beloved. Three - you will play a wedding with her. Four - you will be rich. Five - you can get a divorce. In general, over a week utilities rake out a hundred thousand euros from the fountain.