Sacred Rome: A Journey Through History and Faiths

Admire one of the most iconic sights in Rome, made famous by Anita Ekberg in La Dolce Vita.

The Trevi Fountain is one of the most iconic sights in Rome thanks to the antics of the shapely Anita Ekberg casting herself into its waters in Frederico Fellini’s cinematic masterpiece, La Dolce Vita. The fountain curiously seems to appear out of virtually nowhere within a warren of backstreets but is nevertheless discovered reasonably early each day by endless crowds of tourists looking to ensure their future return to Rome by tossing a coin back over their should into its crystal clear water (the coins are raked up each morning and donated to the Church organization Caritas).

Visit the tomb of the first Roman Emperor and his family, which is finally being restored after more than a millenium of neglect.

The huge circular Mausoleum of Augustus, holding the tomb of the Emperor and the principal members of his family was one of the most sacred monuments of the ancient city, but has been somewhat neglected in recent decades, though it has undergone recent restoration. Erected in 28 BC and originally surrounded by a huge public park, it has a diameter of 87m (330 Roman feet), the largest circular mausoleum in the world.

Take some time to admire this elegant square that once served as an impressive main entry point into the city of Rome.

The Piazza del Popolo was created in 1538 for Paul III in strict alignment with the three long straight streets which penetrate the city here as a trident. The piazza once acted as one the primary entrances into Rome, and many travelers recorded their first arrival in Rome through the monumental Porta del Popolo, which may have been designed by Michelangelo. An obelisk, 24m high, rises in the center and on the side of the piazza opposite the porta are the twin decorative 17th-century Baroque churches, Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto.

Spanish Steps

The streets spreading out from grand Piazza del Popolo (People's Square) form a trident that hosts some of the most popular shopping and tourist sights in Rome. These include the Spanish Steps, the adjacent Keats-Shelley House where Keats died of tuberculosis in 1821, Trevi Fountain where Anita Ekberg jumped into the water in the famous scene from Frederico Fellini's La Dolce Vita, and the Mausoleum of Emperor Augustus.

Take a scenic walk up the 18th-century stairway where Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck set out on their Roman Holiday.

The majestically balustraded Spanish Steps were built in 1723-6 to connect the piazza with the church of the Trinita dei Monti and the Pincio. It quickly became a favorite spot of poets, artists, and writers who gathered on its 137 steps, and it's now a favorite stop for tourists from all over the world. Yet this highly attractive stairway still somehow manages to retain a sense of romance even at the height of the tourist season, and if you happen to get there at the beginning of May you’ll find it laden with tubs of magnificent azaleas. A masterpiece of 18th-century town planning, the steps actually contain a religious message – the three flights and three landings are an allusion to the Holy Trinity.

Visit the last residence of poet John Keats, now a memorial museum.

The Keats-Shelley House at the foot of the Spanish Steps to the right contains the apartment where the poet John Keats spent the last three months of his life. The House is essentially an archive of English-language literary and historical works and a museum of manuscripts and literary mementoes relating to the Keats circle of the early 19th century, i.e. Keats himself, Percy and Mary Shelley and Byron (who at one time lived across the square).

Ancient Rome Guided Walk

On this 3-hour private guided tour, you will explore the imposing remains of ancient Rome. Your guide will explain the extraordinary history of the birth of Rome, life in the city and everything about the fall of the Empire. Visit the Colosseum, the monumental ruins of the Roman Forum, and end the tour on the Capitoline Hill, the smallest and most important of the seven hills of Ancient Rome.

Ancient Roman Ampitheater

Monumental Roman amphitheater once used for gladiatorial games

Ancient Rome Guided Walk

On this 3-hour private guided tour, you will explore the imposing remains of ancient Rome. Your guide will explain the extraordinary history of the birth of Rome, life in the city and everything about the fall of the Empire. Visit the Colosseum, the monumental ruins of the Roman Forum, and end the tour on the Capitoline Hill, the smallest and most important of the seven hills of Ancient Rome.

Ancient Roman Ampitheater

Monumental Roman amphitheater once used for gladiatorial games

Book early if you want to see the Vatican Museum's monumental works of art from the greatest Italian artists of the Renaissance.

The Vatican Museum is actually 26 different museums, which include not only exhibitions but chapels, apartments, and other rooms of the Vatican palace, covering a huge range of fine and applied arts patronized by the popes. There's also an outstanding collection of ancient antiquities (including even the Emperor Nero's red stone bathtub), a gallery of hand-painted maps, and whole rooms turned into works of art. In addition to ancient and medieval works of art, you'll see masterpieces by the "who's who" of the Italian Renaissance, including Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, and Caravaggio. Other highlights include panels by the brilliant monk-artist Fra Angelico, works from the Venetian school, including Vavarini, and much, much more.  Booking in advance is highly recommended as otherwise you can wait for hours or not even be able to get in at all.

Explore the gigantic and incredibly beautiful church known as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom".

The basilica is one of the chief pilgrimage sites in the Christian world, and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Rome. The basilica is the symbolic center of the church not only because the Pope frequently celebrates Mass there, but because it is believed that the apostle St. Peter is buried beneath it. Catholics consider Peter as the first Bishop of Rome and "the rock" upon which the Catholic Church was built, in accordance with Christ's instructions. Inside you can admire sculptures by Bernini as well as Michelangelo's famous sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding the crucified Jesus, known as The Pietà. The church's elaborate and impressive golden interior is a sight to behold. Other sights include St Peter's tomb, the Papal crypts in the necropolis under the basilica, as well as the dome, which rewards visitors with views over Rome.  Entry is free, but queues to visit the Basilica can be lengthy, so it is highly advised to either get there early or to purchase a skip the line entrance. The dome is also paid entry.

Escape the crowds in this oasis of green hidden behind the walls of the Vatican.

Accessible only via a guided tour, the gardens are definitely worth a visit. Just as the Popes have for hundreds of years, you can stroll the gardens and relax amidst the greenery, while taking in the perfect view of St. Peter's.

Vatican City

Rome is unique in the world in that it contains an independent country within its city limits - the Vatican City, from where the Pope administers the Catholic Church. The symbolic center of Catholicism is St Peter's Basilica, the second-largest Catholic church in the world and among the most beautiful. The Vatican Museum contains one of the greatest collections of art in existence, including Michelangelo's jaw-dropping Sistine Chapel. The popes had a bigger influence on Rome than just the collection of art. The Pope's title is actually Bishop of Rome, and popes administed the city for centuries, shaping its architecture & public spaces. Rome was re-built to be an example of urban beauty, and the Vatican was meant to be the showcase within the showcase. Their success is evident from the throngs of visitors who flock here even today.

Stand in the middle of this famous square in which the faithful gather to hear the Pope give audiences and celebrate mass.

As one of the most superb conceptions of its kind in civic architecture, St Peter’s Square is the masterpiece of Gian Lorenzo Bernini and makes a wonderful approach to one of the world’s most magnificent churches, St Peter's Basilica. An oval rather than an actual square, the piazza, laid out in 1656-67, is partially enclosed by two semi-circular colonnades on which stand 96 statues of saints and martyrs. At the center of the oval stands an 84-foot (26m) tall Egyptian obelisk of red granite.

Gaze up at the world's most famous ceiling, the masterpiece of Michelangelo.

This famous chapel inside the Vatican Museums is best known for Michelangelo's 16th-century painted ceiling of "The Creation of Adam" and "The Last Judgement" fresco that covers the whole altar wall of the chapel. The jaw-dropping sight is not to be missed, considered one of the top highlights of visiting the Vatican Museums and one of the top artistic wonders of the world.

See a Michelangelo-designed church built within the former Baths of Diocletian.

In 1561, almost 1000 years after the baths of Diocletian fell into disuse, Pope Pius IV decided to build a basilica consecrated to Our Lady of the Angels within the baths. He commisioned the 86-year-old Michelangelo to plan the church, making use of some of the existing structures of the baths. Today a visit to the basilica gives you an idea of the enormous size of the baths. The church was constructed at the site of the former frigidarium (a large cold pool which would be used to close the pores after using the hot baths) and incorporates several elements of the former thermae. The vestibule occupies the former tepidarium (a Roman-style relaxation room) and the imposing entrance is an exedra of the caldarium (a room with a hot plunge bath). Other highlights include the meridian solar line running across the floor, which still accurately calculates the length of the year and the summer and winter solstices. There is also an impressive organ with 5,400 tubes. It is capable of leaving those visitors lucky enough to hear it spellbound.

Visit one of Rome's greatest but most unheralded museums of antiquity.

This light-filled museum holds one of the best classical art collections in the world. The ground and first-floor feature famous Greek and Roman sculptures, mosaics and statues, as well as impressive sarcophagi and high reliefs. The second floor showcases the best preserved Roman frescoes in the world, which are considered the highlight of the museum. Originally located in Villa of Livia (the wife of Augustus) and Villa Farnesina, these colourful frescoes, sometimes covering an entire room, offer a unique view into life in ancient Rome and the critical importance of gardens, nature, and the villa atmosphere to upper echelon Romans. A must visit room is the painted garden room of Villa Livia. There is also a cinema room with a video showing a 3D reconstruction of the Villa Farnesina as it would have been, showing the layout of the rooms in the villa and the frescoes you had seen just moments before.

Esquilino District

Upon first glance, this urban neighborhood of Rome may seem busy and overwhelming, but hidden among its traffic-noisy streets are some of Rome's most beautiful churches, artistic treasures, and cultural museums, including the Baths of Diocletian.

Walk the ruins of what was once the largest themal baths in the ancient Roman world.

Covering an area of more than 13 hectares (some 32 acres), the bath complex was commissioned by Emperor Diocletian in 298 AD, with a capacity to host over 3,000 people (twice as many as the Baths of Caracalla). The baths were made of bricks, coated in marble and decorated with mosaics and sculptures. The complex included a gymnasium, a library, a large outdoor swimming pool and cold, hot, and tepid public baths. They remained open until 537 when the Goths cut off the aqueducts in an attempt to conquer Rome. After they fell into disrepair and were left abandoned. Even though only a small part of the public bath complex can be seen and visited, it is extremely impressive, with the possibility to see at some points the high ceilings the baths possessed. The interior includes part of the National Museum of Rome and a permanent exhibition on pre-historic populations of the area. In the outdoor part of the baths, it is possible to stroll through a sixteenth-century garden with nearly 400 works of art, including statues, sarcophagi and reliefs.

Walk around one of the few lasting physical legacies of Emperor Caracalla and admire the structures and well-preserved mosaics of the baths and gyms.

The huge baths are now the best-preserved and most splendid Imperial-era baths in Rome. Built between the years 212 and 216, the baths are one of the most impressive thermae that remains, a site that in its heyday could accommodate 1,600 bathers at a time. As you walk around the imposing walls of the bathhouse you can easily imagine what it would have been like in its glory and splendour. The mosaics on the ground floor are very well preserved and in some places you can even see remnants of games that were carved into the marble of the pool.

Visit the lovely final resting place of many famous non-Catholics who died in Rome.

It may not look it from outside the cemetery walls, but it's actually a very romantic setting with tall cypresses and pine trees, and it's beautifully maintained and inhabited by numerous cats. The cemetery was created due to the fact that non-Catholics were not allowed to be buried in Rome's Catholic cemeteries. Since the earliest recorded grave dating from 1738, some 4,000 people have been buried here. The cemetery famously contains the mortal remains of the English romantic poets Johns Keats and Percy Shelley. Other famous tombs in the cemetery include those of the Italian Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci, the son of Goethe, and the American Beat poet Gregory Corso, who was buried here in 2001 at his request next to Shelley.

Venture even further south to discover this magnificent and usually missed basilica which holds the tomb of St. Paul and dates back to 324 AD.

Founded by the Emperor Constantine over the tomb of St. Paul, the church is one of Rome's four major papal basilicas. Well off the beaten path, those who do visit it are often surprised to have never heard of such a beautiful and impressive church. Decorated with mosaic tile, the interior is breathtaking. Visitors can also find portraits of every pope from St. Peter to Pope Francis.

South of Center

While most tourists stick to the Vatican and historic center of Rome, just south of the Palatine Hill lay several attractions that are definitely worth seeing. Start with a quick visit to the Circus Maximus, where chariot races were held in ancient Rome, and then make your way further south for a look at the fascinating pyramid tomb of Caius Cestius, one of classical Rome's best preserved ruins. It was built for a Roman aristocrat during a time when all things Egyptian were the rage. Just next to pyramid is the Protestant Cemetery, holding the earthly remains of Rome's non-Catholic residents, locals and foreigners alike, and not just Protestants. Within this beautiful cemetery, you will find the graves of the poets Keats and Shelley and Gregory Corso, as well as the Italian Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci. Farther up the road are the huge Baths of Caracalla - named after one of classical Rome's cruelest emperors.

Watch the locals go for a jog or walk their dogs through what was once the most illustrious sporting venue in the ancient world, where frenzied crowds cheered on their favored team of charioteers in dramatic and sometimes deadly races.

The Circus Maximus lies in the valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills and is the largest uninterrupted open space in the city. It was the first and largest chariot racing circus in Rome, with the first factual reference to it dating from 328 BC. In the days of ancient Rome, the circus was the scene of great entertainment and chariot races and games were held here. Not much remains of it today, but the form of it can still be imagined.

Walk around one of the few lasting physical legacies of Emperor Caracalla and admire the structures and well-preserved mosaics of the baths and gyms.

The huge baths are now the best-preserved and most splendid Imperial-era baths in Rome. Built between the years 212 and 216, the baths are one of the most impressive thermae that remains, a site that in its heyday could accommodate 1,600 bathers at a time. As you walk around the imposing walls of the bathhouse you can easily imagine what it would have been like in its glory and splendour. The mosaics on the ground floor are very well preserved and in some places you can even see remnants of games that were carved into the marble of the pool.