If you are a traveller and see a photograph of the Colosseum without a caption, you are certain to know the City, Rome. Budget flights to the European capitals have increased hugely in the last couple of decades and Rome is one of the places that has benefited enormously. Ciampino is the Rome airport that many of the budget airlines use.
It has so much to offer. Yes, the reminders of the Roman Empire are important but there is plenty more to see. Popular pictures of the Vatican City, the centre of the Roman Catholic religion, include the Sistine Chapel and Micheangelo’s frescoes. Renaissance architecture from the Renaissance and subsequent centuries is truly impressive. Add Italian cuisine and Rome is a city that should be on everyone’s bucket list.
Colosseum
At the height of the Roman Empire, the Colosseum held 60,000 spectators watching the Games. It is the biggest amphitheatre ever built and was completed in the 1st Century AD.They saw brave gladiators fight for their lives against other gladiators and a series of exotic wild animals. The Emperor often arranged events to take citizens’ minds off other problems. Remember this was a bloodthirsty time and Emperor’s themselves were occasionally victims of that search for blood.
Pantheon
The Pantheon is the best preserved Roman building in Rome city by some margin. In Roman times it was a temple dedicated to the Goddess Athena. It was completed in 438BC and today it is a church. It looks out onto one of Rome’s wonderful piazzas. Piazza della Rotonda has numerous cafes where you can sit and relax. Its highlights include the Egyptian Obelisk and the Fontana del Pantheon.
Piazza di Spagna
Rome photos regularly include the Spanish Steps. They lead up to Trinita del Monti which is a church built during the Renaissance and consecrated by Pope Sixtus V in 1585. The Spanish Steps were built much later, opening in 1725. At the time, they provided a link between the Trinitia and the Bourbon Spanish Embassy in the Piazza di Spagna.
Roman Forum
It is easy to forget that iconic cities from ancient times were not especially large. You can walk between many of Rome’s highlights and the ruins of the original forum is one of the Rome images that students of ancient history and archaeology love to see. Rome was not the home of democracy but there was great debate in the forum even if it was only the citizens who were allowed to attend.
Trevi Fountain
A Rome visit is not complete without seeing the Trevi Fountain. ‘’Three Coins in a Fountain’’ is a film and a famous song coined about the Trevi. Visitors throw coins in the fountain in the hope of good luck’ they are often loving couples and the song is a romantic one. It is another Baroque style structure and it was completed in 1762.
It is over 25 metres high and almost 50 metres wide and if you decide on Rome travel, go to the Trevi and you will see many coins from hopeful people.
St. Peter’s Square
When it comes to things to do in Rome, you should visit St. Peter’s Square, the Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. You are likely to have to queue in the peak tourist times but it is worth queuing because the experience is unique even if you are not religious. Rome pictures of the Square where the Pope addresses a huge audience on special occasions often get significant media coverage.
River at Night with St. Peter’s Basilica
Photographs of Rome by night are worthy of inclusion in any travelers’ album. The River Tiber was regularly mentioned in script about the history of the Roman Empire. Equally important is St. Peter’s Basilica which is seen by Roman Catholics worldwide at the heart of their religion.
There is a photograph at every turn. When you go to Rome inspiring images will appear in front of you, day and night.
Altare della Patria
The Altar of the Fatherland remembers the King responsible for the unification of Italy. King Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy in the middle of the 19th Century. He is buried in the Pantheon.
Construction began in 1885 but was not completed for half a century. It is located between Piazza Venezia and the Capitoline Hill. It has huge significance to Romans and includes a ‘’Tomb to the Unknown Soldier’’ which is a feature of many European Nations.
Castel Sant Angelo
The mausoleum which holds several emperors including Hadrian who originally commissioned it for himself and his family. It was built in the 2nd Century AD and for the next century, other emperors were buried there. It is located on the banks of the River Tiber and it was subsequently used by Popes as a means of defence. Additions were made to the Castel, notably the Baroque statues of angels. These days, it is a museum.
Vespas
Vespas have been an important part of Roman life ever since production began just after World War II. They were hard times but as the economy improved and Rome became busier, the Vespa was an excellent way for Romans to get around their busy streets and find somewhere to park. Vespas are the ‘’Rolls Royce’’ of scooters and have maintained their popularity decades after their first appearance.
Italian Cuisine
Pizzas are probably the most famous fast food produced by the Italians but there is so much more to their cuisine. Freshly made pasta, delicious sauces, healthy olive oil and herbs are vital ingredients in Italian dishes. Plenty of the popular dishes are vegetarian with plenty of flavour so even meat lovers will enjoy the plate that is put in front of them. Italians have a ‘’sweet tooth’’ so their desserts are lovely and of course Italian ice cream is famous worldwide.