Rome is a beautiful city, which is famous for its historical ruins. When you walk through Rome, you feel that you are walking through a living museum. It is here that Julius Caesar sought to claim the world and in fact, you can practically imagine the gladiators of yesterday here. You find bistros and nightclubs to unwind yourself and on looking at the Stadio Olimpico complex, you can imagine Mussolini’s attempt to revitalizing the architecture of the Caesars.
You find the city’s government in Capitoline Hill which has been its capitol since a long time. The Michelangelo’s Piazza del Campidoglio, found next to it, is a feature worth visiting; it has three palaces bordering it. They are the Palazzo dei Conservatori and the twin structures; Palazzo dei Senatori and Palazzo Nuovo. It is in this palace that you find the Musei Capitolini where there is the largest collection of classical statues of the world. Art enthusiasts should make a visit here where you find statues of the Dying Gaul and the Satyr, the Capitoline Wolf with Romulus and Remus and the Spinario. On visiting this museum, you are offered a panoramic view of the Roman Forum and Colosseum.
You find the Via Sacra in the Forum, which cuts through the market square and civic center. The impressive Arch of Septimus Severus which was constructed to mark Roman victory over the Parthinians, and the atrium of the former House of the Vestal Virgins and Temple of Vesta are located here. There are also other temples worth visiting here like the temple of Antoninus and Faustina and the Arch of Titus. There are stairs on the right of the Titus that leads up Palatine hill, and to the Farnese gardens.
The colosseum is a place not to be missed on your visit to Rome. This is the site of the gladiatorial conquest of yesteryears. You find impressive architecture of Doric, Ionic and Corinthian in the columns here. Under the Colosseum are cells, corridors, ramps and elevators used to transport animals from cages to the arena. However, with pillaging and earthquakes, all that remains of the colosseum today is only its skeletal framework; but this itself is enough to relive the activities here of yesterday.
One of the most inspiring architectural designs of the world is found in the Pantheon; the temple for the Gods. It was built by Hadrian in 120 AD where you find a perfect, floating dome resting seductively on its strong marble columns. It was with the only light that flowed through the central oculus that the Romans measured time with the help of a sundial. It was possible to mark the dates of equinoxes and solstices in this manner too.
The famous Spanish steps that were built in 1725 curves from the Piazza di Spagna to the church of Santa Trinit dei Monti which is a pastel, neoclassical building. Shoppers should head here as the Via Condotti, the shopper’s paradise, leads back from these steps. You can find Bernini’s boat shaped Barcaccia fountain at the foot of the steps, and to its right is the Keats-Shelly Memorial House.
If the beauty of Rome makes you wish for a second trip here, then you should make a wish to the Trevi fountain. This is a fountain built for Pope Clement XII where there are statues representing Abundance, Agrippa, Salubrity and Neptune guided by tritons. It is said that a toss of a coin in this fountain guarantees a return trip to Rome.
The famous Michelangelo’s Pieta is found in St. Peter’s Basilica. You find a bronze statue of St. Peter in the central aisle, where its foot has worn out from kisses of thousands of pilgrims. Above the papal altar is Bernini’s Throne of St. Peter, while the Vatican Grottoes containing papal tombs can be reached by steps from St. Longinus statue. A level below the grottoes houses the Necropolis. So sacred is this legendary site of St. Peter’s tomb that you need advance permission to view it. And there is a strict dress code to be followed where no shorts, bare shoulders or mini skirts are allowed for both men and women.
Of course, your trip to Rome won’t be complete without a visit to the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel houses famous ceiling paintings of Michelangelo and frescoes on its side walls. All this art was completed by a group of artists including Ghirlandaio, Roselli, Signorelli and della Gatta. The altar wall is adorned with Michelangelo’s Last Supper where you can see Christ’s figure hovering on the center while being flanked by Mary and other saints. The Vatican museums are an art haven for the art enthusiast where you find galleries stretching 6 kilometers, with the magnificent Raphael rooms, the Pio-Clementino Museum and the Etruscan Museum.
Besides these architectural splendors of Rome, people here also celebrate some festivals with pomp and splendor. The Notte Bianca or the White Night is a festival where the city is open all night so that locals and tourists can look at Rome at different hours, and with a different perspective. There are many events to keep you busy with here. You have a choice between art, theater, dance, sport and music. And with the involvement of shopkeepers, craftsmen and restaurants, you are really going to enjoy yourself to the wee hours of morning.
If you want to see something cultural, then the RomaEuropa festival is a festival worth visiting. This is an annual, international cultural event where you find performances and concerts of theater, dance and music. Though classical music is the focus of the festival, the diversity of the musical styles and artists is its center of attraction.
With all this over, the next thing that enters one’s mind in Rome is the cuisine options you find here. You can savior some of the best casino cuisine of Rome in the La Terrazza. You are offered beautiful views of the Seven Hills of Rome and the dome of St.Peter’s here. The menu is seasonally changed here, ranging from modern Italian cuisine, fresh seafood dishes and the creative, light and delicious dishes of the Mediterranean. For the best seafood of Rome, head over to La Rosetta. You will find world class cuisine here with beautiful, marinated seafood appetizers followed by superb pasta dressed with fish or seafood. You can find practically all types of Mediterranean fish here, either grilled or roasted to perfection, to follow with desserts.
There are many similar restaurants offering beautiful roman food and cuisine like La Pergola, Alberto Ciarla, the husband and wife run restaurant of Agata e Romeo and the Ai Tre Scalini which is near the Colosseum. If it is vegetarian food you want, don’t despair, there is a restaurant that caters to vegetarian’s buds, the Arancia Blu. Pizza and bingo lovers should visit the II Leoncino that is famous for thin and crispy Roman pizza.
