Trevi Fountain and other Rome, Italy Things to Do Tips

That fountain.. Anita Ekberg trailing through its waters in 'La Dolce Vita', one guess as to which fountain Frank Sinatra and 'Three Coins in a Fountain' refers to, and Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in 'Roman Holiday' hardly give the place a wide birth. That's just 3 films..
Fontana di Trevi has to be the most famous fountain of them all and is a magnet for any visit to the Italian capital.

And it is some magnet. Designed by Nicolo Salvi for Pope Clement XII, finished in 1762, the marble figures et al are truly spectacular. The white marble, the 'blue' water, the suprisingly small piazza in which it is based, even the hoardes of people throwing their coins into the fountain in the hope of returning to the city, all add to the incredible environment of the fountain. It gets very very busy - and the amphitheatre around the pool fills up quickly, restricting views. It's worth 2 or 3 visits - early morning is a good time, as is night-time and floodlit views.

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Gargantuan in size, the monument was built between 1885 and 1911 to commemorate the first King of a united Italy. At its centre is a statue of Vittorio Emanuele himself - equally gargantuan (his moustache alone measures 3 metres long). Closed to the public, it is alo the Altare della Patria (the tomb of the unknown soldier) and the eternal flame.

Among its many names (mostly derogatory), the most common one to have stuck is the 'wedding cake'.

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Designed by Michelangelo in the 1530s, the Piazza is an elegant spot, sited on the peak of The Capitoline Hill, the most important hill, politically, in ancient Rome. Coming up the great sweep of steps (the Cordonata), you are faced with Rome's City Hall (Palazzo Senatoro), the steps flanked by giant statues of Castor & Pollux. The palazzos on either side of City Hall make up the Musei Capitolini.

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The Pantheon is the best preserved of all ancient Rome. Built by Hadrian in 119-128 AD as a temple to the 12 most important classical deities, the building survived the ravages of the demise of the Roman Empire due to the fact that it became a Christian church in 608.

Amazingly, whilst certainly suffereing over time, the exterior has changed little since it was first built, and it retains its original Roman bronze doors. The interior has certainly changed a great deal, although the unsurpassed structure, where the dimensions of the dome, with the radius and height being equal, and the austere grandeur, creates an extraordinarily harmonious effect. The only light is provided by a hole in the roof (oculus) - a link between the Gods and the temple.

Of course, it was 'got at' thorughout history, including, when the Papal seat moved to Avignon in the 14th century, the Pantheon was used as a fortress and, of all things, a poultry market! It was during the 16th century onwards that the most radical changes were made - and these can be seen today, lining the lower walls. Frescoes and tombs - including those of Raphael and. more recently, Vittorio Emanuele II.

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The Obelisco con l'Enfante 'Il Pulcino della Santa Maria sopra Minerva' is something of a mouthful, hence why it better know as Bellini's Elephant. Found immediately behind the Pantheon in the Piazza della Minerva, the sculture was provided to 'host' the 6th century BC Egyptian obelisk reportedly found in the gardens of the monastery of Santa Maria sopra Minerva.

It has stood in the square since 1667, the elephant symbolising intelligence and piety, a positive image for Roman Catholics and Christians in general.

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Yet another iconic building of Ancient Rome. Stunning yet cruel, gladiatorial fights to the death, christians thrown to the lions etc - we've heard the stories and seen the films. But it was also a triumph of architecture and imagination (not least the spectacles produced here including sea battles being fought on the flooded arena). The Colosseum sat 55,000 people comfortably, with 80 arched entrances providing easy access to all parts of the arena. Incredibly, the 'games' were free of charge. All the external arches contained statues - it must have been an incredible sight!

The Colosseum was commissioned by Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD and built on the site of Nero's palace grounds - it was one of several similar amphitheatres within the Roman Empire, and whilst those they remain (Verona, Nimes, Arles. El Djem) are superb architectural specimens, nothing compares to the Colosseum - the 'granddaddy' of them all.

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Immediately in front of the Colisseum, the Arch of Constantine was dedicated in 315 AD to celebrate Constantines' victory over his co-Emperor Maxentius. Oddly, considering the arch celebrates his claim that his victory was inspired by a vision of Christ, most of the statues, releifs etc featured are pilfered from other, earlier monuments. And little in terms of Christian subject matter actually feature!

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Excavations of the fourm continue and they continue to reveal many different periods of Roman history.

The western part of the forum (it's one site, but I've split it into two tips) lies in the shadow of the Vittorio Emanuele monument and behind the Capitoline.

The Forum is an odd mix - excavated Ancient Roman ruins interspersed with 17th century Baroque, predominantly religious, architecture (although in some instances the Baroque simply replaced medieval religious architecture). The Arch of Septimus Severus (203 AD) is regarded as the highlight of the Western Forum (not shared in medieval times - only the top half of the central arch was exposed and this was used as a barber's shop!).

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The Forum was the political, commericial and judicial centre of Ancient Rome, with the Basilicas the main focus. The Basilica of Constantine is to be found in the eastern part of the Forum, but only the massive vaulted arches remain - but even this provides a scale to the public spaces. Built in the 2nd/3rd century, much of it was stripped for materials on other buildings around Rome. The House of the Vestal Virgins and its garden statuory are in a quiet corner, the Temple of Antonius and Faustina the oddest sight - the 17th century baroque San Lorenzo rising behind the 141 AD temple porch. The Romanesque Santa Francesca Romana (15th century) and its beautiful bell tower rises above many of the ruins within the grounds.

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Another icon... Is there no end to them in Rome! :)

The home of the Roman catholic faith: the world's tallest dome, designed by Michelangelo, at 132.5 metres high: 120 years in the building, consecrated by Pope Urban VIII on 18 November 1626, replacing the original church which stood on the same site since 349AD.

It's huge, it's extraordinary, it's stunning.

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