The Pantheon and other Rome, Italy Things to Do Tips

This building is ancient Rome's best preserved monument. The emperor Hadrian reconstructed it around 120 AD when an older temple sitting on the same spot was destroyed by fire. The interior is really striking, with its dome a perfect hemisphere and an oculus which is believed to symbolize the all-seeing eye of heaven. I really liked this building, it has a certain geometrical harmony which reminded me that in architecture sometimes the simplest things achieve the biggest effect. Inside is Raphael's tomb and the tomb of Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy's first king.

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Address: Piazza della Rotonda

Both the steps and the Piazza got their name from the Spanish Embassy which I believe is located in the piazza. If you come here in the summer the stairs are divided by rows of flowers. The beautiful church of Trinita dei Monti lies at the top of the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs is the Fontana della Barcaccia (Fountain of the old boat) by Pietro Bernini.
This place is a gathering spot for tourists, with people sitting on the steps and watching the other (tourists :-) ) go by.

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Address: Piazza di Spagna

If you've seen La Dolce Vita by Fellini you'll recognize this spot easily. The fountain lies in a small piazza off Via del Tritone. It was designed by Nicola Silva. Legend goes that by throwing a coin in the fountain you can secure your return to Rome (we didn't do it, but I still have hopes to return). We went there in the afternoon; we were not looking for the fountain, just wandering the streets and ended up here. It was extremely crowded, almost imposible to get near the fountain. I don't know which hour is better, my guess is that it is crowded all the time. Maybe early morning will be a better time if you wish to avoid the crowds.

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Address: Piazza Fontana di Trevi

This must be the world's most imposing church. At least for me it is. I've never seen a church of such colossal dimensions. It's simply huge and impressive. The present church dates from the 15th century when it was decided to replace the earlier St. Peter church. The rebuilding lasted until the 17th century. Among the artists that worked on the design of the new basilica are Bramante and Michelangelo. Inside the church, near the entrance is Michelangelo's Pieta which is so beautiful; it's a pity that nowadays one has to see it from the distance (due to an incident in 1972). Also very impressive is Bernini's baldacchino that rises above the papal altar.

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Address: Piazza San Pietro

This magnificent square was designed by Bernini. It was completed in 1667 and can hold 400.000 people. The piazza has the shape of an ellipse; on each side there's a curving pair of quadruple colonnades topped with statues of saints. In the middle of the piazza is an obelisk which was brought from Alexandria in AD 37. Also in the piazza are two beautiful fountains. To the left and right of the obelisk are two spots marked on the pavement. If you sit on a spot and look at the colonnades you get the illusion that the colonnades are made of a single row of columns. Neat job :-)

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Address: Piazza San Pietro

The most famous of ancient Rome's monuments, Colosseum was begun in AD 70 by emperor Vespasian and inaugurated in AD 80 by with a program of games and shows that lasted 100 days. The gladiator fights that took place in the arena were popular forms of entertainment with the Romans. You can find a few of their followers outside the Colosseum. They don't fight to their death anymore but rather pose for pictures.
By the 15th century the Colosseum has become a quarry for building materials. In 1749 Benedict XIV declared it sacred in the memory of the many Christians that died here (although there is no historical data to support the belief that Christians were martyrized in the arena). Once it was declared sacred, its restauration began (and still continues).

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Address: Piazza del Colosseo

The Forum was the civic heart of the Republic of Rome. The area was once filled with temples and palaces. Today all these are ruins and you'll have to use all of your imagination to try to envision how it must have looked. Still, it's impressive if you think that most of the buildings were built between 500 BC to 400 AD. A friends of mine told me that this place calms him because all our worries seem small when you come here and realize how quickly the time flies.
The Arch of Septimius Severus is one of the structures still standing. If you're interested in Roman history it's a good idea to have a good travel guide with you to be able to indentify the ruins.

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Piazza Venezia is a huge and very busy square where many streets intersect. In the middle of the piazza stands the collosal Vittorio Emanuele II monument.

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Address: Piazza Venezia

This is one of the most beautiful piazzas in Rome and the effect of the twin churches is amazing. My guide mentioned that the two baroque churches of Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto are not exactly alike, but they do look alike on a first sight and the impression one gets is of something unforgettable. The piazza was created by Latino Giovenale Manetti in 1538 for Pope Paul III and the twin churches were added in the 17th century. The present symmetry was given by the neoclassical architect Giuseppe Valadier in the early 1800's. In the middle of the square lies a 3000 years old obelisk framed by four small fountains with lions. The piazza is closed to automotive traffic so you can stroll at your own pace and enjoy the sights.

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Address: Piazza del Popolo

Romanian tourists in Rome (like me) flock to this monument which is part of the Romanian national pride. Also, when I came back from Rome this was the monument all my Romanian friends asked about. Did you see it? Were you able to see the Dacians on the column? The reason is that Trajan's column was built to commemorate his military campaigns in Dacia (which is now Romania). It's true Trajan won and conquered Dacia but hey, our ancestors can still be seen today, almost 2000 years later, on this column in the center of Rome.
The column is a beautiful piece of Roman sculptural art; around the column winds a spiral frieze with over 2500 figures in relief illustrating the battles that took place during Trajan's military campaigns in Dacia (101-102 and 105-106). At the top the statue of Saint Peter replaced in 1588 a statue of Trajan. The ashes of the emperor and his wife were places in a golden urn in a vault below the column. The column stands in what was once Foro di Traiano (Forum of Trajan) with a huge semicircular market building.

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Address: Via dei Fori Imperiali