Trajan's Column and other Rome, Italy Things to Do Tips

Trajan's Column is located near the Quirinal Hill, north of the Roman Forum and is a monument raised by Apollodorus of Damascus at the order of emperor Trajan.

Finished in 113AD, the spiral bas-relief commemorates Trajan's victory in his military campaigns to conquer Dacia. It is about 30 metres tall (38 including its large pedestal). The shaft is made from a series of 18 marble drums each weighing about 40 tons.

A 200 metre frieze winds around the shaft 23 times and is full of very interesting carvings though you can see only a few from the bottom. Maybe when it was erected there were ways to see more of them?

Inside the shaft, a spiral staircase of 185 stairs provides access to a viewing platform at the top. It's a good walk with excellent views over the Trajan Market.

Originally, the column was topped with a statue of an eagle and later by a statue of Trajan. In 1588 it was replaced by the current statue of St. Peter by Pope Sixtus V.

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According to legend, the ashes of Nero were enshrined in Piazza del Popolo until 11th-century residents began complaining to the pope about his imperial ghost. The piazza was designed in the early 19th century by Valadier, Napoleon's architect. It's a nice spot to stop and watch Rome go by.

The Egyptian obelisk you can see in the middle of the photo dates from the 13th century BCE and was removed from Heliopolis to Rome during Augustus's reign (it stood at the Circus Maximus). The lovely church, Santa Maria del Popolo, with two Caravaggios, is at its northern curve, and opposite are almost-twin baroque churches, overseeing the never-ending traffic.

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This square is the start of a nice walk across town via the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain & ending at the Spanish Steps. The piazza is a large rectangle and lined by with beautiful buildings including church, cafes and also 3 fountains - Fontana dei Calderai at the north, Fontana Dei Fiumi (the main fountain) in the middle and Fontana Del Moro at the south end.

Whe I was here last I played guide to a couple from the USA, NZ and a Canadian - we had a great time soaking in the Roman sun and wandering around the back streets of Rome.

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The Basilica of St. Paul origins go back to the time of Constantine, and is believed to have been erected over the tomb of St. Paul - a very controversial character - see below for more.

The basilica fell victim to fire in 1823 and was subsequently rebuilt. It is the second-largest church in Rome after St. Peter's. Its windows are actually translucent alabaster and are very impressive. With its forest of single-file columns and mosaic medallions (portraits of the various popes), this is one of the most streamlined and elegantly decorated churches in Rome.

Its most important treasure is a 12th-century candelabra by Vassalletto, who's also responsible for the remarkable cloisters, containing twisted pairs of columns enclosing a rose garden. Also interesting is a copy of the tombstone that has been faithfully recreated including holes where people tried to get into the grave.

For a keepsake, Benedictine monks and students sell souvenirs, rosaries, and bottles of Benedictine every day except Sunday and religious holidays.

Controversial bit - St Paul (aka Saul of Tarsus) in theory never met Jesus and was a rampant Christian killer for quite some time (christianity was illegal back then and he reported suspected christians to the authorities). Whilst on the road to Damascus he had a 'vision of light' in which the spirit of Jesus spoke with Saul and turned him from the Dark Side. More controversial bit - One school of though is that Saul was really a charismatic leader who created the Catholic church based on a myth about a roving Rabbi called Jesus.

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The Arch of Constantine was erected by the Senate in A.D. 315 to honor Constantine's defeat of the pagan Maxentius. The arch is full of pictures apparently all relating to victories of earlier rulers & lifted from other, memorials but nothing to do with Constantine himself!!

Interestingly, Constantine converted to Christianity after a vision on the battlefield. This ended centuries of christian persecution and culminated in Rome becoming the centre of Christian religion (until an English king wanted a divorce etc).

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The castle was built in the 2nd century AD as a tomb for Emperor Hadrian. It was built over the Roman walls and is linked to the Vatican by an underground passage (for fleeing Popes?). If you visit here a must is a trip through the Renaissance apartments. You can also go through the dank prison cells that once echoed with the screams of torture.

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This is a great place to visit in Rome and is a wee bit unusual as it is attached to a building. The water comes from the Acqua Vergine aqueduct and was completed in 1762. The design centers on the triumphant figure of Neptunus Rex, standing on a shell chariot drawn by winged steeds and led by a pair of tritons. Two allegorical figures in the side niches represent good health and fertility. When you visit here one thing you have to do is toss 3 coins over your shoulder (you face away from the fountain). One for luck, one to return to Rome and one I can't remeber.

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The Spanish Steps are probably the most walked steps in Rome. There always seems to be a large crowd milling around the Steps and Piazza d'Spana. The steps were named for the Spanish Embassy to the Vatican in 1723 and were built as a link of Piazza di Spagna and the Church Trinita dei Monti. They are located in the northeast of central Rome. Be careful of your items here as, with most heavily touristed places, there is the potential for pickpockets.

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St Peter was allegedly buried here in A.D. 64 near the site of his execution (at Circus of Nero, where he was, in theory, crucified). In 324 Constantine, after his battle field epiphany, commissioned a basilica to be built over St Peter's tomb. This was the starting point of what you visit today. The present basilica was mostly completed in the 1500s and 1600s and is predominantly High Renaissance and baroque. The inside of the church is massive with work by the great artists: Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Maderno. A piece of the original cross of Christ and the rag that Mary wiped the blood off Christ's brow are also apparently located here behind doors above you in the middle of the church.

If you go down to the Vatican grottoes you can see the tombs of the popes plus, behind a wall of glass, is what's assumed to be the tomb of St. Peter himself. To go even farther down, to the necropolis vaticana, the area around St. Peter's tomb, you must apply in advance at the Ufficio Scavi (tel. 06-69885318). For 10euros , you'll get a guided tour of the tombs that were excavated in the 1940s, about 7 metres beneath the church floor.

St Peter's is prided (one of the 7 deadly sins?) as being the biggest church in the world. The floor is marked with how big some of the other more notable churches around the world compare to St Peter's incl St Paul's (London) & Notre Dame (Paris) which both fall well short of the massiveness of St Peter's.

Be warned - you cannot enter here wearing shorts or a short skirt. The guards also usually require upper arms to be covered. No matter how hot it is outside this strict dress code is always enforced.

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Website: www.vatican.va

The Pantheon (All the Gods) is the only ancient Roman building that remains intact. It was built in 27 B.C. by Marcus Agrippa and was reconstructed by Hadrian in the early 2nd century A.D. This building is a perfect sphere resting in a cylinder and is an absolute must see.

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