Rome is an ancient city, founded about 3,000 years ago and never stopped being exciting and relevant ever since. Hence the nickname – The Eternal City.
Quick facts
- Name: Rome
- Founded: 753 BCE
- Population: 4.3 million
- Area: Area: 1,285 km2 (496.3 sq mi)
- Known as: Capital of Italy and ‘Eternal City’
Today, it is a modern, cosmopolitan metropolis with perfect mixture of historical sites, art museums and modern culture, entertainment, fashion and night life.
Several of world’s most famous landmarks, such as Colosseum, Vatican with Sistine Chapel, are located in Rome, and they bring millions of tourists every year.
And, of course, world known Italian cuisine, together with genuine Italian espresso and gelato are major part of your visit to this magnificent city!
What to see in Rome
There are plenty of attractions and landmarks to see in Rome, both inside the city and in immediate surroundings. Some of them are in the top five world attractions. We are listing here only top 20-25 of them we highly recommend to visit:
Colosseum. The Roman Colosseum, known as the Flavian Amphitheater, is one of the most prominent monuments in the capital. More than 6 million people visit it annually. St. Peter’s Basilica. Located in the Vatican City, St Peter’s Basilica is considered one of the holiest temples and an important pilgrimage site of the Catholic Church. Roman Forum. The Forum was built from the earliest times of Rome, in a valley separating the Capitoline and Palatine Hills and remained in use after the eventual decline of the region.
Pantheon. The most preserved and prominent building in ancient Rome is the Roman Pantheon. It is a Roman temple dedicated to all the pagan Roman gods. Trevi Fountain. Trevi Fountain is Rome’s most beautiful fountain, and most visited by tourists. It is also the largest fountain in town, measuring some 20 meters in width and 26 meters in height. Vatican Museums. The Vatican Museums are the Vatican city’s museum complex that includes admissions to Sistine Chapel, Chapel of Beato Angelico and Raphael Rooms.
Piazza Navona. One of the most popular and arguably the most beautiful squares in Rome. Famous for Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers), built in 1651 by Bernini. Sistine Chapel. Considered the masterpiece of Michelangelo, the Sistine Chapel (Cappella Sistina) is a spectacular attraction and one of the top tourists’ spots in Rome. Spanish Steps. The Spanish Steps are a series of steps that date from 1723, ascending a steep slope between the base of Piazza di Spagna and top of Piazza Trinita dei Monti. One of the most photographed part of Rome.
Castel Sant’Angelo. The Castel Sant’Angelo, also known as Hadrian’s Mausoleum, is a castle situated on the right bank of the Tiber River, close to the Vatican. Palatine Hill. The Palatine is the most celebrated of seven hills in Rome. It was considered one of the city’s most desirable neighbourhoods in Ancient Rome. Villa Borghese. Villa Borghese is the largest open-green area in Rome. It is a perfect place to hang out and has plenty to see like the Borghese Gallery.
Borghese Gallery and Museum. Gallery Borghese is a major museum in Rome, located behind Porta Pinciana in Villa Borghese. This magnificent villa was originally owned by the Borghese family. Piazza del Popolo. The square is situated at the city’s main northern entrance (Porta Flaminia) and was reconstructed in 1834 by Valadier architect. Campo de’ Fiori. One of Rome’s main squares is the Campo de ‘Fiori (Flowers’ Area in English). During the day it is lively with its market of flowers, fruits and vegetables, and by night, when the terraces are filled with people.
Piazza di Spagna. The Piazza di Spagna (English: Spanish Square) is one of the most popular squares in Rome. The name comes from the Palazzo di Spagna, the seat of the Vatican Spanish Embassy located on this square since the seventeenth century. Saint Peter’s Square. St Peter’s Square or Piazza San Pietro is probably one of the most prominent squares in the world and one of the most beautiful. It was built during the seventeenth century by Bernini and can fit over 300,000 people. Piazza Venezia. Located almost in the geographic center of Rome, Piazza Venezia was named after Cardinal Venezia who, in 1455, ordered the building of his own Palace (Palazzo Venezia).
The Piazza del Campidoglio. This square was built on top of the Capitoline Hill, the most prominent of the seven hills of Rome. It is the first modern planned square in Rome. Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore. The Santa Maria Maggiore basilica is an ancient Catholic basilica considered to be the largest of the churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Rome. It is one of the four major basilicas of the region. Capitoline Museums. The Capitoline Museums (Musei Capitolini) is the city’s principal civic museum. The Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuovo make up the historic seat of the museums. The two buildings are located on Piazza Campidoglio.
From other attractions in Rome, we also recommend: Circus Maximus, Baths of Caracalla, Mouth of Truth, Janiculum Terrace, Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, Arch of Constantine, and St. Angelo Bridge.
What to do in Rome
Rome is large city with many attractions and landmark to offer. We listed about 25 of them above only and there are hundreds.
Visiting museums, galleries and famous landmarks listed above will take days (even weeks), but we also recommend taking walking tour of Rome and Vatican, go on a bike and foodie tour to many local restaurants with amazing food or take a day trips (or weekend city breaks) to nearby cities.
Festivals and events in Rome
Rome is packed with events and festivals throughout the year, especially during Christmas and Easter when large religious events take place in Vatican. Here are some highlights:
Carnevale (February), Roma Marathon (March), La Pasquetta (April, Easter Rome celebrations) and Rome birthday (21 April), Expo Tevere and Festa dei Noantri (July, crafts fairs) and several events during Christmas and New Year’s.
Interesting facts about Rome
Here are some interesting facts about this famous city:
- Rome has 280 fountains and more than 900 churches.
- Nearly 700,000 euros worth of coins are tossed into Rome’s Trevi Fountain each year for good luck. The proceeds are donated to Caritas charity to help those in need.
- One of the Rome’s museums is dedicated entirely to pasta.
Best time for flights to Rome
The peak season for flights to Rome is July, August and September. The low season for purchasing tickets is February, March and December.
Rome is served by these airports: Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport (FCO) and Ciampino-G. B. Pastine International Airport (CIA). Direct flights to Rome are offered by 72 airlines.
Top hotel offers for Rome
These are current top hotel offers in Rome. The list is updated automatically when page is refreshed.
Safe travels!
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