Rome

Rome
In 1990, the inscription was extended with properties of the Holy See which are located in the historic centre of Rome. Among them the Basilica of San Paolo fuori le Mura.

The city of Rome exists since the 4th or 5th century BC, or - according to legend - was founded by Romulus and Remus in 753 B.C.

There are still several remains to be found in this modern city dating from the period of the Classical Roman Empire: The Forum Romanum (the former political center) still holds a central position in town. The Colosseum and a triumphal arch are around the corner.

Also, the Therms of Caracalla are not far away: a large public bath house where also restaurants, libraries and other forms of leisure activities could be performed. Except for the walls, now there are only some mosaics and wallpaintings left.


Sports Arenas . Theatres . Aqueduct . Obelisk . Prayer Labyrinth . Ossuary . Religious Relics . Location for a classic movie . Assassinations . Domes . Located in a Capital City . WHS Hotspot . Cathedrals . Opera . Legends and Folk Myths . Sites of Parliament . Baths . Life of Mozart . Catacombs . Mausolea . Walled cities . Benedictines . Jewish religion and culture . Byzantine Empire and Civilization . Mosaic art . Pyramids .



Visit June 1995

In my opinion, Rome is the most beautiful European capital. So much history in such a small area, without being turned into an amusement park ... where else in Europe can you still find that?

One of the lesser known sights is San Clemente, a pretty 11th century church. Stairs lead you down to the remains of a 4th century basilica, which was devastated by Northmanns. Via another pair of stairs you arrive at a Roman house from the 2th century, that served as a shrine for Mithras.

Reviews

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Rome is a marvelous city to visit and enjoy. Probably 2 weeks are needed to see much of it and enjoy the food. But, there is a day trip that can offer a better view of what ancient Rome was like. Take the subway and the train to Ostia, once the most important port for Rome. There you can walk down streets with ancient apartment buildings 3 stories high that you can climb into, warehouses, shops, temples, and a bakery where grain was ground by animal power. It isn't crowded with tourists and so you can feel like your'e the first person to see the place.
 
James Kovacs (USA):
Rome has magnificent monuments (Coliseum, Constantine
Arch, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, etc.) and I was
impressed by every one of them. My problem with Rome
isn't the monuments, but the city itself. It is way
too chaotic and frantic for my liking. It has an itensity
that gets on your nerves after a few days.
Date posted: February 2006
Ian Cade (England):
Very few cities in the world can claim to be a capital of their cultural sphere, even fewer have something left to show for it. Rome can claim to be a cultural capital twice! and has plenty to show for it.
Rome contains some of the best preserved sites from antiquity, when it was a world power and laid much of the foundation for western culture. The Coliseum is perhaps the most famous testament from this period, and its huge remains are a great place to start exploring ‘Ancient Rome’. Included in the admission price is entry to the Palatine Hill opposite, which was a nice place to stroll through and look at the massive remains, and provided great views across the city and down onto the Forum, which I think was my favourite part of ancient Rome, well it was until that night I stumbled upon the Pantheon in the tight streets of the historic centre. This building for me was one of the most spectacular I have ever been to, the dome is a masterpiece of architecture.
Then the second time Rome became a cultural capital was with the High Renaissance and Baroque periods. The High Renaissance perhaps best seen at Michelangelo’s Piazza del Campidoglio and also much of the work at the Vatican. The Baroque period is seen through out the historic centre, the works of Borromini, Bernini and their contemporaries line almost every street, and this is what made the city so enjoyable that just walking between the ‘big’ sites (Trevi fountain, Piazza Navona were particularly great) provided you with other masterpieces that would be highlights in most other cities. This was also mixed with great bars (in Trastevere especially) and restaurants, and the city managed to not feel like a museum or a theme park.
I was here for two days and did not stop, I can understand the saying "Roma, non basta una vita" (Rome, a lifetime is not enough). This so far is the finest UNESCO site I have visited and I am looking forward to something being good enough to knock it off its perch, it is going to take an awful lot.
Date posted: November 2005
Ben Pastore (USA):
Rome isn't the eternal city for nothing. The juxtaposition of imperial remnants and modern technology are classically Italian and only serve to highlight the city's historic value. The Colisseum has found a better use as a tourist magnet than Christian slaughterhouse, and the tiny details, like bas-relief in the architecture and masterful wrought-iron railings leaves no doubt as to why all roads once lead here.
Date posted: June 2005
Klaus Freisinger (Austria):
Rome is in my humble opinion the greatest city on the planet. While I like many others as well, none comes close to Rome in terms of history, culture, architecture, and influence on the rest of the world. This together with all things that make Italy such a great place to visit - especially the food, of course - makes a combination that I don´t think can be beaten anywhere. For a visitor, Rome´s sights generally fall in two categories: Christendom and Antiquity, with some great Renaissance/Baroque monuments thrown in (Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps etc.) For both, Rome is the top place to visit (sorry, Athens, you are fascinating, too, but Rome was not called caput mundi for nothing). The Forum Romanum is just incredible, and the Colosseum, the Triumphal Arches, and the many other smaller ancient monuments (Augustus Mausoleum and the very cool Mamertine Prison, for example) should excite even people who usually have no interest in ancient history (if that is at all possible...). So while of the some things that are said about Rome are admittedly true (smog, heavy traffic, many strikes, enormous masses of tourists), who really cares? It´s Rome, and it´s a huge mistake not to see it at least once.
 
Graeme Ramshaw ():
Rome is a city of a myriad different characters, where the best of the Classical world and the Baroque era come together to form a fascinating array of art found nowhere else in the world. Some of my personal highlights include: the Galleria Borghese with its Bernini sculptures, the Palatine hill with its imperial ruins, and the Trastevere with its warren of streets all worth exploring. Rome is absolutely unique and entirely unmissable on any trip to Italy.


 
Graeme Ramshaw ():
What to say of Rome? It's a city of a thousand different characters, where the best of Baroque and of Classical intertwine to form a fascinating array of art and architecture found nowhere else in the world. Rome is absolutely unique. Some highlights for me include the Galleria Borghese (best of Bernini sculptures), the Palatine Hill (home of the emperors), and the Vatican Museums (simply some of the best art in the world). Regardless of the number of visits you make to Rome, each time you will find something new and wonderful to explore.
 
Maurizio Agostini (Italy):
Rome has a lot of things to see. Churches, squares, palaces. Inside the city there is the Vatican State. It has not an historical centre; like London. It is formed by several zones.
 


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