Halfway between via del Corso and Piazza Barberini on via del Tritone you'll find a street on the south side called via Mortaro. It leads to via Poli which will take you in two blocks to the Trevi Fountain. A homely area, and generally overcrowded (with tourists like us), but a beautiful fountain, especially since they've renovated and cleaned it. A rarely visited fountain until the movie classics: “Three Coins in the Fountain” (1954) which opens with a view of this fountain and of course “La Dolce Vita” (1960) with Anita Ekberg and Marcello Mastroianni kissing in the fountain. These films made the fountain the romantic center of Rome: “You've never lived until you've lived in Rome!”

The fountain is not only celebrated for its excellent water but for the legend that, whoever drinks it or throws a coin in the fountain, will assure his return to Rome. We don’t recommend drinking the water though, so: with your back to the fountain, a coin thrown by right hand over left shoulder (or is it left hand over right shoulder?) into the fountain will guarantee your return to Rome. (It's often worked for us!) Go at night, when the fountain is lit, and you will fall in love with the magic of Rome's many fountains!

The architect Salvi built this magnificent fountain in the time of Clement XII. It is making the front of a big palace and is adorned by statues and reliefs by several artists of Bernini's school. From all the spots of the rock section at the bottom of the fountain there ‘s water sprouting out.

At the northern edge of the city, at the top of the Spanish Steps is the Church of Trinita dei Monti (look at the facade-the interior isn't really worth the time) and the Villa Borghese, a large park that contains gardens and museums. The vast area with its woods, lakes and grass are a tranquil spot in Rome. It also includes the Museo Borghese, the renovated former country residence of the Borghese family. It now houses an astonishing collection of sculptures collected by Cardinal Scipione Borghese. This colection includes works by Raffaello, Antonio Canova, Pietro e Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Giulio Romano, etc. as well as a fine collection of paintings by Titian, Raphael and other greats (reservations required).

Take buses: 910, 52, 53

Admission: £ 4.000

The Vatican is since about six centuries the residence of the pope and since 1921 it's presenting an independent state called Vatican_City. The biggest square of the Vatican and the whole Rome is the Peter's Square, on it there is the biggest temple of the Christendom, the Vatican Basilica. In 1546 Michelangelo started with the construction of a dome, which was finished after he died in 1589. You can climb up this dome today and enjoy a unforgettable view over the Eternal City from its top.

The Colosseum is considered the symbol of Rome. This amphitheatre, built in about 10 years, shortly after the A.D.70, was the most imposing of all the monuments in the ancient Rome. This ancient venue, where 50000 people could be entertained was probably paid for with the treasures brought from the raid on the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Usually it was used for make fighting shows with wild animals and gladiators and even sea battles, but in A.D.438 this was abolished and the shows were only about animal hunting. The last show is dated in A.D.523 by Theodoric, King of Ostrogoths. The Colosseum was named after the giant statue that stood nearby. In medieval times the four-storied theater was used as a quarry until in 1749 it was acclaimed to be a holy site in memory of all the Christian martyrs that lost their lives here. musfiddin: jkhtsvbj ,hvlnol

This strange river god used to be a drain cover, but since the middle ages this frightening image served as a lie detector. It was believed that if you told a lie with your hand in the mouth of this god, it would be bitten of. Of course it had to be helped sometimes by a servant with a blade. The “Bocca” was placed in the front yard of the Sta. Maria in Cosmedin church in the 17th century.

The sculpture is thought to be part of a roman fountain or perhaps a "manhole" cover.

Take bus 170 to Via del Teatro di Marcello (or any bus to Piazza Venezia).

In the movie Roman Holiday both Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck are seen at this site explaining the legend and placing their hands in the portal.

Il Gesù, or the church of the Santissimo nome di Gesù, is the mother church of the Jesuit order . Build between 1568 and 1575 this baroque church was the principal example for almost all Jesuit churches around the world. In the nave the flock had to be assembled and educated. The most important weapons in the counterreformation were education and a whole new army of Saints. This education is evident in the frescos that ornate the nave and depict the triumph of the Name of Christ. The fresco inside the cupola is also by Bacicca, who shows here he’s a master of foreshortening. Vignola designed the church; Giacomo della Porta made the façade and finished the cupola.

This church is the Cathedral of Rome. It was the first Christian Basilica build by Constantine. The church was probably build between 314 and 318 AD, and was the key example to almost all churches in the Romanesque era. The present day church is a recreation by Borromini from the 1646-'49, the last chapter in a long history of building, destruction and rebuilding.

At the foot of the Quirinale Palace, quite near the Trevi Fountain, you can find this Museum dedicated to the second most famous Italian food. Not just pasta in different shapes and odd forms, but also history, ways of production and ancient machinery form the collection on display. A must for the true addict of Italian cuisine.

Adjacent to the pantheon, this statue is a gem of Bernini's. A small elephant, brilliantly carved and very realistic carries an Egyptian obelisk on its back.

When you cross the Tiber River on the imposing Angel's Bridge which was built together with the Castle S. Angelo in 130 A.D. by the emperor Hadrian, who wanted to erect the most beautiful emperor grave. After Hadrian all the following emperors and princes have been burried in this mausoleum.

In 403 it has been strongly fortified and connected with the town wall, so that it became a real fortress. The transformation into a castle was in the 10th century and it has been connected with the Vatican by the Passetto in 1277. Since that time on it has always been in the hand of the popes. The bridge connecting the castle and city center is now mostly known for the baroque statues of angels by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The angels are portrayed holding objects from the passion of christ. They are joined by statues of Peter and Paul, which are not by Bernini and predate the angels by hundreds of years.  

The castle has since been given back to the people of Rome and is a public museum. It hoasts a series of spectacular interiors and a magnificent view of Vatican City from the roof.

This museum is a real treasure chamber, packed with more works of art than can be viewed in a day’s visit. Especially the wing with classical sculpture is awesome. The most famous works include the Laocoon group, and the Torso Belvedere, next to the images the Roman emperors had erected for them selves. The pinacoteca contains paintings by all the great Italian painters from the 13th to the 19th century as well as many by foreign masters. Also the Sixtine chapel by Michelangelo and the Stanze by Raphael are part of the museum.

The founding of the Vatican Museums can be traced back to 1503 when the newly-elected Pope, Julius II della Rovere, placed a statue of Apollo in the internal courtyard of the Belvedere Palace built by Innocent VIII; he brought the statue from the garden of his titular church of St. Peter in Chains.

The residents of the neighbourhood where Sant'Ignazio was built didn't want a rather large dome blocking their sun, so Andrea Pozzo painted a fake dome on the ceiling using trompe l'oeil techniques. When standing on a golden disc in the floor of the main nave, the ceiling looks quite natural. From anywhere else in the church the "dome" looks quite distorted. From the alter it looks so out of proportion you wonder how you could ever have thought it was real from the entrance.

Bus to Largo Argentina or Via del Corso.

Another two blocks along and on your left you'll find the Torre Argentina, a large square. In the center are remains of several Republican Temples (i.e., before Caesar Augustus, probably 2nd or 1st century before the Christian Era). Across (on your right as you were walking down Corso V. Emanuele II) you'll find via di Torre Argentina. This eventually becomes via Rotondo, which will in turn take you into Piazza Rotondo, the square in which you'll find the Pantheon.

The Pantheon ('Temple to All Gods') is the largest dome in Rome (yes ... larger than St. Peter's.) And, if you have the luck to be there on a rainy day, see how much rain enters ... or doesn't ... the 10m hole in the roof. The interior is quite lovely. Typically open from 9-2: quite interesting, and an important sight to behold. A top the proscenium you'll find the inscription:

"M. AGRIPPA L. F. COS. TERTIUM. FECIT"

This points out a couple of problems in reading Latin inscriptions. Even knowing a bit of Latin you'll find translating them a bit difficult: "Marcus Agrippa, son (F) of Lucius, Consul (COS) for the third time (Tertium), built this." The facts aren't always in accord with the inscription, if you can read it. In fact, Agrippa did, probably, build the first Pantheon, but Hadrian rebuilt it entirely. Hadrian, modest, by Roman standards, never had his name inscribed on any of his buildings. He honored Agrippa's fame by repeating the original inscription on the new structure.

The interior measures 43,40 meters in diameter, and the same in height. Light and air still enter through the opening at the top (a circle of 8m. 92cms in diameter). In 609 the Pantheon was the first pagan temple to be inaugurated as a Katholic church: The Sta Maria ad Martyrs, dedicated to all the martyrs killed by Roman hands.

Though neither a cathedral, nor the mother church, this enormous church is in fact the center of the Catholic World, a role once performed by the St John Lateran. From here the pope, the successor of St Peter, tends his flock. The church was built over the grave of St Peter. Because of the location of this tomb on the hill, the St Peter is one of few churches that are not orientated towards the east, but just the other way around. Some people read in this orientation a reference to the crucifixion of St Peter, who was crucified up side down.

The present day building is a replacement of the Basilica built by Constantine. Work started about halfway through the 15th century and continued up to the 18th century. Most great high renaissance architects have left their mark on the final design, but most important are Michelangelo and Bernini.

Bernini used the copper plates from the roof of the pantheon to cast the four twisted columns that support the ciborium above the altar.

St. Peter in Chains was first built around 442 AD, and has been modified many times since. A shrine before the altar contains the chains that held St. Peter when he was imprisoned. To the right of the altar is a grand statue, the centerpiece of which is Moses. The statue of Moses was created by Michelangelo, while the surrounding works were done by his students. This church is a little tucked away but is fairly close to the Colliseum.

Close to the Piazza Barberini you can find the The Santa Maria della Concezione. Down in the catacombs, this church houses one of the more bizarre sights in Rome; a series of chambers housing the skeletal remains of the Capuchin monks that served the church in past centuries. The bones are not just stored, but the chambers are literally decorated with them. They form intricate patterns on the walls and ceilings or are piled up against the walls. There are even a few skeletons dressed in the traditional brown habit. It´s a spooky, but also quite cool place.

Legend dictates that this was the staircase Christ once climbed to meet Pilatus, the governor of Jerusalem that sentenced him to be crucified. Helena, mother of Constantine, recovered it in Jerusalem, just like she found the true cross and the grave in which Christ lay till the third day. The stairs are actually a remnant of the old Lateran palace, leading to the Popes private chapel. The marble plates are protected by wood and just cleared in the midway to allow the faithful to ascend on their knees. At the top of the stairs there’s the Sancta Sanctorum, the inner sanctum, where the most sacred relics are being kept, among which is the portrait of Christ, believed to be painted by St Luke.

Orient yourself facing the large marble monument (Vittoriano/'Wedding Cake') to the south. Take a brief look to your right at the balcony of Palazzo Venezia from which Mussolini used to orate.

Dominating the square, the Vittoriano is the monument to King Victor Emanuele, the unifier of Italy. (The 1870 Resorgimento - Italy is a young country, despite its ancient heritage.) Gaudy to some, the Italians derisively call it the Wedding Cake or the Typewriter. The flame in the center and the military guards mark Italy's tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Cross the square toward the right side of the Wedding Cake (or 'Typewriter') and go up the street (via del Teatro Marcello). On your left after you pass the monument you'll see some ruins. They're the remains of a Roman insula. The insulae were apartment houses. Looking down, you'll see where ground level was 2000 years ago. Insulae were as tall as 6-7 stories. Roadways were quite narrow (10-20 feet) and so the streets were dark and smelly.

With the name Forum Romanum are called all the monuments which remaining parts are standing between the Capitol, the Colosseum, the Imperial Fora and the Palatine. Here you can find the Arch of Triumph of Titus, the big Basilica of Maxentius, the Temple of Antonino and Faustina and the Temple of Saturn, just to mention some of these antique monuments.

The forum, which was the heart of the city, started out as a open marketplace, but gradually it got more and more adorned with portico's basilica’s and temples. This was the area in which public life manifested itself. If you wanted your name to be remembered in history, the thing to do was to donate a building to the city on the forum. It was also the place gladiator games were being held before the institution of the amphitheaters. The old forums became due to the addition of all kinds of public and privately build additions quite chaotic and the expanding also city needed a larger area as its center. This is why Julius Caesar initiated the building of the first imperial forum, of which four were to follow, build by his successors.

The Porta del Popolo on the north side of the Piazza marks one end, while the East is dominated by the passeggiata del Pincio. This piazza served as an exposition hall, a stadium, and a theater for popular plays. The face of the piazza changed a great deal from the 1400's to the 1800's, with the reconstruction of the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo, the placement of the Flaminian obelisk at the center of the piazza, and the addition of neo-classical elements by Giuseppe Valadier.