One of the most visited cities in the world, Rome has countless attractions. Many of the Rome attractions date back to ancients times, while others sights draw in very modern crowds. While it’s hard to pick just 10, we put together a list of our favorite Rome attractions.
Rome Attraction #1: The Colosseum. The real name of the Colosseum is the Flavian Amphiteatre built by the Emperor Vaspasian Flavian. It was began in 72AD and finished in 81AD. It could hold 55,000 people back in the Ancient Roman times. Over 400,000 people died in the Colosseum in the 390 years it was open to the public.
Rome Attraction #2: The Pantheon. The Pantheon is the most well-known pagan temple ever built. The word “Pantheon” is Greek meaning “for all gods”. It is the only concerete dome in the world and if you rebuild the Panthoen today even with a computer, everytime its built it caves inwards. We still today have not figured out how the Anicent Romans kept the concrete dome stable.
Rome Attraction #3: The Trevi fountain. The Trevi Fountain is the most famous fountain in the world. The term Trevi fountain comes from “the three street fountain” due to the three streets that pass by it. There is a legend that if you throw a coin into the Trevi fountain you will return to Rome and if you throw three coins in you will marry a Roman. Over 3000 euro gets thrown in a day. The Trevi fountain was began in 1734 and completed in 1766 by the artist Nicola Salvi.
Rome Attraction #4: The Spanish Steps. The Spanish Steps are in the centre of Rome. Began in 1723 and completed in 1726. They are the widest and longest outdoor steps in Europe. The reason why they are called the Spanish steps is due to the fact that the Spanish Embassey to the Vatican is on the same street. The real name of the Spanish Steps are the Steps Of The Holy Trinity.
Rome Attraction #5: Piazza Navona. Piazza Navona is the most famous and busiest square in Rome. It was origionally a chariot race stadium in the Ancient Roman times called the stadium of Domitian. The square is now most famous for the incredible fountain in the middle called the Fountain Of The Four Rivers by Gianlorenzo Bernini.
Rome Attraction #6: The Roman Forum. The Roman Forum is located right beside the Colosseum. It was the centre of the Roman Empire and where all political decisions were made for 1,200 years. The oldest temple in the Roman forum is the Temple of Saturn dating the 6th centuryB.C. The Forum is also where the first bricks were laid for Rome by the two twins Romulus and Remus.
Rome Attraction #7: The Vatican Museums.The Vatican Museums, located inside Vatican City, make up the third biggest museum in the world. They say that if you went through every single level of the Museums you will have covered 8 miles walking in total. Anything valuable from the Ancient Roman times was stripped down and is now located in the Museums which means there is over 2,200 years worth of art work inside.
Rome Attraction #8: The Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel is the main attraction for any visitor to the Vatican. This is due to the glorious frescos painted by Michelangelo on the ceiling. Michelangelo began the ceiling in 1508 and completed it in only four years. The Sistine chapel is also where Conclave takes place where the decision is made who becomes the next Pope.
Rome Attraction #9: Saint Peters Basilica. Saint Peters Basilica is officially the biggest church in the world. The Basilica was began by the Emperor Constantine in the year 324A.D. The Basilica is located on the area where the first Pope Saint Peter was crucified upsidedown by the Emperor Nero. His bones are located underneath the alter.
Rome Attraction #10: The Circus Maximus. The Circus Maximus (recreated in the model above) was the biggest stadium in history. At its hight the stadium could hold over 270,000 people. All the most famous chariot races in the Ancient Roman times took place inside the Circus Maximus. It is located right behind Palantine hill and it is only a 5 minute walk from the Colosseum.
So why not join us on a tour when you visit Rome? you can check out our website at Roman Empire Tours and you can find our 5 star reviews on tripadvisor.