Rome (Italy) is one of the greatest cities in the world. Its history goes back thousands of years. The city amazes with its monumental architecture, fabulous squares, colorful markets and streets with interesting people - magnificence is simply at every turn.
But if you're traveling to Rome, you need a clear plan. Otherwise, there is a risk of being overwhelmed by the many things to see in the Eternal City.
From the most famous Roman ruins to majestic churches, top-notch art museums, charming piazzas and bustling food markets, we've rounded up the top tourist attractions in the city of Rome, complete with photos and descriptions.
You probably won't need one trip to Rome to see all the attractions on this list and those that don't. But you have to start somewhere!
Founded by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century and expanded by subsequent pontiffs, the Vatican Museums boast one of the greatest art collections in the world.
The exhibits, which occupy about 7 km of halls and corridors, are as diverse as possible: from Egyptian mummies and Etruscan bronze objects to ancient busts, from paintings that have become classics to modern works.
Highlights to visit: the impressive collection of classical sculptures at the Pio Clementino Museum, several exhibition halls with frescoes by Raphael, and Michelangelo's painted Sistine Chapel.
Address: Musei Vaticani, Viale Vaticano, Rome, Italy.
You can visit as part of excursions:
Rome's Great Gladiator Arena is the most spectacular of the city's ancient attractions. Opened in 80 AD, the 50,000-seat Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheater, was built of travertine and covered with a huge canvas tent raised by 240 masts.
Inside, the arena was surrounded by multi-level stands, and it itself was built above an underground complex (hypogeum), where animals sat and the scenery was prepared. The games featured gladiators fighting wild animals or each other.
Address: Colosseo, Piazza del Colosseo, Rome, Italy.
Entrance: Paid.
Tickets:
The Colosseum can be visited as part of excursions:
A collection of ruins, the former Roman Forum was the central site of ancient Rome, a grand district of temples, basilicas and vibrant public spaces.
The site, which was originally an Etruscan burial ground, was first settled in the 7th century BC, and over time became the social, political and commercial center of the Roman Empire. Attractions include the Arch of Septemius Severus, the Curia and the House of the Vestals.
Like many of the great cities of ancient Rome, the forum lost its importance after the fall of the Roman Empire, until it eventually came to be used as grazing land. In the Middle Ages it was known as Campo Vaccino ("Field of the Cows") and was plundered for its stones and marble.
The area began to be systematically explored in the 18th and 19th centuries, and excavations continue to this day.
Address: Foro Romano, Via della Salara Vecchia, Rome, Italy.
The Roman Forum can be visited as part of excursions:
Saint Paul's Cathedral
This city has many outstanding churches, but none compares to St. Peter's Basilica - Italy's largest, richest and most impressive basilica. Built on the site of a 4th-century church, it was consecrated in 1626 after completing 120 years of construction.
Its luxurious interior includes many famous works of art, including three of the most famous masterpiece Italy: Michelangelo's Pieta, its soaring dome and Bernini's 29-meter canopy above the papal altar.
At the cathedral, you'll likely face lines and a strict dress code (no shorts, miniskirts or bare shoulders allowed).
Address: St. Peter's Basilica, Piazza San Pietro, Vatican City, Papal See (Vatican City State).
St. Peter's Cathedral can be visited as part of excursions:
Situated between the Roman Forum and the Circus Massimo, the Palatine Hill is an atmospheric area with tall pine trees, majestic ruins and unforgettable views. It is believed that it was here that Romulus founded the city in 753 BC, and here, in crazy luxury, the emperors of Rome lived.
Note the stadium, ruins of the Domus Flavia (imperial palace) and stands overlooking the Roman Forum from Orti Farnesiani.
Address: Palatino, Rome, Italy.
If you only have time to visit one art gallery in Rome, come here. Home to what is often called the “queen of all private art collections”, the gallery boasts paintings by Caravaggio, Raphael and Titian, as well as some unknown sculptures by Bernini.
There is a lot to see in general, but look first for Ratto di Proserpina (The Rape of Proserpina) by Bernini and Venere vincitrice (Venus Vitrix) by Canova.
To limit the number of visitors, visitors are admitted at two-hour intervals, so you will need to pre-book tickets and check entry times.
Address: Museo e Galleria Borghese, Piazzale Scipione Borghese, Rome, Italy.
Capitoline Museums
Capitoline Museum. | Photo: dvdbramhall / Flickr. Built in 1471, the Capitoline Museums are the oldest public museums in the world. Their collection of classical sculpture is one of the best in Italy, including the famous Lupa Capitolina (Capitolian Wolf), the sculpture of Romulus and Remus under the wolf and the Galata morente (The Dying Gaul), describing the death of the war.
There is also a huge art gallery with masterpieces by Titian, Tintoretto, Rubens and Caravaggio.
Address: Musei Capitolini, Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome, Italy.
A magnificent 2,000-year-old temple, now a church, the Pantheon is the best preserved of the ancient Roman monuments and one of the most influential buildings in the Western world. Built by Hadrian from an earlier temple of Marcus Agrippa in 27 BC, it has stood here since around 125 AD, and although its drab exterior is in keeping with its era, it is still a unique and moving monument .
You definitely need to walk through the huge bronze doors and look at the largest unreinforced concrete dome.
The Temple of Hadrian was dedicated to the classical gods, hence the name Pantheon, derived from the Greek words pan (all) and theos (god). But in 608 the temple was consecrated as a Christian church and now officially bears the name Basilica di Santa Maria ad Martires.
The real charm of the Pantheon lies in its enormous size and impressive dome. Considered the greatest architectural achievement of the ancient Romans, it was the largest dome in the world until the 15th century and is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome.
Its harmonious appearance is due to precisely calibrated symmetry - the diameter of the dome is exactly equal to the internal height of the Pantheon of 43.4 meters.
At its center, the 8.7 m diameter oculus, which symbolically linked the temple to the gods, plays a vital role in the geometry, absorbing and redistributing the enormous tensile forces of the dome. Rainwater enters but drains through 22 almost invisible holes in the sloping marble floor.
Address: Pantheon, Piazza della Rotonda, Rome, Italy.
You can visit as part of the excursion:
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Lateran Basilica (Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano)
Lateran Basilica. | Photo: Paval Hadzinski / Flickr. For a thousand years, this monumental cathedral was the most important church in Christendom. Commissioned by Constantine and consecrated in 324 AD, it was the first Christian basilica built in the city. Until the end of the 14th century it was the main place of worship of the pope. It is still the official cathedral of Rome and the seat of the Pope as Bishop of Rome.
Address: Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano, Rome, Italy.
The Trevi Fountain, the setting of Anita Ekberg's bathing scene in La Dolce Vita (The Sweet Life), is a vibrant baroque ensemble of mythical figures and wild horses that takes up the entire side of the 17th-century Palazzo Poli.
Following a restoration sponsored by Fendi in 2015, the fountain shimmers brighter than before. Here, a tradition is maintained that guarantees return to Rome - throwing a coin into the water. On average, about 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain every day.
Address: Fontana di Trevi, Piazza di Trevi, Rome, Italy.
Piazza Navona
Piazza Navona. Piazza Navona with its spectacular fountains, baroque palazzos, colorful actors and street artists, hawkers and tourists, is an elegant embodiment of culture in the center of Rome.
Built on the site of the 1st century Stadio Domiziano, it was paved in the 15th century and was the city's main market for almost 300 years. The centerpiece includes Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers, a striking fountain with an Egyptian obelisk and muscular representations of the Nile, Ganges, Danube and La Plata rivers.
Address: Piazza Navona, Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy.
The road is named after the consul Appius Claudius Caecus, who laid out the first 90-kilometer section in 312 BC. This was the main road of Rome and was later extended in 190 BC to allow access to Brindisi.
The Appian Way has long been one of Rome's most exclusive destinations, a beautiful cobbled thoroughfare surrounded by grassy fields, Roman buildings and tall pine trees. The most magnificent building on it was the Villa dei Quintili, so desirable that the Emperor Commodus killed its owner and began to own it himself.
By this road dark story- it was here that Spartacus and his 6,000 slave followers were crucified in 71 BC, and it was here that the first Christians buried people in three hundred kilometers of underground catacombs. You won't be able to visit the entire 300 km, but the three main catacombs of San Callisto, San Sebastiano and Santa Domitilla are open to the public.
Address: Parco Regionale Appia Antica, Via Appia Antica, Rome, Italy.
Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. | Photo: Mario T./Flickr. One of Rome's four patriarchal basilicas, this monumental 5th-century church stands atop the Esquiline hill, on the site where snow is said to have miraculously fallen in the summer of 358 AD. To commemorate this event, every year on August 5, thousands of white petals are lowered from the coffered ceiling of the basilica.
Varying over the centuries, this architectural hybrid impresses with a 14th-century Romanesque bell tower, an 18th-century Baroque façade, a largely Baroque interior and a series of magnificent 5th-century mosaics.
Address: Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore, Piazza di San Maria Maggiore, Rome, Italy.
You can visit as part of the excursion:
National Museum of Rome: Palazzo Massimo alle Terme. | Photo: Richard Cassan / Flickr. One of greatest museums Rome, an incredible treasure trove of classical art. The first and second floors are dedicated to sculpture, some of the works are simply breathtaking. Look at the Pugile (Boxer), a Greek bronze from the 2nd century BC, the graceful Ermafrodite dormiente (Sleeping Hermaphrodite) also from the 2nd century BC. e. and the idealized Il discobolo (The Discus Thrower).
On the second floor there are magnificent colored frescoes that are worth seeing.
Address: Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Largo di Villa Peretti, Rome, Italy.
Gallery Doria Pamphilj
Gallery Doria Pamphilj. | Photo: damian entwistle / Flickr. Tucked away behind the dingy gray façade of the Palazzo Doria Pamphili, this remarkable gallery boasts one of Rome's richest private collections, containing works by Raphael, Tintoretto, Titian, Caravaggio, Bernini and Velázquez, as well as several Flemish masters.
Masterpieces abound, but the undisputed star is Velázquez's portrait of the implacable Pope Innocent X, who complained that the image was "too real." For comparison, see Gian Lorenzo Bernini's sculptural interpretation of the same character.
Address: Galleria Doria Pamphilj, Corso, Rome, Italy.
Basilica di Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura & Mausoleo di Santa Costanza. | Photo: Allie_Caulfield / Flickr. Although it's a bit challenging, it's worth seeking out this intriguing medieval church complex. Located above the catacombs where Saint Agnes was buried.
It includes the Basilica of Sant'Agnes Fuori le Mura, home to a stunning Byzantine mosaic of saints, and the Mausoleum of Santa Costanza, a 4th-century circular mausoleum decorated with the oldest mosaics in Christendom.
Address: Basilica di Sant'Agnese fuori le Mura, Via Nomentana, Rome, Italy.
Church of the Gesu (Il Gesu)
Church of Gesu (Il Gesu). | Photo: Karim Rezk / Flickr. An impressive example of Counter-Reformation architecture, Rome's most important Jesuit church is a fabulous example of Baroque art. Major works include the vault fresco by Giovanni Battista Gaulli (aka Il Baciccia) and Andrea del Pozzo's sumptuous tomb for Ignatius of Loyola, the Spanish soldier and saint who led the Jesuits in 1540.
Saint Ignatius lived in the church from 1544 until his death in 1556, and you can visit his private rooms in the Cappella di Sant’Ignazio.
Address: Chiesa del Gesù, Via degli Astalli, Rome, Italy.
National Museum of Rome: Palazzo Altemps. | Photo: dvdbramhall / Flickr. Located north of Piazza Navona, the Altemps Palace is a beautiful late 15th-century palazzo that houses the best of huge collection classical sculpture from the National Museum of Rome. Many of the works come from the famous Ludovisi collection, assembled by Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi in the 17th century.
Address: Museo Nazionale Romano, Palazzo Altemps, Piazza di Sant’Apollinare, Rome, Italy.
Basilica of San Paolo Fuori le Mura
Basilica of San Paolo Fuori le Mura. This magnificent basilica is the largest church in Rome after St. Peter's (and the third largest in the world), and stands on the site where St. Paul was buried after his beheading in 67 AD.
Built by Constantine in the 4th century, it was largely destroyed by fire in 1823 and much of what you see is a 19th century reconstruction.
Address: Basilica Papale San Paolo fuori le Mura, Piazzale San Paolo, Rome, Italy.
Plaza de España and Spanish Steps
Spanish Steps. | Photo: Paolo Margari / Flickr.
The Spanish Steps (Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti), which has attracted visitors since the 18th century, is an ideal place for people watching. 135 glittering steps rise from Piazza di Spagna to the famous landmark Chiesa della Trinity dei Monti.
Piazza di Spagna was named after the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See, but the staircase itself, designed by the Italian Francesco de Santis, was built in 1725 with money bequeathed by a French diplomat.
Address: Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti, Piazza di Spagna, Rome, Italy.
Palazzo Colonna
Gallery Column. | Photo: dvdbramhall / Flickr. This opulent 17th-century gallery, the only part of the Palazzo Colonna open to the public, houses the private art collection of the Colonna family.
The six rooms of the gallery are topped with magnificent ceiling frescoes dedicated to Marcantonio Colonna, the family's greatest ancestor, who defeated the Turks at the naval battle of Lepanto in 1571. The works of Giovanni Coli and Filippo Gherardi in the Great Hall, Sebastiano Ricci in the Room of Landscapes and Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari in the Throne Room tell of his merits.
Note also the cannonball lodged in the gallery's marble staircase, a striking reminder of the 1849 Siege of Rome.
The other wing includes the opulent Chapel Hall and Artemisia's rich collection of 17th-century tapestries. The terrace café is open from May to October.
Address: Galleria Colonna, Via della Pilotta, Rome, Italy.
You can visit as part of the excursion:
Castle of the Holy Angel. This circular keep castle is an instantly recognizable landmark. Built as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian, it was converted into a papal fortress in the 6th century and named after a vision of an angel that Pope Gregory the Great had in 590.
It currently houses the National Museum of the Castel Sant'Angelo and its collection of paintings, sculptures, war memorabilia and medieval firearms.
Address: Castel Sant'Angelo, Lungotevere Castello, Rome, Italy.
Basilica of St. Clement
Basilica of St. Clement.
Nowhere better captures the various stages of Rome's turbulent past than in this fascinating multi-level church. The 12th-century above-ground basilica sits on the foundations of a 4th-century church, which in turn rises above a 2nd-century pagan temple and a 1st-century Roman house.
Address: Basilica di San Clemente, Via Labicana, Rome, Italy.
Palazzo Barberini. | Photo: Stin Shen / Flickr. Built to commemorate the Barberini family's rise to papal power, Palazzo Barberini is a luxurious Baroque palace that is impressive even before you see the breathtaking art. Many famous architects worked on it, including competitors Bernini and Borromini.
Among the masterpieces, don't miss Pietro da Cortona's Il Trionfo della Divina Provvidenza (The Triumph of Divine Providence 1632–39) and the most spectacular frescoes on the ceiling of the palazzo in the main hall on the ground floor.
Address: Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica in Palazzo Barberini, Via delle Quattro Fontane, Rome, Italy.
Baths of Caracalla. The remains of the bath complex of Emperor Caracalla are among the most impressive Roman ruins. The complex was opened in 216 AD and occupied an area of 10 hectares. There were baths here GYM's, libraries, shops and gardens. The complex was used daily by up to 8,000 people.
Most of the ruins are what remains of the central bathhouse. It was a huge rectangular building surrounded by two gymnasiums and located in the center of the frigidarium (cold room), where bathers stopped after the warm tepidarium and domed caldarium (hot room).
Address: Terme di Caracalla, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome, Italy.
You can visit as part of the excursion:
Villa Medici. | Photo: marthelelièvre / Flickr. This luxurious Renaissance palace was originally built for Cardinal Ricci da Montepulciano in 1540, but Ferdinando de' Medici bought it in 1576. It remained in Medici hands until 1801, when Napoleon acquired it for the French Academy.
Address: Villa Medici, Viale della Trinità dei Monti, Rome, Italy.
Trajan's Market. Trajan's Market - ruins of commercial buildings in Trajan's Forum in Rome. It was a 5-story complex built by Apollodorus of Damascus. The structure was located on a hillside and was built in the form of terraces. It housed about 150 retail outlets, taverns, eateries, and food distribution points for the public.
Each shop had an exit (vitrina) to the street. The shops sold spices, fruits, wine, olive oil, fish, silk and other goods from the East. In the middle of the market was Via Biberatica, a street named after the taverns that lined it.
Address: Mercati di Traiano, Via Quattro Novembre, Rome, Italy.
Santa Maria del Popolo
Santa Maria del Popolo. | Photo: vgm8383 / Flickr. A magnificent repository of art, it is one of the earliest and richest Roman churches of the Renaissance.
Of the many works of art on display, two masterpieces by Caravaggio stand out here: the Conversion of St. Paul (1601) and the Crucifixion of St. Peter (1601) in the chapel to the left of the high altar. But there are other wonderful works here too.
Address: Basilica Parrocchiale Santa Maria del Popolo, Piazza del Popolo, Rome, Italy.
San Luigi dei Francesi
The church has been known to the French community in Rome since 1589. This opulent Baroque church is home to Caravaggio's famous trio of paintings: Vocazione di San Matteo (The Calling of St. Matthew), Martirio di San Matteo (Martyrdom of St. Matthew) and San Matteo e l'angelo (St. Matthew and the Angel), collectively known as the cycle Saint Matthew.
These three paintings, housed in the Cappella Contarelli to the left of the high altar, are among the earliest of Caravaggio's religious works, painted between 1600 and 1602, boasting realism and stunning use of chiaroscuro (bold contrast of light and dark).
Address: San Luigi dei Francesi, Piazza di San Luigi de’ Francesi, Rome, Italy.
Catacombs of Saint Sebastian
Catacombs of Saint Sebastian. These underground catacombs, extending beneath the Basilica of San Sebastiano, were the first to be called catacombs - the name comes from the Greek kata (near) and kimbas (depression) because they were located next to a cave.
The catacombs have been in significant use since the 1st century, and during the persecutive reign of Vespasian they provided shelter for the remains of Saints Peter and Paul.
The 1st level is now almost completely destroyed, but on the 2nd level you can see frescoes, stucco and epigraphs. There are also three beautifully preserved mausoleums and a plastered wall with hundreds of invocations of Peter and Paul engraved by believers in the 3rd and 4th centuries.
Above the catacombs is the Basilica, a much altered 4th-century church that houses one of the arrows allegedly used to kill St. Sebastian and the column to which he was tied.
Address: Catacombe di San Sebastiano, Via Appia Antica, Rome, Italy.
Quirinal Palace. | Photo: Martha de Jong-Lantink / Flickr. This huge palace overlooking the Piazza del Quirinale is the official residence of the head of the Italian state, namely the President of the Republic. For almost three centuries it was the summer residence of the pope, but in 1870 Pope Pius IX handed over the keys to the new king of Italy. Later, in 1948, the palace was transferred to the Italian state.
Address: Palazzo del Quirinale, Piazza del Quirinale, Rome, Italy.
This dazzling square was founded in 1538 and is located at the northern gate of Rome. Since then it has been rebuilt several times, most recently by Giuseppe Valadier in 1823. In the center of the square there is a 36-meter obelisk, which was brought by Augustus from ancient Egypt; it originally stood in Circo Massimo.
Address: Piazza del Popolo, Piazza del Popolo, Rome, Italy.
Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere. | Photo: Scott Sherrill-Mix/Flickr. Situated in a quiet corner of the central Piazza Trastevere, it is said to be the oldest church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Rome. In its original form it dates from the early 3rd century, but underwent a major rebuilding in the 12th century with the addition of a Romanesque bell tower and a sparkling façade. The portico came later, added by Carlo Fontana in 1702. Inside there is a 12th century mosaic.
Address: Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere, Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, Rome, Italy.
Trunk Villa. The Roman headquarters of the Sovereign Order of Malta, also known as the Cavalieri Di Malta (Knights of Malta), is located in a cypress-shaded square with one of the most famous views of Rome.
Address: Piazza Dei Cavalieri Di Malta, Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, Rome, Italy.
National Museum of Villa Giulia. The 16th-century villa of Pope Julius III provides a charming setting for the exhibition of Italy's finest collections of Etruscan and Roman treasures. The artifacts, many of which come from tombs around the Lazio region, range from bronze figurines and black cutlery to temple decorations, terracotta vases and fine jewelry.
Attractions include a polychrome terracotta statue of Apollo from the temple of Veio and the Sarcofago degli Sposi (sarcophagus of the betrothed), found in 1881 at Cerveteri.
Address: Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia, Piazzale di Villa Giulia 9, Rome, Italy.
There are 2 main ways to see the sights of Rome - independently and as part of an organized excursion. Both of these methods have their pros and cons. As a rule, most tourists explore the free attractions of Rome on their own, and the paid ones as part of an excursion.
Free attractions in Rome include monuments, architecture, high streets, buildings, parks, bridges, promenades and nature.
Paid attractions in Rome include museums, performances, theaters, nightclubs, restaurants, bars, amusement parks, etc.
The benefit of paid sightseeing in Rome is that if you take a sightseeing tour of Rome, you can see a large number of main attractions, as you will be transported by bus from one attraction to another. There are usually discounts for large groups, and by taking an organized excursion you can still save money. It can also be very interesting to listen to a Russian-speaking guide who has been living in Italy for several years and knows the country like the back of his hand.
Where to go and what to see in Rome
Photos with names and descriptions of the sights of Rome. The most interesting places in Rome that tourists must visit.
The Colosseum is the central arena of Ancient Rome, where gladiators fought, where prisoners were given over to be torn to pieces by animals, where water battles between ships were held, for which the arena was filled with water from the Tiber River, and where other brutal performances took place. The Colosseum was opened in 80 after the birth of Christ and in honor of its opening, the Great Games were held, which lasted more than 90 days.
The Colosseum amphitheater means "colossus", indicating its large size. The Colosseum also had the name “Flavian Amphitheatre”, which were the ruling dynasty of the Roman emperors.
2 thousand years ago it was the largest building in the world, the stands of which could accommodate 55,000 spectators.
At the beginning of the fifth century, when Christianity gained real strength, gladiatorial fights were no longer held and the premises began to be used as a stable, warehouse and shelter. Today, the Colosseum is a must-see on every tourist’s itinerary.
The Colosseum is located in Rome on Piazza del Colosseo.
You can get to the Colosseum by metro line B, get off at Colosseum station.
Pantheon in Greek means "temple of all gods" and it was built in Rome in the second century AD. The Pantheon was built when ancient Roman architecture was just blooming. Initially, the ancient Roman gods were sung here, but at the beginning of the 7th century, the Pantheon was turned into a Christian temple. Throughout its existence, the Pantheon has undergone restorations and thanks to this, it has been well preserved to this day.
The dome of the Pantheon weighs 5,000 tons and has not yet collapsed to this day. There is a hole in the dome of the Pantheon with a diameter of 9 meters, so rain and snow penetrate into the building through it. The remains of Raphael and other famous people were buried in the Pantheon. Pilgrims from all over the world flock to see this masterpiece of architecture with their own eyes.
The Pantheon opens for tourists at 9 am and it is better to explore it immediately after opening, while there are still few tourists. The Pantheon closes at 19.00.
The entrance is free.
Pantheon address: Piazza della Rotonda, Rome.
You can get to the Pantheon by metro line A, get off at Barberini station.
The Vatican is a mini city-state, the residence of the Pope and the main center of the Catholic Church. Only 8 hundred people are citizens of the Vatican, including church ministers. The Vatican covers an area of only 0.45 square kilometers. Tourists in the Vatican are most attracted by: St. Peter's Cathedral, museums that provide access to collections of paintings, sculptures and other objects of art.
Relics collected in the Vatican Museums show the history of the development of this mini-state. The Pope's clothes, cars, carriages and other antiques are collected here.
The Vatican Etruscan Museum will show you archaeological sites such as Roman art, Etruscan vases and bronze jewelry.
In the Vatican Egyptian Museum you can see mummies and sarcophagi, a statue of Pharaoh Mentuhotep, stone masks and other objects.
Gathered in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican artistic masterpieces, which also includes Raphael's Stanzas.
The Pinakothek contains paintings of religious themes, paintings by Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio and others.
The Belvedere Courtyard houses the palaces of Innocent VII and Nicholas.
The central place in the Vatican is occupied by the Sistine Chapel, decorated with frescoes by Michelangelo, Botticelli and Perugino.
The Vatican Library houses a collection of printed and handwritten books that have been collected over many centuries.
It is best to visit the Vatican Museums with a guide and wearing clothing that covers the chest, shoulders, elbows and knees. Some Vatican Museums are only accessible by appointment.
The Vatican Museums are open from Monday to Saturday from 09.00 to 18.00, except Sundays and holidays.
Vatican address: Viale Vaticano.
How to get to the Vatican: by metro from Termini train station on line A to the S Pietro stop.
St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican is the spiritual heart of the Catholic Church. The Pope holds mass there. St. Peter's Basilica was built in the 4th century on the site where Nero's circus had previously stood. Initially, the holy relics of the Apostle Peter were kept in the basilica. Only in the 15th century, a huge temple building was created on the site of the basilica. St. Peter's Basilica is the brainchild of Raphael, Michelangelo, Maderno, Peruzzi and others. In front of the cathedral is St. Peter's Square with 284 columns. There is an ancient Egyptian obelisk made of granite, magnificent fountains, sculptures of the holy apostles Paul and Peter, and the residence of the Pope.
How to get to St. Peter's Square: Take metro line B to Ottaviano San Pietro station.
Vittoriano is an architectural complex built from 1885 to 1935 in honor of the first king of a united Italy, Victor Emmanuel II. In front of the Vittoriano Palace is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where the Eternal Flame burns and a guard of honor replaces each other. Not all Romans like this white marble palace, but tourists happily come here.
The Vittoriano monument is located in Rome in Piazza Venezia, near the Capitoline Hill. It was designed by Giuseppe Sacconi in the Empire style. The monument also includes a 12-meter statue of the king on a horse made of bronze.
Building height: 70 meters.
Nearest metro: Colosseo, Cavour.
The Castel Sant'Angelo, also called Hadrian's Mausoleum and the Sorrowful Castle, was built on the banks of the Tiber River in Adriano's Park. Construction of Castel Sant'Angelo began in 139 AD. Its height is 48 meters and at the time of construction it was the tallest building in Rome. The Castel Sant'Angelo consists of the Donjon tomb, a square courtyard with a wall and a bridge over the river, decorated with sculptures.
The castle served as the home of the Pope, a warehouse, a prison and a tomb. Now the castle houses the Military History Museum.
The castle was named because of an event that happened to Pope Gregory in the 4th century, when the Archangel Michael appeared to him. Under Emperor Hadrian, a bridge was built from the castle across the Tiber River, along which you can walk to the Campus Martius.
The Roman Forum was built in the center of Ancient Rome and at first the market functioned there, but then political decisions were made there.
The Roman Forum is located between the Palatine, Velia, Capitoline, Esquiline, Quirinal and Viminal hills.
At the Roman Forum in Ancient Rome, laws were passed, consuls were elected, and emperors were met after the war.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the forum was destroyed, and only fragments of its former greatness have survived to this day, where a museum now operates under open air.
Address: Via della Salaria Vecchia, 5/6.
The Roman Forum is open every day from 8.00 to 17.00, and from April to October - until 17.30.
Trajan's Forum was the last imperial forum built in Rome, designed by the architect Apollodorus of Damascus. Trajan's Forum was created in accordance with the orders of Emperor Trajan. It was decorated with trophies won in Dacia in 106. Trajan's Forum was opened in 112, and Trajan's Column was installed in 113. the forum was a large square surrounded by a market, the temple of Emperor Trajan, Latin and Greek libraries. The 38-meter marble column of Trajan, inside which the tomb of the emperor and his wife was made, has survived to this day.
The Baths of Emperor Septimius Bassian Caracalla in Rome are officially called the Baths of Antoninian. Construction of the Baths of Caracalla began in 212 AD and was completed in 217, when the Emperor of Caracalla died. The courtyard of the Baths of Caracalla was square and reached a length and width of 400 meters; the dimensions of the baths building were 150 by 200 meters. In addition to the bathhouse and swimming pools, there was a library. People came to the baths to communicate, negotiate and find out news mixed with gossip.
Today, the Baths of Caracalla are what remains of the ancient Roman baths along the Appian Way.
The triumphal arch of Constantine was erected in 315 in Rome between the Colosseum and the Palatine on Via Triumphalis. The arch commemorates the victory of Emperor Constantine over his rival Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312.
During the construction of the Arch of Constantine, decorative elements were used that were removed from older buildings. The Triumphal Arch of Constantine is the only arch in Rome that commemorates the victory in the civil war.
Interestingly, it was under Emperor Constantine that Christianity became official religion in the Roman Empire and the capital was moved to Constantinople.
The Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano is a cathedral built in Rome in 324. In the hierarchy of Catholic churches, it ranks first and even St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican is below it.
The Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano is one of the 4 basilicas in Rome with the title "Basilica maior", which means "Senior Basilica". It was included in the list for pilgrims, which includes 7 basilicas in Rome.
The Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano was built during the reign of Emperor Constantine under Pope Sylvester I. The relics of six Popes and the apostles Paul and Peter are buried in the temple.
You can get to the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano by metro, the nearest stations are Re Di Roma and Ponte Lungo.
San Paolo Fuori le Mura is one of the 4 main basilicas of Rome. San Paolo Fuori le Mura was built in the southern part of Rome outside the Aurelian Walls and is one of the seven basilicas of Rome for pilgrims. The holy relics of the Apostle Paul are buried in the basilica, so the flow of pilgrims and tourists is huge. In 1980, the Basilica of San Paolo fuori le Mura was inscribed on the World Heritage List.
The basilica was built by order of Emperor Constantine on the burial site of the Apostle Paul in the 4th century AD.
The Basilica of San Paolo fuori le Mura is located at Via Ostiense 186, Rome, Italy.
The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore is one of the 4 main Catholic churches in Rome and is included in the list of seven pilgrimage basilicas for pilgrims.
The architectural style of the church belongs to the Romanesque and Baroque styles.
The author of the project is Liberius, and the founder is Sixtus III.
The Temple of Santa Maria Maggiore was founded in 356, and construction lasted from 440 to 1750.
In the 14th century, a 75-meter bell tower was completed.
Address: Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore 42.
You can reach the temple on foot from Termini train station along Cavour Street.
Open every day from 7.00 to 19.00.
The Church of Il Gesu is the central temple of the Jesuits in Rome, and it is here that the remains of the Grand Master Ignatius of Loyola are buried. Michelangelo worked on the original design of the church, but he suited the head of the Jesuit order. In 1561, the architect Giacomo Barozzi began to implement his project.
The style of the church is Baroque.
The Jesuit Order existed until the end of the 18th century and a large fortune was kept in the temple of Il Gesu. Then the Il Gesu temple was taken away from the Jesuits, but after 1814 the building was returned.
The Church of Il Gesu is located in the small square of Il Gesu in the center of Rome.
Piazza Navona is a Roman square, which was built in the shape of a rectangle on the site of the stadium of Domitian (1st century). From the 15th century to 1869, the city market functioned here. Piazza Navona was built in the 17th century in the Baroque style. From the 16th century, houses for ambassadors, cardinals, bankers and other nobility began to be built in the area of the square.
Piazza Navona is overlooked by 2 temples, including the Church of St. Agnes, and several palaces, including Palazzo Pamphilj.
In the center of Piazza Navona is the Fountain of the Four Rivers with an obelisk that symbolizes the power of the Pope. Around the obelisk there are sculptures symbolizing the rivers of 4 continents.
Piazza del Popolo in Rome has always been of strategic importance, since the road leading to the northern provinces departed from it. Translated from Italian, "Piazza del Popolo" means "People's Square".
The square contains the Egyptian obelisk of Ramses II and the Temple of Santa Maria del Popolo. The architect Valadier worked on the appearance of the square in the 19th century.
Piazza del Popolo is created in the shape of an oval 100 by 165 meters. In the north of the square there is a gate - Porta del Popolo, which in ancient times was part of the Aurelian Wall.
Villa Borghese is a Roman landscape park located on the Pincio hill. It is the third largest public park in Rome and covers an area of 80 hectares.
History says that in the 17th century, Cardinal Scipione Borghese created a park on the site of the vineyards, decorated with ancient statues.
In the 19th century, the park was decorated in English style. The owner of the estate in those days was Elena Borghese.
In 1903, the Villa Borghese park was purchased by Italian government officials and donated to Rome. Later, children's attractions were installed in the park. You can climb to the Villa Borghese park via the famous Spanish Steps, as well as from Piazza Popolo.
In the park of Villa Borghese there are: Galleria Borghese, National Museum of Villa Giulia, National Gallery of Modern Art, Globe Theater, Pietro Canonica House Museum, Carlo Bilotti Museum.
The Villa Medici occupies the slope of the Roman Pincio hill, slightly below the Villa Borghese. In ancient times, the gardens of Lucullus grew on this territory, and there was a villa where Empress Messalina passed away. In the Middle Ages, vineyards stretched across this area.
In 1576, the Pincio slope was sold to Cardinal Ferdinando Medici, the future ruler of Florence. The project of the villa in the Mannerist style was developed by Bartolomeo Ammannati. When the last representative of the Medici family passed away, the villa was transferred to the House of Lorraine. Napoleon Bonaparte gave the Villa Medici to the French Academy in Rome, and since then those who have been awarded the Rome Prize have lived there.
Exhibits are displayed in the garden ancient culture. The cardinal bought 170 antique statues from the nobility of Rome and decorated the villa with them.
The Catacombs of Rome is a network of ancient catacombs that were used for burial during early Christianity. The total number of catacombs in Rome is more than 60, and most of them are located under the surface of the earth along the Appian Way. The catacombs of Rome are underground passages in the form of a labyrinth. In the walls of the catacombs there are rectangular niches for burying the dead. To this day, only a few niches have remained closed, while the rest are empty.
The first followers of Christ hid in the catacombs. Religious ceremonies and meetings of believers were held here.
The Pyramid of Cestius is an ancient Roman mausoleum built on the Aventine in Rome in the shape of an irregular pyramid. Near the Pyramid of Cestius is the Porta San Paolo.
The Pyramid of Cestius is believed to have been built in the 1st century BC. The mausoleum is intended for the burial of the praetor Gaius Cestius Epulus. The construction of the pyramid coincided with the period of the conquest of Egypt, and when the “Egyptian style” was fashionable in Ancient Rome. At that time, obelisks and sculptures were exported from the Nile Valley. Dimensions of the Pyramid of Cestius: height - 37 meters, width - 30 meters.
Great Circus
The Circus Maximus in Rome is an ancient hippodrome, which is located between the Palatine Hill and the Aventine Hill. During the Roman Empire, chariot races were held here. Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar expanded the circus to an impressive size and this allowed more than 250,000 people to watch the races at the same time. There were standing places for commoners, and boxes for patricians.
The length of the Circus Maximus in Rome is 600 meters and the width is 150 meters.
The Appian Way was created by order of the censor Appius Caecus in 312 BC, and was supposed to complement the Latin Way, which connects Rome with the colony of Cala near Capua.
The Appian Way is the central ancient public road of Rome. Later, the Appian Way was extended to Brundisium and connected Rome with Egypt, Greece and Asia Minor.
On both sides of the Appian Way there are such historical monuments as: tombs, villas, Christian catacombs, medieval towers, Jewish catacombs, buildings in the Renaissance and Baroque styles.
Trastevere area
The Trastevere district in Rome is a network of medieval streets on the west bank of the Tiber River, south of the Vatican. The Trastevere district is located on the eastern slope of the Janiculum hill.
In ancient times, the Etruscans lived on this bank of the Tiber, then it was settled by Jews and Syrians.
The central place in the Trastevere district is occupied by the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere, built in the 3rd century. The Church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere was built in the 5th century. Both churches house works of painting and sculpture by famous masters.
Trastevere train station is located in the south of the Trastevere district.
In the evening, tourists and the residents of Rome themselves like to visit the Trastevere area, as there are bars and restaurants here.
Spanish steps
The Spanish Steps in Rome have 138 steps leading from Piazza di Spagna to the Trinita dei Monti temple, located on top of the Pincio hill.
The representative office of the kings of Spain was located on Spanish Square. The French diplomat Etienne Geffier believed that it was necessary to connect the Trinità dei Monti church and the Piazza di Spagna, and for this purpose he bequeathed his fortune.
The architects of the project were Alessandro Specchi and Francesco de Sanctis. Construction of the Spanish Steps lasted from 1723 to 1725.
On the Spanish Square there is a fountain in the shape of the Barcaccia boat.
The Trevi Fountain is the largest fountain in Rome, reaching a height of 25.9 meters and a width of 49.8 meters.
The Trevi Fountain was created in the Baroque style from 1732 to 1762. The project belongs to the architect Nicolo Salvi. The fountain is located next to the facade of the Palazzo Poli.
Legend says that whoever throws a coin into the Trevi Fountain will return to Rome. If he throws two coins, then a love encounter awaits him. If three, then it’s a wedding. If four, then - wealth. If five, then separation.
Utility workers remove coins worth 1.4 million euros from the fountain every year.
The second legend says that on the right side of the Trevi Fountain there are “lovers’ tubes”, and those who drink water from them will love each other and live happily ever after.
Sights of Rome on the map
Sights of Rome on your ownTo explore the free sights of Rome, download a map of Rome and Italy to your phone, where all the sights of Rome are already marked. Most often, experienced travelers use the Maps.me mobile application for this, where most of the attractions of Rome are indicated with photos, names and descriptions in Russian.
The sights of Italy are very popular among tourists from all over the world, and the sights of Rome are especially popular. |
One of the most ancient civilizations in the world - the Holy Roman Empire - gave humanity the greatest culture, which included not only the richest literary heritage, but also the stone chronicle. The people who inhabited this state have long ceased to exist, but thanks to the preserved architectural monuments, it is possible to recreate the way of life of the pagan Romans. On April 21, the day of the founding of the city on seven hills, I propose to look at 10 sights of Ancient Rome.
Roman forum
The area, located in the valley between the Palatine and Velia on the south side, the Capitol on the west, the Esquiline and the slopes of the Quirinal and Viminal, was a wetland from the pre-Roman period. Until the middle of the 8th century BC. e. this area was used for burials, and settlements were located on the nearby hills. The place was drained during the reign of King Tarquikia the Ancient, who turned it into the center of the political, religious and cultural life of the townspeople. It was here that the famous truce between the Romans and Sabines took place, elections to the Senate took place, judges sat and services were held.
From west to east, the sacred road of the empire runs through the entire Roman Forum - Via Appia, or Appian Way, along which there are many monuments from both ancient and medieval times. The Roman Forum contains the Temple of Saturn, the Temple of Vespasian and the Temple of Vesta.
The temple in honor of the god Saturn was erected around 489 BC, symbolizing the victory over the Etruscan kings of the Tarquin family. He died several times during fires, but was revived. The inscription on the frieze confirms that “The Senate and people of Rome restored what was destroyed by fire.” It was a majestic building, which was decorated with a statue of Saturn, it included the premises of the state treasury, an aerarium, where documents on state revenues and debts were kept. However, only a few columns of the Ionic order have survived to this day.
Construction of the Temple of Vespasian began by decision of the Senate in 79 AD. e. after the death of the emperor. This holy building was dedicated to the Flavians: Vespasian and his son Titus. Its length was 33 m, and its width extended 22 m. Three 15-meter columns of the Corinthian order have survived to this day.
The Temple of Vesta is dedicated to the goddess of the hearth and in ancient times was connected to the House of the Vestals. The Holy Fire was constantly maintained in the inner room. Initially, he was guarded by the king’s daughters, then they were replaced by vestal priestesses, who also held services in honor of Vesta. This temple contained a cache of symbols of the empire. The building was round in shape, the territory of which was bordered by 20 Corinthian columns. Despite the fact that there was an outlet for smoke in the roof, fires often broke out in the temple. It was saved and reconstructed several times, but in 394 Emperor Theodosius ordered it to be closed. Gradually the building deteriorated and fell into disrepair.
Trajan's Column
A monument of ancient Roman architecture, erected in 113 AD. by the architect Apollodorus of Damascus in honor of the victories of Emperor Trajan over the Dacians. The marble column, hollow inside, rises 38 m above the ground. In the “body” of the structure there is a spiral staircase with 185 steps leading to an observation deck on the capital.
The column's trunk is spiraled 23 times by a 190 m long ribbon with reliefs depicting episodes of the war between Rome and Dacia. Initially, the monument was crowned with an eagle, later - with a statue of Trajan. And in the Middle Ages, the column began to be decorated with a statue of the Apostle Peter. At the base of the column there is a door leading to the hall where the golden urns with the ashes of Trajan and his wife Pompeii Plotina were placed. The relief tells the story of Trajan's two wars with the Dacians, the period being 101–102. AD separated from the battles of 105–106 by the figure of a winged Victoria inscribing the name of the winner on a shield surrounded by trophies. It also depicts the movement of the Romans, the construction of fortifications, river crossings, battles, and the details of the weapons and armor of both troops are drawn in great detail. In total, there are about 2,500 human figures on the 40-ton column. Trajan appears on it 59 times. In addition to Victory, the relief also contains other allegorical figures: the Danube in the image of a majestic old man, Night - a woman with her face covered with a veil, etc.
Pantheon
The Temple of All Gods was built in 126 AD. e. under Emperor Hadrian on the site of the previous Pantheon, erected two centuries earlier by Marcus Vipsanias Agrippa. The Latin inscription on the pediment reads: “M. AGRIPPA L F COS TERTIUM FECIT" - "Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, elected consul for the third time, erected this." Located in Piazza della Rotonda. The Pantheon is distinguished by classical clarity and integrity of the composition of the internal space, and the majesty of the artistic image. Devoid of external decorations, the cylindrical building is crowned with a dome covered with discreet carvings. The height from the floor to the opening in the vault exactly corresponds to the diameter of the base of the dome, presenting amazing proportionality to the eye. The weight of the dome is distributed over eight sections that make up a monolithic wall, between which there are niches that give the massive building a feeling of airiness. Thanks to the illusion of open space, it seems that the walls are not so thick and the dome is much lighter than in reality. A round hole in the vault of the temple lets in light, illuminating the rich decoration of the interior space. Everything has reached our days almost unchanged.
Coliseum
One of the most significant buildings of Ancient Rome. The huge amphitheater took eight years to build. It was an oval building, along the perimeter of the arena there were 80 large arches, with smaller ones on them. The arena is surrounded by a wall of 3 tiers, and the total number of large and small arches was 240. Each tier was decorated with columns made in different styles. The first is of the Doric order, the second is of the Ionic order, and the third is of the Corinthian order. In addition, sculptures made by the best Roman craftsmen were installed on the first two tiers.
The amphitheater building included galleries intended for spectators to relax, where noisy merchants sold various goods. The outside of the Colosseum was decorated with marble, and there were beautiful statues along its perimeter. There were 64 entrances to the room, which were located on different sides of the amphitheater.
Below were privileged seats for the nobles of Rome and the throne of the emperor. The floor of the arena, where not only gladiator fights took place, but also real naval battles, was wooden.
Nowadays, the Colosseum has lost two-thirds of its original mass, but even today it is a majestic structure, being a symbol of Rome. No wonder the saying goes: “As long as the Colosseum stands, Rome will stand; if the Colosseum disappears, Rome will disappear and with it the whole world.”
Triumphal Arch of Titus
The single-span marble arch, located on the Via Sacra, was built after the death of Emperor Titus to commemorate the capture of Jerusalem in 81 AD. Its height is 15.4 m, width - 13.5 m, span depth - 4.75 m, span width - 5.33 m. The arch is decorated with semi-columns of the composite order, four figures of Victoria, bas-reliefs depicting Titus controlling the quadriga, victorious a procession with trophies, including the main shrine of the Jewish temple - the menorah.
Baths of Caracalla
The baths were built at the beginning of the 3rd century AD. under Marcus Aurelius, nicknamed Caracalla. The luxurious building was intended not only for the washing process, but also for a variety of leisure activities, including both sports and intellectual. There were four entrances to the “bath building”; through the two central ones they entered the covered halls. On both sides there were rooms for meetings, recitations, etc. Among the many different rooms located on the right and left intended for washing rooms, it should be noted two large open symmetrical courtyards surrounded on three sides by a colonnade, the floor of which was decorated with the famous mosaic with figures of athletes. The emperors not only covered the walls with marble, covered the floors with mosaics and erected magnificent columns: they systematically collected works of art here. In the Baths of Caracalla there once stood the Farnese bull, statues of Flora and Hercules, and the torso of Apollo Belvedere.
The visitor found here a club, a stadium, a recreation garden, and a house of culture. Everyone could choose what they liked: some, after washing themselves, sat down to chat with friends, went to watch wrestling and gymnastic exercises, and could exercise themselves; others wandered around the park, admired the statues, and sat in the library. People left with a supply of new strength, rested and renewed not only physically, but also morally. Despite such a gift of fate, the baths were destined to collapse.
Temples of Portunus and Hercules
These temples are located on the left bank of the Tiber on another ancient forum of the city - the Bull. In early Republican times, ships moored here and there was a brisk livestock trade, hence the name.
The Temple of Portuna was built in honor of the god of ports. The building has a rectangular shape, decorated with Ionic columns. The temple has been well preserved since around 872 AD. was converted into the Christian church of Santa Maria in Gradelis, and in the 5th century it was consecrated into the church of Santa Maria Aegitiana.
The Temple of Hercules has a monopter design - a round building without internal partitions. The structure dates back to the 2nd century BC. The temple has a diameter of 14.8 m, decorated with twelve Corinthian columns 10.6 m high. The structure rests on a tuff foundation. Previously, the temple had an architrave and a roof, which have not survived to this day. In 1132 AD. the temple became a place of Christian worship. The church was originally called Santo Stefano al Carose. In the 17th century, the newly consecrated temple began to be called Santa Maria del Sol.
Champ de Mars
“Campus Martius” was the name of the part of Rome located on the left bank of the Tiber, originally intended for military and gymnastic exercises. In the center of the field there was an altar in honor of the god of war. This part of the field remained vacant subsequently, while the remaining parts were built up.
Mausoleum of Hadrian
The architectural monument was designed as a tomb for the emperor and his family. The mausoleum was a square base (side length - 84 m), in which a cylinder (diameter - 64 m, height about 20 m) was installed, topped with an earth mound, the top of which was decorated with a sculptural composition: the emperor in the form of the Sun god, controlling a quadriga. Subsequently, this gigantic structure began to be used for military and strategic purposes. Centuries have modified its original appearance. The building acquired the Angel's courtyard, medieval halls, including the Hall of Justice, the apartments of the Pope, a prison, a library, the Hall of Treasures and the Secret Archive. From the terrace of the castle, above which the figure of an Angel rises, a magnificent view of the city opens.
Catacombs
The Catacombs of Rome are a network of ancient buildings that were used as burial places, mostly during the period of early Christianity. In total, Rome has more than 60 different catacombs (150-170 km long, about 750,000 burials), most of which are located underground along the Appian Way. According to one version, the labyrinths of underground passages arose on the site of ancient quarries; according to another, they formed on private land plots. In the Middle Ages, the custom of burying in catacombs disappeared, and they remained as evidence of the culture of Ancient Rome.
1. Cultural monuments of Ancient Rome.
The monuments of Ancient Rome are, first of all, city forums, temples, palaces, basilicas, triumphal arches, amphitheaters, aqueducts, fortress walls - objects that had a huge influence on the development of all subsequent European civilization. And we can quite agree with geographer professor E.N. Pertsik, that in the art of Ancient Rome - architecture, sculpture - the geography of the greatest slave-owning power, which, together with Ancient Greece, laid, in the words of Engels, "the foundation of modern Europe," seems to "come to life."
The monuments of Ancient Rome can be divided into three territorial groups. The first of them includes the city of Rome itself - the most vibrant and complete concentration of masterpieces of ancient architecture. The second includes other ancient monuments on the territory of modern Italy. And to the third - quite numerous architectural and historical objects that have been preserved outside its borders, in other European countries that were once part of the Roman Empire
As a matter of fact, the List of World Heritage Sites includes a broader formulation about the “historic center of Rome,” which can be understood as the layers left in the material appearance of the Eternal City by the most different eras. But there is no doubt that in this “layer cake” the most interesting and unique part is formed by the objects of Ancient Rome.
Ancient Rome was such a large city and had so many architectural monuments that a truly enormous literature is devoted to their description. So there is neither the need nor the opportunity to characterize the appearance of the Eternal City in any complete form. Moreover, as Stendhal aptly noted in his voluminous “Walks in Rome,” published in 1829, “in the center of Rome there is not a single soil that is not occupied in succession by five or six equally famous buildings.” Therefore, it is most correct to talk only about what has survived to this day. It seems that this is best done according to the historical eras of the city’s development. After all, the history of Ancient Rome is a period of time spanning more than a thousand years.
From the earliest stage of Roman history, the royal stage, very little has survived to this day. First of all, these are the ruins of the fortress wall that fenced the city in those days. It was built from square blocks of volcanic stone by the sixth king of Rome, Servius Tullius, and was 11 km long. Its best preserved remains can now be seen at the entrance to Rome's Termini station.
More architectural monuments have survived from the second, republican stage, which lasted four and a half centuries. These are, first of all, the ruins of the main civil center of the city - the Roman Forum (Foro Romano), where all the most important events of political and economic life took place - public meetings, legal proceedings, religious ceremonies. By the end of the Republican period, the Forum had already taken on a completely finished architectural appearance - with public buildings, temples, arches, colonnades, statues, the sacred road (Viz Sacra), as well as shopping arcades. However, over time, all its structures ended up deep underground, and this place where cows were grazed began to be called the Cow Pasture (Campo Vaccino). In the 19th century Excavations began here, and now in the protected area of the Forum you can see the remains of ancient temples and colonnades.
From the era of the late Republic, the temple of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth and patroness of the state, has reached us. The priestesses of Vesta, the Vestal girls, were obliged to support in the temple Eternal flame. Throughout the entire “service,” which lasted at least 30 years, they had to maintain a vow of chastity (for breaking it, the Vestals were buried alive in the ground, and their seducers were strangled and stoned). Here, at the foot of the Capitoline Hill, rise the gloomy dark gray ruins of the arcades of the Tabularium - a building intended to store the archives of the republic.
Next came the era of the early Roman Empire, covering the period of the 1st century. BC. and I century. AD, when the country was ruled by the Julio-Claudian dynasty, and then the Flavian dynasty. In modern Rome it is represented by several objects of truly global significance.
These include the so-called Imperial Forums. The first of them began to be built by Julius Caesar, who considered that the old Forum Romano had become too small for the expanding city. This forum with the temple of Venus was completed under Caesar’s successor Augustus, who also erected next to it his luxurious forum with the temple of the god Mars. The size of this temple, which was once admired by the Roman poet Ovid, is still evidenced by three Corinthian columns 18 m high. Apparently, it is no coincidence that the statement that “Augustus took Rome as brick, but left it as marble” was born back in those days. Later, next to the Forum of Augustus, the Forum of Emperor Flavius Vespasian arose. And at the foot of the Palatine Hill, even today, rise the gloomy ruins of the imperial palaces.
Among the very well-preserved monuments of Rome from this era is the marble Triumphal Arch of Vespasian's son Titus in the Forum. It was erected in honor of the successful campaign of the Romans against Jerusalem (they managed to take this city and plunder it famous temple). The relief of the arch depicts the emperor on a triumphal chariot entering Rome and the spoils captured in the Jerusalem temple. On the eve of Rome, those arriving in this city can see the huge arcades of the Claudius Aqueduct, one of the dozen water conduits that approached the city, “constructed by the slaves of Rome.”
But perhaps the most famous architectural monument of the early empire period, one of the main symbols of all Roman antiquity, is the Flavian Amphitheater, or Colosseum. Its construction was started by Emperor Vespasian in 75 AD, and completed by his son Titus in 80. In plan, the Colosseum had the shape of an ellipse measuring 180 by 156 m with a height of 50 m; It is no coincidence that its name is usually derived from the Latin “colosseo” - huge. Built from brownish-yellow travertine, tufa and brick and accommodating more than 50 thousand spectators, it was intended for gladiatorial fights and other mass spectacles, which, as we know, were an integral part of Roman civilization. On the occasion of the opening of the amphitheater, Emperor Titus announced a hundred-day games, during which several thousand gladiators fought in his arena and 5,000 animals were hunted! This is how lines from Lermontov’s poem “The Dying Gladiator” come to mind:
Exuberant Rome rejoices... triumphantly thunders
The wide arena applauds:
And he - pierced in the chest - he lies silently,
His knees slide in dust and blood...
Although only part of it has survived to modern and modern times from the ancient Colosseum, it leaves an indelible impression on everyone who visited and is visiting it. Mark Twain, who traveled around Europe, called it the king of all European ruins.
The architectural appearance of the Colosseum can be reconstructed from its fairly well-preserved southern façade. It can be seen that it had four tiers (the lower one was intended for the imperial court, the second - for members of noble families, the third - for common people, and the fourth with wooden benches is for women). The three lower tiers are through arcades, the significance of which is not only decorative: thanks to them, the amphitheater was quickly filled and emptied. Inside the ellipse, under the former arena, cellars for wild animals, devices that supplied water to the arena on the days of performances of naval battles (naumachia), and service premises were excavated. People, animals, and scenery got from here to the stage with the help of a complex system of corridors, passages and lifts. In extreme heat or rain, a canvas awning was stretched over the entire amphitheater on special masts.
The design features of the largest amphitheater in antiquity, widely used in subsequent eras, are still impressive today. “Climbing to the height of the third floor of the Colosseum,” writes G.D. Bogemsky in a book about the cities of Italy, “you are filled with admiration for the art of the architects of antiquity, who knew how to erect huge structures so harmonious that they do not overwhelm with their heaviness, do not seem massive or even large.” .
From the era of the late empire, even more architectural and historical monuments of Rome have reached us. This especially applies to the 2nd century, when the imperial Antonine dynasty was in power; It is not for nothing that the second century AD is often called the golden age of Ancient Rome. There are at least three particularly impressive monuments from this era.
This is the famous Trajan's Column and part of the basilica - all that remains of what was once the most magnificent of the imperial forums. Trajan's Column was erected in honor of the victories of the emperor, who died in Syria during a military campaign. The surface of this 38-meter-high column is wrapped (24 turns) in a 300-meter-long spiral frieze relief, immortalizing Trajan’s conquest of Dacia. On it you can see scenes of the life of the Dacians, the exploits of Roman legionnaires and the emperor himself, who appears on the relief more than 80 times.
Next, this is the Pantheon, built by the emperor Hadrian who replaced Trajan and preserved better than other ancient monuments of Rome. The Pantheon is a surprisingly proportional round temple, having the same (43.5 m) diameter and height. The six-meter-thick walls provide the strength required to support the huge dome, which is a true miracle of engineering and thinness. artistic taste. Serving as the prototype for the domes of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome and the Church of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, it even slightly surpasses them in size, surpassed only in the 20th century. A nine-meter round hole in the center of the dome - the “eye of the Pantheon” - serves as the only source of light for its interior, which can easily accommodate 2,000 people. In small niches located along the walls of the temple, there are tombs of Italian kings. But the most attention is drawn to the left niche, where the ashes of one of the greatest artists of Italy, Raphael, rest. The Pantheon was declared by the popes to be the “temple of all gods,” in other words, the temple of the most divine idea, symbolizing peace, harmony, and spirituality. But all this is still valued no less than it was more than two millennia ago. Stendhal was probably right when he wrote: “Two moments are enough to be imbued with its beauty.”
Finally, this is the Mausoleum of Hadrian, built on the right bank of the Tiber for the emperor himself and members of his family. But it performed its initial functions for a relatively short time, being first turned into a bridgehead fortification, and in the Middle Ages into an impregnable castle, which, if necessary, served as a refuge for the popes. At the same time, the former mausoleum received the name of the Castle of St. Angel - after the statue of an angel with a sword that adorned it. Until the very end of modern times, first popes and then kings used it as a prison. Despite numerous reconstructions, Hadrian's mausoleum has also largely retained its original appearance of a huge cylindrical tower.
A bronze equestrian statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius remained from the “golden age” in Rome, which later served as a standard for many European monuments. Interestingly, this is the only ancient Roman equestrian statue that survived the Middle Ages. It is believed that a mistake saved it from destruction by Christians: the statue was mistaken for the image of the Christian emperor Constantine, and not the “pagan” Marcus Aurelius.
The rule of the Severan dynasty (III - IV centuries) dates back to the late Roman Empire. The ruins of baths and triumphal arches remind us of this era in Rome.
When getting acquainted with the ruins of Roman baths, you need to keep in mind that in the life of the city they performed one of the central functions, being not just baths for their intended purpose, but also something like clubs, places of entertainment and sports. An example of this could be the largest of the Roman baths - the Baths of Caracalla, which occupied an area of 340 x 330 m. The core of the entire complex was the main building of the baths, in which the Big hall with a swimming pool, a luxuriously decorated main hall with cold, warm and hot baths, under the floor of which there was a complex water supply, heating and sewage system. Along the façade of the main building there were rest rooms. And the main building itself was located in the park, where there were also two palestras, a place for athletic competitions, library rooms and halls for music classes, and locker rooms. The Baths of Caracalla could accommodate more than 2,000 people at a time. Nowadays, their brick-red ruins rise to a height of more than 30 m. In the summer they are used to host opera festivals. And in the Baths of Diocletian there is now a national Roman museum.
Of the triumphal arches of that era, the two most famous are the Arch of Septimius Severus and the Arch of Constantine. The first of them, 20 m high, was built in honor of the emperor after whom it was named and his victories over the barbarians. The second, later one, erected in honor of Constantine’s victory over Maxentius, has three well-preserved spans.
In general, we can assume that quite a few monuments have been preserved in Rome since ancient times, especially if we take into account the long and turbulent history The Eternal City. Indeed, in the middle of the 1st century, under Emperor Nero, a huge fire broke out in Rome and lasted for a whole week, literally devastating the city. In the 5th century, at the very end of the empire, the Vandals plundered Rome for two weeks, subjecting it to terrible destruction. Many ancient monuments perished already in the Middle Ages. For example, in the early Middle Ages, popes and nobles used the Colosseum as a source of building material. In the 15th century it was generally turned into a real quarry: many Roman palazzos were built from the travertine mined here; even metal fittings were knocked out of the walls and used again. It was then that the well-known pun saying arose: “What the barbarians (barberi) did not destroy, the Barberini destroyed” (the surname of several popes and cardinals).
And in the 30s. XX century Mussolini, out of purely ambitious motives, ordered the construction of the main street of the Imperial Forums through the central historical part of the city, destroying many ancient monuments in the process.
Pompeii and Herculaneum are two Roman cities that were located in the southwestern part of Central Italy, in the region of Campania (literally “country of fields”), which, due to the beauty of the Gulf of Naples and favorable living conditions in ancient times, was usually called the “Happy Campania”. The city of Pompeii, founded in the 8th century. BC, first belonged to the Etruscans, Greeks, Samnites, and then passed to the Romans. It was a small but thriving trading center. Herculaneum, named after Hercules, was founded in the 6th century. BC. It was also conquered by the warlike Samnites, and later became a Roman patrician city, a resting place for the nobility. The local population was mainly engaged in fishing and olive oil production. In a word, these were provincial cities that did not stand out in any way. They gained fame in 79 AD, when the Vesuvius volcano, at the foot of which they were located, erupted.
Vesuvius, dormant for many centuries, suddenly awakened. First, a cloud of hot steam and ash appeared above its crater, and on August 24 a strong earthquake began, accompanied by the ejection of a huge mass of stones, ash, volcanic mud and lava from the cracked crater of the volcano. The cloud hanging over Vesuvius sank lower and lower, the ensuing darkness was cut through only by flashes of fire. The hot shower that completed the eruption seemed to cement all these volcanic emissions. As a result, the flourishing coastal zone of the Bay of Naples turned into a lifeless desert in one day. Cities, villages and villas located at the foot of Vesuvius perished. The city of Pompeii was destroyed by stone bombs flying out of the volcano, covered with volcanic ash, and flooded with hot rain. A flow up to 15 m high completely consumed Herculaneum. Although most of the residents of both cities managed to escape, many still died. Among them was the famous Roman writer Pliny the Elder, whose death was described in detail by his nephew Pliny the Younger in letters to the historian Cornelius Tacitus. And those rescued had to endure all the horrors of unexpected flight and loss of property. Suffice it to recall the famous painting by Karl Bryullov “The Last Day of Pompeii”.
Stories about this terrible disaster lived in people's memories for a long time. But centuries passed, and no one could imagine where exactly both cities were. When local peasants, while digging wells, found the remains of ancient buildings, no one connected them with forgotten cities.
The location of Pompeii was discovered only in the 17th century. during the construction of a water pipeline, but excavations here began only in the 18th century, and continued on a more scientific basis in the 19th and 20th centuries. Thanks to the work of archaeologists who cleared the territory of the city and restored what was destroyed and damaged, Pompeii turned into a large open-air archaeological and museum reserve, allowing one to imagine what the Italian city was like 2000 years ago. N.V. Gogol saw in it “beautiful skies, a world rich in art and people.”
Excavations of Herculaneum began only in the 19th century, but were mainly carried out already in the 20th century. This city, filled with liquid volcanic mud, was much less destroyed. But to this day, only a relatively small part of it has been liberated from the ground.
As a World Heritage Site, the archaeological reserve of Pompeii is most interesting because it provides an opportunity to get acquainted with the typical layout and development of a Roman city.
Pompeii had a clear layout. The two main streets of the city ran from north to south and from west to east. The remaining streets, paved with stone slabs, ran parallel to the main ones, dividing the entire city into nine districts. The center of city life was the rectangular forum square, surrounded by the buildings of temples, basilica, city curia, archive-tabularium, and market. In the southern part of the city there was a large theater with well-preserved benches for spectators cut into the hillside and a stage; it was designed for 5,000 spectators. In the southeastern part of Pompeii there was an elliptical amphitheater where gladiator fights took place. And at the gates in the city wall there were usually hotels, taverns, shops, and stables. There were also baths and a brothel in the city.
Among its residential buildings (domus), the houses of artisans with workshops and shops, and especially the houses of rich people, landowners and merchants, are of interest. Judging by the excavations, a typical rich house had a main room - an atrium - with a pool (impluvium) in the center, where rainwater entered through a hole in the roof. Adjacent to the atrium, where the owner received business visitors, was his office - a tablinium, from which there was a view of the peristyle - the internal garden. The atrium and peristyle were usually adjacent to a dining room - triclinium - with boxes for meals, designed to receive guests, as well as bedrooms (cubicula), and a library. There was also a bathhouse with cold and hot water.
The houses in Pompeii are interesting not only for their internal layout, but also for their decorative decoration - sculpture and especially well-preserved bright frescoes depicting people, animals, mythical gods, flowers, and ornaments. Elements of such decor can now be seen both in the city buildings themselves and in the small museum created at the reserve. They are also on display in the National Museum of Naples.
Herculaneum was also divided into eight blocks by straight streets. It also had a theater, baths, and a palaestra. The buildings of Herculaneum, not destroyed by a hail of stones, but filled with volcanic mud, remained largely intact. And their type itself was somewhat different thanks to a large number rich villas. In these houses and villas, wall paintings and floor mosaics are better preserved.
The current Agrigento is a small town on the southern coast of the island. Sicily, in general, little known. But in ancient times it was one of the rich and aristocratic cities of the Mediterranean.
Agrigento was founded by Greek colonists at the end of the 6th century. BC, and reached its peak in the 5th century. BC. It was then that the main temples were erected here - Olympian Zeus, Hera, della Concordia, etc. The Greek poet Pindar called Agrigento "the most beautiful city of mortals."
Later, the city was ruled by the Carthaginians, then by the Romans, Arabs, Byzantines, and Norman conquerors, and all this led to the fact that only ruins have survived from the ancient Greek temples. They form the archaeological reserve of Agrigento, which is of historical value.
It is known that the Romans used the word "villa" to designate a rural house, in contrast to the urban one - "domus". Typically, villas belonged to wealthy citizens and served as a place for them to study. agriculture, or for relaxation. Many villas intended for country holidays were real palaces. Almost all the villas discovered by archaeologists in Italy date back to the late period of the Roman Empire. An example of such a villa is the Villa Casale, dating back to the 4th century. It was a rich villa of a Roman patrician, as evidenced, in particular, by the mosaic decorating it.
ZIGGURAT, temple tower, belonging to the main temples of the Babylonian and Assyrian civilizations. The name comes from the Babylonian word sigguratu - peak, including the top of a mountain.
The first such towers in the form of primitive stepped terraces appeared in the alluvial valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates at the end of the 4th millennium BC. The last noticeable surge in activity in the construction of Mesopotamian ziggurats is attested already in the 6th century. BC, at the end of the Neo-Babylonian period. Throughout ancient history, ziggurats were renovated and rebuilt, becoming a source of pride for kings.
As the name implies, the ziggurat was an artificial hill, designed as an imitation of one of those sanctuaries that the Sumerians were forcibly deprived of when they moved from their mountainous ancestral home to the plains of Mesopotamia. The ziggurat was a massive structure with sloping walls, completely monolithic except for drainage channels and a small temple at the top. Its dimensions were enormous; the famous Babylonian ziggurat was more than 90 m high, the length of each side of the square base was also more than 90 m. The base of the structure was built from clay or clay bricks, additionally reinforced with layers of reed or asphalt; outside it was surrounded by a thick wall of baked bricks. The ziggurats had a square or rectangular plan, and their only decoration were high and narrow niches located at regular intervals. Abandoning the single-terrace design characteristic of earlier structures, the kings of the Third Dynasty of Ur (c. 2250 BC) introduced a new tradition of building ziggurats from several terraces, placed one above the other and successively decreasing in size. They could be reached by stairs, one of which was located frontally, and the rest along the side walls. The structure as a whole was intended to symbolize the Universe, and the terraces were painted in different colors, denoting respectively the underworld, the visible world of living beings and the heavenly world. The summit temple, symbolizing the sky, was painted dazzling white in Uruk, and inlaid with glazed blue brick in Babylon and Ur.
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They tried to imitate the unattainable examples of classical Greek culture, adopting everything and creating practically nothing of their own. However, the latest research shows the original nature of the culture of Ancient Rome, because it represents a certain unity that arose as a result of the combination of the original with borrowed cultural innovations. But similarity does not mean identity -...
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The culture of Ancient Rome existed for more than 12 centuries and had its own unique values. The art of Ancient Rome glorified the veneration of the gods, love of the Fatherland, and soldier's honor. Many reports have been prepared on Ancient Rome, which tell about its achievements.
Culture of Ancient Rome
Scientists divide the history of ancient Roman culture into three periods:
- Tsarsky (8th-6th centuries BC)
- Republican (6th-1st centuries BC)
- Imperial (1st century BC - 5th century AD)
Tsarsky is considered a primitive period in terms of cultural development, however, it was then that the Romans developed their own alphabet.
The artistic culture of the Romans was similar to the Hellenic, but had its own characteristic features. For example, the sculpture of Ancient Rome acquired emotions. On the faces of the characters, Roman sculptors began to convey the state of mind. There were especially numerous sculptures of contemporaries - Caesar, Crassus, various gods, and ordinary citizens.
During the times of Ancient Rome, such a literary concept as a “novel” first appeared. Among the poets who wrote comedies, the most famous was Lucilius, who wrote poems on everyday topics. His favorite topic was ridiculing the obsession with achieving various riches.
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The Roman Livius Andronicus, who worked as a tragic actor, knew Greek. He managed to translate Homer's Odyssey into Latin. Probably, under the impression of the work, Virgil will soon write his “Aeneid” about the Trojan Aeneas, who became the distant ancestor of all Romans.
Rice. 1. The Rape of the Sabine Women.
Philosophy has achieved extraordinary development. The following philosophical movements were formed: Roman Stoicism, whose task was to achieve spiritual and moral ideals, and Neoplatonism, the essence of which was the development of the highest spiritual point of the human soul and the achievement of ecstasy.
In Rome, the ancient scientist Ptolemy created a geocentric system of the world. He also owns numerous works on mathematics and geography.
The music of Ancient Rome copied the Greek. Musicians, actors and sculptors were invited from Hellas. The odes of Horace and Ovid were popular. Over time, musical performances acquired a spectacular character, accompanied by theatrical performances or gladiator fights.
A letter from the Roman poet Martial has been preserved, in which he claims that if he becomes a music teacher, he will be guaranteed a comfortable old age. This suggests that musicians were in great demand in Rome.
Fine art in Rome was utilitarian in nature. It was presented by the Romans as a way to fill and organize living space. It, like architecture, was carried out in the form of monumentality and grandeur.
To summarize, we note that Roman culture can be considered a successor to Greek, however, the Romans introduced and improved a lot in it. In other words, the student has surpassed the teacher.
Rice. 2. Construction of a Roman road.
In architecture, the Romans built their buildings to last for centuries. The Baths of Caracalla are a striking example of gigantism in construction. Architects used such techniques as the use of palaestras, peristyle courtyards, and gardens. The baths were equipped with sophisticated technical equipment.
Majestic Roman structures include roads that are still in use today, the famous defensive ramparts of Trajan and Hadrian, aqueducts and, of course, the Flavian Amphitheater (Colosseum).
Rice. 3. Colosseum.
What have we learned?
Speaking briefly about the culture of Ancient Rome, we note that created with a militaristic and majestic orientation, created for centuries, laid the foundation for all future European culture, it left its mark on the development of civilization and aroused admiration among descendants.
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