Rome the city where hope springs eternal
it is a city that is proud of its
ancient glorious heritage the center of
a civilization that once expanded its
empire throughout Europe Africa and Asia
Rome is a city drenched in history and
Christianity first time visitors may be
easily overwhelmed by all this
magnificent city has to offer after all
one can find history and art on almost
every street corner
that's why visitors may want to do their
homework to narrow down what they want
to see and do before they get on a plane
bound for the Italian capital
number ten Galleria Borghese the
Galleria Borghese is an art gallery that
was built as a party house by Cardinal
Borghese in the 17th century a nephew of
Pope Paul v the Cardinal also was a
patron of the Arts the Galleria today
houses many pieces of paintings
sculptures and other antiquities from
his collection paintings by Titian
sculptures by Bernini and the National
Museum of musical instruments can be
seen here number nine piazza navona one
of the most famous of Rome's many
squares Piazza Navona was established
towards the end of the 15th century and
preserves the shape of a Roman Stadium
that once stood here the building
surrounding the square stand where the
spectators once sat today the square
features no less than three magnificent
fountains and is an immensely popular
place to sip a cappuccino shop and watch
the street performers
[Music]
number eight Castel Sant'Angelo Castel
Sant'Angelo was built to be a mausoleum
for the Emperor Hadrian and his family
belt in 123 BC it later
was turned into a fortress and castle by
the Pope's it was once Rome's tallest
building the ashes of other Emperor's
were buried there but scattered when the
Visigoths invaded in 410 it also served
as a prison
but today the Castel is a museum among
the most well known sites in Rome film
buffs will recognize it as a setting
from angels and demons
[Music]
number seven roman forum located in a
small valley between the palentine and
Capitoline hills the Forum Romanum
was for centuries the teeming heart of
ancient Rome the site of triumphal
processions and elections venue for
public speeches and commercial affairs
the forum today is a sprawling ruin of
architectural fragments and includes the
arch of Titus and the temple of Saturn
[Music]
number six Spanish Steps a truly
monumental stairway of 135 steps the
Spanish Steps were built with French
funds in the 18th century in order to
link the Bourbon Spanish Embassy to the
Holy See below the steps are usually
very crowded attracting tourists as well
as locals who use it as a gathering
place each year in May the steps are
decorated with beautiful pink azaleas at
the foot of the Spanish Steps is the
Piazza dis Vanya and a sober fountain
designed by Bernini
number-5 trevi fountain completed in
1762
this world-famous baroque fountain
features a mythological sculptural
composition of Neptune god of the sea
flanked by two Triton's
it is so named on account of its
position at the junction of three roads
tre VA in Latin the fountain was the
setting for an iconic scene in Fellini's
film dolce vita starring Anita Ekberg
and Marcello Mastroianni a legend says
that one who throws a coin in the
fountain shall one day return to Rome
number 4 Vatican Museums the Vatican
Museums began in the 16th century with a
collection of sculptures by pope julius
ii today they encompass several museums
inside the vatican city and include some
of the world's most important relics
attractions to the museum's include the
spiral staircase the raphael rooms and
the exquisitely decorated Sistine Chapel
Michelangelo painted the chapel ceiling
between 1508 and 1512 today the ceiling
and especially the Last Judgement are
widely believed to be Michelangelo's
crowning achievements in painting to
keep the massive crowds under control
the museums have four itineraries that
range from one and a half hours to more
than five hours all itineraries end in
the Sistine Chapel
[Music]
number three pantheon one of the best
preserved Roman buildings the Pantheon
was built in 126 ad as a temple for all
the Roman gods the temple has served as
a Roman Catholic Church since the
seventh century
eight graceful granite Corinthian
columns extend across the front of this
circular building with lesser columns in
the back though it is 2,000 years old
the Pantheon famous dome remains the
world's largest unreinforced concrete
dome it is believed that Marcus Agrippa
built the Pantheon to be his private
temple the current building was
reconstructed by Emperor Hadrian in the
2nd century
[Music]
number two st. peter's basilica the
center of the catholic world the
basilica of st. peter is a huge church
with an interior height of 400 feet the
space shuttle together with its booster
rockets could fit inside ask could be
Statue of Liberty the Basilica stands on
the traditional site where Peter the
Apostle was crucified and buried
construction on the current building
began in 1506 and was completed in 1615
many famous artists worked on the
complex and its surroundings
Michelangelo designed the dome while
Bernini designed the great st. Peter's
Square
[Music]
number one Coliseum the Coliseum is
another of Rome's major tourist
attractions its construction was started
by Emperor Vespasian's of the Flavian
dynasty in 72 ad and was finished by his
son Titus in 80 AD the elliptical
amphitheater could hold up to 50,000
people who turned out to watch the
gladiators do battle people be publicly
executed and enjoy other forms of
entertainment the stone and concrete
structure built in the 1st century was
the largest Amphitheatre in the Roman
Empire it is considered one of the
Romans greatest architectural and
engineering feats
[Music]
you