Inaugurated in 80 AD, the Flavian amphitheatre or Colosseum is the biggest in the Roman world (527m in circumference and 57m high). Three levels of arcades enclose this impressive arena built on part of the site occupied by Nero’s Golden House. 50 00..

On this hill, where Romulus and Remus were found, Domitian built his imperial palace, the Domus Flavia , the focus of official life, the Domus Augustana , the private imperial residence, and the stadium . The House of Livia was perhaps home to A..

Rome’s most elegant square with tall façades in warm tones derives its name from the Spanish embassy based here in the 17C. It is dominated by its famous Trinità dei Monti steps (the Spanish Steps), near to which stands the Barcaccia Fountain (17C)..

With its 138 steps and perfect perspective, this monumental staircase is a Baroque masterpiece. The architect Francesco de Sanctis played with dimensions here, broadening out and narrowing the steps to emphasise the height effect. This gracious and m..

Founded by Pope Sixtus III (432-440), this is one of Rome’s four great basilicas, and has been remodelled many times down the centuries. Erected in 1377, its campanile is the highest in Rome. The façade (1743-1750) is the work of Ferdinando Fuga. The..

Recently restored, this superb brick octagonal room (its cupola recalling that it served as a planetarium in the 1920s) was probably a frigidarium (cold room in baths complex) or ancillary area. Today it houses some important Antique statuary: the R..

This imposing building was erected in 135 AD as Emperor Hadrian's family mausoleum, and was converted into a chapel by Pope Gregory the Great in the 6C. It acquired a brick layer and keeps under Pope Nicholas V (15C) and octagonal bastions under Alex..

Built by Caracalla in the year 212, these baths covered 11ha and could accommodate 1 600 people at any one time.The ruins of the caldarium a circular hall measuring 34m in diameter (formerly the hot baths), host opera events in summer.

The world's smallest state, centred on St Peter's Square , laid out by Bernini. Don't miss St Peter's Basilica, the sumptuous gardens, nor the museums and their magnificent collections collected by popes down the ages, the highpoint of which is the ..

The backdrop for the Pope’s speeches to the faithful, this is undoubtedly the most famous square in the world. Partially enclosed by two sweeping curved colonnades that imbue it with sobriety and solemnity, it was laid out from 1656 by Bernini , the..

Housed in a magnificent 17C villa, this gallery is home to an amazing collection of pictures and sculpture amassed by avid art-lover Cardinal Scipione Borghese. Among the masterpieces on the ground floor are several works by Bernini , vying to outdo..

Founded by Constantine, the basilica was totally rebuilt during the Baroque period and 18C. Galilei’s façade gives access to a rather cold and solemn interior by Borromini and followers of Bernini. In contrast with the nave, the transept is awash wit..

These museums house some fabulous collections... that you will only be able to fleetingly glimpse at, because of the compact crowds. So, follow the flow of people through sumptuously decorated galleries. Take a glance at an Egyptian sarcophagus here,..

Countless artists and architects, including Bramante, Michelangelo and Giacomo della Porta, have worked on this building since the Emperor Constantine first erected a church here in 324, on the site of St Peter’s martyrdom. Today a vast basilica look..

The Sistine Chapel draws tourists from all over the world who come to admire its ceiling by Michelangelo, depicting biblical scenes from the Creation to the Great Flood (painted between 1508 and 1512), and the Last Judgement above the altar (painted ..

Pope Julius III's luxurious summer residence (16C) is today a museum that is entirely dedicated to Etruscan Art and Civilisation, its exhibits revealing much about this civilisation which remains largely a mystery. The highlights are the Veii sculpt..

These nice gardens are dotted with sculptures and monuments offered by various countries. Pius IV's "casina" is a pleasant 16th-century building, adorned with stuccoes and paintings. There is an admirable view of St. Peter's dome from these..

This is a huge cemetery, where more than 500 000 people are buried, including all the 3C popes. Its main attraction is the extraordinary wall paintings of the Sacraments Room , dating from the end of the 2C or start of the 3C.

These catacombs seem to have been excavated around a core of three mausoleums which are open to visitors.

The catacombs were the private cemetery of Emperor Domitian’s niece Domitilla, and include an underground church.