One of the most historic city in the world.Traces of wars, battles, emperors ,soldiers, victories and glory are all over. Traces of religion, popes,presence of God, saints,churches are also so much present in this seductive and fantastic city.
Founded by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century and enlarged by successive pontiffs, the Vatican Museums contains one of the world’s greatest art collection. Exhibits range from Egyptian mummies and Etruscan bronzes to Old Masters and modern paintings, but the main drawcards are the spectacular classical statuary and Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. In this city of outstanding churches, none can hold a candle to St Peter’s Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro), Italy’s largest, richest and most spectacular church. A monument to centuries of artistic genius, it contains some spectacular works of art, including three of Italy’s most celebrated masterpieces: Michelangelo’s Pietà , his breathtaking dome, and Bernini’s baldachin (canopy) over the papal altar.
It’s also one of Rome’s busiest tourist attractions, drawing up to 20,000 people on a busy day.
The original basilica was commissioned by the emperor Constantine and built around 349 on the site where St Peter is said to have been buried between AD 64 and 67
The Vatican Grottoes were created as a burial place for popes. See the tombs and sarcophagi of many popes, as well as several huge columns from the original 4th-century basilica.
Rome’s great gladiatorial arena is the most thrilling of the city’s ancient sights. Originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, the 50,000-seat Colosseum (Colosseo) was inaugurated in AD 80 and used to stage spectacular gladiatorial games in front of baying, bloodthirsty crowds. The name Colosseum, when introduced in medieval times, was not a reference to its size but to the Colosso di Nerone, a giant statue of Nero that stood nearby.The 80 entrance arches, known as vomitoria, allowed the spectators to enter and be seated in a matter of minutes.
The Colosseum’s interior was divided into three parts: the arena, cavea and podium. The arena had a wooden floor covered in sand to prevent the combatants from slipping and to soak up the blood.
With the fall of the empire in the 6th century, the Colosseum was abandoned. In the Middle Ages, it became a fortress occupied by two of the city’s warrior familie.Damaged several times by earthquake,it is still a monument of great grandeur.
The Pantheon is the best preserved of ancient Rome’s great monuments. In its current form it dates to around AD 120.The dome, considered the Romans’ greatest architectural achievement, is the largest unreinforced concrete dome ever built.
Hadrian’s temple was dedicated to the classical gods – hence the name Pantheon, a derivation of the Greek words pan (all) and theos (god)
However, the real fascination of the Pantheon lies in its massive dimensions and extraordinary dome. A tour de force of ancient engineering, it was the largest dome in the world until the 15th century and is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in existence . The original Roman bronze doors remain.
With all these historic aspects,I can almost easily forget that Rome si a modern city as well. Fancy bars, strong and so little espressos, large,colourful parks, lots of expensive clothes shops, a lot of other attractions. The city has a slow rhytm ,the dolce far niente rhytm,because after all, life is given to be enjoyed. Italians are very nosiy ans cheerful people so be careful what you are expecting from your holiday!
Mirelaistravelling 