Rome - The Eternal City
Now that the New Year is almost upon us, it could be time to be considering a spring break, and where better to spend a few days, just as the weather is finally turning warmer, than the wonderful city of Rome?
The Eternal City is built on seven hills, on the River Tiber, and was lucky to escape World War II without too much damage, so the centre still has a strongly Renaissance and Baroque feel.
But perhaps first we ought to go even further back to Rome’s beginnings in ancient times – there is still an amazing amount of the ancient Roman architecture. Take a look at the Colosseum, which goes back to 70-80 AD, and try to imagine the poor gladiators fighting for their lives under the hot sun, in this largest amphitheatre of the Roman Empire. Other ancient sights include the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, the Circus Maximus, the Baths of Caracalla, and numerous other buildings from this period.
Not only does Rome have these artefacts from ancient times, but also some fantastic medieval architecture as well. Take a look at the Santa Maria Maggiore and the San Paolo Fuori le Mura - both of these have breath-taking 4th century mosaics.
Rome also played a leading role in the Renaissance, and there is plenty of evidence for this in Rome today – such as the Piazza del Campidoglio by Michelangelo. During this period, the wealthy families of Rome built beautiful houses for themselves, such as the Palazzo del Quirinale, the Palazzo Venezia, and many other gorgeous palaces.
Rome also has the Vatican City, a separate sovereign state, which I shall talk about in my next post.
Needless to say, Rome has the most spectacular museums and galleries, including the National Museum of Rome, the Museum of Roman Civilization, the National Gallery of Modern Art, and many more besides.
Besides all the serious stuff, there are also plenty of hedonistic things to enjoy about being in Rome, such as the lovely Italian gelati, a variety of delicious coffees, tasty pasta and pizza, and excellent Italian wine.
Filed under: Ancient historic sites, Architecture, Museums, Culture, Art, Historic Sights, Religious Sights, Italy
