Close
St Peter’s is the largest and most important cathedral in the Catholic world, from whence the Pope addresses thousands of devoted followers both in the piazza and watching from around the world. Designed in part by the great Michelangelo, this magnificent spectacle is a wonder to behold and marks the entrance to the Vatican City State.
The Vatican Museums are the largest and most mysterious in the world and have occupied scholars for lifetimes. The Sistine Chapel displays the most famous of Michelangelo’s works in the Story of Creation depicted upon the walls and ceilings - and that’s after you come through the works of another great renaissance master in the Raphael Rooms.
Walking directly away from the front of St Peter’s Basilica you’ll find yourself upon the magnificent thoroughfare built to exhibit the grandeur and immense beauty of the former, leading to Castel Sant’Angelo on the edge of the River Tiber. Castel Sant’Angelo was the Vatican City’s protective fort and offers spectacular city views from the roof.
Walking across the footbridge Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II from near Castel Sant’Angelo brings us into the flat land in between Rome’s legendary seven hills and the inner-historical centre, where renaissance and Baroque architecture is punctuated by sculptures and fountains and separated by a winding maze of golden-lit cobblestoned alleys.
Here we’ll find such marvels as Piazza Navona, a great open space once filled with water for boat races! The oldest pagan temple in the world in the Pantheon, converted into a church in the third century, is on the itinerary as is Campo de’ Fiori - atmospheric market by day and popular hang-out spot at night with Romans and tourists alike.
Wedged between Renaissance Rome and Ancient Rome is the majestic Piazza Venezia, the very pinnacle of the centre of Rome and the beginning of Via del Corso, the high street that runs all the way up to Piazza del Popolo on the northern gate of the city. Here, the magnificent Vittorio Emanuele II monument sits proudly in honour of the Italian state.
Beyond Piazza Venezia is arguably the most important archaeological site in the world in the excavated Roman Forums. The central area of the ancient republic, this magical place contains pagan temples almost 2,500 years old, triumphal arches, the senate building, the Cloaca Maxima Aqueduct and the funeral site of the great Julius Caesar himself.
No trip to Rome would be complete without a visit to its greatest symbol and one of the seven man-made wonders of the world. Built at the apex of the Roman Empire, this immense stadium speaks of everything the ancient Romans exuded: power, wealth, extravagance and gruesome, bloody brutality. Join a tour to skip the line and get the best out of the experience.
If you get through all of the above in a day you’ll definitely be in the mood for an aperitivo and dinner in Rome’s sassiest neighbourhood. Having made its name in recent years as a boho-hipster paradise thanks to its vintage market, artisan boutiques and street food, this vibrant area is where the magic of the Roman night really comes to life.
