COLOSSEUM
Address: Piazza del Colosseo, Campitelli Tel: 06 39 96 77 00
Open: 09:00 - 1 hour before dusk

Although this magnificent building has been stripped of its former glory over the centuries, the Collosseum remains the city’s best-known landmark. The construction of the Colosseum began in 72 AD by Emperor Vespasian and was completed 150 years later during Dominican’s reign. The spectacular amphitheatre was once the venue for bloody gladiator shows involving brutal battles between slaves and wild beasts shipped from all over the Roman Empire. The amphitheatre seats 50,000 spectators around a central wooden arena, below which is a maze of rooms where exotic animals and other show props were kept.

PANTHEON
Address: Piazza della Rotonda, Pigna Tel: 06 683 00 230
Open: Mon-Sat 08:30 - 19:30, Sun 09:00 - 18:00

Built in 27 BC by Marcus Agrippa as a Roman temple, the Pantheon has long been regarded as one of the architectural wonders of the world. Visitors enter through enormous bronze doors weighing around 20 tons each. The inside of the Pantheon is shaped in form of a gigantic cylinder covered by a perfect hemisphere-shaped dome.

TREVI FOUNTAIN
Address: Piazza di Trevi, Quirinale Open: 24 hours a day.

The beautiful Fontana di Trevi has featured in many romantic films including Fellini’s La Dolce Vita. It was completed by Nicola Salvi in 1762, some two hundred years after it was began. An imposing arch representing the palace of Neptune, Roman God of the sea, dominates the fountain. It is surrounded by elaborate marble sculptures and columns. In the centre is the magnificent statue of Neptune in a chariot drawn by sea horses guided by a pair of tritons emerging from the water. Legend has it that if you toss a coin into the fountain you will return to Rome.

SPANISH STEPS (SCALINATA DI SPAGNA)
Address: Piazza di Spagna Open: 24 hours a day

Taking their name from the Spanish Embassy located on the square, the Spanish Steps have been the meeting point for locals and tourists alike for centuries. The steps were built in 1725 and lead to the French Church Trinità dei Monti. Keats-Shelley Memorial House, where John Keats died in 1821 is located to the right of the steps.

THE VATICAN CITY
St Peter’s Basilica - Address: Piazza San Pietro Metro: Ottaviano Tram: Piazza del Risogimento Open: 07:00-19:00 daily, 07:00-18:00 daily in winter Admission: free, €4 to access the dome.
Vatican Museums - Address: Viale Vaticano Tel: 06 6984613 Metro: Cipro or Ottaviano Tram: Piazza del Risogimento Open: 08:45-13:45 Mon-Sat, last Sunday of the month. Admission: €12, free last Sunday of the month

As the spiritual capital of Roman Catholicism and the world’s smallest independent state, the Vatican boasts some of the most beautiful architecture in the world and an astonishing collection of art masterpieces. The absolute must-sees are: the magnificent St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world which dominates St. Peter’s square; Michelangelo’s famous statue of Virgin Mary, Pietà, located in the first chapel to the right; and the Vatican Museum and its world-renowned Sistine Chapel whose walls and ceiling are adorned by frescoes by Michelangelo, Botticelli and Perugino.

ROMAN FORUM (FORO ROMANO)
Address: Piazza Santa Maria Nova 53, Campitelli Tel: 06 399 67 700 Metro: Colosseo
Open: Apr-Sept daily 09:00-19:00, Oct-Mar daily 09:00-16:30.
Admission: free; Palatine Hill €8 (incl. admission to Colosseum)

The Forum was the centre of commercial, political and social life in ancient Rome. Its construction began in the 6th century BC, but new palaces, courts and temples were added century after century. Although the Forum disintegrated when the Roman Empire fell and only the ruins remain, it is still a magnificent archaeological sight showing the use of urban spaces in ancient Rome. The highlights are the Temple of Saturn, the Temple of Antonius and Faustina, the Arch of Septimus Severus and the Arch of Titus. From here you can enter the Palantine Hill, where according to mythology Romulus and Remus were found by the she-wolf. The Palantine Hill was where the rich and powerful of ancient Rome had their palaces, including Livia, Nero and Domitian. Today, however, only the ruins of their former splendour remain.

CATACOMBS OF ST.CALLIXTUS
Address: Via Appia Antica 110/126 Tel: 06 51301580 Bus: 118
Open: Thu-Tue 08:30-12:00 and 14:30-17:30 (to 17:00 Nov-Mar) Admission: €5

The catacombs of St. Callixtus were one of the first Christian burial places in Rome. Named after the deacon hired to run them, who was later elected pope, the catacombs are now a gallery of paintings, frescoes, sculptures and epigraphs. There are over half a million tombs including those of 16 popes, stretching for almost 19km and spread across five levels.

CASTEL SANT’ANGELO
Address: Lungotevere Castello 50 Tel: 06-39967600 Metro: Ottaviano Bus: 80, 87, 280, or 492 Open: Tues-Sun 9am-8pm Admission: €5

The 2nd century Castel Sant’Angeo overlooking the Tiber was originally built as a tomb for Emperor Hadrian and later became a medieval fortress. It is linked to the Vatican by an underground passageway and was used as a papal residence in the 14th century. Visitors can wander through the lavishly decorated Renaissance apartments and its collection of ancient weaponry and armour. The landscaped pedestrian areas around the castle are also popular with walkers.

NATIONAL ETRUSCAN MUSEUM (MUSEO NAZIONALE DI VILLA GIULIA)
Address: Piazzale di Villa Giulia 9 Tel: 06 3201951 Metro: Flaminio
Open: Tues-Sun 08:30-19:30 Admission: €4

Set in the 16th century former villa of Pope Julius III, the museum houses a magnificent collection of Etruscan archaeological finds and artefacts. It gives an insight into the fascinating culture and heritage of this mysterious civilisation, which predated the Romans. The collection includes astonishing bronze and stone sculptures, terra-cotta vases and jewellery dating as far back as the 6th century BC. The highlights are the statues of Apollo from Velo, Hercules and Dea con Bambino as well as the Bride and Groom sarcophagus.

This opulent 17th century mansion surrounded by tranquil gardens, houses one of the largest collections of paintings and sculptures in the world collected by the founder of the gallery, Cardinal Scipione Borghese during the 17th century. The astounding collection features works of world-renowned artists such as Bernini, Canova, Caravaggio, Raphael and Titian.