Ancient Rome Tour Guide – Places You Must Visit

How was the flight?

Finally, your ancient Rome tour is about to start! From the moment you decide to visit Rome, you might be excited to show you the historical interests of Ancient Rome. Now that you’re here, it’s nearly impossible for me to hold that excitement within. I can’t wait to talk about the Colosseum, the Arch of Titus and Constantine, The Roman Forum, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain. St. Peter’s Square and many more places. And I assure you that you are going to love them.

Now, as that’s out of the way, shall we proceed?

Where do we start?

Of course, we start by finding a good hotel for you. Assuming you’ll drop by Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Fiumicino (FCO), there are some great hotels close to the airport. You can try the following hotels:

• Hotel Artemide
• Rome Marriott Grand Hotel Flora
• Anantara Palazzo
• Naiadi Rome Hotel
• Hotel de Russie
• Residenza Paolo VI Hotel
• Grand Hotel de La Minerve
• Hotel Hassler Roma
• Villa Agrippina Gran Meliá
• Palazzo Navona Hotel
• Rome Cavalieri- The Waldorf Astoria Hotel and
• Sofitel Roma Villa Borghese.

These are the best hotels you can find near The Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport. They offer great hospitality for tourists under reasonable pricing.

Where are we going first?

The first place we are going to explore is The Colosseum. Being one of the World’s Seven Wonders, this is the most highlighted historical place and an astonishing remain of Roman Architecture without any argument. It is also the largest amphitheater on earth ever constructed. It could hold 50,000 people at a time. Although it’s in pieces now. However, you can sense the roaring ancient Rome in the structure.

Did you know, the day the Colosseum was first opened, the inauguration ceremony lasted 100 days! There were gladiator fights, dozens of Gladiators died every time. Some historians say that almost 9000 animals perished during this 100-day opening party. Most of its infrastructure is now in ruins. But it surely carries that Ancient Roman touch we all love and admire.

Anything nearby we should see?

Since we’re here, We shouldn’t leave without seeing the Triumphal Arches. As you might know, Romans built several Arches in this area. Each one of those has its own unique design. The Arch of Titus is considerably the most popular among the triumphal arches of Rome. Because it has both historical and monumental excellence.

This arch contains inscriptions and sculptures honoring the military victories of Emperor Titus. Later it would be best if you lay your eyes on The Arch of Constantine. It’s a structure made up of 3 arches adorned with figures, designs, and battle scenes. And last but not least, Septimius Servus Arch. It’s a marble arch erected at the northwest corner of the Roman Forum in 203 AD. It was there to celebrate the defeat of the Parthians.

Are we leaving?

I don’t think so, because there are still so many things in this area. And you shouldn’t miss out on, such as The Roman Forum. The Roman Forum is a place mostly surrounded by the Ruins of Roman Architecture. It’s said that this place used to be a market. And these ruins were government buildings. Though most of them are demolished, you will find some interesting architectural masterpieces still standing tall.

After that, we can go rapid-fire.

• First, The Sanctuary, a popular nightclub that you might like. It’s a tranquil spot for global fare, garden seating and wellness treatment. And there’s an outdoor pool as well.
• It would be best if you made a plan to visit the Circus Maximus. It’s a green space and remains of a stone. And there’s also this marble arena that could seat 250,000 Romans for chariot races.
• Okay, I think you’ll like this one. There’s a marble mask called the Mouth of Truth. This massive mask weighs around 1300 kgs. Some think that this mask depicts the face of the sea titan God Oceanus. According to the lasting medieval legend, it’ll bite off the hand of any liar who places their hand in its mouth. Or whether someone speaks a lie while their hand in its mouth.

Sounds fascinating right?

Now, Where to?

Looks like you’re excited already. The next places we’re going to visit will be the best places to visit in Rome. They are Architectural Masterpieces as well as remains of Roman history. I made a list of places we’re going to visit with some of their historical descriptions. Here, have a look.

The Palatine Hill

Palatine Hill is at the center of the seven hills of Rome. It is entitled The first nucleus of The Roman Empire. Presently it serves as an open-air museum that showcases findings from excavations. A very interesting fact that might fascinate you is- The Palatine Hill originally had two summits. And a huge crack separated them. These two summits also had separate names. The higher one was called Palatium, and the other one was Gemellus.

The Pantheon

The Pantheon has been a Catholic church since 609 in Rome, Italy. It was built during the reign of Augustus and was rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian. Originally it was built as a Roman temple. Its construction period is uncertain because Hadrian chose not to imprint the new temple but rather restore the original version, which had burned down. The building is cylindrical. A rectangular entrance links the porch to the rotunda under a concrete dome with a central opening to the sky. The Pantheon’s dome is still the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. It is one of the best-preserved Ancient Roman buildings. Largely because it has been in continuous use throughout its history. Since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a church devoted to St. Mary and the Martyrs. It’s informally known as Santa Maria Rotonda.

Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain is a fountain in the Trevi district in Rome. Italian architect Nicola Salvi designed it. And Giuseppe Pannini and several others completed it. The fountain is huge with its 26.3 meters of height and 49.15 meters of width. It is the largest Baroque fountain in the city. And it is one of the most famous fountains in the world. In 1988, the fountain was refurbished once. Then, In 2013, It received a more thorough restoration. It has appeared in several films. As like,

• Roman Holiday
• The Eponymous
• Three Coins in the Fountain
• Federico Fellini’s classic La Dolce Vita
• The Lizzie McGuire Movie
• and Sabrina Goes to Rome

I guess that’s more than enough to explain how famous and attractive the Trevi Fountain is.

St. Peter’s Basilica

The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican, or Saint Peter’s Basilica. It is located in Vatican City. It was a church built in the Renaissance style. This papal enclave is within the city of Rome. It was designed originally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. St. Peter’s Basilica is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture. Also, it’s the largest church in the world by interior measure. St. Peter’s is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic shrines. But it is neither the mother church of the Catholic Church nor the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome.

It has been described as “holding a unique position in the Christian world” and as “the greatest of all churches of Christendom.” Catholic tradition holds that the basilica is the burial site of Saint Peter. He’s considered as chief among Jesus’s apostles and also the first Bishop of Rome. Saint Peter’s tomb is supposedly directly under the basilica, also known as the Altar of the Confession. For this reason, many Popes have been interred at St. Peter’s since the Early Christian period. A church has stood on this site since the time of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great.

Spanish Steps

The Spanish Steps are a set of steps in Rome. It connects the Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità Dei Monti with a steep slope. It’s dominated by the Trinità Dei Monti church at the top. The monumental stairway of 135 steps was built with French diplomat Étienne Gueffier’s bequeathed funds of 20,000 scudi, in 1723–1725. It links the Trinità Dei Monti church that was under the patronage of the Bourbon kings of France and the Bourbon Spanish Embassy at the top of the steps to the Holy See in the Palazzo Monaldeschi at the bottom of the steps. The stairway was designed by architects Francesco de Sanctis and Alessandro Specchi.

Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona is a public open space in Rome. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian. It was built in the 1st century AD and followed the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans went there to watch the agonies, and hence it was known as Circus Agonalis. It is believed that over time the name changed from Avone to Navone and eventually to Navona.

Castel Sant’Angelo

Castel Sant’Angelo is a towering cylindrical building in Parco Adriano, Rome. It is the burial chamber of Hadrian. The Roman Emperor Hadrian initially commissioned it as a mausoleum or tomb for himself and his family. Although the popes later used the building as a fortress and castle, now it’s a museum. The structure was once the tallest building in Rome.

Villa Borghese

Villa Borghese is a landscape garden in Rome. It contains several buildings, museums, and attractions. It is the third-largest public park in Rome after Villa Doria Pamphili and Villa Ada. The gardens were developed for the Villa Borghese Pinciana. It was built by the architect Flaminio Ponzio. He constructed this by developing sketches by Scipione Borghese, who used it as a Villa Suburban or party villa. He also used it to house his art collection. The gardens as they are now were renovated in the late 18th century. It contains a replica of the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre built-in 2003.

Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore

The Basilica of Saint Mary Major, or the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is a Papal major basilica. It is the largest Catholic Marian church in Rome. The basilica enshrines the tributed image of Salus Populi Romani. It depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary as the health and protector of the Roman people. On 15 August 1838, Pope Gregory XVI granted it a Canonical inauguration, accompanied by his Papal bull Cælestis Regina. Between the Holy See and Italy, the Basilica is within Italian territory, not the territory of the Vatican City State, according to the Lateran Treaty of 1929. However, the Holy See fully owns the Basilica, and Italy is legally obligated to recognize its full ownership. And also to concede to it “the immunity granted by International Law to the headquarters of the diplomatic agents of foreign States.” In other words, the complex of buildings is similar to a foreign embassy. The Basilica is sometimes referred to as Our Lady of the Snows.

Baths of Caracalla

The Baths of Caracalla were the second largest public Roman baths. And today, it’s one of the mentionable tourist attractions around Rome. It was built between AD 212 and 216/217, during the reigns of emperors Septimius Severus and Caracalla. They were actively used until the 530s and then fell into disuse and ruin. Buildings such as the Baths of Diocletian, the Basilica of Maxentius, the original Pennsylvania Station in New York City, Chicago Union Station, and the Senate of Canada Building were all architecturally inspired by the Baths of Caracalla. There were artworks like Farnese Bull, and Farnese Hercules recovered from the ruins of the Baths of Caracalla.

EndNote

Ancient Rome is an ideal place for a tour- and a perfect guide can make it better. The places I’ve suggested are the most interesting places where you can enjoy your vacation perfectly. However, you can also visit the MAXXI – National Museum of 21st Century Art. It is the national museum of contemporary art and architecture in the Flaminio neighborhood of Rome.

The places I have mentioned above are the best places for a vacation for your family. I can assure you, you will enjoy the trip and remember it for a lifetime. Good Luck!