Major Attractions of Rome

Long a major city of Europe, Rome has become an unparalleled repository of monuments of all periods, from the Etruscan era to modern times.

The period of Rome’s early history, under Etruscan kings and under the Republic, is represented by relatively few relics; the legacy of the following period, the Roman Empire, is extensive in comparison.

Roman monuments range from the almost perfectly preserved Pantheon (founded 27 bc; rebuilt ad 118-128), considered one of the finest surviving temples of antiquity, to the still impressive—although partly destroyed—Colosseum (opened ad 80), a huge amphitheater that was the scene of gladiatorial combats and other spectacles.

Ancient city walls, triumphal arches, great public meeting places, churches, and palaces are all found in Rome.

Foremost among these monuments are the Roman Forum and the Imperial Forum, ancient centers of commerce and religion; the Baths of Caracalla, built about ad 217 and now used as the setting for summer opera performances; the catacombs, ancient tunnels beneath the city in which early Christians practiced their religion and were buried; and the Castel Sant’Angelo, built as a mausoleum for the Roman emperor Hadrian (ad 135-139) and converted into a fort in the Middle Ages.

The Basilica of Saint John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome, was founded in the 4th century and substantially rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries; the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls was built in the 4th century and reconstructed after being destroyed by fire in 1823; and the Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains, founded in the 5th century, was rebuilt in the 15th century and contains a sculpture of Moses executed by Renaissance artist Michelangelo.

Other popular points of historical interest include the Piazza del Campidoglio, a square containing a bronze statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius completed during the 2nd century ad; the Piazza Navona, a square with three fountains, including the Fountain of the Four Rivers by the Italian sculptor Gianlorenzo Bernini; the Trevi Fountain, an 18th-century baroque fountain into which tourists toss coins while making wishes; and the Piazza di Spagna, where the famous Spanish Steps, built in the 18th century, ascend to the 15th-century church of the Trinità dei Monti.

Perhaps the finest works of more modern times are the structures built for the 1960 Olympic Games, several of which were designed by one of Italy’s leading contemporary architects, Pier Luigi Nervi. Across the Tiber River from the Olympic Stadium is the site of the first Islamic mosque ever built in Rome.

It opened in 1995 after 20 years of construction and blends Roman and Islamic architectural styles.

Rome has been an urban center for more than 2000 years, and although monuments of most periods of the city’s history still stand, the destructive impact of pollution and vibrations from heavy vehicular traffic is gradually leading to increased efforts toward preservation, including restrictions on cars and trucks in the historic center.