ROME

The eternal city, capital of a great empire that dominated much of Europe but also in the Mediterranean and the Middle East for centuries until its fall to the barbarians in 453 AD, the capital city of Christianity given that it hosts within it the smallest but most powerful state of the Vatican City with the presence of the Pope, St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums which host masterpieces of all types and from various eras. The city was reunited with the Italian state only in 1870 after having taken it away from the Papal State protected by French troops and since then it became the capital of the Italian state which had proclaimed its unity only nine years earlier after three wars of independence against Austria, but also with a series of plebiscites that took the center of the country away from the papal state and with Garibaldi's expedition of a thousand that took the south and Sicily away from the Bourbons. Since then Rome has become the capital of the Italian state and today it is one of the most visited cities in the world for its many artistic beauties, its museums, archaeological remains and the romantic air that can be breathed there and which fascinates its visitors . But the economic, financial, industrial and media capital is Milan, not Rome. The main attractions of Rome are the famous Colosseum or Flavian amphitheater built in 80 AD, an arena where gladiators fought, where many Christian martyrs were sacrificed, where fights between ferocious beasts took place, but also where shows with special effects were held, many 'is that the Colosseum is equipped with underground rooms from where complex and spectacular sets were hoisted to the surface. Near the Colosseum is the arch of Constantine, the emperor who proclaimed Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire. And nearby the imperial forums or what remains of many temples and institutional buildings from the imperial era and then around Rome or outside the Circus Maximus, the largest stadium in Rome used for horse racing and equestrian races, the Thermal Baths of Caracalla the largest baths which were covered with marble, the Appian Way one of the many that started from Rome and reached various locations and provinces and the catacombs used to bury the dead but also a place of refuge for the first Christians to escape persecution Roman. In the center you can admire the Pantheon which is the best preserved ancient Roman building, a place of pagan worship in ancient Rome with an enormous circular dome, the largest stone vault ever built which has a hole in the center that lets light pass through and in front of a series of Corinthian style columns, it was later transformed into a place of Christian worship. The first two Italian kings, Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I, are buried there. Trajan's market, the first covered market which today houses the museum of the imperial forums. The Ara Pacis erected to celebrate peace in the Mediterranean. The Mouth of Truth, a great mask that could bite the hand of perjurers. Then there is an equally beautiful and interesting Rome, the Renaissance one represented by many beautiful buildings, by the stupendous baroque Piazza Navona with Bernini's fountain which represents four great rivers and two other fountains, the Moro and the Nettuno, an obelisk, a church and the Pamphili palace which was the noble family commissioned by the Pope of the same family to renovate the square in the mid-1700s. Originally it was a Roman stadium and then concave and could be submerged and spectacular naval battles even took place there. The Trevi fountain, the most famous fountain in the world where all tourists throw a coin expressing the desire to return to Rome and which in its rectangular fountain with circular edges has various statues including the one representing the Titan god of Greek mythology Oceanus built around 1730 on the side of Palazzo Poli, made even more famous by Fellini's film "La Dolce Vita" with Anita Ekberg's bathroom. Villa Borghese with its large park, the green lung of the city, with meadows and lakes but also famous for Villa Borghese and its gallery which contains precious sculptures by Bernini and Canova (including Paolina Borghese portrayed as the victorious Venus) and canvases by Caravaggio .Raphael, Botticelli, Perugino, etc.. Then there is Piazza di Spagna with Bernini's Barcaccia and the steps leading to the church of Trinità dei Monti. Castel S.Angelo which was a mauseleum first for the emperor Hadrian and then for other successors and in more recent times was used by the popes given that the Vatican is very close and is connected to a fortified passage called the passetto. Today it is a state museum. Let's move on to the Vatican City with St. Peter's Basilica, begun in the early 1500s and finished a century later, involving many artists including Bramante, Raphael and Michelangelo Buonarroti. After many variations, the latter is credited with the design of the dome or dome while the churchyard with arched columns is the work of Bernini who completed it around 1630. Inside the papal altar, the Baldacchino, the tombs, Michelangelo's Pietà and much more. Then there are the Vatican museums worth seeing with many works of art, the most famous of which is Michelangelo's Sistine dome which represents the Last Judgment, the Pinacoteca, then the gallery of maps, tapestries, a rich Egyptian museum and thousands of paintings and sculptures by artists such as Giotto and Raphael, of the latter there are four beautiful rooms frescoed by him and his students. More recent is the mighty monument of the Vittoriale dedicated to the first Italian king Vittorio Emanuele II at whose feet there is the tomb of the unknown soldier which is honored by the visit of various politicians who arrive in Rome on official visits, but also by Italian politicians on important occasions . Finally, Trastevere, a popular Roman district that has become famous for its trattorias which are frequented by passing tourists to enjoy Roman culinary specialties and appreciate the Roman atmosphere of times gone by. The district is also home to taverns, craft shops and cheap hotels. You cannot fail to visit Rome at least once in your life and if you throw a coin into the TREVI fountain you will return. div class="separator" style="clear: both;">