The greatest historical architecture from the Roman Empire the Coliseum. This is the most ancient monument from Rome. The surface area of the Coliseum, which totals about 19,000 square meters, was arranged into four sections, each of which could hold up to 70,000 spectators. The Emperors box was placed in the centre from where he could decide the gladiators fate with a simple hand gesture. The underground area of the Coliseum was used to organize and create the settings for the games, such as how to make the ferocious beasts appear unexpectedly in the arena, bringing them up to the main area with an elevator hoist that was hidden in the sand.
Vatican City, officially State of the Vatican City is a landlocked sovereign city state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome and well worth a visit.
The Church of Santa Maria Antique is the oldest church in the Forum, and the nearby Church of San Pietro in Carcere is on the site of the Mammertime Prison, where St Peter is believed to have been imprisoned and to have created a miraculous stream of baptismal water. On the Aventine Hill, a beautiful yet marginally less visited spot, the 5th century Church of Santa Sabina has lovely carved wooden doors.
Few tourists know that within Romes medieval churches lie some of the most beautiful Byzantine mosaics in Italy. Many decorate the apses of the cities important churches, including Santa Maria Maggiore, Santa Maria in Trastevere and San Clemente.
For the best view of the city, take a tip from the Romans and head up to the Pincio in Villa Borghese.
Rome offers a pretty good range of eateries. There are some excellent places providing typical Roman fare to suit a range of budgets, as well as some good, but usually fairly expensive, restaurants offering international cuisine such as Indian, Chinese, Japanese and Argentine.
One of the most typical Italian things to do in Rome is to break often for coffee. Italians pride themselves on their espresso and cappuccino. For a truly Roman experience coffee laced with brandy. Stay away from the tourist swamped areas around the Vatican and instead head for where the locals sip on the side streets off Piazza Navona and Campo de Fiori.
Enjoy a break and enjoy the views in a magnification city, with all it has to offer.
The ancient modern Rome, by Tatyana Kogut.