Centro Storico
Home to the French embassy, this towering Renaissance palazzo, one of Rome's finest, was started in 1514 by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, continued by…
Must-see attractions in Lazio
Ancient Rome
The oldest and most important Christian site on the Roman Forum, this ancient church is a unique treasure trove of early Christian art. Its cavernous…
San Giovanni & Testaccio
Fronting an ornate cypress-shaded piazza, the Roman headquarters of the Sovereign Order of Malta, aka the Cavalieri di Malta (Knights of Malta), boasts…
Ancient Rome
This hilltop piazza, designed by Michelangelo in 1538, is one of Rome's most beautiful squares. There are several approaches but the most dramatic is the…
Ancient Rome
A bearded face carved into a giant marble disc, the Bocca della Verità is one of Rome's most popular curiosities. Legend has it that if you put your hand…
Southern Rome
The outstanding feature of Maxentius’ enormous 4th-century palace complex is the Circo di Massenzio, Rome’s best-preserved ancient racetrack. Above the…
Le Domus Romane di Palazzo Valentini
Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale
Underneath a grand mansion that’s been the seat of the Province of Rome since 1873 lie the archaeological remains of several lavish ancient Roman houses;…
Southern Rome
The small 4th-century basilica atop the Catacombe di San Sebastiano dates mainly from the 17th century. It is dedicated to St Sebastian, who was martyred…
Centro Storico
Piazza Navona's flamboyant centrepiece, Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi is an ornate, showy work. Completed in 1651, it features a…
Rome
The Zaha Hadid–designed building that Rome's leading contemporary-art gallery occupies is certainly striking. Formerly a barracks, the curved concrete…
Chiesa di Santo Stefano Rotondo
San Giovanni & Testaccio
Set in its own secluded grounds, this haunting church boasts a porticoed facade and a round, columned interior. But what really gets the heart racing is…
Chiesa di Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza
Centro Storico
Hidden in the porticoed courtyard of Palazzo della Sapienza, this extraordinary church is a masterpiece of baroque architecture. Built by Francesco…
Basilica dei SS Cosma e Damiano
Ancient Rome
Backing onto the Roman Forum, this 6th-century basilica incorporates parts of the Foro di Vespasiano and Tempio di Romolo, visible at the end of the nave…
Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale
A wonderful spot to enjoy a glowing Roman sunset, this piazza, which is dominated by the imposing presidential palace of Palazzo del Quirinale, marks the…
Southern Rome
Discovered when excavating the grounds of a private villa to build a swimming pool, the remains of this Roman villa give a sense of how a gracious ancient…
Lazio
A landmark for miles around, Bracciano's 15th-century castle is a formidable sight with its crenellated walls and round towers. Inside, it harbours a…
Ancient Rome
Towering over the Foro di Traiano, Trajan's column (AD 113) is adorned with a microscopically-detailed spiral frieze illustrating the Romans' victorious…
South Coast
Sabaudia's fabulous beach stretches for kilometres. A wide expanse of fine, soft sand flanked by billowing dunes capped by Mediterranean scrub, it's…
Southern Rome
Among Rome’s largest and oldest, these wonderful catacombs stretch for about 17km. They were established on the private burial ground of Flavia Domitilla,…
Ancient Rome
Home to the emperor Augustus' wife Livia, the Casa was built around an atrium leading onto what were once reception rooms, decorated with frescoes of…
Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale
High-rolling shoppers and window-dreamers take note: this is Rome’s smartest shopping strip. At the eastern end, near Piazza di Spagna, Caffè Greco was a…
Ancient Rome
The Casa di Augusto, Augustus’ private residence, boasts superb ceiling and wall frescoes. These are further enhanced by audio narrations and video…
Museo Archeologico Nazionale Tarquiniense
Lazio
This charming museum, beautifully housed in the 15th-century Palazzo Vitelleschi, is a treasure trove of locally found Etruscan artefacts. Highlights…
Trastevere & Gianicolo
Many of the vaunted viewpoints along Gianicolo (aka Janiculum) are obscured by trees, but this lesser known overlook at the north end has sweeping views…
Ancient Rome
One of the few obviously recognisable buildings on the Palatino, the sunken stadio (stadium) was probably used by the emperors for private games and…
San Giovanni & Testaccio
Officially called the Parco Savello but known to every Roman as the Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Garden), this walled park is a romantic haven. Head down…
Tivoli
This scenic park, laid out by Pope Gregory XVI in 1834, cascades down a steep, thickly wooded gorge overlooked by a 2nd-century BC Roman temple. Paths…
Southern Rome
Part of the Villa di Massenzio complex, this is Rome’s best-preserved ancient racetrack – you can still make out the starting stalls used for chariot…
Ancient Rome
On the Palatino, the 16th-century Orti Farnesiani is one of Europe's earliest botanical gardens. A viewing balcony at the garden's northern flank commands…
Ancient Rome
This panoramic lift will whisk you to the top of the Vittoriano for sweeping 360-degree views of the city from the Terrazza delle Quadrighe.
Basilica di San Paolo Fuori le Mura
Southern Rome
The largest church in Rome after St Peter’s (and the world’s third-largest), this vast basilica stands on the site where St Paul was buried after being…
Basilica di San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura
Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo
One of Rome’s four patriarchal basilicas, San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura (St Lawrence Outside the Walls) has an unusually restrained interior. It was the only…
Chiesa di Santa Maria in Aracoeli
Ancient Rome
Atop the steep 124-step Aracoeli staircase, this 6th-century Romanesque church sits on the highest point of the Campidoglio. Its richly decorated interior…
Centro Storico
Designed by Bramante in 1508 as part of an urban development program ordered by Pope Julius II, Via Giulia is one of Rome's most charming streets, an…
Southern Rome
This Orwellian quarter of wide boulevards and linear buildings was built for an international exhibition in 1942, and although war intervened and the…
Rome
Designed by starchitect Renzo Piano and inaugurated in 2002, Rome's flagship cultural centre is an audacious work of architecture consisting of three…
Trastevere & Gianicolo
Lorded over by the 17th-century Villa Doria Pamphilj is Rome’s largest landscaped park – many a Roman's favourite place to escape the city noise and…
Ancient Rome
The forums of Trajan, Augustus, Nerva and Caesar are known collectively as the Imperial Forums. They were largely buried when Mussolini bulldozed Via dei…
Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere
Trastevere & Gianicolo
Trastevere’s focal square is a prime people-watching spot. By day it’s full of chatting locals and guidebook-toting tourists; by night it’s the domain...
San Giovanni & Testaccio
With its grassy banks and colourful flower beds, this leafy park is a wonderful place to escape the crowds and enjoy a summer picnic. At its centre is a…
