Rome attractions

Towering between the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, the Arch of Constantine remains one of the most impressive ancient monuments in Rome, nearly 2,000 years after its construction. At 69 feet (21 meters) tall, it is the largest triumphal arch in Rome, and the latest built of those standing in the city. Decorated with reliefs and inscriptions praising the achievements of Constantine, this much-photographed landmark is a highlight of ancient Rome tours.

One of the mainstays of daily life in Italy is shopping at the market, and for many Romans, the market means Campo de’ Fiori. In the morning, this historic square hosts one of the city’s most famous open-air food markets, where you can pick up fruit, vegetables, flowers, and souvenirs. By night, the vendors are gone, but Campo de’ Fiori’s many cafés and bars fill with young locals and visitors.

Bohemian Trastevere is one of Rome’s most historic and picturesque neighborhoods—a maze of cobblestone streets lined with lively restaurants, sidewalk cafés, and bars. Across the Tiber River (Fiume Tevere) from the center of Rome (hence the area’s name, which means "across the Tiber"), Trastevere is home to one of Rome’s oldest churches, the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere (built in AD 340), and a wealth of artwork, including Raphael frescoes at Villa Farnesina.

Situated in a former Borghese family estate, Rome’s Borghese Gallery (Galleria Borghese) houses much of the eponymous family’s vast collection of antiquities, paintings, and sculptures across 22 rooms and two floors. Highlights include paintings by Titian, Raphael, Caravaggio, and Rubens, as well as several Bernini sculptures.

Piazza del Popolo is one of Rome’s largest public squares, marking the start of the ancient Via Flaminia. One side is anchored by the twin Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto churches. The 15th-century Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo—home to works by Raphael, Bernini, and Caravaggio—sits opposite, with a towering Egyptian obelisk marking the center. Don’t miss the scenic overlook from Pincio Gardens, connected by a switchback lane and pedestrian stairs.

Hidden underground in Rome’s outskirts, the sites known collectively as the Catacombs of Rome (Catacombe di Roma) include some of the city’s most ancient burial complexes. Dating from around the 2nd to 5th centuries, these underground networks of tunnels and chambers include early Christian symbols, often in the form of frescoes and sculptures—including the oldest known depiction of the Virgin Mary inside the Catacombs of Priscilla.

Piazza del Campidoglio, the first modern civic square in Rome, was designed by none other than Michelangelo in 1536. Perched at the top of the Capitoline Hill overlooking the Roman Forum (Foro Romano), the square is lined by the monumental Cordonata staircase and three Renaissance palaces that are now home to the Capitoline Museums. And you thought Michelangelo only did ceilings and statues.

Commissioned by Julius Caesar in the final years of the Roman Republic and completed under the reign of Emperor Augustus, the Theater of Marcellus (Teatro di Marcello) predates the Colosseum, which it resembles in style. Visiting offers a glimpse into the lives of the ancient Romans, with far fewer crowds than the better-known Colosseum and Roman Forum.

Don’t be fooled by the name—Rome’s Castel Sant’Angelo was built as a tomb, not a castle. Commissioned in the second century, this imposing cylindrical structure once held the mausoleum of Hadrian and subsequent Roman emperors. Today, it’s home to the Castel Sant’Angelo National Museum, which commemorates the evolving structure’s time as a fortress, prison, and papal residence. It also has a sweeping terrace with some of the best views over the Eternal City.

The ruins of this ancient Roman city, now the Herculaneum Archaeological Park, live in the shadow of their more famous neighbor, Pompeii. However, many enthusiasts consider this smaller site—one of Italy’s oldest UNESCO-listed spots—to be equally engaging. Following the AD 79 eruption of Mt. Vesuvius (Monte Vesuvio), Herculaneum was buried in a thicker layer of volcanic debris than Pompeii, leaving its ruins remarkably well preserved, including intact home interiors with furnishings, jewelry, and even food.

The Piazza della Bocca della Verità, a square set between the Tiber River and Circus Maximus in central Rome, is perhaps most famous for its Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth). Featured in the 1953 film Roman Holiday, this massive, ancient marble mask is one of Rome’s top photo ops, located beneath the portico of the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. But don’t come here for the sculpture alone—there are other attractions to enjoy.

Located near the Pantheon, this busy square is one of Rome’s most important archaeological sites, home to the Sacred Area of Largo di Torre Argentina. Visitors can see the remains of four temples, dating as far back as the 4th century BC. Senate sessions were once debated here, though it’s most famous for a darker reason: On the Ides of March, in 44 BC, this is where Julius Caesar was stabbed to death.

The Tiber River (Fiume Tevere) has run through Italy’s capital city since ancient Roman times, and Tiber Island (Isola Tiberina) has a history that’s just as long. Once the site of the ancient temple of Aesculapius (the Greek god of medicine), Romans have visited the island since antiquity to seek healing. Today, one of Rome’s main hospitals is still located here, as is the historic Church of San Bartolomeo all’Isola.

Though Rome’s Jewish Ghetto no longer exists (it was abolished in 1882), the neighborhood is still the center of Rome’s Jewish community, the oldest in Italy. The city’s 19th-century synagogue— home to the Jewish Museum of Rome— is here, surrounded by winding lanes lined with kosher restaurants and markets. In addition to its Jewish cultural sights, the Ghetto is home to ruins, including the Portico of Octavia, Theater of Marcellus, and Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth).

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel remains the showstopper of the Vatican Museums, but Raphael’s Rooms (Stanze di Raffaello) are no mere runner-up. The walls and ceiling of this set of four rooms are adorned with frescoes painted in the 16th century by the Renaissance master Raphael. A stroll through this section of the Pontifical Palace is one of the highlights of any visit to the Vatican, and you shouldn’t miss the Raphael Rooms.

An exquisite assemblage of masterworks, ranging from fifth-century mosaics to Renaissance paintings, this basilica atop Esquiline Hill draws art lovers and the faithful. It’s one of Rome’s four major papal basilicas, and the reported site of a miracle that saw snow falling in August—an occasion that’s celebrated each year with festivities and a light show on adjacent Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore.

The Vittoriano was inaugurated in 1911 to honor the first king of the newly united Italy, and is one of the most famous landmarks in Rome. It’s home to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a panoramic rooftop terrace, as well as a smattering of collections—including the Museo Centrale del Risorgimento—making up the Vittoriano e Palazzo Venezia (or VIVE), previously known as the Vittoriano Museum Complex.

Piazza Barberini is a transport hub in central Rome, but look past the bustle of traffic and pedestrians to appreciate not one, but two 17th-century fountains designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. These include the small yet delightful Fountain of the Bees and the ornately sculpted Triton Fountain. The latter is near the entrance to Palazzo Barberini—a must for art lovers, as it’s home to the National Galleries of Ancient Art (Galleria Nazionale di Arte Antica).

The Baths of Caracalla (Terme di Caracalla) were one of ancient Rome’s most luxurious thermal complexes, with saunas, swimming pools, sports facilities, and even libraries for both the imperial elite and everyday Romans. Built in 212 during the reign of Emperor Caracalla, the vast leisure center has lost its marble splendor but still stands in impressively preserved ruins, which you can visit on a tour of Rome’s ancient highlights.

Rome is home to some of the oldest churches in the world, including the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere. However, it is the later additions to this 4th-century landmark that help it draw attention today among the restaurants and artisan shops of bohemian Trastevere, particularly the medieval mosaics found inside and adorning its bold facade.

Cross the Tiber River via the Ponte Sisto bridge, and Piazza Trilussa welcomes you to the bohemian neighborhood of Trastevere. Named after the 19th-century Roman satirical poet Carlo Alberto Salustri, better known as Trilussa, the cobbled square serves as a gathering place for locals and visitors alike in the evenings. Groups linger on the fountain’s stone steps to people-watch and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere.

The enormous Trajan’s Column (Colonna di Traiano), located near Quirinal Hill, was built in the second century to commemorate Emperor Trajan’s victory over the Dacians, and it now stands proudly over the ruins of Trajan’s Forum. One of the most intricate ancient landmarks in Rome, the triumphal column is decorated with bas-relief carvings that constitute a diary of battle scenes, a fascinating cipher to its visitors.

Though modest by Roman standards, this ancient portico in the heart of the Jewish Ghetto has a fascinating past—it once held temples, a library, and a medieval fish market. Emperor Augustus refurbished the original structure and dedicated it to his sister Octavia. Though only a few of its original columns remain today, the portico lies steps from the Theater of Marcellus via a small passageway.

The ornate Fontana dell’Acqua Paola—known in Rome as Il Fontanone, or “the big fountain”—sits at the top of Rome’s Janiculum Hill, one of the city’s tallest. Dating from 1612 and commissioned by Pope Paul V, this terminus of the Acqua Paola aqueduct brought water to Vatican City and Trastevere for the first time. Today, you can admire both the fountain and the view, one of the best in Rome.

Move over, Verona: Italy’s most romantic balcony is on Janiculum Hill (Gianicolo) in Rome. Affectionately called the eighth of the Seven Hills of Rome (Sette Colli di Roma), Janiculum is home to the San Pietro in Montorio church, which was built on the site where St. Peter was believed to have been crucified; the Fontana dell’Acqua Paola, a monumental fountain; and Orto Botanico, 30 acres (12 hectares) of botanical gardens. However, the main draw is the sumptuous view from the belvedere overlooking Piazza Garibaldi.

The Roman ruins of Hadrian’s Villa (Villa Adriana) and the Renaissance palace of Villa d’Este—both UNESCO World Heritage Sites—put the town of Tivoli on the tourist radar. These luxe residences and their splendid gardens offer an ideal break from the urban bustle of nearby Rome. Stroll the grounds to admire the ornate fountains and water features, original statuary, and treasures of ancient Roman and 16th-century architecture.

Laid out in the early 16th century under the papacy of Pope Julius II, Via Giulia is one of Rome’s most elegant thoroughfares. This cobblestone lane connecting Piazza dell’Oro with Piazza San Vincenzo Palloti is framed by ivy-covered arches and lined with historic churches and palaces, shops, and restaurants—making it a perfect place for a quintessentially Roman stroll. Highlights along the route include Michelangelo’s Arco Farnese, the adjoining Palazzo Farnese, and the Fontana del Mascherone.

The Basilica of St. John Lateran (Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano) is the most important of Rome’s four papal basilicas—after all, it’s the seat of the Pope, the bishop of Rome. It’s also the city’s oldest church, built under Constantine I in the fourth century and now decorated with rich mosaics, Cosmatesque floors, stained-glass windows, and larger-than-life-size marble statues of the Twelve Apostles.

One of the most historic of Rome’s seven hills, Capitoline Hill is the site of Piazza del Campidoglio—the elegant public square designed by Michelangelo, which overlooks the Roman Forum and features the monumental Cordonata staircase. It is also home to the Capitoline Museums, dating from 1471, displaying treasures including ancient Roman sculptures and works by artists such as Rubens, Titian, and Caravaggio; the institution is considered the world’s oldest public museum.

If you hear a Roman refer to the “wedding cake building,” they’re talking about one of the city’s most famous landmarks: the enormous, white marble Victor Emmanuel II Monument (Vittoriano) dominating Piazza Venezia. Built to honor King Victor Emmanuel II, the site is home to massive statues, war memorials, and a glass elevator that connects to a terrace with panoramic views of the Eternal City.