Rome attractions

A stark modernist structure, the Ara Pacis Museum (Museo dell’ Ara Pacis) houses the Ara Pacis, or Altar of Peace, one of the most significant monuments of ancient Rome. Commissioned by Emperor Augustus to celebrate the consolidation of his power, the Carrara marble monument features a sacrificial altar in a richly decorated enclosure.

Near the banks of the Tiber, this Byzantine church charms with decorative elements, including a potentially pre-Roman crypt and Cosmatesque marble floors and altar. The Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin (Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin) is best known as home to the Mouth of Truth (Bocca della Verità), an ancient Roman artifact swirling in medieval legends located beneath its front portico—an item most travelers may recognize from the classic film Roman Holiday.

Leading from Capitoline Hill through the Roman Forum and down to the Colosseum, Via Sacra (Sacred Road) was once the main thoroughfare of Rome, where citizens gathered and triumphal processions were held. Part of the open-air museum that is the Roman Forum, the road is lined with the remnants of some of the ancient city’s most important structures and monuments.

Farnese Palace (Palazzo Farnese) is one of the most majestic Renaissance palaces in Rome, designed by an A-list team of architects (including Michelangelo) and masterfully frescoed by Annibale Carracci and other 16th-century artists. Originally the residence of the noble Farnese family, the palace is now the seat of the French embassy—though most visitors come to admire its opulent interiors, which include mythological paintings and ancient Roman mosaics.

One of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome, the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem (Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme)—actually in Rome’s eastern Esquilino neighborhood—houses important relics, long believed to have been brought from the Holy Land. Relics said to be in its care include pieces of the True Cross, a nail from the crucifixion, thorns from the crown, and small pieces of the Grotto of the Nativity and the Holy Sepulchre. The church is a must for visitors of Christian faith or those curious about religious artifacts.

The baroque Basilica di Sant’Andrea della Valle was designed by some of the premier architects of the 17th century, and its dome is the second tallest in Rome after St. Peter’s. Giovanni Lanfranco and Domenichino have works in the church, which features extravagant side chapels and monumental tombs. The church is also famous for providing the setting for the opening of Puccini’s Tosca, making it a must-see for both art and opera buffs.

Rome’s Jewish community dates back more than 2,000 years, and the Jewish Museum of Rome (Museo Ebraico di Roma) records this rich history. Housed in the Great Synagogue of Rome (Tempio Maggiore di Roma), the museum’s seven rooms display precious artifacts, such as textiles, silver, and tombstones moved from the catacombs beneath the city, as well as sections dedicated to the 3-century ghetto period and Roman Jewish life after World War II.

The ninth-century Basilica di Santa Prassede houses the remains of Saint Praxedes, known for helping Christians fleeing Roman persecution in the second century. Inside, intricate gold-flecked Byzantine mosaics cover the walls and ceilings, particularly above the altar and inside the Chapel of Saint Zeno (Cappella di San Zenone). A glass-enclosed relic—said to be a piece of the pillar Jesus was tied to while flogged—attracts religious pilgrims.

A French-Jewish lawyer is said to have had a vision of Mary and converted to Catholicism in this small, lesser-known church in Rome’s historic center. Tucked between Piazza di Spagna and the Trevi Fountain, it houses notable art—including two elegant angels by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Rome’s only Putridarium, a crypt once used for the decomposition of bodies.

Perched above the Roman Forum, Domus Augustana was the private residence of several Roman emperors within the vast palace complex on Palatine Hill. Often overlooked among the ruins of the Palatine, the nearly 2,000-year-old Domus Augustana and its tattered frescoes offer a glimpse into how emperors and high society lived—they placed themselves above it all.

Set on the idyllic shores of Lake Bracciano, the beautifully preserved Odescalchi Castle (officially called Castello Orsini-Odescalchi but also known as the Bracciano Castle) was built during the late 15th century by Napoleone Orsini and is considered one of Europe’s most impressive Renaissance fortresses.

The National Roman Museum (Museo Nazionale Romano) has so many treasures that it needs not one, but four museums to display them. Each one is distinct. Palazzo Massimo alle Terme is most famous for its collection of Roman coins, the Baths of Diocletian (Terme di Diocleziano) for its Renaissance cloisters designed by Michelangelo, Palazzo Altemps for its ancient sculptures, and the Crypta Balbi for its archaeological artifacts and ongoing excavations.

Thanks to its proximity to Rome, Lake Bracciano (Lago di Bracciano) has long been a popular retreat for city dwellers while remaining largely off the tourist radar. The medieval lakeside villages of Bracciano, Anguillara, and Trevignano have waterfront promenades and the lake waters are ideal for swimming, sailing, and water sports.

The Barberini Palace (Palazzo Barberini) is one of the most beautiful palaces in Rome, designed by the city’s renowned Renaissance architects, Carlo Maderno, Francesco Borromini, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Now home to the National Gallery of Ancient Art, the palazzo contains an important collection of paintings from the 13th to 18th centuries. Worth a visit for its architecture alone, the building features a soaring marble facade with three tiers of arches facing a semi-enclosed courtyard.

A photogenic back street, Via Margutta is a blissful stretch of calm between Rome’s bustling Piazza del Popolo and Piazza di Spagna. This narrow, ivy-covered lane is lined with boutique hotels, stylish restaurants, art galleries, and antique shops. Known as the street of artists, and once home to director Federico Fellini, it’s where Gregory Peck’s character lived in the 1953 movie Roman Holiday.

Best known for its Cornaro Chapel—home to Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s sculptural masterpiece, The Ecstasy of St. Teresa—the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria (Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vittoria) has one of the most ornate marble interiors in Rome. Designed by baroque architect Carlo Maderno, the 17th-century church is adorned with white and gold stucco angels, cherubs, and other details you can take in from the pews.

Part of the fourth-century Villa of Maxentius complex along the Via Appia Antica in the Roman countryside, the Circus of Maxentius (Circo di Massenzio) is a well-preserved chariot racetrack in Rome, second in size only to the Circus Maximus. Today, the archaeological site is located within the Appian Way Regional Park, approximately 30 minutes from Rome, with its ruins open to exploration.

Tucked in a quiet alleyway just steps from Rome’s Piazza Navona, the Church of Santa Maria della Pace (Chiesa di Santa Maria della Pace) is small, but brimming with artistic treasures. This mixed Renaissance and baroque gem includes a large Raphael fresco of four sibyls, a Baldassarre Peruzzi fresco of the Madonna and child, and the classically inspired Bramante Cloister. As such, it’s one of Rome’s prettiest churches, though it’s not on every tourist itinerary.

Secreted away within the fortress-like complex of the Basilica of Santi Quattro Coronati (Basilica dei Santi Quattro Coronati) is a basilica, a convent, the cardinal’s palace, and a cloister. While dating from the fourth or fifth century, it burned in 1084. Among its highlights are the 13th-century cosmatesque stonework in the cloister and the monastery’s Gothic hall with its secular frescoes. This basilica near the Colosseum is a must for historical art and architecture buffs.

St. Paul’s Within the Walls Church (Chiesa di San Paolo Entro le Mura) was the first Protestant church built in Rome, considered the capital of the Catholic world. This 19th-century Episcopal church is home to beautiful and relatively modern mosaics that earned it recognition as a national monument. Today, it is not only a religious and cultural center, but also a performance venue that regularly hosts concerts of classical music and opera.

Via Nazionale cuts straight through Rome’s historic heart, linking Piazza della Repubblica near the main Termini train station to Largo Magnanapoli, steps from monumental Piazza Venezia. Lined with shops, hotels, and churches, this busy thoroughfare is home to A-list sights including St. Paul’s Within the Walls, the Church of Santa Caterina da Siena a Magnanapoli, and Palazzo delle Esposizioni, a neoclassical exhibition space.

A highlight of the Roman Forum, the House of the Vestal Virgins was once home to the six high priestesses of the Temple of Vesta, one of the most powerful cults in ancient Rome. Dating from the sixth century BC, the 50-room complex stood next to the circular temple where the priestesses were tasked with keeping the sacred flame alight—the symbol of Rome’s eternal life. Today, it offers important insights into the city’s ancient culture.

Dominating Piazza Navona, Pamphilj Palace (Palazzo Pamphilj) was commissioned in the 17th century by Pope Innocent X (born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj). Some of the best-known artists and architects in Rome—including Borromini and da Cortona—were called on to design and decorate the interiors and facade of this sumptuous symbol of the family’s power and prestige. Today, this baroque masterpiece’s lavish interior halls, courtyards, and galleries house the Brazilian Embassy.

Underneath the Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo in the center of Rome lies a subterranean network of living spaces built between the second and fourth centuries, before and during the rise of Christianity. Decorated with a mix of pagan and religious frescoes, these 20 rooms offer an intimate glimpse into the daily lives of regular folks in ancient Rome.

Inside the Galleria Agostiniana and part of Rome’s must-see Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, the small Leonardo da Vinci Museum (Museo Leonardo da Vinci) is dedicated entirely to Italy’s great engineer and artist. Explore the hands-on collection of more than 50 inventions modeled after Leonardo’s machines, admire reproductions of his most famous artworks, and experience the thrill of flying over Florence’s rooftops during a unique VR ride.

Shutterbugs and romantics flock to the Pincio Gardens, known for its panoramic terrace over Piazza del Popolo with views over Rome’s rooftops to St. Peter’s Basilica. These pretty gardens atop the Pincian Hill date back to ancient Rome, when the estate of the Pinci family covered the area. Reworked in the 19th century by Giuseppe Valadier, the Pincio Gardens are lush with greenery that surrounds busts of illustrious Italians, an obelisk, and a historic water clock.

The Triton Fountain (Fontana del Tritone) is not on the scale of Rome’s most famous water feature, the Trevi Fountain, but it’s well worth a visit. Located in bustling Piazza Barberini, Fontana del Tritone was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII and carved by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, whose baroque sculptures also appear in St. Peter’s Basilica. It features a statue of Triton perched atop a shell and four dolphins.

Escaping the relentless crowds and chaos of central Rome can seem like an impossible task, but just a short distance to the south, the Garbatella District (Quartiere Garbatella) beckons with its communal gardens, authentic restaurants, and captivating mix of historic and contemporary culture. With its relaxed vibe, the neighborhood showcases a more lived-in but no less interesting side to the ever-popular capital.

Rome was famously built around seven hills—and on one of those, you’ll find the Oppian Hill Park (Parco del Colle Oppio). Overlooking the Colosseum, this storied park is more than just a way to access Rome’s most famous attraction: Nero chose this spot to build part of his massive Domus Aurea palace, and the baths of Trajan and Titus were also located here. Today, this pretty park offers walking paths, fountains, and hilltop views of ancient ruins.

Combining elements of Republican and medieval Rome, the Basilica di San Nicola in Carcere is a worthwhile stop for archaeology and architecture enthusiasts. While many churches in Rome incorporate elements pilfered from ancient sites, this one is unique in that its repurposed columns stand in their original location—the foundations of the preexisting temples are still visible in the basement crypt.