rome sites

Rome Sites: Not to Be Missed

Rome Sites: Those You Will Wait in Line For
There are obviously the big sites in Rome that you have built up in your imagination that can't be missed, and they can't, because no trip to Rome is complete without them. Let's start with the mother of all ancient arenas, the Colosseum. Don't make the mistake of just looking at it from the outside, as only by exploring its interior will you be aware of its magnificent stature. The ticket costs a modest 12 euros, and includes entrance to the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. The Roman Forum is another site in Rome which you can't get the proper idea of by looking down at it from Via Fori Imperiali. If you are short on time, you can skip the Palatine Hill, as there is not much up there. Another absolutely unmissable site is St. Peter's Basilica together with the Sistine Chapel inside the Vatican Museums. Highly recommended to get to the museum before the ticket office opens, or buy your tickets online.

Rome Sites: Others That You Will Come Across
Rome is also full of sites that you will come across as you meander throughout the city, whatever route you have chosen. The good thing about these sites is that they are free and you don't have to wait in line. The unmissable sites here are, of course, the Pantheon, which you can enter for free, and the Trevi Fountain, your experience of which will depend on what time of day you go as it is extremely crowded at peak times. Other sites that are easily visited are Piazza Navona, Piazza di Spagna, and the ancient temple complex at Largo Argentina. The Jewish Ghetto, which is located just across from the Campidoglio is another Rome site well worth visiting, and is home to the oldest Jewish community in the world outside of Israel and Palestine. The Orange Garden at the top of the Aventine hill is another site that will enrich your experience of Rome with its churches and other points of interest.

Rome Sites: A Word on Rome Churches
If you visited two and a half churches per day, an entire year would not suffice to visit the 900 churches that Rome is home to. There are some 400 in the historic center alone, and though we are sure that you will be dazzled by just about any one you walk into, here too we can provide you with some advice. Of course you should visit the ''seven pilgrim churches'', composed of the four major basilicas (St. Peter's, St. Paul Outside the Walls, Santa Maria Maggiore, San Giovanni in Laterano), and three other churches (San Lorenzo Outside the Walls, Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, San Sebastiano Outside the Walls). However, there are also some smaller churches that are not to be missed, such as San Clemente (located between San Giovanni and the Colosseum), and of course San Pietro in Vincoli, where visitors can marvel at the Moses of Michelangelo. Lovers of Caravaggio will want to visit San Luigi dei Francesi (near Piazza Navona), and Santa Maria del Popolo in Piazza del Popolo.

Rome Sites: Archaeology 
Other Rome sites that are not to be missed are the ruins along the ancient Appia Antica, and the catacombs of San Callisto, which will give you even deeper insight into Rome's ancient past, as well as the roots of Christianity in Rome.

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