Prenotazione Dell'Hotel De Roma

Rome

Long a major city of Europe, Rome is today an unparalleled repository of monuments from all periods, from the Etruscan era to modern times. The period of Rome's early history, under Etruscan kings and under the Republic, is represented by relatively few relics; but the legacy of the following period, the Roman Empire, is extensive. Roman monuments range from the almost perfectly preserved Pantheon (founded 27 bc; rebuilt ad 118-128), considered one of the finest surviving temples of antiquity, to the impressive-although partly ruined-Colosseum (opened ad 80), a huge amphitheatre that was the scene of gladiatorial combats and other spectacles. Ancient city walls, triumphal arches, great public meeting places, churches, and palaces are all found in Rome. Foremost among these monuments are the Roman Forum and the Imperial Forum, ancient centres of commerce and religion; the Baths of Caracalla, built around ad 217 and now used as the setting for summer opera performances; the Catacombs, ancient tunnels beneath the city in which early Christians practised their religion and were buried; and the Castel Sant'Angelo, built as a mausoleum for the Roman Emperor Hadrian and converted into a fort in the Middle Ages. The basilica of St John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome, was founded in the 4th century and substantially rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries; the basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls was built in the 4th century and reconstructed after being destroyed by fire in 1823; and the basilica of St Peter in Chains, founded in the 5th century, was rebuilt in the 15th century and contains the famous Michelangelo statue of Moses.

Other popular points of historical interest include the Piazza del Campidoglio, a square containing a bronze statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius completed during the 2nd century ad; the Piazza Navona, a square with three fountains, including the Fountain of the Four Rivers by the Italian sculptor Gianlorenzo Bernini; the Trevi Fountain, an 18th-century Baroque fountain into which tourists traditionally toss coins and make a wish; and the Piazza di Spagna, where the famous Spanish Steps, built in the 18th century, ascend to the 15th-century church of the Trinità dei Monti. Perhaps the finest works of more modern times are the buildings erected for the 1960 Olympic Games, several of which were designed by one of Italy's leading contemporary architects, Pier Luigi Nervi.

Rome has been an urban settlement for more than 2,000 years, and although monuments of most periods of the city's history still stand, the destructive impact of pollution and of vibration from heavy traffic is gradually leading to increased efforts towards preservation, including restrictions on cars and commercial vehicles in the historic centre, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980 (extended in 1990).