Rome, the "Eternal City," is a must-see. It is extraordinarily rich in museums, significant buildings, and sights. Its role in antiquity as the capital of the Roman Empire, in particular, makes it so interesting and a destination for numerous tourists. The old town of Rome, St. Peter's Basilica, and Vatican City were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980. The largest city in Italy, situated on the banks of the Tiber River, is worth a visit, so we headed to Rome for a weekend and experienced quite a lot:
Hotel Torino in Rome
Our accommodation for our 2-day city trip to Rome was the Hotel Torino. This 4-star hotel is located right in the heart of Rome near the Basilica of St. Mary Major. The hotel has 7 floors and a beautiful panoramic terrace, which was unfortunately still closed during our visit in March because it was not yet warm enough. In the morning, there was a good breakfast buffet, and the rooms were small but definitely sufficient for two people.
For sightseeing, it pays to take sightseeing buses; here you buy a ticket and can hop on and off all day long.
Colosseum
The landmark of Rome is the largest amphitheater built in ancient Rome. It is a logistical and architectural masterpiece. With the substructure of the stage technology, approx. 80 entrances, and space for approx. 50,000 spectators, it was the largest enclosed building in antiquity. The Colosseum was the scene of highly cruel games, organized by members of the imperial family.
It is very impressive when you walk along here; it is really very well preserved. At the entrance, you receive a kind of phone where you can start your own tour, very practical and better than with a guide.
Roman Forum
A visit to Rome clearly also includes a visit to the oldest Roman forum. It was the center of political, economic, cultural, and religious life and is one of the most important excavation sites of ancient Rome.
The monuments of the Forum can be roughly divided into three building types and different purposes: temples and other religious buildings, buildings used for political purposes, and economically significant buildings.
Definitely plan plenty of time for this sight; we spent a whole afternoon here because it is so impressive to walk between the monuments.
Trevi Fountain
The Trevi Fountain is arguably the most famous fountain in Rome. It is impressive that it is the only fountain that has been in continuous operation since antiquity. In addition, it is the largest fountain in Rome and truly worth a visit. Especially in the evening, it looks even better with the lighting. Popular belief holds that it brings good luck to throw coins over your left shoulder into the fountain with your right hand; we didn't miss out on that.
Castel Sant'Angelo and Sant'Angelo Bridge
Castel Sant'Angelo was originally built as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian and his successors and was later converted into a castle. Since 1906, Castel Sant'Angelo has been a museum. Unfortunately, we only viewed Castel Sant'Angelo from the outside, as time was unfortunately too short.
Instead, we strolled across the Sant'Angelo Bridge over the Tiber. In antiquity, this bridge was considered the most beautiful in the world and was one of the main bridges of Rome. I was very enthusiastic about the many angels on the bridge.
Pantheon
The Pantheon is generally considered the best-preserved building of Roman antiquity. It was a sanctuary dedicated to all the gods of Rome and was built on the Campus Martius. To this day, it is disputed which gods were worshipped here.
The view into the dome of the Pantheon and the really well-preserved interior are impressive.
St. Peter's Basilica
A must-see was also a visit to St. Peter's Basilica, the largest of the papal basilicas in Rome. It is the center of the independent state of Vatican City and one of the 7 pilgrim churches in the city. The interior is imposing, and you can see a lot here. It is one of the largest church buildings in the world and holds almost 20,000 people. The furnishings are also impressive; here you see beautiful statues, paintings, and tombs.
Unfortunately, we could not see everything because Pope Benedict XVI was speaking during our visit.
Villa Borghese
Villa Borghese, with a beautiful park in the middle of Rome, was the summer palace of the Borghese princely family. In the middle of the grounds is the Galleria Borghese, which houses one of the most famous and valuable private art collections in the world. This collection contains works by Rubens, Titian, Antonello da Messina, Bronzino, Leonardo da Vinci, and many more.
The park is beautifully and romantically laid out, with fountains and a lake. We went for an extensive walk here and treated ourselves to a break from sightseeing.
Conclusion
Rome is truly worth seeing and should be on every city traveler's list. I was very impressed by the sights, and it was wonderful to immerse myself in antiquity. Italian food is also worth a sin and one of my favorite meals.
Unfortunately, this vacation was not exactly our best because a lot went wrong here. From illness to missing suitcases, hotel overbooking, and even demonstrations where our bus could no longer drive, everything was included.
Photos by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
Also read: City trip to Cologne
