The Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano is perhaps the most ancient of Christian churches. It is held to be the most important after Saint Peter’s because it is the Cathedral of Rome. In the central space between the transepts is an altar where only the Pope, the bishop of Rome, can celebrate mass. As…
The Piazza di Spagna A church, a flight of steps, and a fountain form the most elegant and complex Roman urban site of the 18th century. The Church of Trinita dei Monti was started in 1502 and consecrated eighty years later, at the wish of the French kings who dedicated it to a saint dear…
Piazza del Popolo There are two identical Piazza del Popolo churches and an obelisk: this is the Piazza del Popolo, the apex of the so-called trident because from here originate three long and straight street: via del Babuino, where are many antique shops, which leads to Piazza di Spagna ( flanked by via Margutta, a…
Rome Tour Rome is the capital of Italy and the Lazio region. It’s the famed city of the Seven Hills, La Dolce Vita, Vatican City, and Three Coins in the Fountain. Its Historic Center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Vatican It has been the Popes’ residence since 1377. In fact, before the Pontifical…
Rome, more than any other city, is full of obelisks, many of Egyptian origin. These enormous monoliths, either bare or covered in hieroglyphics, form focus points at the center of the great squares; but they are also symbols of the sun and immortality. There are thirteen obelisks in Rome. The most ancient and the highest…
The Appian way This is the most famous, the longest, the straightest of the old Roman roads, and also the best preserved. It starts, more or less, from the Baths of Caracalla and in an almost straight line, a good ninety kilometers, joins Terracina, Capua ( in Campania ), then goes through Benevento until it…