ItalyGuides.it: Italy Travel Guide

The greatest and most formidable amphitheatre in the Roman world. The event the audience enjoyed most was definitely the gladiators. Towards midday there was a break during which they removed the bodies and spread more sand on the arena floor. A deafening noise arose from the audience; the gladiators paraded into the packed arena triumphantly and were welcomed by fans like real heroes, a bit like today's sports champions. After a brief walk around the arena, the gladiators paid homage to the Emperor's stage saluting with the famous words "Ave Cesare morituri te salutant" (Ave Caesar, those who are about to die salute you).

The Forum was the pulsing heart of Rome, the city’s main piazza where citizens of every social level met to exchange opinions, do business, buy in the markets and renew their strength over a tasty dish and a cup of good wine.

To the left of the Arch of Septimius Severus, there is a large wall full of holes. This is another very important place in the city’s life: it was the new orators’ tribune.

This extraordinary work of art is more than just a sculpture: it is a triumphant example of Baroque art, whose depictions of nature and imaginary creatures embody the movement of water as the soul of the world.

The Pantheon is the Roman monument holding the greatest number of records: the best preserved, with the biggest brick dome in the history of architecture and is considered the forerunner of all modern places of worship. It is the most copied and imitated of all ancient works. Michelangelo felt it was the work of angels not men.

From the shadows of the ancient, winding streets of the historic center, you suddenly come upon the breathtaking magnificence of Piazza Navona, born as a place of spectacle and still today a spectacular open air show; an architectural miracle in the heart of the Eternal City, filled with masterpieces in perfect harmony with each other.

The great Basilica of Saint Peter, the most important in the Christian world, is the monument that manages to unite in a single place the religious faithful and lovers of art. It’s dedicated to Peter, first among the apostles, first pope and head of the Church.

This is the start of a mysterious and fascinating trip: a voyage across more than 20 centuries of creativity through which art and history intertwine, telling the story of what human ingenuity has created through the ages.

Excitement, risk and tension, were the ingredients of every chariot race. Circus Maximus is the biggest sports stadium ever built. Just think that it could hold almost three hundred and eighty thousand visitors with free access to races. Almost four times bigger than the biggest stadium today, an incredible number.