- Rome is the only city in the world to contain an entire sovereign state, Vatican City, within its administrative borders.
- The city's 'Fontanelle' provide free, constant-flow drinking water from ancient aqueducts, a practice dating back to the 19th century.
- Rome contains over 900 churches, the highest concentration of religious buildings per capita in the world.
- Underground Rome, or 'Sotterraneo', features a vast network of subterranean ruins, ancient pagan temples, and early Christian burial chambers beneath modern street levels.
- The city was built on seven hills, which historically served as defensive fortifications for the nascent settlement.
About Rome
Rome serves as a living laboratory of Western history, defined by its concentration of ancient ruins and its role as the seat of the Catholic Church. The city center is a dense architectural narrative where the Colosseum [1] stands as the iconic remains of imperial spectacle alongside the Pantheon [16], which features the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. Visitors can traverse centuries of artistic evolution within the Vatican Museums [202] and the Sistine Chapel [31300]. Its urban layout reflects layers of development, from the Roman Forum [9] to the Renaissance influence seen near the Spanish Steps [32881].
Highlights of Rome
The places our editors single out — and why they're worth your time.
Historical places
Explore the massive amphitheater that once hosted gladiatorial combat and public spectacles.
Places of interest
Visit the city's largest Baroque fountain, traditionally believed to ensure a return to Rome if you toss a coin over your shoulder.
Historical places
Stand beneath the oculus of the world's oldest functional concrete dome, constructed during the reign of Hadrian.
Museums
View an immense collection of classical sculptures and Renaissance masterpieces gathered by successive popes.
Temples
Observe Michelangelo’s iconic ceiling frescoes inside this active site of papal conclaves.
Historical places
Climb the monumental staircase that links the Piazza di Spagna at the base to the Trinità dei Monti church at the summit.
Historical places
Tour the fortress originally built as Emperor Hadrian's mausoleum before its conversion into a papal residence.
Museums
Walk through the primary political and commercial center of the ancient Roman Empire.
Top things to do in Rome
The 2,059 highest-rated places in Rome, ranked by travellers.
1
Historical places
The Colosseum is the largest ancient amphitheater ever built, completed in 80 AD under Emperor Titus. Its elliptical str...
2
Places of interest
The Trevi Fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in Rome, standing 26 meters high and 49 meters wide. Designed by Nico...
3
Historical places
The Pantheon is the best-preserved monument of Imperial Rome, commissioned by Marcus Agrippa and rebuilt by Emperor Hadr...
4
Temples
Saint Peter's Basilica is the largest church in the world by interior volume, functioning as the primary center of Catho...
5
Museums
The Vatican Museums house an immense collection of art, archaeology, and ethno-anthropological artifacts amassed by Roma...
6
Museums
The Roman Forum served as the primary center for political, judicial, and commercial activities in the ancient Roman Emp...
7
Historical places
Castel Sant'Angelo, originally built as the Mausoleum of Hadrian in 135 AD, is a cylindrical fortress situated on the ba...
8
Historical places
The Spanish Steps are a monumental 135-step staircase linking the Piazza di Spagna at the base to the Trinità dei Monti...
9
Temples
The Sistine Chapel is a brick-walled, rectangular building originally designed as the Capella Magna in the 15th century....
10
Parks
Villa Borghese is Rome’s third-largest public park, spanning 80 hectares of landscaped gardens designed in the English s...
11
Historical places
The Monument to Victor Emmanuel II, known as the Vittoriano, is a colossal white Brescian marble structure built to hono...
12
Temples
The Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major is the largest Catholic Marian church in Rome and one of the four papal basilicas...
13
Historical places
Piazza Venezia serves as the central traffic hub of Rome and acts as the intersection for the city's primary historic ar...
14
Historical places
Circus Maximus is the largest stadium of ancient Rome, historically used for chariot racing and mass public events. The...
15
Temples
The Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano is the official cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the ecclesiastical seat of...
16
Museums
Villa d'Este is a 16th-century Italian villa in Tivoli designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its extensive Rena...
17
Places of interest
Largo di Torre Argentina is an archaeological site in Rome containing the remains of four Republican-era temples and the...
18
Venues
The Olympic Stadium in Rome serves as the primary home ground for the Serie A football clubs SS Lazio and AS Roma. Origi...
19
Museums
Galleria Borghese houses the private art collection of Cardinal Scipione Borghese, displayed within the 17th-century Vil...
20
Parks
The Giardino degli Aranci, officially the Parco Savello, is a walled public park located on the Aventine Hill in Rome. I...
21
Temples
The Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere is widely considered one of the oldest churches in Rome, with its foundation d...
22
Places of interest
The Janiculum Hill, or Gianicolo, serves as a prominent vantage point offering an unobstructed panorama of central Rome....
23
Places of interest
Ponte Sant'Angelo is a pedestrianized stone bridge spanning the Tiber River, originally commissioned by Emperor Hadrian...
24
Historical places
The Baths of Caracalla represent one of the best-preserved examples of ancient Roman imperial public bath complexes. Com...
25
Temples
The Chiesa di Sant'Ignazio di Loyola is a Jesuit church commissioned in 1626 by Pope Gregory XV to honor the founder of...
26
Venues
Designed by Renzo Piano and inaugurated in 2002, the Auditorium Parco della Musica is a multifunctional complex composed...
27
Parks
The Park of the Aqueducts is a 240-hectare protected area in southeastern Rome, forming part of the Appian Way Regional...
28
Temples
The Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls is one of Rome's four major papal basilicas and is constructed over t...
29
Parks
Villa Doria Pamphili is the largest landscaped park in Rome, covering 184 hectares on the Janiculum Hill. The park cente...
30
Zoos
Bioparco di Roma is a 17-hectare zoological garden located within the historic Villa Borghese park in Rome. Established...
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Rome on the map
Top attractions plotted across the city.
Plan your visit to Rome
April to May or late September to October, when temperatures are mild and the city avoids the peak summer humidity and tourist density.
4-5 days, which provides sufficient time to cover major archaeological sites, Vatican City, and the primary public squares without extreme haste.
The historic center is largely walkable, supplemented by an extensive bus network, trams, and two primary metro lines (A and B).
Stay in Trastevere for a traditional atmosphere with narrow alleys, or near the Pantheon for proximity to major landmarks.
Mid-to-high; while attractions are numerous, lodging and dining in the historic core command premium pricing.
Frequently asked
Aventuro lists 2,059 curated attractions in and around Rome, ranked by traveller ratings.
Colosseum is the highest-rated place to visit in Rome right now.
The largest category is temples, with 808 places to explore.
Travellers also explore Milan, Galatina, Florence.
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