Rome Attractions

Top 25 things to see and do in Rome

• 1 Sistine Chapel

  8.1 /10

  In Rome, the Sistine Chapel is named for Sixtus IV della Rovere, who was Pope from 1471 to 1484. The chapel's interior walls are covered in exquisite frescoes painted by some of the greatest Italian artists in history, including Perugino, Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Rosselli, and of course Michelangelo, who painted the stunning frescoes which adorn the ceiling. The chapel is not only a work of art; it is, in fact, still used as a site of papal religious activity—the election of a new Pope takes place in the chapel, at an event called a conclave.

  The fresco style of painting was used throughout the chapel ...

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• 2 St. Peter's Square

  8.1 /10

  You are standing in a courtyard, surrounded by hundreds of other people equally awed by the majesty of the sights you are all-seeing. Before you, over 400 feet tall and almost 400 years old, rises the magnificent Saint Peter's Cathedral. As you turn to glance about the elliptical colonnade in wonder, you are greeted with the sight of hundreds of pillars holding up the ancient Baroque architecture. When your eyes reach the center of the square, you are greeted by the sight of an ancient Egyptian obelisk dating back to the 13th century BC. To either side of the obelisk are fountains and beyond it the road leading into the square ...

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• 3 Villa Borghese

  8 /10

  The Villa Borghese is a large natural park in Rome. It contains a few buildings, attractions and hosts the Galleria Borghese museum. Its main entrance is through the upward leading path of the Spanish Steps.

  The Greek Temple

  The area was a vineyard up until the 17th century. Then Scipione Borghese, Cardinal, and nephew of the Pope Paul the fifth turned the area into a splendid garden. The vineyards of the Villa Borghese were quite famously renowned. Then, in the 19th century, the garden was given an English refinement twist ...

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• 4 Roman Forum

  7.9 /10

  The Roman Forum, the heart of Rome. The citizens of ancient Rome spent a good part of their days there. The great place was surrounded with temples and legal buildings and filled with statues, bridges, arcs, and columns. So the 'Forum Romanum' was a remarkable marketplace center point for all business and shopping made by Rome's ancient citizens.

  Roman orators also used the Forum for public speaking. This created a shopping and trading ambiance that would get people stopping and listening. Many religious and festivals were also held at the Forum ...

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• 5 Trevi Fountain

  7.9 /10

  The Trevi Fountain is one of the most popular and photographed fountain in the world. This grand fountain, most likely the most beautiful one in Rome, is located in the Quirinale district and is clearly the masterpiece of the small Trevi square. 'Trevi' is derived from the word 'Trivium', meaning 'where three streets meet'. This monumental baroque Trevi Fountain is within walking distance of the Piazza Navona and the Spanish Steps.

  Neptune

  The fountain was designed by the artist Nicola Salvi, who Pope Clement XII commissioned in 1732 ...

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• 6 Spanish Steps

  7.7 /10

  The Spanish Steps is another top-rated attraction located in Rome's heart ('Centro Historico'). It is also one of Rome's favorite romantic spots and one of the most popular city landmarks.The Spanish Steps has 138 steps that connect the Piazza di Spagna (or Spanish Square), one of the most elegant square, at the bottom to the Franciscan Trinità dei Monti church at a higher level. These nice and elegant steps were made by Francesco de Sanctis between 1723 and 1726. The Steps were built to create a nice path between the church on top of the hill and the Spanish embassy located on the Piazza below ...

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• 7 Pantheon

  7.6 /10

  The Roman Pantheon is now the best-preserved building in Rome and the oldest 'important' building in the world to still have an entirely intact roof. The building's design is attributed to Apollodorus of Damascus, a second-century Greek engineer and architect. While the method of construction of the Pantheon has never been determined, there is no doubt that it is a truly remarkable achievement.

  The building of the Roman Pantheon was begun in 27 BC, commissioned by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa. At that time, it was a classical temple with a gabled roof supported by a colonnade. This building was destroyed by fire in 80 AD, and between 118 and 128 AD, it was completely rebuilt by Hadrian, the Roman Emperor of that era ...

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• 8 Rome Coliseum

  7.2 /10

  The roman coliseum ('colosseum' or 'Colosseo') is probably the most ancient world-renowned monument in Rome. It was one of the very first roman amphitheaters to be built. It is located between the Caelian Hills and the Esquiline on marshy type of land. Records show that the colosseum was built over many years and was inaugurated around 80 A.D.

  The Emperor Vespasian started the construction of the coliseum, or 'colosseum' ( 'colosseo' in Italian) , about a decade after Nero's reign and the 'Great Fire' on Rome in 64 A.D ...

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• 9 Piazza Navona

  7 /10

  As always, the Piazza Navona is synonymous with joy, festivities and popular entertainment. Today, Romans and tourists hang there day and night beside street artists, musicians and portraitists. The medieval streets around the Piazza Navona are full of artisan shops, trattorias and pizzerias. There is an elegant and natural mixture of baroque and renaissance-style buildings.

  Although the Piazza Navona reproduces in the shape of the antique Dominitian stadium, it is mostly an architectural celebration of the baroque and renaissance periods ...

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• 10 Trastevere

  7 /10

  Medieval Rome at its earthiest and in some areas, its most charming – that is Trastevere. Its name means 'over the Tiber', as it is separated from central Rome by this river that streams through the city. It used to be home to artisans during medieval times.

  Part of Trastevere's charm is the warren of narrow lanes that lead to street-corner shrines and garden terraces. All around, there is plenty of local colors to be discovered and enjoyed. This includes cobblestone streets, vine-covered walls, homes adorned by flower boxes, and one-of-a-kind boutiques.

  Trastevere is a great place for long, relaxing walks ...

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• 11 St. Peter's Basilica

  7 /10

  Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, surrounded by the city of Rome, is a sight that delights the eye and captures wonder and beauty from every angle. With a dome that may have helped to inspire Saint Paul's Cathedral in London, among others, Saint Peter's rises over Vatican City like a shining star.

  The Saint Peter's Basilica, also known as the Basilica of Saint Peter, is the foremost place of worship of His Holiness, the Pope, who is the Catholic people's religious leader. Public religious ceremonies officiated by the Pope are often performed within the Cathedral. This is primarily due to the Cathedral's size, which can hold about 60,000 people, as well as the proximity of the Cathedral to the Papal Residence within Vatican City ...

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• 12 Castel Sant'Angelo

  7 /10

  The Castel Sant'Angelo, also known as the Mausoleum of Hadrian, is located in the district of Borgo, in Rome. This cylindrical building was built on the right bank of the river Tiber between 135 and 139 AD. The ashes of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, who died in 138 AD, were placed there when the building was completed. Until the year 217 AD, the ashes of other Roman Emperors were also placed here, a room deep inside the building's interior.

  This imposing structure consists of a quadrangular basement in shape—each side is almost 90 meters long, and this part of the building is 15 meters high. The cylinder which sits at the top of this structure is 64 meters in diameter and 21 meters high ...

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• 13 Campo de' Fiori Piazza

  7 /10

  One part of the eternal city that epitomizes the free-willed spirit of Rome is the Piazza Campo de'Fiori. A large languid city square in the heart of Rome, it is a place where you can hear the Roman heart-beat. Encircled by buzzing cafes, bars, and inns since ancient times, the place is home to a thriving fruit and vegetable market in the mornings and a throbbing and pulsating nightlife. The Piazza was once nothing but a flood plain of the river Tiber, and the first church was built there in the pontificate of Boniface IX. Later on, the Orsini Palace, which used to once stand there, was rebuilt. The square was actually never formally conceptualized but remained the focus of commerce and street culture, catering to the outpourings from the streets surrounding and leading up to it ...

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• 14 Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls

  7 /10

  Imposing and elegant, the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls - built in the 4th century - is one of Rome's four papal basilicas. About 2 km outside the Aurelian Walls (after which the basilica is named), this massive Roman church - and the second largest after St. Peter's Basilica- has undergone centuries of change and expansion. It was destroyed in a fire in 1823, rebuilt, and reopened in 1840 thanks to the contributions of many faithful Christians from all over the world.

  Inside, the Basilica of Saint Paul is marvelous, decorated with enormous marble columns and stunning gold mosaics. Due to the fire, parts of the Medieval basilica were destroyed, but some treasures survived, such as the 5th-century triumphal arch, with its restored ancient mosaics ...

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• 15 Archbasilica of St. John Lateran (Cathedral)

  7 /10

  Most tourists are unaware of the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, located over the Celio Hill on the south side of Rome. Even less might know that this splendid Basilica - and the oldest church in Europe - is the mother church of all Roman churches that ranks even above St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

  The Basilica of St John Lateran is the official seat of the Bishop of Rome, (the Pope) and as such, it contains the papal throne. As the pope lives at the Vatican he rarely visits the church, however, it is used to celebrate Holy Thursday Mass ...

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• 16 Janiculum Hill

  7 /10

  Rising above the trendy neighborhood Trastevere, south of the Vatican sets the Janiculum Hill (Gianicolo in Italian). Some people consider it as the eighth hill of Rome. Nestled just outside the historical center, it is a peaceful place to visit and get away from Rome's hustle and bustle.

  Janiculum played an important historical role in defending the city; that's why its walking paths are full of sculptures of important heroes, including Giuseppe Garibaldi. 

  The most attractive feature of Janiculum Hill is its sweeping view of Rome across the river that starts already when you walk up its pathways ...

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• 17 Roman Ghetto

  7 /10

  The Roman Ghetto, within the Sant'Angelo District, is the oldest Jewish community in all of Europe. It was established in 1555 on the Tiber banks. Until 1870, the city’s Jewish population was forced to live behind a walled gate, under severe restrictions and controlled by the Pope. It was built on low, malarial land subject to floods from the Tiber. Although the walls were torn down in 1888, today's neighborhood (located around Via del Portico d’ Ottavia) retains its culture. You will find a tightly knit, highly supportive community that still cooks meals together, celebrates holidays and festivals ...

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• 18 San Luigi dei Francesi

  7 /10

  Once you've gotten a taste of the works of Renaissance master Caravaggio, you might want to head to the San Luigi dei Francesi church to admire his most powerful works.

  Located between Piazza Navona and the Pantheon, this opulent baroque church is home to a celebrated trio of Caravaggio paintings: the Vocazione di San Matteo (The Calling of Saint Matthew), the Martirio di San Matteo (The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew), and San Matteo e L’Angelo (Saint Matthew and the Angel), known together as the Saint Matthew cycle. These masterpieces of art belong to some of the earliest religious works of Caravaggio. These stunning Roman Baroque Art examples are mainly renowned for the incredible use of 'chiaroscuro', the contrast of light and dark ...

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• 19 Giorgio de Chirico House Museum

  7 /10

  Giorgio De Chirico spent thirty years living and working in the 17th-century “Palazzetto dei Borgognoni” in Piazza di Spagna in the center of Rome, the city's cultural and artistic heart.

  De Chirico – who passed away 40 years ago - is known to have produced artwork in the neoclassical and neo-Baroque style, and his works are also featured in art institutions like the Guggenheim.

  Following careful restoration, the Giorgio de Chirico House-museum opened to the public in 1998 and offers visitors a guided tour of some of the artistic production of this master of surrealism. The first of two living rooms is dedicated to works executed during the 1940s and 1950s, including several self-portraits and portraits of his wife, Isabella ...

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• 20 Via Condotti

  7 /10

  Just like Milan, Rome is a cult for shopping. The eternal city is full of elegant shops, megastores and big brands shops, in the city center or on the outskirts. The hotspot for high fashion is the Tridente area; it stretches to Piazza di Spagna, Via Condotti, till Piazza del Popolo. It's the city's luxury center - loved by tourists and Romans - and one of the most expensive shopping areas in Italy.

  Via Condotti (its complete name is Via dei Condotti) dates to the ancient Roman era. It was already a fashionable street in the18th-century when Caffé Greco opened its doors and was frequented by Goethe and Byron ...

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• 21 Ponte Sisto

  7 /10

  ...

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• 22 Papal Audiences

  7 /10

  Normally, Pope Francis holds a Papal Audience in St. Peter’s Square every Wednesday morning at 10:30 am that usually runs 60-90 minutes. During the winter months, they are held in the Paul VI Hall and occasionally at the Pope’s summer residence, Castel Gandolfo.

  The Vatican website has an up-to-date schedule informing about the location the audience takes place.

  The Pope greets pilgrims in his audience in every major language and then gives a series of small teachings and readings in Italian. In the end, the Pope prays with those in attendance and gives the Apostolic Blessing ...

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• 23 Vatican Museums

  7 /10

  The Musei Vaticani, located in the Vatican City in Rome, are public museums devoted to displaying art and sculpture works from collections owned by the Roman Catholic Church. These museums are an exceptionally popular destination, receiving well over three million visitors every year.

  The museums were founded in the sixteenth century by Pope Julius II. The history of these museums began when the Pope purchased a sculpture of Lacoon, a Greek seer who figured prominently in the mythology of the Trojan horse. On the advice of Renaissance artist Michelangelo, the Pope displayed the sculpture at the Vatican, and from that time, many artifacts were added to the collection ...

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• 24 Apostolic Palace

  7 /10

  The Vatican Palace or, according to its official name, the Apostolic Palace (also called the Sixte-V Palace, or formerly, the Sacred Palace) has been one of the residences of the Popes since their return from exile in Avignon (1377). 

  Previously, and for more than a millennium, the popes lived in the Lateran Palace near their cathedral, the Archbasilica of Saint John in the Lateran. Since the entry of Italian troops into Rome on September 20, 1870, the sovereign pontiffs could no longer stay at the Quirinal Palace, which had become the residence of the kings of Italy, then that of the presidents of the Italian Republic.  The popes now live and work permanently in the apostolic palace, near the tomb of Saint Peter of which they are the successors ...

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• 25 Roman Catacombs

  6.5 /10

  The catacombs around Rome are places that always fascinated visitors. Going back to the first century, Christian Romans did not have their place to bury their dead. Until Christianity's acceptance, the Ancient Romans forbade nor offered a piece of land for Christians to bury bodies in Rome. So before the catacombs, Christians and Jewish had to resort to other pagan common cemeteries. Saint Peter was buried on one on Vatican Hill in the great public 'city of the dead' (know as 'Necropolis'), and Saint Paul was buried in one along the Via Ostience.In the second century, Christians were granted small pieces of land outside of Rome's precincts and started creating subterranean burial places ...

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* Regular pre-pandemic touristic activity level.

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