Church of Sant'Anselmo all'Aventino, Rome

A 1st-century tomb surrounded by two farmhouses from the Middle Ages, one of which used to be a cheese store. Rather hidden behind a high wall, the tomb is rarely open to the public. You might be lucky on a Sunday: on the third Sunday of every month there is a guided tour at 11:00.

This little church is hard to find but well worth the extra effort although it is often closed when you get there. One of Borromini's masterpieces. It is located only a block from Piazza Navona, but not usually visible from the street, as you must enter the courtyard of an old palazzo to reach the church. Sant'Ivo is a small church the dome of which is shaped like the Star of David, but with every other point rounded. The steeple seen from the outside looks like it has a staircase wrapped around it that ascends to heaven. As the church was commissioned by the Barberini family that produced a number of popes and whose family symbol was the bee—some say the steeple resembles the stinger of the insect.

An ethnographic collection of around 60,000 pieces from European indigenous cultures. Documents evolution from the Palaeolithic age to the Iron Age.

Designed by Bramante to mark the spot of St. Peter's martyrdom, this delightful miniature building is considered a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture. Open to the public.

Permanent collection features paintings and drawings of Rome between the 18th and 20th centuries together with a fascinating black and white photo exhibition of Rome from 1950-80. Also offers rotating exhibitions, usually of the work of photographers.

Built in honour of Victor Emmanuel, the first king of a unified Italy, this vast structure may appear to be solid white marble but actually contains many rooms inside. There are two permanent museums, one on Italian Reunification and one on emigration from Italy, as well as other spaces that host rotating exhibitions. A walk through the Flag Room leads to the tomb of the unknown soldier. Good views from half-way up but you can also pay €10 (€2 concessions) and take a lift all the way to the top.

With its strange Liberty- style buildings with influence from the Art Nouveau of the 1920s this small bunch of blocks is one of the most interesting, and less known, landmarks of the city. A must see.

Contains the tomb of Pope Hadrian IV, the last non-Italian pope before Pope John Paul I.

Good collection of Renaissance and Baroque art, including by Velasquez, Titian, Raphael, and Bernini, all owned by the Doria Pamphilj family. Excellent audio guides really bring the paintings to life.

This is an important place of pilgrimage for Catholics because of the supposedly miraculous powers of an image of the Virgin Mary. The first miracle was in 1740 when a traveller being attacked by a pack of dogs called out to the Virgin’s image for rescue and the dogs calmed down. The image was moved to Rome in the Second World War and is credited with saving the city from destruction, as a result of which Romans vowed to construct this new sanctuary.

A truly quiet oasis close to the hustle and bustle of EUR. There are three churches in this complex and the doors are open all day, unlike city churches. The monks produce a range of products such as liqueurs, chocolate and honey, as well as a cure for the illnesses Romans suffer when the Scirocco wind blows in from the Sahara. These are on sale at a shop at the Abbey.

At the southern end of the Piazza, designed by Bernini but the main statue of the Moor was done by Giacomo della Porta and the other statues are 19th-century copies of the originals.

The Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Square) is the most famous square in Rome. For a very long time it was the meeting point of all foreigners coming to Rome. In the 17th century it was the residence of the Spanish Ambassador to the Holy See. The area around the residence was Spanish territory and foreigners who stayed here without permission were forced to serve in the Spanish army. The Fontana della Barcaccia (Old Boat Fountain) on Piazza di Spagna was designed and built in 1627-29 by Pietro Bernini, father of the more famous Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The fountain celebrates the fact that before high walls were built along the banks of the Tiber Rome often used to flood. Once the waters were so high that a boat ended up in the square. The decorations on the fountain imitate the coat of arms of Pope Urban VII, Barberini'p, who ordered the fountain to be built. A less aesthetic occupant of the square is Italy's first McDonalds, dating back to 1986. Also in the piazza is a column erected in 1856 to commemorate the Immaculate Conception. The column is topped by a statue of the Virgin Mary, and rests on a base with statues of Moses, David, Isaiah and Ezekiel. The Pope visits the Piazza every year on December 8th to celebrate Immaculate Conception.

A lovely, if somewhat run-down park (parts of it are blocked due to the poor state of the roads) with statues and a great view on the city.