Piazza Bocca della Verità is an area full of history and fascinating sights. Beyond the famous church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, visitors will discover several ancient monuments and remarkable stories just steps away.
Directly across from the church stands a round temple dedicated to Hercules Invictus, also known as the Unconquered Hercules. With its weathered columns and elegant shape, this temple dates all the way back to the 1st Century. Not far from here is another ancient structure, the rectangular Temple of Fortuna Virilis, offering a glimpse into the remarkable architecture of early Rome.
Looking towards the back of the piazza, the Arch of the Argentari draws attention with its timeworn stonework and carvings. Just behind the arch stands the church of San Giorgio in Velabro. Its peaceful appearance today is the result of careful restoration, as the front of the church was repaired after suffering damage from a terrorist bombing in July 1993.
Source - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_Bocca_della_Verit%C3%A0
According to the legendary passio, two brothers, John and Paul, who were officials at the imperial court, suffered martyrdom in 362 in their home on the Caelian hill, during the reign of emperor Flavius Claudius Julianus. This basilica dedicated to these two Roman officers was erected starting from 398 and was used first as a domus ecclesiae by the Christian community.
Contains the tomb of Pope Hadrian IV, the last non-Italian pope before Pope John Paul I.
The most extensive collection of Etruscan art and artifacts anywhere. Fantastic collection and well worth the admission charge. A difficult museum to find, but a lovely display in a beautiful villa setting.
Located a short walk west of the Colosseum, this well-preserved monumental arch was erected (soon after 315) to commemorate the victory of Constantine, the first Christian emperor, over his rival Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312. In general design, the Arch of Constantine imitates the century-earlier Arch of Septimius Severus (nearby in the Forum). The three arches are decorated utilizing mainly materials plundered from other imperial monuments by Trajan, Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius. The quality of its sculptural decoration, however, betrays the slow degradation that Classical Roman sculpture had experienced in the 3rd century AD.
This is the attractive park on the hillside directly west of the Colosseum. Visible ruins in the area come from the Baths of Trajan. These baths were built on the top of the ruins of Domus Aurea - the Golden House of Nero (the Colosseum was built on the drained site of Nero's lake). The area underneath the park contains an enormous area from Nero's villa. It was restored at great expense in the 1980s and 1990s, opened to the public, and then closed again after a few years when it began to leak!
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.
It was constructed to hold relics of the Passion of Jesus. They include two thorns of his crown, part of a nail and three small wooden pieces of the Cross. The authenticity of these relics is much disputed, however.
Brand new museum designed to celebrate the art and architecture of the 21st century.
The enormous building at the southeast end of the Circus Maximus is the headquarters of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). From its roof are undoubtedly the best views of Rome, but you will need to know someone who works there to get past the strict security.