Piazza Bocca della Verità

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.

The villa was erected by order of Cardinal Ricci di Montepulciano in 1544. It was acquired by Cardinal Fernando di Medici in 1576. Since 1803 it is the French Academy in Rome. The academy was created in 1666 by the French King Louis XIV in order to enable painters to study in Rome. Nicolas Poussin was one of the first students, Ingres was director, and Fragonard and Boucher were students of the French Academy, but also musicians like Berlioz and Debussy studied here. Today the villa hosts occasional concerts and exhibitions. Its gardens can be visited.

One of the oldest churches in the city. The nave is lined with a mismatched collection of columns taken from ancient Roman buildings. The apse is covered in gold mosaics from the 13th century, arguably the finest mosaics in the city. Impressive mosaics also on the front. According to legend the church was founded in 222, so it would be one of the most ancient churches in the city. Written records mention a church on this place in 337. What is visible today was built in the 12th century, by order of Pope Innocent III. The facade is decorated with mosaics representing the Virgin Mary and ten unidentified figures. Most probably these mosaics are the work of Petro Cavallini who created the mosaics of the lower apse dated 1290 representing scenes from the life of Mary. The mosaics of the upper apse in byzantine style are even older and date from 1140. The columns of the nave originate from the ancient Baths of Caracalla. The facade of Santa Maria in Trastevere is even more impressive at night when it is illuminated.

The mausoleum of Cecilia Metella, who died in 69 BC, is the best preserved monument on the Appian Way and dominates the surroundings. In the Middle Ages it was transformed into a fortress and battlements were added. At that time there was considerable competition for ownership because of its strategic location.

The Scala Sancta (Holy Stairs) is, according to Roman Catholic tradition, the staircase used by Jesus Christ to approach Pontius Pilate to be sentenced to death. Attracts numerous pilgrims who climb the stairs on their knees.

This is the largest square in Rome. It sometimes hosts pop concerts and is the focal point for Rome's New Year's Eve celebrations. The twin churches Santa Maria dei Miracoli (1681) and Santa Maria in Montesanto (1679) used to provide a clear welcome to Rome for those coming from the north. Much older, to the north of the piazza is yet another Santa Maria (see below). The Piazza del Popolo is considered as one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. It was enlarged and two streets, the Via di Ripetta and the Via del Babuino were added by order of Pope Sixtus V. In the middle of the square is an obelisk (see below). In 1809-1816, Giuseppe Valadier, Roman architect of French origin, gave the square its characteristic oval shape.

The church was built by order of Pope Sixtus VI (della Rovere). The campanile was erected in 1504 by Bramante and the church has frescoes of the four sibyls by Raphael in its interior.

A very small and beautiful church, the first design commission of Francesco Borromini.

Since 1871 this has been the French Embassy. This 16th-century palace contains an important fresco cycle by Annibale Carracci and houses a library of collections by the French school in Rome, particularly on Roman archaeology. Note the two beautiful fountains in the piazza.

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 impressive villa covers 23 hectares. It can be accessed from the Via Appia Nuova (Bus 118) or through Via Appia Antica 251. Parts can be seen from the Appian Way at around the 5th mile just after No 251. The villa was built by Maximus and Condinus Quintilii. The emperor Commudus liked it so much that he put the brothers to death in 182 AD and took it for himself. A museum has friezes and sculptures from the villa. The nypheum, the tepidarium and the baths may also be visited. At Appia Antica 251 is Santa Maria Nova, a farmhouse that has undergone many reincarnations since being built on top of a Roman cistern that was probably used by Villa dei Quintilii.

The Collegio Romano was a college of the Jesuit order. Many popes, cardinals and bishops were educated here. Since 1870 it has been a secular (non-monastic) school. The coat of arms on the doorway is that of Pope Gregory XIII (1572–1585). The tower was erected in 1787 and served as an observatory. Until 1925 all clocks in Rome were set after that of the Collegio Romano.

housed in the baroque palace Corsini where Christina, Queen of Sweden settled down in the last years of her life

Built in 81 AD by the emperor Domitianus in dedication to his brother Titus, who died earlier that year and reigned as emperor from 79-81, overseeing the opening of the Colosseum in 80 and the eruption of Mt Vesuvius the previous year.

It was immortalised in 1960 by the Federico Fellini film La Dolce Vita. It is also the location of the US Embassy, in the massive Palazzo Margherita. Via Veneto went into a period of decline in the 1980s but has returned to popularity and the roadside cafes are the place to be seen if you are into that sort of thing.

The first basilica was constructed in the 4th century and dedicated to San Sebastian, a martyr of the 3rd century. Sebastian's remains were transferred to St. Peter's in 826, prior to a Saracen assault when the church was destroyed. The current church was largely constructed in the 17th-century. Until the Great Jubilee in 2000 this was one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome, i.e. the churches that all Roman Catholic pilgrims were expected to visit. However, at that time it was replaced by the Sanctuary of Divino Amore (see below). Entrance to the catacombs, which are smaller than the others in the area, is to the right of the church entrance. The area where you buy tickets and wait for tours has a good display of sarcophagi from the catacombs. You can rent a bicycle at the catacombs for further exploration of the Appian Way.

It was built in 27 BCE, by Augustus' right hand man Marcus Agrippa, and later remodeled by the Emperor Hadrian (AD 125-128). This ancient temple was built as a temple to all the gods of the Roman state but has served as a Christian church since the 7th century. It is the only building from the Graeco-Roman world which has remained substantially intact and in continuous use throughout to the present day, and as it is still a functioning church, silence is requested during your visit. The Pantheon is celebrated for its large dome. From inside you'll see traces of the former bronze ceiling, melted down during the reign of Pope Urban VIII to make weapons for the fortification of the Castel Sant' Angelo. The hole in the center of the ceiling, though, is an original feature designed for architectural reasons (the dome would collapse without it.) If it happens to be raining, you should definitely go to the Pantheon to see the rain pouring into the building through the hole in the ceiling. There are holes in the ground that drain the water. The spectacular doors are Romans, but not the original. The original bronze beams of the pronao were melted down by Pope Urban VIII and might have been used to create Bernini's Baldacchino, or canopy, in Saint Peter's. The dome is the largest masonry dome in the world, larger than that of Saint Peter. The building now appears to be built in a depression, but this was not the original appearance. The street level at the sides and rear has risen about 10 metres (33 ft) since its construction due to the accumulation of debris from 2,000 years of settlement. This has necessitated the maintenance of the deep trench that keeps the building from being buried. The Pantheon was free for many years, but fees began being charged in 2023.

More of an enormous traffic circle than a piazza, but a good central location. The centerpiece is the enormous Vittorio Emanuele Monument (aka the Wedding Cake or the Typewriter) with the Capitoline hill next door. Mussolini used to harangue Romans from the first floor balcony of Palazzo Venezia (see under Museums), to the west of the square.

Where the building of the Italian Government, Palazzo Chigi is situated. Also there is a marvelous carved column—hence the name—dating back to Imperial Rome.