Saint Charles at the Four Fountains

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.

A museum devoted to pasta, Italy's premier gift to world cuisine.

This is not, contrary to popular belief, one of the original seven hills that Rome was founded on. It is the second highest after Monte Mario, though, and offers incredible panoramic views of the city as long as the authorities remember to prune the trees on the hillside (if they are too tall you can walk a few meters down the hill for views that are just as good). On the other side of the piazza there is also a nice view of the dome of St. Peter's. The Piazza and the street leading up the hill are dedicated to Giuseppe Garibaldi who led Italian troops against the French here in 1849. There are also several commemorative statues.

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.

Brand new museum designed to celebrate the art and architecture of the 21st century.

Erected in 203. You can see it close up from Via della Curia also (without entering the Forum).

An example of urban planning that goes back to Pope Julius II, who, in 1508, envisioned it as a street that would connect all major government buildings. It is around a kilometer long and is in a straight line, an unusual feature for the time. It is lined with some interesting palaces but these days is more known for its antique shops. Via Giulia runs parallel with and one block from the River Tiber.

This well-preserved Roman circus was built at the beginning of the fourth century. It was part of an imperial villa built by Maxentius and the complex also contains the Mausoleum of his son, Romolo.

Casal Rotondo is the biggest mausoleum on the Appian Way, at about the sixth mile. It now incorporates a small private villa, originally a farmhouse. It is not known for whom it was built. The wall of fragments next to it, constructed by Luigi Canina, has ruins referring to the Cotta family but this family is now believed to not be associated with the Casal Rotondo.

In the Middle Ages pilgrims on their way to St. Peter's had to pass through the Via dei Coronari in order to cross the Tiber at Ponte St. Angelo. The street got its name from the people who sold rosaries to the pilgrims. It follows the ancient Via Recta which led from what is today Piazza Colonna to the Tiber. In the 15th century Pope Sixtus IV initiated the construction of private buildings. Today, several houses dating back to the 15th and 16th century may be seen. House nr. 156/157 is said to have been the House of Fiametta, the mistress of Cesare Borgia.

Also based on a Michelangelo architectural plan, this compact gallery is well endowed in classical sculpture and paintings. Highlights include the small 1st-century-BC bronze Lo Spinario, a Greek statue of a little boy picking a thorn from his foot; the Lupa Capitolina (Capitoline Wolf), a rare Etruscan bronze statue probably dating from the 5th century BC; and (in the entrance courtyard), the massive head, hands, foot and kneecap from a colossal statue of Constantine the Great. The palace also contains a Pinacoteca (Picture Gallery) with paintings mainly from the 16th and 17th centuries - highlights include: Caravaggio's Fortune-Teller and his curious John the Baptist; The Holy Family, by Dosso Dossi; Romulus and Remus, by Rubens; and Titian's Baptism of Christ.

Completed in 179 BC.

Next door to the Pyramid, this fine gate in the Aurelian Wall is named after St. Paul as the Via Ostiense leads to the basilica of St. Paul's Outside the Walls (see Rome/South).

Built in the 9th century, this ancient basilica crowns the top of the Esquiline Hill. Tons of gold decorate the interior together with impressive mosaics (particularly when the floodlights are turned on), and there is a museum on the premises. If you are in Rome on Corpus Christi (Corpus Domini), which is the Thursday after the 8th Sunday after Easter, an early-evening service is held in San Giovanni by the Pope followed by a procession along Via Merulana to Santa Maria. Good opportunity for a close up view of the Pope. This is a very large church with lots to see, as for example, the main part of the church has two layers of mosaics and paintings high on the walls, the altar and apse are spectacular, and then there are several more or less large chapels you won't want to miss, including the one with the amazing golden baptismal font. Allow at least an hour if not an hour and a half or more to visit the interior, even if you do not take any special tours, and also allow time to view the exterior from all sides. Overall, at least 2 hours would not be too much time to allot.