Lazio

Tucked away in the beautiful Rione Monti, in Rome, in the quaint church of San Pietro in Vincoli, there is one of the greatest masterpieces of Italian art, Michelangelo's Moses, an example of superb craftsmanship and incomparable beauty.

Rome’s historic center is chock-a-block full of age-old cafes. Each recounting a piece of the story of the Eternal City.

Its historical centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, includes no less than 25,000 points of environmental and archaeological interest. It is better to understand what interests you most and to make choices, to prioritise. Rome wasn't built in a day and certainly one day will not be enough to see it all.

The pieces created by Michelangelo Merisi known as Caravaggio will always leave an impression: realistic, dramatic and provocative, they reflect the myth of a proud and exuberant character. The scenes depicted are able to engage us in a direct manner, as if we were witnesses to events which seem to be taking place here and now. During the course of his adventurous life, the artist lived in many places, but Rome is the city which holds the greatest number of his works - no less than 26 pieces - distributed among museums, churches and private collections. On this itinerary, we offer a small guide to the discovery of several of the works of art by Caravaggio kept in the churches and in the museums of the Eternal City.

Colosseum one of the 7 Wonders of the World The symbol of the Roman Empire recognized as one of the 7 Wonders of the World, the Flavian Amphitheatre - also known as the Colosseum - is a must-see for anyone visiting Rome. It is the largest amphitheatre in the world, telling the story of the magnificent deeds of gladiators and Ancient Rome. This imposing and evocative place is the most representative icon of the Rome and Italy as a whole all over the world; having survived until now, it is a human masterpiece and has always stood out in all its splendour, ensuring unforgettable views and glimpses of the city. The Colosseum today is a dynamic and multi-function place and is used every year to host numerous temporary exhibitions and modern shows for its visitors.

The largest temple in Rome The Pantheon is one of the best-preserved Roman monuments in the world. It was built in 27 BC at the behest of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa. Between 112 and 125 A.D., Hadrian had it rebuilt, enlarging it, reversing its orientation and opening a large porticoed square in front of the new temple. Its dome, with its 43.44 m internal diameter, is still the widest hemispherical dome ever built in unreinforced concrete, larger than that of St. Peter’s. What is most surprising about the architecture of the Pantheon is its size: the height of the building is equal to the diameter of the dome, just over 43 meters, a feature that reflects the classic canons of rational Roman architecture. The inner part of the dome is decorated with five rows of 28 coffers that narrow upwards. An 8.95-meter-diameter oculus opens in the center, allowing natural light to penetrate and illuminate the entire building. In case of rain, the water enters the Pantheon and disappears into the 22 near-invisible holes in the floor. The oculus creates a spectacular astronomical effect whereby every 21 April at midday, a beam of light enters the Pantheon at such an angle as to perfectly hit the center of the entrance. At that exact hour, the Emperor Hadrian crossed the threshold of the temple so that the people could admire his whole figure surrounded by light, like a god. Having fallen into a state of abandonment and looted, the Pantheon was saved from the Barbarian incursions by Byzantine emperor Foca who donated it to Pope Boniface IV. It was consecrated in 609 to Santa Maria dei Martiri and unknown Christian martyrs were buried in its basement. Later it became a burial place. Raphael and the Kings of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II, King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy were laid to rest here. On the day of Pentecost, every year, a shower of rose petals descends from the oculus inside the Pantheon at the conclusion of the celebration of Corpus Christi.