If you are a tourist in Rome, you are following many who have gone before you. From ancient Rome, through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, to Rome of today, it's a beautiful city full of life and history and something for everyone.
Possibly the most recognized symbol of the city is the Coliseum. Begun in 72 AD the Coliseum has gone through a series of changes and restorations, most recently because of the exhaust from the innumerable cars that circle it daily. Much of the façade was removed centuries ago to be used in building other structures in Rome's seemingly constant construction booms. In its heyday it held up to 50,000 spectators. It was the scene of the gladiator bouts where gladiators would kill animals and each other for the pleasure of ancient Rome's aristocracy. But even then the games were criticized by the populace of the city as being too gory and immoral.
From the Coliseum it's not too much of a hike to Piazza Navona. With Baroque buildings surrounding the Piazza, it's truly a great place to walk, meet other people, and possibly have a cappuccino at one of its famous sidewalk cafés. During the Middle Ages the Piazza was flooded for boat shows but today you're more likely to hear a tenor sing a request from passersby, or see the rich and famous out for a stroll. During the Christmas season, a stage is set up at one end of the piazza and choirs from all the regions of Italy come to sing. The three Baroque fountains in the piazza alone are worth the visit.
The Spanish Steps, another of Rome's must see attractions, were built in 1725 and are a hangout for young travelers to Rome from all over the world. Beginning at the end of a street of very chic boutiques, the piazza became notorious when McDonalds opened its first store in Italy there - serving pasta, of course. More for the tourist is the Keats-Shelley Memorial House situated at the bottom of the Steps and functioning as a memorial museum for the British writers Keats and Shelley.
Have you seen the movie, La Dolce Vita? If you did, you've seen Trevi Fountain, one of the most famous of Rome's many fountains. It was built by Nicola Salvi in 1762 and is extraordinary for its magnificence tucked away on one of Rome's side streets.
The attractions in Rome are many. You can go for days from neighborhood to neighborhood and find hidden out of the way places that are worth the price of a ticket to Rome. Rome's "Ghetto", with its synagogue and its fountains, is a part of the city not often seen by the tourist. The many bookshops, from street vendors to the Feltrinelli bookstore, will offer you many opportunities for browsing.
Ride on the Appia Antica where some of the original stone road was built during the time when the Forum and the Palatine Hill of ancient Rome were at their peak. Visit the catacombs where the guides try just as hard to speak English (and French and German) as the early Christians did to get lost.
When you're tired of all the walking and it's Sunday, and you want to rest, forget it. Get up early on Sunday and go to Porta Portese, Rome's well-known flea market. Located near Viale Trastevere and the Tiber River, this is the place to try out your best bargaining techniques. The merchandise might not be the best, but the people are real and, who knows, you might find the deal of a lifetime.
