Rome Vacation Travel Guide | Expedia

Rome rises from the Lazio region in the central west of Italy. Cradled between the Apennine Mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea, the city of seven hills is home to almost 3 million people. According to legend, Rome was founded by twin brothers Romulus and Remus, 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. And it was here, on Palatine Hill, that the foundations for the city were laid. A city that would soon become Caput Mundi, the capital of the world. Below the birthplace of Rome lays the Roman Forum, the Foro Romano. Filled with temples, monuments and markets, the Forum was the centre of public life in ancient Rome and the most celebrated meeting place in the world. When the Roman Empire fell in the 5th century, the Forum was reduced to a cow pasture. But the eight columns of the Temple of Saturn and the Arch of Septimius refused to crumble. In the 17th century, young European travellers came to Rome, searching for the roots of Western civilisation. This hunger for Rome's antiquities led to their preservation and still the travellers come from all corners of the globe. Surviving earthquakes and centuries of stone thieves, the Colosseum remains the most enduring symbol of ancient Rome. Across four centuries, tens of thousands of gladiators, slaves and Christians died in a blaze of glory or martyrdom. On the nearby Arch of Constantine, an inscription bears the words Inspired by the Divine. The Pantheon was a place to worship all the gods, from Juno, the god of fertility, to Mars, the god of war. Step beneath the domed central oculus and stand in the same divine light that has bathed emperors, gladiators, merchants and travellers for almost two millennia. Once a stadium, today Piazza Navona is one of Europe's great squares. The thundering crowds and chariots have long faded, replaced by a trio of fountains, baroque architectures, artists and the aroma of Rome's best coffee. No Roman holiday is complete without making a wish at the Trevi Fountain. Toss one coin into the Trevi and one day you will return to Rome. Toss two coins and you will fall in love with a Roman. If you're not looking for love, relax on the steps with a gelato. Rome is a city of elegant bridges too. Ponte Sant'Angelo was built by the emperor Adrian in the 2nd century as part of the grand entranceway to his mausoleum. Rome may no longer be the capital of the world, but it has long been the centre of Christianity. Today, modern pilgrims continue to cross the river, guided by the bridge's angel, as they make their way to one of the world's great squares, Piazza San Pietro, Saint Peter's Square. And here stands the world's largest church, Saint Peter's Basilica. Filled with masterpieces by Bernini, Giotto and Raphael, Saint Peter's crowning glory is her dome, designed by the brightest star of the Renaissance, Michelangelo. From the dome, look down upon the Holy Square, where two colonnades reach out like open arms, welcoming the faithful who gather in their thousand to receive blessings from the Pope. As the sun sets on Rome, head to the island sanctuary of Isola Tiberina. Let the Russian waters of the river Tiber soothe your senses and enjoy traditional Roman recipes that have been perfected by generations of Italian grandmothers. This is just an appetizer, an aperitivo of what awaits in the eternal city. To really taste all of Rome's treasures can take a lifetime, but be warned, it only takes a moment for Rome to forever conquer your heart.