Ancient Rome

One cannot make the slightest hole in Rome without falling on ancient remains.
Traces of antiquity are omnipresent, from the remains of the oldest monuments to the more recent buildings built on remains or with ancient stones, visible in the facades, in churches with ancient columns, at the corner of the streets, in basements, etc.

Ancient Rome is referred to as the city of Rome as well as the state it ruled in antiquity, associated with its Latin culture that assimilated the Greek culture of the classical period. This Greco-Roman culture is also at the origin of the image that has been forged of the origin of Western civilization.
Its history spans a period from the 8th century B.C. when the first villages were grouped together until the 5th century A.D. when imperial rule controlled the Mediterranean basin and western Europe at its peak, including the Balkans to the near and middleorient.
The political regime of Rome was first a monarchy (8th BC – 509 BC), then an oligarchic republic (509 BC – 27 BC), and then an autocratic empire (27 BC – 476 AD).

Roman civilization contributed throughout its territory to such areas as technology, architecture, the art of war, the development of law, institutions and laws, art and literature. Moreover, Latin is at the origin of many modern languages, called Latin languages.
It left important archaeological traces, but also considerable literary testimonies.

Great monuments of ancient Rome

Review of the great ancient buildings of Rome: the Colosseum, the amphitheatre of antiquity of an unparalleled size, which was dedicated to games and gladiator fights; the Pantheon, temple dedicated to the Roman gods; the Roman Forum, political and administrative centre since the Roman Republic.

20 ancient buildings and places to discover in Rome

After the three great ancient tourist attractions of Rome, a good number of buildings fascinate by their evocation of the past of the eternal city, such as the Forum Boarium which was the market of the river port, the Baths of Caracalla which were the largest in the world, the imperial hill of the Palatine, the tens of kilometres of walls of Aurelian, the catacombs, the Appian Way or the aqueducts, and many others.

Tivoli, Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este

Temple of Venus at Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli

Less than 30 km from Rome, Tivoli is a great idea for a getaway. In addition to its charming town, it is known for its three villas, all listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Due to its scale and state of preservation, Hadrian's Villa is one of the most important Roman villas, a fine example of ancient architecture, built starting in the year 126 CE. Villa d'Este, for its part, is a haven of freshness with its many fountains in the garden, emblematic of 16th-century Italian architecture. Villa Gregoriana, meanwhile, is a large wooded park with a trail that descends to the foot of the cliff dominated by the historic center, featuring a large waterfall, caves, and ruins.

Etruscan sites of Lazio

North of Rome, in the province of Viterbo, there are many Etruscan remains. This land was indeed at the heart of Etruria, where this civilization long eclipsed behind their prestigious Roman successors, was nevertheless of great richness and influence. In Cerveteri, the Etruscan necropolis extends over hundreds of hectares. They form real cities with streets and neighborhoods. In Tarquinia, there are other necropolis with tombs painted with remarkable frescoes, and into Tuscia are many other fascinating sites, often located in the middle of nature, such as Vulci, Norchia, Blera, San Giovenale, etc.

Museums of antiquities in Rome

Sarcophagus of the Spouses, National Etruscan Museum, Rome

The article presents the main museums of antiquities and archaeology in Rome, with varied collections, from Greek sculptures to Roman frescoes, from Etruscans to the early Middle Ages, through the Latin peoples. After the unmissable ones like the Capitoline Museums, many places are dedicated to ancient civilizations and Rome, such as the Centrale Montemartini, the Museum of the Walls, the Etruscan Museum, and many others.

Castel Sant’Angelo

The base of Castel Sant'Angelo is an ancient building, the Mausoleum of Hadrian, built for the emperor’s family between 117 and 138 AD. At the top of the mausoleum stood a statue of the emperor, personified in the sun god, with a bronze chariot.

Rome Visit

Sightseeing

Visit

Useful informations