1
Colosseum
The Flavian Amphitheatre, more commonly known as the Colosseum, stands in the archaeological heart of Rome and welcomes large numbers of visitors daily, attracted by the fascination of its history and its complex architecture.
The building became known as the Colosseum because of a colossal statue that stood nearby. It was built in the 1st century CE at the behest of the emperors of the Flavian dynasty. Until the end of the ancient period, it was used to present spectacles of great popular appeal, such as animal hunts and gladiatorial games. The building was, and still remains today, a spectacle in itself. It is the largest amphitheatre in the world, capable of presenting surprisingly complex stage machinery, as well as services for spectators.
A symbol of the splendor of the empire, the Amphitheatre has changed its appearance and function over the centuries, presenting itself as a structured space but open to the Roman community.
2
Circo Massimo
The Circus Maximus is the largest building for public entertainment in antiquity and one of the largest of all time (600 metres long by 140 metres wide) and is related by a legend to the very origins of the city: the Rape of the Sabine Women took place here.
At the time of the Tarquini kings, the Valle Murcia, the wide valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills, was used as a place for chariot races, but only under Julius Caesar, a real walled circus was built.
3
Giardino degli Aranci
The Savello Park or Orange Garden stands on the Aventine hill, in the area of the ancient fortress built by the Savelli family towards the end of the 13th century at the church of Santa Sabina; the fortress was built on a pre-existing 10th century castle belonging to the Crescenzi.
The large medieval walls of the fortress now surround the Park or Orange Garden, a small rectangular garden very popular because from the belvedere overlooking the river you can enjoy a splendid view of Rome from the bend of the Tiber to St. Peter's Basilica.
The trees that give it its name were planted in memory of San Domenico, who founded the convent right here in the thirteenth century: the orange at which the saint preached is kept in the nearby cloister of S. Sabina and is still visible through a hole in the wall of the church porch.
Duration: 20 minutes
4
Bocca della Verita
In the Middle Ages, the Mouth of Truth myth was born: it was said that liars who placed their hand inside the sculpture would immediately lose it. Supposedly, Medieval Romans saw the sculpture as a lie detector for those who committed acts like adultery and perjury. Piazza della Bocca della Verità was often a stopping point for trials of petty criminals, and travelers talked of a mythical practice that created a legend.
Those accused of petty crimes were asked to take an oath to their honesty at the piazza. They would then go through a great trial: answer the executioner’s questions with their hand inside the Mouth of Truth. If their words were true, they were sure to remain unharmed; if they lied, their hand would be bitten off. This terrifying ordeal served as a way to make people more honest, out of fear for consequences.
Duration: 5 minutes
5
Tempio Di Ercole Vincitore
In Piazza Bocca della Verità , adjacent to the Temple of Portuno , stands this small and enchanting circular temple, the oldest preserved marble building in Rome.
Erroneously called Vesta, it was dedicated to Hercules Victor , protector of the traders who carried out their activities in the nearby Forum Boarium , the area intended for the livestock market between the Tiber , the Capitoline Hill , the Palatine Hill and the Aventine Hill .
Also called the temple of Hercules Invitus or Hercules Oleario , the temple was built towards the end of the 2nd century BC on behalf of the rich olive oil merchant, Marcus Octavius Herennius , probably by the architect Hermodoros of Salamis . Inside it was placed a magnificent bronze cult statue , perhaps created by Skopas Minor , a Greek sculptor from the end of the 2nd century BC, found under the pontificate of Sixtus IV and today preserved in the Capitoline Museums .
6
Teatro di Marcello
The building was erected in the Campus Martius , in the place that tradition had consecrated to scenic representations, where from 179 BC. C. the theatrum et proscenium was located in Apollinis , connected with the temple of Apollo .
The project was started by Julius Caesar , who largely expropriated the area, demolishing the existing buildings, and resumed by Augustus , with new expropriations to expand the surface area and erect a larger building.
Probably completed as early as 17 BC. C , the Theater of Marcellus was dedicated in 13 or 11 BC to the memory of Marcellus , nephew of the emperor, destined for the succession, but who died in Baiae in 27 BC. C.
Restored by Vespasian and Alexander Severus , still in operation in the 4th century, subsequently, given its elevated position near the river, it was transformed into a fortress owned by the Pierleoni and Fabi families .
7
Piazza del Campidoglio
The first square that modern Rome saw born according to the criteria of a uniform project, due to the genius of Michelangelo , stands on the Capitoline hill ( Capitolium ), where an ancient village was located and the place chosen to dedicate numerous temples to the Roman divinities.
In 1536, on the occasion of the visit to Rome of the Spanish emperor Charles V, Piazza del Campidoglio underwent a series of transformations due to the serious state of abandonment in which the hill found itself. Pope Paul III commissioned Michelangelo to complete the overall layout of the square.
The Florentine architect created an elegant podium for the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius , placed in the center of the hill in 1537, so that this became the fulcrum of the new urban project.
Furthermore, Buonarroti designed an imposing staircase with large steps, the " Cordonata ", which also allowed knights an easy climb, culminating with the solemn balustrade.
8
Insula dell'Ara Coeli
On the slopes of the Campidoglio hill , right at the base of the steps leading to the Ara Coeli basilica , there is the magnificent Insula dell'Ara Coeli, an ancient Roman condominium. Dating back to the 2nd century AD , the insula represents an important testimony of Roman building architecture. While the domus were privately owned houses, with an atrium and peristyle, the insulae were rented houses – the most common form of housing in imperial Rome, when the need for housing for the city's population, which was continually increasing, and the lack of building land led to the construction of tall buildings.
9
Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II
In 1878, a few years after the unification of Italy, the Italian Parliament decided to dedicate a monument to the King Vittorio Emanuele II, who recently passed away, and to the entire Risorgimento period.
After having announced two international competitions (in 1880 and 1882), it was decided to choose the project by Giuseppe Sacconi. It was inspired by the great sanctuaries of the classical age: a large staircase leading to the Altare della Patria, the propylaea and the grandiose colonnade, surmounted by bronze quadrigas, allegories of the Unity of the Fatherland and Liberty.
The works began in 1885 and proceeded slowly. The project was modified several times, also in the choice of material: the travertine was replaced with the "Botticino" from Brescia, too white to harmonize with the warm tones of the surrounding buildings.
10
Piazza Venezia / Ancient City
Located between Via del Corso and Via dei Fori Imperiali, Piazza Venezia derives its shape from the remaking of the area, which took place at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, for the construction of the Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II.
Also known as Altare della Patria, the huge monument was started in 1885 by Giuseppe Sacconi and finished by Gaetano Koch, Manfredo Manfredi and Pio Piacentini in 1911. Its architectural structure represents an ideal ascending path that, through stairways and terraces enriched by sculptural groups and bas-reliefs, rises up to the imposing colonnaded portico surmounted by bronze chariots, allegories of the Unity of the Homeland and Freedom.
In 1921, in the crypt designed by Armando Brasini, the body of the Unknown Soldier was buried.The square takes its name from Palazzo Venezia, the 15th-century Palace built by Cardinal Pietro Barbo, then donated in 1560 by Pius IV to the Republic of Venice to make it the seat of the embassy.
11
Pantheon
“The most beautiful relic of ancient Rome, a temple so well preserved that it appears as the Romans must have seen it in their times,” so described it the French writer Stendhal in the 19th century. A source of inspiration for the greatest architects of all ages, its beauty, the harmony of the lines and the perfect geometries have always struck people both in the past and the present.
The story of one of the best preserved examples of Roman monumental architecture begins in 27 BC, when Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, a close friend, son-in-law, and lieutenant to Augustus, commissioned a temple in this area dedicated to “all the gods”. The present building is, however, the result of the radical reconstruction by Hadrian between 118 and 125 AD, who expanded it, reversing its orientation and opening a large square with a portico in front of the new temple.
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Area Sacra di Largo Argentina
Temple C (late 4th-early 3rd century BC) was probably dedicated to the goddess Feronia, while temple A (mid 3rd century BC), located on the same level, was dedicated to Juturna. At the beginning of the 2nd century BC, temple D was built, dedicated to the Permarine Lares or, according to other hypotheses, to the Nymphs.
Probably, after the devastating fire of 111 BC, the first floor was laid, made of tuff slabs. The construction of temple B is linked to this plan, with a circular plan on a high podium, identified with the temple of Fortuna huiusce diei or the Fortune of the present day .
The site is also famous because it is here that the deadly conspiracy against Julius Caesar took place on the Ides of March 44 BC . It should be noted that the name "Argentina" , with which the archaeological area is known, derives from Argentoratum , present-day Strasbourg, city of origin of Johannes Burckardt , master of ceremonies of Alexander VI Borgia, also known as the bishop argentinensis .
13
Piazza Navona
Piazza Navona is one of the most spectacular and characteristic urban complexes of Baroque Rome. The square is delimited by the buildings that arose on the remains of the Stadium of Domitian , whose shape and dimensions are preserved.
The original shape of the current square, in fact, faithfully imitates the perimeter of the ancient stadium that Domitian had built in 86 AD. C. for the practice of athletics and horse racing. The remains of this ancient structure are located 5-6 meters below today's road surface and can still be seen under a modern building in Piazza di Tor Sanguigna and in the basement of the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone . The modern name of the square derives from the term Agones which in Latin means " Games ".
Duration: 15 minutes
