Forum Romanum

The centre of political, commercial and judicial life in ancient Rome

The Forum and the Palatine Hill

The Palatine Hill is linked to the origins of Rome. It was on Palatine Hill that, according to legend, the she-wolf found Romulus and Remus. Later the hill would become a residential area for emperors and aristocracy.

The Colosseum and Palatine Hill

The arch of Constantine (315) is overshadowed by the massive structure of the Colosseum (72-80 AD), the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built.

Arch of Titus

Erected in 81 on the Via Sacra to commemorate the victories of the emperor Titus in the wars in Judaea (66-73), the eroded bas-reliefs depict the emperor's triumphal march and a procession with the spoils from the Temple in Jerusalem

Victory parade

Detail from the Arch of Titus showing the victorious emperor in his quadriga

The origins of Rome

Detail of a marble altar dedicated to Venus and Mars from the beginning of the 2nd Century, depicting Remus and Romulus the legendary founders of Rome suckled by a she-wolf

Bridge of angels

Ponte and Castel Sant'Angelo

San Marco

Mosaics from the 9th century in the apse of the San Marco church depicting Christ surrounded by saints and pope Gregory IV (far left), who rebuilt the previous church in 833. The pope with the square halo from a living person is introduced to Christ by St. Mark the Evangelist

Santa Prassede

Founded on the Esquiline in the late 8th - early 9th century to house the relics of Praxedes (or Prassede) and Pudentiana, two sisters murdered for providing Christian burial, Santa Prassede has some of the finest mosaics in Rome created by Byzantine artists. The small San Zeno Chapel which preserves a part of the column to which Christ was allegedly flogged, is a brilliant gem of gold and blue.

Santa Prassede

Founded on the Esquiline in the late 8th - early 9th century to house the relics of Praxedes (or Prassede) and Pudentiana, two sisters murdered for providing Christian burial, Santa Prassede has some of the finest mosaics in Rome created by Byzantine artists. In the apse mosaics the two female saints are presented to Christ by Peter and Paul. Pope Paschal I (817-24) who ordered the mosaics is also seen on the apse; the figure on the left, holding a model of the church and with a square nimbus, as he was still alive when the mosaics were completed. The triumphal arch depicts a city with golden walls and guarded by angels: the Celestial Jerusalem.

Santa Maria in Domnica

Also known as Santa Maria alla Navicella, the church on the Caelian hill goes back to late Antiquity and got its current appearance in the early 9th century under pope Paschal I - albeit heavily modified in the 16th century. The 9th-century apse mosaics show Christ with two angels and the twelve apostles, with Moses and Elias in attendance. In the semi-dome, Pope Paschal (with a square halo) kisses the foot of the Virgin Mary (dressed in Byzantine style) enthroned with the infant Christ and flanked by a host of angels

Santa Maria in Trastevere

Founded in the 3rd century, this church was one of the very first official places of Christian worship in Rome. The present building dates mostly from the 12th century. The magnificent mosaic of the apse depicts the Coronation of the Virgin. Saints, led by Peter, witness the scene. The lower panels by Pietro Cavallini (1291) illustrate episodes from the Virgin's life

Santa Maria Maggiore

One of the four papal basilicas in Rome, Santa Maria Maggiore on the Esquiline Hill dates back to the 5th century and has been renovated and expanded throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance until the 18th century.

San Giovanni in Laterano

The cloisters decorated in Cosmatesque style by the Vassallettis in the 1220s

Forgotten tombs in S. Maria in Aracoeli  

The floor of this Roman church near Capitol Hill is covered with medieval tomb slabs. Many of them worn by the hands of time, and the feet of many pilgrims and tourists. Their flattened effigies appear briefly resurrected by the light from the coloured windows

Santi Luca e Martina

Located near the Forum, this church dates back to the 7th century but was rebuilt in the 17th century by Pietro da Cortona. Housing the relics of the martyr-saint Martina, it was rededicated as Santi Luca e Martina after the church was acquired by the Accademia di San Luca, the Roman academy of painters, sculptors and architects in 1588.

Church of the Gesù

The main church of the Jesuit Order was built between 1568 and 1584, following a design by Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola and completed by Giacomo Della Porta. The frescoes on the ceiling and the dome, depicting the "Triumph of the Sacred Name of Jesus" and "the Vision of heaven", were designed by Giovanni Battista Gaulli (1661-1685)

San Carlo ai Catinari

A lesser known 17th century parish church designed by Rosati in the neighbourhood of the Campo de' Fiori. Its dome is the third largest in the historical centre after San Pietro and Sant' Andrea della Valle. The name "Catinari" derives from the bowl-makers active in the area

Dome of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane

San Carlo (completed in 1667) on the Quirinale is one of Francesco Borromini's finest creations. Borromini's mastery of shapes and light in a relatively small space is astonishing. In a ravishingly virtuosic hierarchical construction the oval dome, lit by masked windows, is crowned by a lantern which, with its symbol of the Holy Trinity, shines brightest of all.

The Crucifixion of Saint Peter by Caravaggio (1600)

Santa Maria del Popolo, Cerasi Chapel

The Conversion of St. Paul on the Road to Damascus by Caravaggio (1600)

Santa Maria del Popolo, Cerasi Chapel

The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa by Bernini (1647-52)

In a shamelessly theatrical manner Bernini depicts one of Teresa of Avila's moments of ecstatic levitation, described by the nun herself in the most graphic of terms. The true genius of "Il Cavaliere" is that by his stunning treatment of the marble, billowing from the angel towards and inwards the saint, he reveals what's going on inside of her. The Cornaro Chapel located in the left aisle of the Santa Maria della Vittoria church, is constructed as a private theatre. Members of the Cornaro family observe the scene as from their boxes.

The Eternal City

Panorama from the 135 m high dome of St. Peter's basilica.

Sant'Andrea della Valle

Sant'Andrea was built between 1590 and 1650, with successive designs by Giacomo della Porta and Carlo Maderno. Maderno's striking dome (the second largest in Rome after St. Peter's) was decorated by rival artists Giovanni Lanfranco and Domenichino (Domenico Zampieri). Lanfranco created the Celestial Glory, while Domenichino decorated the pendentives with the four Evangelists. Domenichino also completed the fresco cycle above the sanctuary with scenes of the life of St Andrew.