Explore Rome's World Heritage

Symbol of Rome par excellence, the Flavian Amphitheatre, more commonly known as the Colosseum, was the largest amphitheatre of the Roman Empire. Its construction was begun by Vespasian in 72 AD and it was used to host entertainment spectacles, such as hunts and gladiatorial combat. The building was designed for entertainment and open to all: any citizen could attend the shows for free.

The Via is a road linking the Colosseum with Piazza Venezia and encompassing the Forums of Caesar, Augustus, Nerva and Trajan, which were the centre of the political activity of ancient Rome and were built between 46 BC and 113 AD. The Via dei Fori Imperiali, as seen today, is the result of large-scale demolition of the entire district, decreed by Benito Mussolini, between 1924 and 1932.

Better known as the “Altare della Patria” (“Altar of the Fatherland”) or “Il Vittoriano”, this imposing monument was built between 1885 and 1911 to celebrate Vittorio Emanuele II of Savoy, the first king of Italy, and the grandeur of Rome as capital of Italy. The recurring plant symbols featured in the monument were not chosen at random: the palm symbolises victory, the oak strength, the laurel victorious peace, the myrtle sacrifice and the olive tree concordance. It houses the Altar of the Unknown Soldier, an unidentified Italian soldier killed during the First World War, as a symbol of all casualties of war.

In addition to the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, Piazza Venezia also features other buildings, including Palazzo Venezia, an ancient papal palace from the balcony of which Pope Julius II used to watch the Barberi horse race, held along Via del Corso until 1883. Palazzo Bonaparte, residence of Letizia Ramolino, Napoleon’s mother, from 1818 until her death, is also part of the original layout of the square.

Known also as the Mausoleum of Hadrian and built in around 123 AD, Castel Sant’Angelo has undergone various and unusual changes of use over the centuries: from the ancient tomb of the Emperor Hadrian, a medieval fortification, a gloomy prison, a splendid Renaissance papal residence and a Risorgimento barracks to a museum, its current use. It is still connected with the Vatican State through the famous “passetto”, an elevated passageway which enabled Pope Alexander VI to take refuge there during the invasion of Rome by the militia of Charles VIII of France.

The only Roman building that has remained virtually intact over the centuries, the Pantheon was inaugurated in 25 BC by Agrippa, as shown by the inscription on the lintel, translated as “Built by Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, in the year of his third consulate”. It was a temple dedicated to all the gods, hence the name (“Pan”, meaning “all”, and “theon”, meaning “gods”) and was converted into a Christian church in the 7th century. In 1870, it became the memorial monument of the kings of Italy and Raffaello Sanzio is also buried there.

The present-day layout of the square dates back to 1858, when several houses were demolished. Since 1869, it has been the site of a lively and colourful market, whose working-class atmosphere was well captured in the 1943 film “Campo de ‘Fiori”, starring Anna Magnani and Aldo Fabrizi. It is the only historic piazza in Rome without a church.

Considered the largest sports stadium ever built, the Circus Maximus was used for horse racing and remained in operation until the early decades of the 6th century. It then became an agricultural area and, since the 19th century, the site of gas works, warehouses, factories, cottage industries and housing. The works for the archaeological walkway began in the early 1900s.

On the left side of the portico of the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin there is an unusual mask of a bearded male face with holes and hollows for the eyes, nose and mouth. It may represent Jupiter Ammon, the god Ocean, an oracle or a faun. In any case, it served as a drain cover and has always been linked to a curious legend. During the Middle Ages, it was reputed to have the power to utter oracles and was used to test the fidelity of wives to their husbands. Still today there is a tradition of placing your hand into the Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth) in the hope of not being bitten.

A few metres from the Bocca della Verità is the oldest surviving marble temple in Rome, dating from the late 2nd century BC. Due to erroneous identification, it is popularly referred to as the Temple of Vesta; the mistake is due to its circular shape, similar to that of the true temple of Vesta located in the Roman Forum. It was dedicated to Hercules Victor, protector of traders, because of its proximity to the Foro Boario, the centre of commerce in ancient Rome.

The basilica is located on the site where, according to tradition, Paul of Tarsus was martyred and buried. The early Christians built a chapel there to commemorate the Saint and a church was erected in the fourth century. Its present form dates back to the reconstructions of the 19th century. It is a property of the Holy See that enjoys extraterritoriality rights, despite being located within the Italian Republic.