Discover the history of the main artistic treasures of Rome just a few minutes from our hotel.

COLOSSEO
It can be reached with Metro B (2 stops) from Termini station or on foot within 10 minutes.
The theatre Flavio, known all over the world as Colosseo was built in 72 AC, under the orders of Vespasiano, a former soldier who became an emperor in 69 AC and founded a dynasty: the Flavi.
The area where is located the Colosseo was occupied by an artificial lake created close to the Nerone's Domus Aurea. Its name, Colosseo may come from the huge copper statue built close to the theatre, The Colosso Di Nerone.
Inside the Colosseo were organised fights between gladiators and animals, and the show was promoted by the emperor and by the wealthier citizens.
The Colosseo has an elliptic shape, the arcs were numbered in order to make people enter ordinately, while the emperor and the most important people used to watch the show from a vast terrace.

There were internal corridors that allowed to find easily and quickly the seats, and were reachable from stairs that linked the different levels of the theatre.
Under the arena there was a complex of rooms, passageways, and lifts.
The shows used to start with animals playing like in a circus, followed by mortal fights; the corpses were taken away by slaves dressed like Caronte, the mythical soul guide, who uses to take the souls of the dead to hell. If a gladiator was wounded, it was the crowd, and the emperor to decide whether he should live (thumbs up) or die (thumbs down).

PIAZZA DI SPAGNA
It can be reached with Metro A (3 stops) from Termini station or with bus No. 492 or on foot within 15 minutes.
Piazza Di Spagna is the most famous square in Rome; it is always crowded, during the day and during the night, and it has always been a crucial point of the vacation in Rome for all the tourists.
The square is famous for its characteristic butterfly form, for the Spanish Steps, and for the fountain of the Barcaccia.
This is the less glamorous of the baroque fountains of Rome; the low pressure of the aqueduct that used to bring water to the fountain didn't allow waterfalls and all other water games, so Bernini built just an old ship half drowned.
The bees and the suns that decorate the fountain are the symbols of the family of Urbano VIII Barberini, the one who ordered this fountain.
Usually the fountain is unnoticed to the tourists who sit on the Spanish Steps to enjoy the roman warm sun, to rest, or to write postcards.

FONTANA DI TREVI
It can be reached with Metro A (2 stops) from Termini station, or bus No. 64, or on foot within 10 minutes.
The most famous and spectacular fountain of Rome, where people from all around the world come to visit it, is worth a visit from you too.
In 1762 Nicola Salvi planned the biggest and spectacular fountain in Rome.
The central statue represents Neptune with two tritons at his side that guide sea horses, one infuriated and the other docile; these sea horses represent the aspects of the human heart.
Here used to terminate the 19 BC aqueduct Aqua Virgo.
Above it is represented a virgin indicating the point from where the water comes out.
The fountain featured also in the famous movie "La Dolce Vita" made by the producer Federico Fellini.
Traditionally, if you turn your back and you throw a coin into the fountain your wish to come back to Rome will come true.

SANT PETER
It can be reached with Metro A (6 stops) from Termini station or bus No. 64, or on foot within 20 minutes.
Saint Peter's Church dominates the landscape of the Vatican city, a state inside a state in which Saint Peter, according to tradition, has been martirized and buried; since then all the popes, his successors, have lived in this place.
During the second century, over the Saint Peter's grave they erected a sanctuary; the first big church has been ordered by Costantino and has been finished around 349 AC.
In the 15th century the church, old and fragile, has been destroyed and been rebuilt between the 16th and 17th century.
The front of the church was finished in 1614, and the church has been sacred in 1624: all the greatest architects of the roman Rinascimento and of the Baroque period participated to it.

Today Saint Peter is an international attraction to all the pilgrims and tourists, and for its grandiosity it deserves to be visited.
The vast interior of the church is composed of 11 chapels and 45 altars; most of its decorations are made by Bernini. The spectacular dome, planned by Michelangelo, who died before finishing it, is 132.5 meter high.
From the church it is possible to enter the Sacred caves, the Treasure, and the Saint Peter's Sacristy, or it is possible to climb up to the panoramic terraces.
Worth to see is the Pietà, made by Michelangelo when he was only 25, the Maria Sobieski grave, the Angel of the Navicella, which is a piece of the mosaic made by Giotto in the 12th century, the Saint Peter's statue, and many other master pieces.
Last but not least is the marvellous sight of Rome from the top of the big Dome!
Another important happening is the benediction of the crowd, made by the Pope during special occasions (Sundays and other particular days), so if you want to be there, get as much information as you can.

PIAZZA VENEZIA
It can be reached with bus No. 492 from Termini station or on foot within 10 minutes.
The huge square Piazza Venezia is the geometric centre of Rome, and it is the main area of city life.
It is dominated by the monument dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele II, facing the main street of Rome, Via Del Corso, and in this place there is also an ancient palace, called Palazzo Venezia, facing another palace, the one of the Assicurazioni Generali, built over the old Palazzo Torlonia.
Vittorio Emanuele II of Savoia, first king of the unified Italy, is represented in a golden copper statue on a horse, 12 meters high.
In the monument dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele II, called Altare Della Patria, is buried an unknown soldier, the Milite Ignoto, to remind the population of all the soldiers dead during World War I.

CASTEL SANT'ANGELO
It can be reached with Metro A (6 stops) from Termini station, or Bus No. 64 or on foot within 20 minutes.
The massive fortress of Castel Sant'Angelo gets its name from the statue, representing the angel Michele, situated on its roof; the statue has been created by the Flemish sculptor Vershaffalt.
The castle was built in 139 AC as a mausoleum of the emperor Adriano; since then it has been used as a prison during the Middle Age, and as a safe place for the popes during periods of political uncertainty.
There is a Vatican corridor, which can be see from the top of Saint Peter's church, that connects the Vatican palace and the castle; it has been built in 1277 in order to allow the pope to escape in case of danger.
The outer walls have a pentagonal shape, and they have been built around the castle during the 17th century; their purpose were of defence against siege attacks.
Today there is a museum of 58 rooms that show all the history of the castle.
You can enjoy a spectacular sight of Castel Sant'Angelo from Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, especially at night, when all its lights are on.

PIAZZA NAVONA
It can be reached with bus No. 64 from Termini station or on foot within 15 minutes.
The most beautiful square in Rome, made in Baroque style, still keeps the style of the Domiziano Stadium. The name, Navona, may come from the races, called agones, that Romans used to play during the 1st century in the stadium, that could contain something like 33.000 spectators.
The present appearance and unique ambience of the square were given in the 17th century, when the fountain of the rivers was added.
The two smaller fountains, the one of Neptune and the one of the Moro, come from the last century but they have been modified often. The front of the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone dominates the square; this church has been built by Borromini in a place where traditionally Sant'Agnese, in 304 AC, naked, had her body covered by her long hair.
The church has been ordered in 1652 by the pope Innocenzo X.

The first architects were Girolamo and Carlo Rainaldi, that have been substituted by Borromini who worked on the church from 1653 until 1657.
In the centre of the square there is the great fountain of the rivers, masterpiece of Bernini, built for the pope Innocenzo X Pamphili, and inaugurated in 1651. The four statues represent the four rivers which symbolise the different parts of the known world at that time: The Nile has the head veiled, because the source of that river was unknown, even though some people used to say that the head is veiled to express disdain towards Sant'Agnese, the church in front of the statue, built by the concurrent of Bernini, Borromini; the Rio de la Plata has its arm raised in defense to show an ironic fear that the same church might fall over it. Naturally this is just talk, as Bernini completed the fountain before Borromini started to build the church.
Until the 19th century, in August, they used to use the fountains to fill the square with water, and the rich nobles used to pass on it with their carriages, and the kids used to follow them shouting and splashing in the water.
Nowadays the square is always full, during the day and during the night, and during the Christmas period there is a fair with games, candies and gifts for parents and kids.

PANTHEON
It can be reached with bus No. 64 from Termini station or on foot within 15 minutes.
The Pantheon is a temple dedicated to the gods. It was the emperor Adriano the one who planned it, in substitution of a former temple dedicated to Marco Agrippa.
During the Middle Age it has been converted into a church.
From the outside you can be fascinated by the grandiosity of the construction.
Spectacular is the dome, which has been built by pouring a mix of stone and sand and cement into a temporary structure made of wood.
Up above there is a hole, called oculus, that brings light inside the church.
The floor, although it has been restaurated in 1873, still keeps the original roman drawings.
The Pantheon keeps the tomb of Raffaello, and of many Italian kings.
Before dying Raffaello wished to be buried there, and his grave is still buried under the statue of the Madonna Del Lorenzetto.