This is your R(h)ome!
The Eternal City
In the nearly 3,000 years of its life, Rome has known it all - victory and defeat, joy and tragedy, glory and misery. A playground for gods and emperors, its power once stretched from Syria to Scotland and even today, long after the empire crumbled beneath the feet of barbarian hordes, our lives are steeped in its traditions, laws, and language making us all, in some small way, Citizens of Rome. A visit here is something of a homecoming, then, and your longing and excitement builds to a fever pitch as you emerge onto the ancient streets. Church bells wake you as the city comes to life and you are surrounded by an urban symphony of animated Italians, shop grilles opening, scooting Vespas, bustling tourists, and cascading fountains.
Rome's historic centre
The historic centre of Rome, enclosed by the Aurelian walls, is delimited on the west by the Tiber river and on the East by Via del Corso. In 1980 it has been declared world heritage site by UNESCO. Among the countless narrow streets and tangled alleys you come across lively squares, smart coffee bars, renaissance palaces and ancient ruins such as the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Navona square, Campo de Fiori. Famous churches and large museums, where to admire the greatest masterpieces by Michelangelo, Raphael, Caravaggio and Bernini, can be just around the corner. There are an estimated 25000 places of historic and archaeological interest in the very heart of Rome that has the power to impress anyone who has the chance to see them. The hub of Rome is also the centre of the political life of the nation.
The best way to go about Rome's historic centre is on foot, but if you would rather use public transportation, you can catch the 40 or 64 bus lines, that leave from Termini station, stop at Largo Torre Argentina, and go on along Corso Rinascimento. At the sides of this large road are Campo de Fiori, Piazza Farnese and the Ghetto to the south, the Pantheon and Navona square to the north.
