The Attractions of Rome

By Seif Kamel

About Rome

The city of Rome, or Roma in the Italian Language, is the capital of Italy and the country’s largest cities.  Rome is one of the most popular touristic destinations where travelers who spend their vacation in Italy.

Rome is located in the middle of Italy on the shore of the Tiber River with a population of over 3 million inhabitants and it was named Rome after the Romans who took the city as the capital of their empire for a very long period of time and in 1871, Rome became the capital of modern Italy.

Rome was nicknamed as the eternal city, a name that Rome has acquired because of being one of the greatest and most important cities in the Western civilization.

The Piazza Navona

The Piazza Navona was established over the Stadium of Domitian that was built during the 1st century AD and it was a large stadium that used to host up to 30,000 spectators.

With time passing by, the stadium was destroyed and the Piazza Navona was built over it to become one of the most important squares in Rome.

The square hosts three large beautiful fountains with the middle one, the Fountain of the Four Rivers being the most famous among them and it was built b by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, a famous Italian artist who lived in the 17th century.

The fountain has four marvelous statues representing four of the most important rivers in the world, the River Nile in Egypt, the Danube in Europe, the Ganges River in India, and the Río de la Plata in Argentina. 

The Piazza Navona also hosts the Church of Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore that was constructed during the 17th century. Travelers from all over the world who enjoy their tours in Italy would usually visit the Piazza Navona.

The Piazza Navona today hosts all the important celebrations and festivals and it is the avenue where the artists and musicians from all over Italy and the whole world meet. The Piazza is also a famous touristic destination for travelers spending their travel packages in Italy.

The Spanish Steps

The most remarkable feature of this arena is certainly the Spanish Steps that were constructed by Francesco de Sanctis in 1726. The Spanish Steps Square is among the attractions included in many group tours to Italy.

The Spanish Steps also hold the name of the Church located at the end of these steps, the Church of Scalinata Della Trinità dei Monti, which was constructed by the mission of the French government in 1495 to be used by the French Catholics.

 In the middle of the arena below the Spanish Steps, there is the Fountain of Della Barcaccia which was constructed by Pietro Bernini in 1629.

The Spanish Steps is one of the most famous and a beautiful square in Rome, the Italian capital, and it hosts many of the famous shops and stores selling the most wonderful products.

The Luna Park of Rome

The Luna Park is one of the most remarkable amusement parks in Europe. It occupies 70,000 square meters and it has more than 130 games. A lot of families who enjoy their holidays in Italy would visit the Luna Park of Rome.

The Luna Park is considered to be the largest amusement parks in Italy and it is the oldest as it was established in 1953 in the occasion of the opening of the Agriculture Exhibition, which hosted some amusement games.

The Luna Park of Rome became in the form we see today only in 1962 and it went on being enlarged until it became one of the largest amusement parks in Europe.

There are also many charity activities that take place in the Luna Park of Rome like the Special Needs Day which is in May. Many tourists who travel to Italy, especially families with children, would enjoy their visit to the Luna Park of Rome.

The busiest season of the Luna Park is between the months of June and September every year during the summer vacation of schools as many children from all over Europe visit the park.

The Zoo of Rome

The Zoo of Rome has a surface area of around 12 hectares and it was established in 1908 and it was opened officially for public in 1911.

 The Reptiles section of the zoo was closed in 1970 to be renewed and restored and it was reopened in 1983. A visit to the Zoo of Rome would certainly be enjoyable for all the tourists who travel to Italy.

There are more than 200 types of animals in the Zoo of Rome including mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. 

The most significant feature of the Zoo of Rome is that it does not have a lot of metal cages, like other zoos around the world, because in 1994 the zoo was transformed to host the animals in a semi safari environment.

Inside the zoo, there is a museum illustrating the natural history of animals, birds, and reptiles. There are also some skeletons for the extinct animals like the dinosaur. There are some sections in the museum for the butterflies and different birds as well.

Tivoli Garden

In surface area that exceeds 30 square kilometers, Tivoli Gardens is the best natural area in Rome, the Italian capital.

The Tivoli Gardens are located to the North East of Rome city center and they are featured with the many historical palaces, water canals, and fountains which are more than 500 in the Tivoli Gardens.

These marvelous gardens were actually the headquarter of Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este and he renewed the constructions in the garden between the year 1550 and 1569 to form a wonderful palace and garden.

Among the most wonderful fountain in the Tivoli Gardens is the Fountain of Tivoli that has become a landmark of the city of Rome.

There are also some facilities for the disabled to enjoy the Tivoli Gardens like special elevators and seats.  Many affordable tours to Italy are organized to include a visit to the Tivoli Gardens of Rome.

The Castle of Saint Anglo

The Tomb of Hadrian, that is commonly known as the Castle of Saint Anglo is a large structure that the emperor Hadrian built as a mausoleum for himself and his family but it was used afterwards however as a castle and a citadel.

The tomb of Hadrian was constructed between 135 and 139 AD and the building was basically a cylinder shaped building decorated with gardens and a statue of a chariot carried by horses.

Hadrian was buried in his tomb, together with his wife and first son, in 138 AD.  Afterwards many emperors were buried in the tomb and the last was emperor Cracla in 217 AD. 

The Coliseum

The Coliseum of Rome is a large Amphitheatre that used to host from 45,000 to 50,000 spectators and it was used for the fighting of gladiators.

The Coliseum was constructed between the years 70 and 72 AD in the reign of the emperor Vespasian and it was completely finished in the year 80 AD under the leadership of Emperor Titus.

Since its establishment and until today, the Coliseum has witnessed a lot of changes concerning its usage and its architectural design. The Coliseum of Rome is among the attractions included in many custom tours to Italy.

The Coliseum of Rome is considered to be the largest Roman Theatre in the whole world. Almost all tours to Italy would include a visit to the Coliseum of Rome.