So sad the Piazza Venezia and its' surrounding area was under construction during the time of our…read morevisit. This is one of the most iconic and central squares in Rome, and I can even see some of its' elegance peeking out from behind the construction area.

A must stop if you're looking for free things to do. There are options to pay like they have a…read moremuseum and some other stuff otherwise you could totally walk through the piazza completely free. Many picture areas and has bathrooms, though it was crowded.

We came here as an optional day trip on our Trafalgar tour. Our guide was very knowledgable about…read morethe villa and it's history. I simply can't imagine the obscene amount of wealth it must have taken to build this villa. The gardens and fountains are absolutely breathtaking. The fountains are gravity fed so that the farther down you go among the gardens, the higher the water sprays. Definitely worth the day trip as the villa is amazing and Tivoli is a great little town.

Gorgeous old villa and gardens with multiple beautiful fountains. If you like gardens, i think…read moreyou'll love this place, especially in the spring! You walk through the beautiful palace rooms first, then go down to the beautiful gardens below. Comments are available in both Italian and English. A couple of things to note: 1) there are drinking water fountains and clean, free restrooms (and a small cafe) at the site. 2) lots of walking and oodles of steps. 3) there's a cool outdoor water fountain organ that plays every couple of hours. 4) our mapping program gave us the wrong entrance info; if you are walking there, I suggest you double check with a local to make sure you are going the right way ( there are several gates, but all but the one entrance gate are closed). Be warned: There are 2 lines to get in. One (on the left) for those with pre-paid tickets, and another long line on the right side for those that need to buy their tickets there. If you've already bought your tickets online, go up to the front and ask the cashier if you can skip the line if you've already paid. We unnecessarily waited a long time on a very hot day because some random rude tour guide thought it would be funny to give us the wrong info that we had to wait in line even if we had a ticket already. Don't forget your camera; the photo ops are amazing!

When we were in Vatican City in the afternoon, we skipped the plaza. We came back in the early…read moreevening and it was much less crowded. The square is directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica. Both are named after Saint Peter, an apostle of Jesus whom Catholics consider the first Pope. There is an obelisk in the center and 284 columns that create the elliptical shape of the square.

This is the area around the Vatican…read more It's gorgeous! I absolutely love the fountains and statues in this area. So much amazing architecture. When you step into this piazza, I feel like you get a sense of the Holy Spirit. I mean, how can you not when you are so close to the Vatican? There's a peaceful atmosphere here.

The tour is maybe 30 minutes long and our guide shared lots of interesting facts regarding the…read moreconstruction and history of the area. It is not at all like the Paris catacombs, so if you are looking for and expecting that, don't visit. You are also not allowed to take pictures inside as it is active holy ground burial site. These catacombs are out of the way, so you either need to uber/rent a car or join a tour group. We rented a car and drove out to this area; we ended up visiting a few catacombs out in this area.

I had a wonderful experience taking a guided tour here. The guide offered insight about the…read morediscovery of the catacombs and the different shapes of individual tombs. There was also the very unique opportunity to see ancient graffiti in the tombs as well as old paintings of religious scenes. This experience helped me see Rome in a different light.

Another great experience while in Rome. I walked up and got in line to pay for my ticket 5 Euros…read more(comes to about 6$ USD) For the people who purchased tickets on line was LONGER than the line for same day purchase tickets. This place is amazing to say the least! Architecture is breathtaking, so much history, and the final resting place for several famous figures such as Renaissance artist Raphael, and the first two kings of a unified Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II and his son Umberto I, along with Umberto's wife, Queen Margherita of Savoy, making it a significant mausoleum for Italian national heroes and celebrated artists Pro Tip the Trevi Fountain is a 5 min walk from this site

The Pantheon is an ancient Roman temple turned Catholic church, first built in the 2nd century…read moreunder Emperor Hadrian, then consecrated in 609 as the Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs, the title it holds to present day. It's an incredible building that's been in continuous use for almost 2,000 years. No Roman ruin, the Pantheon, but a marvel of ancient ingenuity pulled forth into the 21st century. Beautifully preserved and, with its layers of history, particularly emblematic of Rome. The exterior is striking, with the one-two of the grand columned portico and the enormous rotunda. There's an significant-looking inscription across the portico, with M·AGRIPPA·L·F·COS·TERTIVM·FECIT written in giant letters. They apparently translate to "Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, made this building when consul for the third time," a hilarious thing to have stamped on a historic landmark in size 1,000,000 font. The Pantheon is in the Piazza della Rotunda, which is also home to the Pantheon obelisk, one of Rome's thirteen ancient Egyptian obelisks. Roaming the piazza and seeing the Pantheon from the outside is free, but it's worth the small expense and hassle to see it from the inside. We visited on our last day in Rome, having already been to the Vatican and the Colosseum on guided tours. The Pantheon was easy enough to navigate on our own, and we were able to walk in without much trouble on a Saturday afternoon in November. The piazza was busy, more crowded than almost anywhere else we went on our trip, but the line to get tickets was manageable. (I will note that there are different lines for cash and credit card and the signage is not that apparent. We lost a few minutes in the wrong line.) We were inside within about twenty minutes. Almost two millennia after it was built, the Pantheon still holds the record for the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. It is a staggering piece of architecture, massive and majestic, an implausible freak of a monument. The coffered ceiling is spectacular, the recesses creating a geometric pattern that looks, from some angles, almost fake and two-dimensional. At the center of the dome is an uncovered oculus. It had been raining when we visited, and there was rainwater on the marble floor, roped off to protect clumsy tourists. The Pantheon felt like it was mostly dome, but the other elements were noteworthy too, plenty of sculpture and multi-colored marble. There are some important tombs, the most famous belonging to Raphael, who requested to be buried at the Pantheon. A pretty primo resting place. Unless you hate history and art and should have booked yourself a different trip, you have to see the Pantheon when in Rome. It's an amazing place, unlike anywhere else in the world.

If you know me, you know I love a good cathedral and this one is pretty great…read more Orvieto is a gorgeous, perfect hill town crowned with this jewel of a church. Started in 1294 (!) it took 300+ years to build. There's plenty of art including spectacular frescos by Signorelli. When you look at the elaborate decor - inside and out- reflect that most of this is hand laid mosaic work. Incredible

If you can only visit one place in Orvieto, the Duomo should be it! This strikingly beautiful 14th…read morecentury cathedral is likely the crown jewel of the small mountain town. It has amazing statues (check out all 18 of them, including the two right in front of the altar-- the unbelievable Angel of the Annunciation and the Virgin of the Annunciation! ) masterpiece frescos, and stained glass windows so vibrant that they etch into your heart! For just 5 Euros (at this writing) the beauty and memory you get is simply out of this world. A true marvel !!!