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.

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.

So much history here. It was hard for me to imagine what once was an empire to be neglected into…read moreruins but that is what happens when empires fall and there is no money for maintenance. People pillaged and plundered these buidings and repurposed the material to build other things elsewhere. This is located right next to the colosseum and you can get a combined admission ticket to see both. FYI that there are metal detectors and scanners at the security checkpoint. I got a lot of steps in that day! Many of the paths here to not connect so need to double-back much of the time. Five stars!

Some countries have ghost towns, dusty abandoned places where you might find an old gas station or…read morea closed mill. Italy has the Roman Forum, an awe-inspiring collection of ruins, the remains of the heart of ancient Rome. Founded in the 8th century BC, the Forum was the center of city life until around the 6th century AD. Temples and government buildings, a thriving marketplace, a compound of vestal virgins. Meetings and speeches, trials and gladiator battles--this place was happening over two thousand years ago. The Forum fell into disrepair, the temples and shrines abandoned by the 8th century. It was ruthlessly dismantled and exploited, especially during the Italian Renaissance, when its materials were extracted for building projects. Like, for example, St. Peter's Basilica. Seems like a mistake to convert downtown ancient Rome into a marble quarry, but hindsight 20/20 and all that. What remains standing in 2025 is absolutely incredible. The ruins are well preserved and quite legible, at least with the help of a guide (we took a Forum and Colosseum tour with Crown Tours, which I'd highly recommend). It was downright surreal walking around those grounds, imagining the life of ancient Rome. I mean Julius Caesar hung out here, among buildings he had erected. If you're visiting Rome for the first time, I'm sure you're planning to hit the Colosseum. Don't miss the Roman Forum while you're there. It's just as amazing, a unique, transporting journey into the rich depths of history.

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.

One of those things you just have to do, and it holds up. The fountain itself is genuinely…read morespectacular up close, bigger and more detailed than pictures do it justice, and seeing it in person is worth the chaos that surrounds it. And there is chaos: the piazza is packed at pretty much any hour of the day, so go in prepared for a crowd rather than hoping to find a quiet moment. You can pay a small fee to get down to the basin level for a closer look, and the line to do so can be long during peak hours. We found that arriving just before dinnertime cut the wait considerably; most of the daytime crowds had thinned out and we were through quickly. If your schedule has any flexibility, that window is worth targeting. The view from the piazza above is free and still solid, and getting down to the edge is not required, but a neat bonus.

Life was seeming ordinary, so I wanted to see something extraordinary. This is where I landed…read more The view was immediately beautiful. My significant other and I approached a sign that stated FONTANA DI TREVI. It also stated TREVI FOUNTAIN. It indicated ENTRATA . We waited in line. This attraction was free. The line went by fast. The view up close was far more beautiful than the initial view. It was nice to take in at first. It would have been better if the crowd was lower. I still enjoyed it. The service was good. I didn't have any issues. Overall, it was definitely worth the stop. I might go again in the future if the crowd is lower. Date of visit: March 22, 2025

Yet another review, I'd meant to post:…read more Surrounded by a beautiful piazza, Colonna di Marco Aurelio is easy to miss. But don't. The towering marble column in Piazza Colonna is packed with intricate carvings detailing the emperor's military campaigns. It's like a 2nd-century novel spiraling to the sky. No crowds. Gorgeous details. You can't climb it, but you can admire it. A quick and unforgettable stop!

"Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one."…read more-Marcus Aurelius This massive 97 foot tall column dates back to at least 193 AD and was built to honor Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. It tells the story of the Marcomannic wars from 172 to 175. The column stands in the center of Piazza Colonna and at night, it is beautifully lit. I did not have the opportunity to return during the daytime but was still able to appreciate the majesty and craftsmanship of the column that is now close to 2000 years old. Amazing. [Review 19194 overall - 349 in Italy - 164 of 2023.]

Loved it. Nestled just a short stroll from Roma Termini, Tierra de la Repubblica welcomes travelers…read morewith grandeur both timeless and theatrical. The square is crowned by the Fountain of the Naiads where bronze nymphs dance in a mist of Roman legend. Michelangelo's hand lingers in the basilica walls nearby. This nearby realm of order, elegance and wide Roman boulevards is a nice segue way. Not far, Via Nazionale offers decent cafés and a true sense of the Eternal City's rhythm. For those arriving travel weary, it is a graceful entrance to a Roman adventure. And as they say in Rome, "When in doubt follow the guy yelling on a Vespa, he's either late for espresso or leading you to something historic." Either way, you're in for an experience. LOLZSIES!

Historical landmark fountain in the center of a roundabout. It's beautiful and old and still…read morefunctioning. Wouldn't go out of my way to see it, but happening upon it was not disappointing by any means.