VISITING ROME – The Colosseum and Trevi’s Fountain

In the last episode of “Visiting Rome“, we stopped our tour at the Pantheon. The Pantheon is where all the kings of Italy were buried since the Unification of the country in 1861. Here we can also find Raphael’s tomb, one of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance, creator of some of the most important masterpieces in the Vatican Museums.

RAPHAEL, VATICAN ROOMS
RAPHAEL, VATICAN ROOMS – Immagine tratta da “LAZIO – CARTOGUIDE DE AGOSTINI”, edito da Istituto Geografico DeAgostini

We leave the Pantheon and move through Via di Santa Caterina. Then we turn right to Via del Gesù. This gives us the possibility to reach Corso Vittorio Emanuele, one of the largest, longest and most important streets in Rome.

ROME'S MAP
ROME’S MAP: Path from the Pantheon to Piazza del Gesù (from Google Maps).

PALAZZO VENEZIA IN ROME

This also permits us to admire the Chiesa del Gesù, the mother church of Jesuits -or Society of Jesus. Jesuits are a Roman Catholic congregation founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Pope Francis –the current Pope- belongs to it as well.

Via del Gesù is a nodal point of the city: coming from the Pantheon, on the right we have the Sacred Area of Largo di Torre Argentina. It is so called for the presence of four different Roman temples. And on the left there is Palazzo Venezia, located in front of Piazza Venezia, and Via del Plebiscito.

ROME'S MAP
ROME’S MAP: Path from Piazza del Gesù to the Sacred Area on the left and Palazzo Venezia on the right (from Google Maps).

This building was designed by the architect Leon Battista Alberti. On its facade there is the statue of a lion, symbol of the city of Venice, where the building takes its name from. Under Fascism, Benito Mussolini had his offices here, and here he also used to have his solemn speeches. Nowadays the palace is a National Museum and a Library of Architecture and History of Art.

VIA DEI FORI IMPERIALI

From here we move through Via dei Fori Imperiali, a nice and long street that leads to the Colosseum and gives us the possibility to reach the Southern part of the city. Its name is due to the fact that it runs along the famous and historical Roman Forum, the heart of the city and of the ancient Roman Empire. In the forum once rose many important buildings and the market place of the ancient city of Rome. Nowadays we only have the ruins left, witness of a world that is no more. But it is still an incredibly attractive site for tourists from all over the world.

ROME'S MAP
ROME’S MAP: Path from Palazzo Venezia to the Colosseum passing through Via dei Fori Imperiali (from Google Maps).

At the beginning of the street, we find another famous monument of the city: Trajan’s column, built in 113 AD to celebrate Emperor Trajan’s victory against the Dacians. Its structure and design were source of inspiration for the creation of many important columns throughout the world.

In front of us there is also a more recent but not less gorgeous monument of the city: the Altare della Patria, or Altar of the Fatherland, built by Giuseppe Sacconi between the XIX and the XX century in honour of Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of Italy.

ALTARE DELLA PATRIA
Altare della Patria, Rome.

THE COLOSSEUM IN ROME

After admiring its splendid facade, we go on walking through Via dei Fori Imperiali, which is always crowded and full of street artists, musicians and mimes. This street is incidentally a very important part of the city: it is where the great military parade of June 2nd takes place, in order to celebrate the Italian Republic Day.

We walk through it until we reach the symbol of the city of Rome: the Colosseum, an ancient Roman amphitheatre, entirely made of stones, renown all around the world.

ROME, COLOSSEUM
ROME, COLOSSEUM – Immagine tratta da “LAZIO – CARTOGUIDE DE AGOSTINI”, edito da Istituto Geografico DeAgostini

The Colosseum, originally called Flavian Amphitheatre in honour of the Roman emperors of the Flavian family – who ordered its construction –is the greatest amphitheatre in the world. In ancient times it was used for public shows and gladiatorial contests, but nowadays it is partially destroyed. The name “Colosseum” was introduced in the Middle Ages probably because of the presence of the huge statue of Emperor Nero standing nearby, now completely gone lost.

Not far from it, we can admire the triumphal Arch of Constantine, erected in 315 AD to celebrate the victory of Emperor Constantine I against Maxentius on Milvian Bridge.

Further on, there’s also the Domus Aurea, that means “Golden House” in Latin. The building, that is full of history, was Emperor Nero’s house after the great fire of Rome in 64 AD. Over time it was completely buried underground and brought to light again in the 15th century.

ROME'S MAP
ROME’S MAP: the Domus Aurea, near the Colosseum (from Google Maps).

TREVI’S FOUNTAIN

We go back to Palazzo Venezia in order to reach a more Central part of the city. So, we turn back and walk through Via dei Fori Imperiali again. There we take Via del Corso (another important and large street of central Rome), getting to the deviation for Trevi’s fountain. It is probably one of the most famous fountains in the world, and for this reason always crowded with tourists.

ROME, TREVI'S FOUNTAIN
ROME, TREVI’S FOUNTAIN – Immagine tratta da “LAZIO – CARTOGUIDE DE AGOSTINI”, edito da Istituto Geografico DeAgostini

This fountain is particularly remarkable not only because of its beauty, its crystal waters and the gorgeous decorative marble statues, but also because of its shape. Its size is so wide that it alone fills all the square, without leaving any room for any other monument or building. The fountain was also brought to fame by director Federico Fellini, that, inside it, set a scene of his famous film “Dolce Vita”.

Near Trevi’s Fountain there’s Palazzo Chigi, abode of the Italian Government. And the Quirinal Palace, residence of the President of the Republic, named after the Roman hill where it’s located: the “Quirinal”.

ROME'S MAP
ROME’S MAP: Path from Trevi’s Fountain to Palazzo Chigi on the left or to the Quirinal Palace on the right (from Google Maps).

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