Latium

Rome

The city was one of the most powerful and important in history, having been the imperial seat earlier and then papal. For this reason, the city has been defined in the past "Caput Mundi" (head of the world), while today is often referred to it as the "eternal city". Furthermore, Rome is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities of the ancient world.

Rome is the third most visited tourist destination in the European Union, and its historic center is protected by UNESCO as World Heritage Site. His numerous monuments and museums like the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum are among the 50 most visited tourist destinations in the world (the Vatican Museums receives 4.2 million tourists and the Coliseum receives 4 million tourists every year).

Here is not possible (nor desirable) to write a full and detailed list of all the wonders that the historical cultural city of Rome has to offer. For this reason we shall confine ourselves to the most important, leaving the reader the freedom of will consult elsewhere certainly more exhaustive lists.

One of the symbols of Rome is the Colosseum (70-80 AD), the largest amphitheater ever built in the Roman Empire. Used for gladiatorial combat, place of torment for many Christians and slaves, was capable of 60,000 spectators. A list of the most important monuments of ancient Rome includes the Roman Forum, Domus Aurea, the Pantheon, the Column of Trajan, Trajan's Market, the Catacombs, the Circus Maximus, the Baths of Caracalla, Castel Sant'Angelo, the Mausoleum of Augustus, the Ara Pacis, the Arch of Constantine, the Cestia Pyramid and the Mouth of Truth.

Rome was a major world center of the Renaissance, second only to Florence, and was deeply influenced by the movement. The most impressive masterpiece of Renaissance architecture in Rome is the Piazza del Campidoglio by Michelangelo, along with the Senatorial Palace, seat of city government. During this period the great aristocratic families of Rome used to build magnificent palaces as the Palazzo del Quirinale (now seat of the Presidency of the Italian Republic), Palazzo Venezia, Palazzo Farnese, Palazzo Barberini, Palazzo Chigi (now seat of the Presidency of the Italian Council of Ministers), Palazzo Spada, Palace of the Chancellery, and the Villa Farnesina.

Rome is also famous for its huge and majestic squares (often adorned with obelisks), many of which are seventeenth-century remakes of ancient squares of the Empire. The principal squares are Piazza Navona, Piazza di Spagna, Campo dei Fiori, Piazza Venezia, Piazza Farnese and Piazza della Minerva.

One of the most emblematic of the Baroque art is the Fontana di Trevi by Nicola Salvi. Other notable buildings dating the baroque era are the Palazzo Madama, now seat of the Italian Senate and the Palazzo Montecitorio, today seat of the Italian Chamber of Deputies.

Public parks and nature reserves cover a huge area of Rome, which is one of the European capitals with more green space available to the public. Some of them refer to belongings of the Roman villas and gardens such as Villa Borghese, Villa Ada and Villa Doria Pamphili.

Viterbo

Viterbo, with its historical center, is one of the best preserved medieval towns in central Italy. Many buildings are built on ancient roman ruins. The main attraction of Viterbo is the Papal Palace, which served as a country residence of the popes and refuge in times of trouble in Rome. The columns of the palace are spolia from a Roman temple.

The second most important monument of the city is the Cathedral of St. Lorenzo. It was built in Romanesque style by Lombard architects over a Roman temple dedicated to Hercules, and variously modified and extended from the sixteenth century onwards. The bell tower is a remarkable example of Gothic architecture in the first half of the fourteenth century and shows the influence of Sienese artists. The church houses the tomb of Pope John XXI and the image of Christ blessing, a masterpiece of Gerolamo da Cremona.