There Is No Place Like Rome: History Comes To Life

There are few cities in the world that are able to conjure images of greatness by the mere mention of their name alone. Moreover, even fewer cities could ever claim not only to have once been the very centre of western civilisation, but also the modern-day heart of the world’s most followed religion. Indeed, as the spiritual and geographical home of the Catholic Church, the Vatican City may well be the world’s smallest independent state. But, to the millions of visitors who arrive at the walled enclave each year, it is for all intents and purposes part of Italy’s capital city and the jewel in Europe’s crown, Rome.

Being home to St. Peter’s Basilica, perhaps the most significant site in the whole of the Christian world, countless people embark on pilgrimages to this magnificent church in the heart of the Vatican City. This is simply to observe one of the many morning sermons delivered by none other than Pope Benedict XVI himself.

Furthermore, as part of the Apostolic Palace, the Sistine Chapel houses some of the most famous artistic decoration on earth, including frescoes by Michelangelo, Raphael and Botticelli. With over two and a half thousand years of history, the Italian capital is full of stunning architecture and historical artefacts that would keep the most discerning of tourists enthralled for weeks, which has ultimately earned the city its nickname, ‘The Eternal City’.

The Pantheon, for example, is perhaps one of the best preserved buildings of its age and at almost two thousand years old, the ancient domed temple is still used as a church to hold masses on important Catholic days of obligation and weddings. There is also the world famous Trevi Fountain, which was immortalised in the classic Federico Fellini Movie, ‘La Dolce Vita’. As the largest — and certainly most impressive — of Rome’s Baroque fountains, it truly is a stunning masterpiece of 17th and18th century sculpting that has to be seen to be believed.

But what many people associate with Rome, is its historic centre which has been listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Perhaps the most famous and iconic site here is the Roman Colosseum, an ancient elliptical amphitheatre, which is generally considered to be one of the greatest achievements in Roman architecture and engineering.

Of course, as historically significant and visually impressive as the city may be, Rome is still a major modern metropolis too and is Italy’s largest and most populous city. Moreover, due to its political, artistic and cultural influence on the world, it is often classed as a ‘global city’. And as the third most visited destination in the EU, flights to Rome are never in short supply, with a flight time of as little as two and a half hours from London.

So, for a city with such global significance both past and present, it’s not difficult to see why the Italian capital is known as the eternal city, and it certainly seems that there is no other place quite like Rome!

The information contained within this article is the opinion of the author and is intended purely for information and interest purposes only. It should not be used to make any decisions or take any actions. Any links are included for information purposes only.