Ancient Rome & historical sites, Rome Italy

Recommended by the author of "As the Romans Do", bestselling travel book; Pantheon, Vatican, Palatine Hill, Castel St. Angelo, Church of San Clemente, Italy pictures, ancient Rome pictures of italy, photos of rome, visits to umbria, trips to tuscany, letters, postcards from Rome, italians, living in Italy, bestselling book on italy, As the Romans Do, "when in rome do as the romans do"

Castel St. Angelo. Two thousand years of Roman history are contained in this fortress/castle, originally the tomb of the Emperor Hadrian. The circular corridor inside and the 360 degree view of the city are pleasantly disorienting. Admission fee. Lungotevere Castello.

The Pantheon. The most intact building from antiquity in the world, an architectural wonder set right on the heart of the centro storico, the historical center. Try to go in when it's raining -- you'll be amazed. Piazza della Rotonda.

The Vatican -- St. Peter's Basilica and the Museums. Visit the Sistine Chapel, the Michelangelo masterpiece that many consider to be the greatest work of art ever created. Feast your eyes in the map room, the Raphael rooms, the Nicolina chapel, and Bernini's altar in the Basilica. Museum: admission fee, Viale Vaticano; Basilica: Piazza San Pietro.

Palatine Hill. An irresistibly tranquil setting. Not only are you at the very source of the Eternal City, walking on the same ground as Romulus walked, you feel -- amid the grass, trees, gardens, open spaces, views, and incomparable ruins -- as if you were in the open country. Admission fee. Via di San Gregorio.

Church of San Clemente. Step back into the many layers of Roman history -- the first evidence of the Italian language, an altar of the secret cult of Mithras, an actual ancient alley of the city. Via San Giovanni in Laterano.