| Methinks I will not die quite happy without having seen | | | | the vomitoria, 64 doors that allowed patrons entrance |
| something of that Rome of which I have read so | | | | to the gladiatorial battles held here. Much of the original |
| much. - Sir Walter Scott | | | | Colusseum remains including examples of Doric, Ionic, |
| Roma! A City Built on Beauty | | | | and Corinthian columns surrounding the arena. |
| Rome is the number one city on many art lovers' wish | | | | The Pantheon is perhaps the city's hippest place to be. |
| list of places to visit. Why? Quite simply, Rome is | | | | Surprising for a building that is 2,000 years old? Typical |
| home to some of the greatest art and architecture | | | | of Roman fashion, the Pantheon is surrounded by |
| treasures in the world in addition to its beautiful | | | | intimate outdoor cafes and courtyards where you can |
| cityscape, quaint alleyways, exciting nightlife, and | | | | enjoy a gourmet meal and gaze at the mesmerizing |
| luxurious hotels. These wonders, along with possibly | | | | structure. |
| the best food found anywhere, make Rome the city | | | | After dining you can stroll through the Pantheon itself |
| to see or "methinks I will not die happy". | | | | and see the tomb of Raphael, buried in 1520. Unlike "La |
| Visitors to Rome will at once become immersed in | | | | Fornarina, the mistress who was banned from |
| history. The entire history of the city can be seen | | | | Raphael's funeral, you can enjoy the exquisite |
| through its many ancient buildings, sculptures, and the | | | | pleasures of the large dome, the sculpted walls, and |
| magnificent artwork found in the city's museums. | | | | gracious columns. Romans say the best time to visit |
| Rome's ancient beginnings can be seen in Greek and | | | | the Pantheon is during a rainstorm. Great sheets of |
| Roman architecture , its contributions to the modern | | | | rain enter the structure through the occulas atop the |
| world in Renaissance and Baroque paintings and | | | | dome and splatter on the brilliant colors of the marble |
| sculpture. | | | | floor added when the original structure was rebuilt by |
| The starting point of any Roman experience should be | | | | Hadrain in 126. |
| the magnificent Borghese Gallery. The suburban | | | | There are countless other treasures to explore while in |
| Borghese villa, erected in the early 1600s, was home to | | | | Rome. The Capital and Museum offer an underground |
| the rich and powerful Borghese family. Great patrons | | | | look at the Roman Forum. In this complex structure |
| of the arts, this illustrious family became the first | | | | you will find examples of art from all phases of |
| patrons of a young artist, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. His | | | | Roman history. Etruscan kings, Greek art, the Empire |
| works can be found, along with many other old | | | | period, and more are on view in the Capitolini |
| masters, in the gallery. Treat your senses to | | | | Museums. |
| Caravaggio, Raphael, Rubens, and Titian just to name | | | | For a truly unusual experience create your own |
| a few. The Borghese Gallery also houses a sculpture | | | | Angels and Demons tour. Dan Brown made many of |
| garden with works by Bernini and the famous "Paolini" | | | | Rome's sites famous as pivotal points in his book, |
| by Canova. | | | | Angels and Demons. You can follow the path of the |
| The walls of many rooms in the villa are excellent | | | | Illuminati and let angels guide you along the backstreets |
| examples of an early Roman art form, Incrustation. | | | | and alleyways of Rome as you search for clues to |
| This type of work involved painting the interior walls to | | | | the novel's intricate plot. |
| resemble marble and was popular with families who | | | | Once underway you will see the famous Passetto, the |
| could not afford true marble walls. It may seem odd to | | | | Castel of the Angel, and other chapels and squares. |
| find what was once pedestrian art in this gorgeous villa | | | | Stops along the way of the book's characters included |
| but it is only here as an example of early art forms in | | | | the Pantheon, Raphael's Chigi Chapel, and the portico |
| Rome. The incrustations in the Borghese Gallery were | | | | of St. Peter's Square. The prize for undertaking this |
| moved here from other homes in the city. | | | | journey? Bernini's masterpiece, the monumental |
| For unsurpassed architectural experiences you must | | | | "Fountain of the Four Rivers" in the Piazza Novona is |
| visit the Colosseum and the Pantheon. The Colosseum | | | | the perfect place to enjoy a private dinner and digest |
| is a large elliptical structure built during the Flavian | | | | the many wonders you have just experienced. |
| Empire. Walk in as ancient spectators would - through | | | | |