Rome : Rome Attractions and Events

Roma Europa Festival, September- October

This has been an annual appointment since 1986 for modern art and theatre, music and dance, with artists from all over Europe appearing.

Festival Romics, October

The Comics and Cartoon Festival: exhibitions, cartoon film showings and meeting with the most famous designers and publishing companies.

Roma Jazz Festival, October

This annual festival totally dedicated to jazz music was organized for the first time in 1876. Italian and international artists all appear in concert.

Sana a Roma, April

This Mediterranean Trade Fair for Natural Products has been organized for a few years now at the Rome Trade Fair District. Exhibitions of bio-products, conferences and tasting.

Estate Romana, from June to September

This includes all kinds of events, from music to theater, literary meetings and cinema. Events that take place in the most characteristic places in Rome that attract the participation of thousands of artists from all over the world.

Donna Sotto le Stelle, July

The annual Roman appointment with high fashion. Creations by the most famous fashion designers are modeled on a catwalk in a truly magnificent setting: on the Spanish Steps in Piazza di Spagna.

Pantheon

Marcus Agrippas Pantheon is one of the world's most sublime architectural creations, a perfectly proportioned floating dome resting on an eleganc drum of columns and pediments. It was built in 27 BC, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in 120 AD. The Pantheon was converted into a church in 609 and dedicated to the Madonna and all the martyrs. The Italian kings Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto I and the artist Raphael are buried here.

Art Galleries And Museums

These are a dime a dozen! Most monuments house museums now but you could try the following galleries too - Chiostro del Bramante, Palazzo delle Esposizioni and the MACRO.

Galleria Borghese

This 'queen of all private collections' was formed by Cardinal Sdpione Borghese, the most passionate and knowledgeable connoisseur of his day. The ground floor contains some important classical statuary and intricate Roman floor mosaics. But Bernini's spectacular carvings -flamboyant depictions of pagan myths - are the stars. There are also six Caravaggios, including the wonderfully naturalistic Madonna dei Palafrenieri (Madonna with die Serpent) as well as masterworks by Giovanni Bellini, Giorgione, Veronese, Botticelli, Guercino, Domenichino and Rubens among others.

Castel Sant' Angelo

Reached by one of the world's most beautiful bridges -Bernini's billowing, angel-clad Pont Sant' Angelo - this strange, circular tank of a building was originally constructed as the mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian and is now a museum. It was converted into a papal fortress in the 6th century, and is linked by underground passages to the Vatican palaces.

Capitoline Hill / Campidoglio

Now the seat of the city's municipal authorities, was the centre of government of ancient Rome, and is the geographical centre of the modern city. The piazza, designed by Michelangelo in 1538, is bordered by three buildings also designed by him - the Palazzo Nuovo and the Palazzo dei Conservatory which together house the Capitoline Museums, and the Palazzo Senatorio at the rear.

Colosseum

The most spectacular structure of ancient Rome, this sports arena was designed to hold more than 50,000 spectators for gory entertainment such as combats between wild beasts and gladiators.

The Roman Forum

Built over 900 years, the Foro Romano was the commercial, political and religious centre of ancient Rome from the Republican era until the 4th century AD. During the Renaissance, with the renewed appreciation of all things classical, the Forum provided inspiration for artists and architects. The area was systematically excavated in the 18th and 19th centuries, and you can see the archaeological teams at work in ongoing digs. The Forum is entered from the piazza leading from the Colosseum.

The Vatican

This probably the richest country in the world making up for its total lack of natural resources with an astonishing collection of priceless art treasures... ranging from Michelangelos masterpiece - the Sistine Chapel with the famously frescoed ceiling to Bernini's imposing piazza to the museums in die complex to the Basilica Di San Pietro -Church of St. Peter — the largest and the most stunning church in the world.

Trevi Fountain

A vibrant marble fountain in true dramatic rococo style and one of Rome's most famous spots. A must visit for tourists... toss in a coin to ensure your return!