Colosseum
The most extraordinary of all Rome’s monuments. It’s not just the amazing completeness of the place, or its size, but the sense of its gory history that resonates: it was here that gladiators met in mortal combat and condemned prisoners fought off hungry lions. Originally used to hold games that lasted 100 days and nights, the Colosseum was abandoned in the 6th century with the fall of the empire. Since then it has served as a fortress in the Middle Ages, been damaged several times by earthquakes and used as a quarry for travertine and marble. Two thousand or so years from its beginning and it’s still hauling in the crowds.
Palatine
Palatine was ancient Rome’s Beverly Hills. Romulus killed his brother Remus and founded Rome here in 753 BC, and from 500 BC, Rome’s most affluent citizens set up residence in the area. On entering the complex from Via di San Gregorio, head uphill until you come to the first recognisable construction, the stadio, probably used by the emperors for private games and events.
Frescoes in Palazzo Massimo alle Terme
A treasure trove of classical art, the light-filled Museo Nazionale Romano: Palazzo Massimo alle Terme is one of Rome’s finest museums, yet receives only a smattering of visitors. The museum houses many gems including sculptures and marble friezes from the 2nd century BC to the 5th century AD. These include richly coloured frescoes from an Augustanera villa, such as the cubicula (bedrooms) with religious, erotic and theatre subjects, and landscape paintings from the triclinium (dining room), but the best is still to come: the garden paintings from Villa Livia, one of the homes of Augustus’ wife Livia Drusilla. Excavated in the 19th century and displayed here in 1951, these stunning frescoes depict an illusionary garden with all the plants in full bloom.
Pantheon
Competition is fierce, but the Pantheon is surely ancient Rome’s most astonishing building. Considered the Romans’ most important architectural achievement, it was the largest dome in the world until the 15th century and is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome ever built. Its harmonious appearance is due to a precisely calibrated symmetry – its diameter is exactly equal to the Pantheon’s interior height of 43.3m.
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