Top 10 best monuments Rome
The city centre of Rome belongs all to the Unesco list. While walking in Rome you will be impressed by so many monuments and ancient buildings. Be sure to not miss the most important ones. Check this list:
Aurelian walls
Mura aureliane. The Aurelian city walls were built on the 3rd cent AD. 13 km of the 19 original are still visible. Some of the gates are still visible, some of them have been restored for example porta pia by michelangelo, st paul s gate, porta del popolo, porta pinciana, porta maggiore. When they built the walls to protect Rome drom the barbarians they reused older buildings to save money and time. The most curious examples of ancient buildings reused as part of the walls are the piramid, the castrense amphitheatre and the castra pretoria.
Obelisks
Obelischi. The obelisks of Rome are visible in many squares of Rome and they are 13. 7 of them were brought from egypt are 3000 years old. The most ancient is the obelisk near st john basilica, brought by costantines son, use to decorate the circus maximus together with the obelisk at piazza del Popolo. The obelisk at piazza san pietro was brought from Egypt to decorate Caligulas and Neros circus. The obelisks on the Quirinal and on the Esquiline hill were built by the romans and used to decorate the entrance of Augustus Mausoleum. The one in Piazza Navona decorated the Circus of Maxentius on the Appian way and the one on top the spanish steps Sallustius Villa. 3 small egyptian obelisks today are standing in front of the pantheon, Santa maria sopra minerva and near the termini train station but in the roman time they decorated the dronos of an egyptian temple. The obelisk in front of the italian parlament was brought by Augustus and was a solar watch. In the villa borghese the obelisk erected by emperor Hadrian in honour of his beloved slave Antinoo. The one on the celian hill is very small.
Pyramid of Caius Cestius
Piramide di Caio Cestio was the tomb of a rich roman called caius cestius. Probably is the same cestius who built also the bridge on the tiberine island. His relatives built the tomb within 300 days as it is written on the inscription.
Ara Pacis and Mausoleum of Augustus
The altar of peace was erected by the great emperor Augustus. After the bloody period before and after Cesar August, the first emperor inaugurated a golden Age with no wars. Rome was decorated with beautiful buildings such as the pantheon, the thermal baths of Agrippa feed by the aqua virgo and the Mausoleum of Augustus. Inspired by the Mausoluem of alicarnassus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the tomb has a circular shape and was originally decorated with the obelisks and on the top a statue of Augustus.
Square Colosseum
The square colosseum is in the Eur district. The district was designed by dictator Mussolini who wanted to organise an universal exibition (eur) and wanted to rebuilt the ancient buildings of the roman emperors with a modern point of view.
Arch of Constantine
Constantine was the great emperor who legalised cristianity, who divided the roman empire in 2 parts and who founded constantinopolis, today instanbul. The arch is near the colosseum, has 3 openings and is decorated with reliefs coming from from Hadrian, Trajan and marcus Aurelius times.
Victor Emanuels Monument
Vittoriano. The Victor Emanuels Monument is the symbol of the Italian Unification dedicated to the first Italian king Victor Emanuel. It has also the tomb of the unknown soldier.
St Angel Castle
Castel Sant Angelo. The Mausoluem of the emperor Hadrian was in the 5th cent rebuilt as a fortress dedicated to the archangel Michael. The castle was then used by the popes as a palace. It was also used as a prison and today is a museum. The bridge in front of the castle is also a must and is decorated with nice statues by Bernini.
Pantheon
Pantheon was the temple of all the gods and today a church. Built by Agrippa and Augustus to celebrate the victory against Marc Anthony and Cleopatra, the Pantheon was rebuilt under Hadrians time after a fire. The peculiarity of the Pantheon is the hole in the dome. The great artist Rafael is buried here.
Colosseum
The colosseum is one of the seven wonders of the modern world. The real name is flavian amphitheatre ans is the biggest amphitheatre of fhe roman time left. It was reused as a fortess by the frangipane family and it had also a church inside.