Ara Pacis Augustae 
An altar completed in 19 B.C to mark the peace established by Augustus. Located at Lungotevere in Augusta  (06 82059127) 

Baths of Caracalla   
A classic Roman bathing complex which could hold up to 1,600 persons. Located at Via delle Terme di Caracalla 52 (06 39 96 77 00)

Capitoline Hill
Capitoline Hill is the home of the city government with Michelangelo's Piazza del Campidoglio. And bordering the Piazza are the Palazzo dei Conservatori, Palazzo dei Senatori and Palazzo Nuovo with the Capitoline Museums and it's collection of classical art, and ancient sculpture..

Castel Sant'Angelo
Built between 135 and 139 AD by Hadrian as his mausoleum and then used as a fortress, a prison and now a museum.

Circus Maximus
Circus Maximus was a large arena where over 200,000 people could watch gladiators. Now in ruins with as builders over the years have taken the marble and stone.

Colosseohe
The heart of ancient Rome with the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Forum of Augustus, Markets of Trajan and the Capitoline .

Churches

St. Pietro
St Peter's where the Pope resides.

San Carlo alla Quattro Fontane
A small church designed by Francesco Borromini.

Sant' Ivo della Sapienza
Located near Piazza Navona a small church shaped like the Star of David, with an interesting steeple..

San Luigi dei Francesci
Well known for the side chapel which contains three Caravaggio paintings, including "The Calling of St. Matthew."

San Giovanni in Laterano
The cathedral church of Rome and first of the major basilicas.

Santa Maria Maggiore
On top of the Esquiline Hill with gold decorations inside.

San Clemente
A small cathedral where you can hear the underground river that flows beneath the city.

Santa Maria in Trastevere
The nave is lined with columns from ancient Roman buildings and the apse covered in gold mosaics.

Santa Maria alla Minerva
Rome's gothic church behind the pantheon.

Sant'Ignazio
A good example of Baroque art.

Colosseum    
The Colosseum is a significant structure. Completed in A.D. 80 with seating for 50,000, the place to watch gladiators. It took 8 years to built and was started by Emperor Vespasian. But who died just before it was completed. The elliptical building is nearly 50 metre high. The upper storey was for lower classes and women and the lowest for prominent citizens. The wild animals were kept in cages below ground. The Colosseum entertainment was free and sometimes lasted for several days. Unfortuantly the southern side of the Colosseum was destroyed by an earthquake in 847. Via dei Fori Imperiali. (06 700-4261)

Domus Aurea    
Ruins of the Domus built for Nerone after the fire of 64 A.D. The villa extended for a square mile between the slopes of the Caelian and Palatin hills. Located at Via della Domus Aurea.  

Galleria Borghese
A small museum with works by Antonio Canova and Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Golden House of Nero
After the fire in A.D. 64 Nero built an ornate palace, with a 150 foot nude statue of himself at the entrance. A major restoration of the Palace was completed 1999. Via della Dommus Aurea. (06 3974 9907).

National Gallery
Palazzo Barberini is a baroque palaces with the rococo apartments and the Gallery of Decorative Art.

Pantheon
Originally built in 27 B.C. and rebuilt in second century A.D, the Pantheon is one of the few ancient Roman buildings that it is still intact. A perfect square resting in a cylinder measuring 142 feet wide and 142 feet high with 25 feet thick walls, and bronze doors weighing 20 tons each and impressive dome. Light comes from the oculus at the top of the dome. Dedicated in 609 to St. Mary ad Martyres, it holds Raphael's tomb. The Pantheon borders the Piazza della Rotonda, a rectangular square with a central fountain. (06 68 30 02 30)

Palatine Hill
Palatine Hill is the oldest inhabited site in Rome and an interesting place to walk about.

Palazzo Venezia
Originally the Venice embassy now a museum and art gallery.

Palazzo Altemps
Constructed in 1480 for Count Girolamo Riario, nephew of Papa Sisto IV. Located at 8, Sant' Apollinare street .

Palazzo Crivelli
Built in the 16th century decorated with lions heads, satyrs and disfigured heads. Located at Via dei Banchi vecchi, 22

Palazzo Spada
Piazza Capo di Ferro built by Giulio Merisi Caravaggio for Cardinal Capodiferro and restored by Borromini

Villa Farnesina
A Renaissance house in Trastevere with rooms covered in frescoes, some by Raphael

Spanish Steps and Piazza di Spagna
Built in 1725 the steps curve upwards from the Piazza di Spagna to the Church of Santa Trinit dei Monti. The shopping area of Via Condotti leads back from the Spanish steps to Via del Corso. At the bottom of the steps lies Bernini's boat-shaped Barcaccia fountain.

Squares

Piazza di Trevi
A small square home of the Fontana di Trevi.

Piazza di Spagna
The square under the "Spanish Steps"

Piazza Navona
Originally a stadium built by the Domitian with fountains by Bernini.

Piazza della Minerva
Just behind the Pantheon with a statue of an elephant by Bernini with an obelisk on its back

Piazza Montecitorio
The location of the House or Representatives

Piazza Colonna
Home of the Italian Government, Palazzo Chigi.

Piazza Venezia
The centerpiece is the enormous Vittorio Emmanuale Monument with the Capitoline hill next door close to the Forum.

Piazza del Campidoglio
Designed by Michelangelo on top of the Capitol hill with the Capitoline Museum.

St. Peter's Basilica
Emperor Constantine in AD 319 built a basilica over where the tomb of St. Peter and was reconstructed in the 15 th Century. Inside is Michelangelo's Pieta. Located at St. Peter's Square. (06 698-5318)

Trevi Foutain
Trevi Fountain, at the piazza of Via del Tritone made famous in the film Three Coins in a Fountain. If you toss a coin in the fountain legend states that you will return to Rome . The Trevi fountain is at the end of the Aqua Virgo, an aqueduct constructed in 19 BC which brings water from the Salone Springs. The fountain was completed in 1762. The central figure of the fountain, is Neptune, god of the sea who rides a shell shaped chariot pulled by two sea horses guided by a Triton. One horse is calm, the other restive to represent the moods of the sea. To the left of Neptune is a statue representing Abundance and on the right a statue representing Salubrity.

Roman Forum
The Roman Forum was the political, economic, and religious centre of ancient Rome.

Tomb of Cecilia Metella
A funeral monument built at the end of the Roman period. Located at Via Appia Antica 161 (06 39 96 77 00)

Vatican City
A State within the city of Rome , location of St Peter's Basilica, the Vat ican Museums and Castel Sant'Angelo.

Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums occupy a part of the papal palaces and include the Borgia Apartments, Egyptian-Gregorian Museum , Ethnological Museum , Raphael Rooms , the Etruscan Museum Pinacoteca, Pio-Clementino Museum Raphael Salon and the Vatican Library. The Sistine Chapel is at the end of the museum route and where Michelangelo's Last Judgment is on the rising above the frescoes on the side painted by Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Roselli, Pinturicchio, Signorelli and della Gatta. The altar wall has Michelangelo's Last Supper with Christ above centre flanked by Mary. Located at Vatican City , Viale Vaticano. (06 6988 4341)

Villa Giulia Museum
An extensive collection of Etruscan art and artifacts.

Vittoriano
Inaugurated in 1911 and devoted to the King Victor Emmanuel II with the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Located at Piazza Venezia (06 69 91 718)

Day Trips

Frascati
Frascati, just over 20 km form Rome is a relaxed hill town famous for it's white wine reachable by train from Roma Termini.

Ostial Antica
Rome's ancient harbour 30 minutes by train from Stazione Ostiense and gives an idea of what a roman city was like. Impressive remains of the Roman settlement which used to be the military garrison for the defence of the river entrance as well as shipyard, gathering place for the Roman fleet, and provisioning centre. Ostia Antica, Viale dei Romagnoli 717 (06 56 35 80 99)

Villa d'Este
Villa d'Este located in Tivoli with famous fountains.