Things to Do in Rome

Rome’s Circus Maximus(Circo Massimo)—a massive arena for chariot races, games, religious ceremonies, and civic events—was the largest stadium in the Roman Empire. A major restoration in 2016 yielded a spruced-up archaeological site comprising arched walkways, ancient shops, a newly excavated cobbled road, and the Circus track’s oblong outline and starting gates.

The heart of Rome's Vatican City is St. Peter's Square (Piazza San Pietro), the grand space that provides a magnificent approach to St. Peter's Basilica. Designed by Bernini in the 17th century, Piazza San Pietro is lined by semicircular colonnades four columns deep on either side that seem to reach out and enfold visitors in an embrace.

Most visitors to Rome pass through the Piazza Venezia intersection, home to the Vittorio Emanuele Monument, at least once. This busy, sprawling intersection has a vast grassy island at its center, making it a square, but its function is to keep the Eternal City’s car and bus traffic flowing, rather than act as a leisure space.

Bohemian Trastevere is one of Rome’s most historic and picturesque neighborhoods—a maze of cobbled streets lined with atmospheric restaurants serving some of Italy’s best cuisine. At dusk, trendy crowds pour into its fashionable sidewalk cafés and bars to enjoy the vibrant Roman nightlife. Trastevere lies across the river—hence the name, which means “across the Tiber”—from the center of Rome, and at its heart is Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, home to one of Rome’s oldest churches (from AD 340) and a majestic 15th-century fountain. Other neighborhood sights include the beautiful Santa Cecilia in Trastevere church, dating from the fifth century, and Villa Farnesina, filled with stunning frescoes—including two attributed to Raphael.

Standing proud behind the Colosseum and steps away from the beginning of the Via Sacra, the imposing triumphal Arch of Constantine (Arco di Costantino) was erected by the Roma Senate in 315 AD in honor of Emperor Constantine's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge that took place three years earlier. At 69 feet (21 meters) tall, the ornate monument was carved from a single enormous block of gray and white marble. In typical Classical style, the great central gateway is mirrored by two smaller side arches and supported by eight Corinthian columns. The arch is decorated with reliefs plundered from other long-forgotten memorials that describe feats of bravery by earlier Roman emperors, as well as inscriptions praising the achievements of Constantine.

Thanks to its close proximity to the Colosseum and its sheer size, the Arch of Constantine is an easy landmark to find and a popular spot for photos. Many walking tours stop to admire the arch before continuing on to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum or to Palatine Hill.

Rome’s Olympic Stadium (Stadio Olimpico) seats more than 72,000 spectators, and when the city’s deeply beloved A.S. Roma and S.S. Lazio soccer teams hold their home matches here, there isn’t an empty seat in the house. But the stadium isn’t just for "football" fans; rather, the venue is also used for rock concerts and other sporting events.

Raphael's Rooms (Stanze di Raffaello) are four interconnected halls inside the Vatican Museums, each decorated with sumptuous frescoes by painter Raphael (1483–1520). These High Renaissance masterpieces are second in fame and beauty only to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel in the whole of the enormous Vatican collection.

Piazza di Spagna is one of Rome's best-known meeting places, thanks to a stunning statue, the iconic Fontana della Barcaccia and an attractive square that lies at the foot of the famed Spanish Steps. The landmark's central location grants travelers easy access to top attractions like nearby Trinita dei Monti, Keats-Shelley Memorial House and the Column of the Immaculate Conception.

Piazza di Spagna is also a prime destination for people-watching, thanks to the large number of visitors and locals who gather in the public garden and scenic space to celebrate sunshine when there's warmer weather.

Situated in a former Borghese family villa, Rome’s Borghese Gallery (Galleria Borghese) houses much of the eponymous family’s vast collection of antiquities, paintings, and sculptures across 22 rooms and two floors. Highlights include paintings by Titian, Raphael, Caravaggio, and Rubens, as well as several Bernini sculptures.

Vatican City (Città del Vaticano) may be the smallest sovereign nation-state in the world, but it's a religious and cultural superpower. Home to some of the world’s greatest artistic and architectural marvels—namely St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Peter’s Square, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museums—it's located wholly within the confines of Rome, covers 110 acres (44 hectares), and has an official population of about 800.

Hidden deep underground on the outskirts of Rome, the vast 2nd-century Catacombs of Rome (Catacombe di Roma) are some of the oldest burial tunnels in the world. Today, the narrow tunnels are eerily quiet and full of Roman history, including some of the best-preserved early Christian frescoes and sculptures—including the oldest known depiction of the Virgin Mary and, in the bone-adorned Capuchin Crypt, a Caravaggio.

Though Rome’s Jewish Ghetto no longer officially exists (it was abolished in 1882), the neighborhood is still the center of Rome’s Jewish community, the oldest in Italy. The city’s 19th-century synagogue— home to the Jewish Museum of Rome— is here, as are winding lanes lined with kosher restaurants, markets, and butchers.

Like many cities in Europe, Rome required its Jewish residents to live in a separate, walled-off neighborhood during the Middle Ages. The Roman Jewish Ghetto (Ghetto Ebraico di Roma) was established in 1555, when the city erected walls around this area in the historic center; these barriers were torn down only after the ghetto was abolished in 1882. Today, despite its unhappy history, the Jewish Ghetto is now one of Rome’s most beautiful neighborhoods.

The ruins of this ancient Roman city, now theHerculaneum Archaeological Park (Parco Archeologico di Ercolano), live in the shadow of their more famous neighbor, Pompeii. But many enthusiasts consider this smaller site—one of Italy’s most important UNESCO-listed spots—to be equally interesting and engaging.

The first modern civic square in Rome, Piazza del Campidoglio was designed by Michelangelo in 1536. Perched at the top of the Capitoline Hill overlooking the Roman Forum, the space is lined by the monumental Cordonata staircase and three Renaissance palaces, now home to city hall and the Capitoline Museums.