One of the oldest cities in the world, where all roads lead, has not changed much in thousands of years. Charming Rome, famous for its rich history, allows everyone to feel its unique flavor. Tourists visiting the Italian capital not for the first time are rediscovering it.
The Eternal City, which connected different time layers, is most often associated with the Colosseum, which has become a symbol of the greatness of a powerful empire, and St. Peter's Basilica, the largest building in the Vatican. However, the birthplace of the Latin alphabet hides many unknown architectural monuments, the existence of which most tourists do not even suspect.
Fountain of books
Speaking of such sights of Rome, it is impossible not to mention a small fountain that has become an adornment of the wall of the city archive. Fontana dei Libri, which appeared in 1927, is a very picturesque architectural structure. It is made in the form of a niche decorated with a stonehead of a deer, and on the sides are four granite books, two of which are bookmarked. The unusual fountain is so beautiful that it begs to be photographed.
Rome (Italy), whose sights reflect its history, boasts an original masterpiece located on Via degli Staderari. The author of the work knew the past of the city very well, and therefore each of his works carried a hidden meaning. Previously, the street was called "University" because it was the educational institution Università della Sapienza. With this in mind, the architect came up with the idea to decorate the fountain with giant book folios. And the deer's head is a symbol of the area in which the amazing ensemble was built. The composition is crowned with five brilliant pearls - a tribute to the time when the Medici dynasty ruled, patronizing art.
Unique Basilica
If Rome's main sights need no introduction, the church of Santo Stefano Rotondo is still in the shade. The basilica dedicated to St. Stephen, who was martyred, has an unusual shape. The round building is one of the most bizarre in the city: the building on the Caelian hill is made in the form of a rotunda.
San Stefano Rotondo, which appeared on the site of the antique market, has been restored several times. The church, built in the 5th century, is recognized as the oldest Christian monument in Italy, which surprises not only with its architectural merits, but alsogloomy interior. Colored frescoes, more reminiscent of popular prints, depict terrible and cruel killings of the righteous. And such a catalog of tortures confuses modern people who find themselves in the most curious place of a large tourist center. And he completely horrified our descendants.
Protestant Cemetery
The nook is included in the list of cultural sites in danger by UNESCO. The Cimitero Acattolico is an unknown attraction in Rome for most travelers. The non-Catholic cemetery is a real oasis of calm, located in the heart of the noisy Testaccio district (Testaccio), near the mountain of the same name. Those who have visited the Protestant necropolis note that it is gradually falling into disrepair. Suffering from frequent flooding, "the holiest place in the city," as the brilliant O. Wilde called it, does not receive money from the budget. Ancient stone statues, fences and paths are being destroyed before our very eyes.
The gentile cemetery covered with greenery, where about four thousand people are buried, should be of interest to our tourists, because symbolist poet V. Ivanov and artist K. Bryullov found their last shelter here. So-called national zones were formed on its territory, and one of them contains the graves of Russians who emigrated to Italy.
Picturesque rose garden
The most romantic place in the Eternal City is to be found on the Aventino Hill. The rose garden, founded in 1931, was destroyed during World War II,after which it had to be reconstructed. The most beautiful landmark of Rome (Italy) is divided into two parts: the upper one is open from April to June, and the lower one is open from the end of May. At Roseto Comunale, covering an area of 10,000 square meters, you can see roses collected from all over the world.
In ancient times, colorful festivals dedicated to the goddess Flora were held at this place, and now tourists can enjoy a delightful spectacle during the period of maximum flowering of the queen of flowers, which blooms every year. Guests will be surprised by plants that exude an unpleasant odor and change their shade. According to park workers, there are roses of every color except blue, because it is impossible to breed such a variety.
A corner made for enjoyment
The picturesque parks of the Italian capital, which have become interesting sights of Rome (a description of some of them is presented in the article), reveal the special charm of the nature of the Mediterranean. The wonderful gardens of Villa Aurelia, hidden on Janiculum Hill, immerse you in an atmosphere of happiness and peace. From the highest point in the city, breathtaking views are worth seeing.
Gardens at Villa Aurelia was once the property of an American academy and has only recently been opened to the public. It is worth remembering that tours of the park with hedges, bizarre fountains and gazebos created for privacy are available only by appointment.
Monument to the Mussolini era
The treasury of monuments of world architecture keepsunique attractions. Rome is a city that perfectly remembers its past and does not destroy objects that appeared during the reign of the Italian dictator Mussolini.
The construction of the corner, not included in any guidebook, was timed to coincide with the planned 1942 world fair, which did not take place. However, the EUR quarter (Esposizione Universale di Roma), erected in the southwest, remained, and one of the symbols of the fascist era in the country was the marble palace of Italian civilization, admiring for its size. It got the name "Square Colosseum" (Colosseo Quadrato) because it is very reminiscent of a grand ancient amphitheater.
Pyramid of Cestius
If someone thinks that you can visit the mysterious pyramids only in Egypt, then he is mistaken. Oddly enough, the burial place erected before our era is located in the very heart of Rome. Photos of attractions are sure to be taken as a keepsake by tourists admiring the unusual structure.
The pyramid of Cestius, which appeared after the Roman soldiers celebrated their victory in Africa, rises more than 30 meters. The only one in the city, it has been well preserved, and on its walls you can see inscriptions carved on stone, reminiscent of the construction and excavation of an archaeological site covered with marble blocks. Inside the mausoleum, located near the non-Catholic cemetery, is the tomb of Gaius Cestius, a politician and tribuneplebs.
August Sundial
Few people know that among the hundreds of thousands of curious sights of the city of Rome, the largest sundial of antiquity is hidden. Emperor Augustus ordered their construction on the Field of Mars, where giant slabs were installed on which numbers and letters, zodiac signs and calendar days were engraved. From granite brought from Egypt, a huge obelisk (gnomon) was erected, which makes it possible to determine the height of the luminary. The shadow cast by ancient astronomical instruments showed the time on a sundial. It is curious that on the emperor's birthday, September 23, a falling shadow overshadowed the monument decorated with a stone wall - the altar of Peace, erected in honor of the ruler.
The size of the oldest sundial is amazing: the diameter of the dial was 160 meters, and the height of the obelisk was 30 meters. The world-famous unique mechanism brought its amazing accuracy. Unfortunately, after a heavy flood, it ceased to function, and the gnomon collapsed. In the 70s of the last century, in the cellars located in the Champ de Mars area, at a depth of eight meters, pieces of flooring were found that made up the Horologium Augusti dial.
Only at the beginning of the 16th century, the obelisk was re-restored, and now it is located in Piazza Montecitorio, Rome. Attractions (photos and descriptions are presented in the article) are of genuine interest to tourists who dream of learning more about the history of the country's cultural center.
Ancient storm drain
The great city is famous for another ancient monument. CloacaThe Maxima still serves as a storm drain and is in excellent condition. The 800 meters long canal was dug by Etruscan craftsmen around the 7th century BC. The oldest building in the world was built during the reign of Lucius Tarquinius Prisca, the king of Ancient Rome, who paid great attention to urban infrastructure. The Big Cloaca was originally open, but then it was covered with wooden flooring, and later a stone vault appeared.
Located under the bridges Palatine and Ponte Rotto, it became part of a huge sewer network that increased with the expansion of Rome.
Sightseeing: Eternal City Metro
If travelers are tired of wandering around the bustling capital of Italy, they can go underground to quickly reach remote areas. The subway project appeared in 1959, but the work ended almost 20 years later. Rome is literally crammed with antiquities, and it is quite difficult to carry out any work, because experts now and then stumbled upon archaeological sites that needed to be studied. That is why the construction took so long.
The first thing guests see is ordinary residents of the capital, without getting to know them, the impressions of the open-air museum will be incomplete. In the subway, which has become the youngest in Europe, there are no usual ticket offices, and all tickets are purchased from vending machines. A popular and convenient form of municipal transport, it is not as extensive as the metro in Barcelona or London, and its scheme is logical and very simple. Therefore, Russian tourists quickly sort it out on the spot.
It is not an easy task to list all the noteworthy sights. It is worthwhile to think over the route of the future trip around the Eternal City in advance so that the most pleasant memories remain from the trip. The number of monuments is so great that it is impossible to get acquainted with all of them, and admiring tourists come here again to confess their love to Rome.
