Rome the capital of Italy is one of the oldest cities of the world with a lot of history attached to it thus providing an exciting mix of extravagant past and present. It is also called the eternal city. ‘Caput Mundi’ meaning capital of the world in Latin is another name. The long history has left behind relics which are of great attraction. Of the entire tourist destination of the European Union, it is the third most visited.
There are numerous reasons for Rome to be the center of attraction for tourists. It has some of the magnificence left of its glorious past in the form of ruins, masterpieces of architecture, and ornate churches. All around the year, there are spectacular festivals and events which attract more and more people to the city. It has been said that Rome is like an encyclopedia of living history. Although there is a lot of contrast in the past and the present it has a magical ability to blend them together.
There is an unending list of interesting facts and attractions in Rome. It is fascinating to know that Rome has a museum dedicated to pasta. The museum has various pasta making machines and paintings related to pasta made by contemporary artists.
One of the Seven Wonders of the World, Coliseum an amphitheater which could seat 50,000 people is in Rome. The largest survivors of the imperial roman era are the Caracalla baths built in 3rd century. In their hay days they could handle as many as 1,600 bathers at a time. The total area covered by the baths is nearly 27 acres.
Another exquisite building in Rome is the basilica of St. Peters, a huge church of the renaissance period. The church is inside the Vatican City an enclave of Rome and is the largest church ever built. It is an overwhelming structure and exhibits the works of some of the renowned artists of Italy like Michelangelo, Maderno and Raphael. The inside is a burst of expansive majesty and is sensational and unforgettable. The dome of St. Peter’s was designed by Michelangelo. The square outside is outlined by a monumental Colonnade or a row of pillars designed by Bernini. The grand façade is 116 m wide and 53 m high with 13 statues made of travertine a kind of limestone.
A large complex, Vatican museums comprising of over 1,000 museums is found here. There are Egyptian and ancient Italian museums and galleries of tapestries which are majorly collections of the successive popes. There are many attentions grabbers like the Alessandro Galilei’s white façade with statues of Christ, John Paul and the 12 apostles. It is said that 60 percent of the world’s art treasures are in Rome and Italy.
Another tourist attraction is the Trevi Fountain where a coin is tossed into the fountain and a wish to return to the eternal city is often made. It is beyond belief to know how much is tossed into the fountain each year. It is as high as 700,000 Euros; isn’t it astonishing. The whole amount is donated to the needy.
