Seating up to 55,000 spectators and once the biggest in the world, this arena hosted gladiatorial combat, theatrical dramas and public executions.
The main square of the city was populated by merchants, prostitutes, poets and senators. The area still boasts the ruins or reconstructions of temples and government buildings.
Begun around 320 A.D. and expanded by such notables as Rafael, Michelangelo and Bernini, this center of the Catholic world boasts a dome that is more than 400 feet high and 120 feet in diameter.
Completed in 1762 and decorated with the statues of Neptune, the god of the sea, and a host of figures, this fountain has been the site of many movies, such as "Roman Holiday." By tradition, throwing a coin into its pools guarantees a return to the city.
Once stretching 350 miles, this ancient road allowed easy access to eastern locations, such as Greece. It is lined with the tombs of the ancient Roman families, as well as Christian catacombs.
