The Coliseum is a large amphitheater built by the ancient Romans and completed in 80 AD. The structure could hold 50,000 spectators who came to watch the battles between specially trained gladiators and slaves, prisoners or animals. The Coliseum still stands majestically in Rome's Piazza del Colosseo, although parts of it were removed during the middle ages for construction of other buildings.
St. Peter's Basilica, locally known as Basilica di San Pietro, was built near the site where St Peter is believed to have been martyred. Guarding the entrance to the Vatican, the Basilica as we see it today was built during the Renaissance. Michelangelo famously designed the enormous vaulted dome which measures about 130 feet in diameter.
The Trevi Fountain was built in the 18th century by Nicola Salvi on the side of a municipal building. The Baroque fountain features Neptune god of the sea and various other statues. Highly romanticized in movies, the fountain sees millions of visitors every year, many of whom toss a coin into its waters for good luck.
Famous attractions in Rome included the victory arches of Constantine and Titus, both located near the Coliseum, and the Foro Romano which once housed the Senate, market and public baths. Other landmarks you should not miss are the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona with its Bernini fountains, the Pantheon and the Great Synagogue in the Jewish Ghetto.
As a large city accustomed to a large flow of tourist year round, Rome offers accommodations from youth hostels to five star hotels in the city center and in outer residential neighborhoods.
