Great Attractions in Centro Storico (Rome)

Markets of Trajan

This is probably the oldest shopping center in the world. Built by the Emperor Trajan in the 2nd Century CE, it consisted of 150 offices and shops selling food, flowers, jewelry and wool. The finest shops were decorated with mosaics depicting the merchandise on sale. Today the shops are intact, but empty, even though, when the wine-shops were rediscovered, they were full of wine. The offices on the floor above organized the distribution of free rations of corn to the citizens of Rome.

Obelisco di Monte Citorio

Augustus positioned this obelisk in 10 BCE in Campo Marzio, and it was used as the pointer for a sundial that unfortunately became inaccurate after just 50 years. For centuries it remained unused in the square, and then disappeared: it was rediscovered five centuries later, covered by other ancient structures. Another 300 years passed before the obelisk was at last re-erected in its present position in front of Palazzo di Montecitorio. It came from Heliopolis in Egypt, and it is covered with hieroglyphs that were thought, during the 16th Century, to be the key revealing the mystery of the wisdom of Adam before he was driven out of the Garden of Eden.

Pincio

These lovely gardens overlook one of the most beautiful squares in Rome, Piazza del Popolo. There were gardens here even in the time of Ancient Rome, and it is said that they were quite fabulous. The present-day gardens were designed in the early 19th Century by the architect Valadier who also created Piazza del Popolo itself. They became a favorite location for walking, and who knows how many love stories blossomed amongst the pine trees? Piazzale Napoleone I offers an unforgettable view of Rome, along with the famous Water Clock that dates back to the 19th Century. A visit to the restaurant Casina Valadier is well worth it, for a coffee or a light lunch.

Teatro di Marcello

The origins of this theatre run back to 23 BCE, when Augustus had it built in honor of Marcus Claudius Marcellus, his nephew and adopted son. The theatre had space for 20,000 people, and was used for games and celebrations. The construction fell into ruin during the following centuries due to plunder and fire: in fact it became a sort of quarry from which materials were taken for the construction of buildings, churches and so forth. Restoration began in about 1300 when the Savelli family bought the ruins. The same family performed further work two centuries later, and this was continued by the Orsini who acquired the complex in order to enlarge their own building: they restored part of the theatre. Today, concerts are organized here, and this is the only way of seeing it from the inside.

Fontana del Tritone e Fontana delle Api

In the middle of the congested Piazza Barberini stands the Fountain of Triton, one of Bernini's finest. It shows the sea-god Triton carved into the center of a shell. It was ordered by Pope Urban VIII Barberini, as was the other fountain in the square, the Fountain of the Bees. It takes its name from the bees of the Barberini coat of arms, sculpted into the fountain.

Piazza Venezia

Beset on all sides by roads, the square is heavily congested with traffic. In the background, the Altare della Patria is dedicated to King Vittorio Emanuele. Romans refer to it as the "wedding cake" or the "typewriter" because of its shape and color. Shortly after World War I, the body of the Unknown Soldier was brought here and placed in the center of the steps of the Vittoriano. It has a permanent armed guard. Palazzo Venezia was built during the second half of the 15th Century and was where the Venetian ambassadors to Rome stayed. Later it became the residence of the Cardinal of the Basilica of St Mark.

Via dei Coronari

Many hail Via dei Coronari street as one of the most beautiful in Rome. Its name derives from the various little shops that used to sell rosaries, garlands and other sacred objects to the pilgrims who came to Rome in droves, especially at the time of the Jubilee. In this area three different architectural styles coexist: that of the middle ages, in the little lanes, the Renaissance, in the squares which open out here and there along the street, and finally the typical baroque of the Chiesa della Pace. Evidence of the crowds of pilgrims can be found in the aedicules where the faithful stopped for prayer, the churches and the brotherhoods in the area. Today, Via dei Coronari has become a street full of antique shops and antique dealers and only an echo remains of the world of the pilgrims.

Via del Governo Vecchio

Since it is on the route of the processions that used to run from Saint Peter's to San Giovanni in Laterano, this street was formerly known as Via Papalis. It was later renamed Via del Governo Vecchio because the residence of the governor of Rome was at number 39 until the first half of the 18th Century. Considered the main artery of the district, the street has retained an evocative atmosphere. In largely unaltered Renaissance style, elegant palaces alternate with simple but unmistakably charming houses. Via del Governo Vecchio connects with Vicolo del Governo Vecchio, where there is an elegant 15th-century house with a painted façade.

Carcere Mamertino

Tradition has it that the narrow cell connected to the Cloaca Maxima is the prison where Saint Peter was incarcerated before his crucifixion. There is an altar with a small spring which the Saint miraculously caused to gush forth and which he used to baptize his fellow prisoners and two guards. The prisoners died of starvation here and their bodies were then thrown in the nearby Cloaca. The Gallic leader, Vercingetorix, defeated by Julius Caesar, was also imprisoned and executed here. The prisons can be reached by a narrow flight of steps located inside the Chiesa di San Giuseppe dei Falegnami. Admission: Free.

Foro Boario

The Foro Boario is located near the river, and some structures from the 2nd Century BCE are still visible. The Temple of Portunus was dedicated to the protector of rivers and ports; rectangular in shape, it is a mixture of Greek and Roman styles. The Temple of Hercules is circular in shape, similar to the Temple of Vesta in the Roman Forum. On the edge of Foro Boario is the Arch of Janus, an imposing structure with four façades; images of the goddesses Roma, June, Ceres, and Minerva are depicted on the keystones of the arches.

Il Ghetto

This area has been frequented by the Jewish community since the year 1000, thus the name "ghetto." It is full of archeological remains, dating to the medieval period and earlier. The significant monuments that can be seen include Octavia's Portico, built by Augustus for his sister, now incorporating the church of Sant'Angelo in Pescheria. Cola di Rienzo was born in this area, and a plaque marks his birthplace in what was once Via della Fiumara. The Synagogue, with its square dome, is very different from the surrounding Roman city architecture, and on the wall of the riverside street there are slabs with inscriptions commemorating the death of the Jews in the Nazi concentration camps and at the Fosse Ardeatine.

Via Veneto

This is a street that has lived through alternate fortunes. In the early 20th Century it was a fashionable street for strolling, with elegant venues such as Caffé Bussi and Caffè Rosati and smart hotels such as the Majestic, l'Eden, l'Excelsior e l'Ambasciatori Palace. After a relatively quiet period, the 1960s, in particular the film La Dolce Vita, put Via Veneto back into the limelight of society life, with the antics of the stars and the audacious chases by paparazzi led by Tazio Secchiaroli. Today, Via Veneto has returned to peace and quiet, and its famous open-air cafés are frequented by tourists.