Rome

Colosseum

One of the most familiar symbols of Ancient Rome is the incredible Colosseum. An awesome sight to behold up close, the unmissable Colosseum is part circus, part sports arena. Although time, weather, pillaging and earthquakes have taken their toll on the classical ruin, it is a breathtaking sight and contains the original pathways, ramps, cells, corridors and entrance ways used by gladiators, slaves and animals to enter the arena.

Roman Forum
The Roman Forum was the political, commercial and religious centre for the Roman Empire. Now just an impressive ruin, it is possible to make sense of what it was like in its heyday by viewing the best-preserved sections, including the beautiful Arch of Septimus Severus, which was built to celebrate the Roman victory over the Parthinians.

Spanish Steps
The stunning, curving Spanish Steps lead from the Piazza di Spagna up to the Piazza Trinità dei Monti and the Trinità dei Monti Church. Known in Italian as 'Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti', the 138 Spanish Steps are the widest staircase in Europe. The original design for the steps was chosen as the winning entry in a competition held after years of debate about how best to urbanise the steep slope leading up to the Trinità dei Monti. There is debate about which architect was actually responsible for the winning design, although it is accepted to have been either Francesco de Sanctis or Alessandro Specchi, and is often attributed to both of them.

Trevi Fountain
Rome's most famous - and, arguably, most beautiful - fountain was built for Pope Clement XII and almost fills the small Piazza di Trevi. The statues adorning the fountain represent Abundance, Aquippa, Saubrity, the Virgin and Neptune guided by two Tritons. By tossing a coin - over your shoulder with your back to the fountain - you are said to be guaranteed a return visit to Rome.

Pantheon
Regarded as one of the world's most inspiring architectural designs, the Pantheon has a perfectly proportioned floating dome that sits on tall marble columns and is one of the best-preserved classical buildings in Rome. Built as a temple to the Gods in 120AD, the clever design includes a single light source flowing through the central oculus that was used to measure time with the aid of an internal sundial. The instruments used also showed the dates of equinoxes and solstices.