Area Information

Rome is the capital of Latium, a region of central Italy and also the capital of Italy. It lies on both banls of the Tiber and its affluent, the Aniene, in the Campagna di Roma.
 
Called the Eternal City, it is one of the world’s richest cities in history and art and one of its great cultural, religious, and intellectual centres. Piazzas. Churches, ruins and architectural masterpieces are only part of the Eternal City’s magnetism. Rome also teems with sound, starting before dawn lasting into the night. Church bells meld with honking horns to create a cacophony that somehow seems fitting for bustling streets lined with modern-day boutiques, shops, produce stalls and other kiosks now standing alongside antiquities. Below are suggested things to do in the Rome Metropolitan Area:
 

The Colosseum	The Colosseum or Flavian Amphitheater was begun by Vespasian, inaugurated by Titus in 80 A.D. The amphitheatre is a vast ellipse with tiers of seating for 50,000 spectators around a central elliptical arena. Below the wooden arena floor, there was a complex set of rooms and passageways for wild beasts and other provisions for staging the spectacles. Its monumental size and grandeur as well as its practical and efficient organization for producing spectacles and controlling the large crowds make it one of the great architectural monuments achieved by the ancient Romans.
The Circus Maximus	The Circus Maximus was a track used primarily for horse-racing, although it was used on occasion for hunts or mock battles. It had 300,000 seats and was famous throughout the ancient world. Built in the 6th century B.C. during the time of the Tarquins, the history of the Circus Maximus is troubled. It was twice destroyed by fire and on at least two occasions the stands collapsed, killing many people. The Circus Maximus also had the ancient equivelant of the skyboxes you see now in stadiums for professional sports. The Emperor had a reserved seat, as did senators, knights, those who financially backed the race, those who presided over the competition, and the jury that awarded the prize to the winners. The last race held at the Circus Maximus was in 549 A.D., nearly a full millenium after the track's construction.
The Pantheon	The Pantheon (All the Gods) is the lone ancient Roman building remaining intact. This perfect square resting in a cylinder measuring 142 feet wide and 142 feet high ranks among the world’s architectural wonders thanks to spatial concept. Michelangelo studied its once-gilded dome before designing the cupola of St. Peter's. Walls are 25 feet thick, and bronze doors weigh 20 tons each. More than a century ago, Raphael's tomb was discovered here.
Vatican City	Vatican City is a sovereign state within the city of Rome. It is one of the world’s richest countries. The pope has full legal, executive, and judicial powers. Executive power over the area is in the hands of a commission of cardinals appointed by the pope. The College of Cardinals is the pope's chief advisory body, and upon his death the cardinals elect his successor for life. The Vatican City includes the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, Vatican gardens, St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square.