Rome Vacations

Visitors to Rome will find a modern city teeming with many of the world’s most historically significant attractions. One of its most popular sites is the ruin of the Colosseum, the ancient stadium that was once the site of ferocious gladiator battles. Built in 72 AD at the command of the Emperor Vespasian, the Colosseum was able to accommodate over 50,000 spectators and remained in use well into the city’s medieval period. Visitors to Rome also flock to Vatican City, the international seat of the Roman Catholic Church. Within Vatican City, vacationers will find St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world. Completed in the seventeenth century, it is reputed to have been built over the tomb of St. Peter, the founder of the Roman Catholic Church. More than 91 popes are interred within St. Peter’s Basilica and it remains the most popular venue for papal speeches. Within Vatican City, visitors also flood into the Sistine Chapel, whose spectacular ceiling is one of the artistic wonders of the world. It is home of the Last Judgment, a fresco painted by Michelangelo that is now commonly recognized as his finest work. The Trevi Fountain is also one of Rome’s primary attractions. Completed in the eighteenth century, it depicts the god of the sea, Neptune, being pulled in his chariot by two sea horses. It is traditional to pitch a coin into the fountain, thus insuring a return trip to Rome.