[Photo from turismoroma.it]

An itinerary leading us through the whole of Rome’s fascinating history: from its ancient ruins to the Baroque, from the Vatican to Trastevere; a route meandering through the main shopping streets as far as the futuristic district of Eur. It is an ideal path for visitors planning a four day stay who evidently have no intention of missing out anything.

Fisrt Day

We start off from the Colosseum, the symbol of Rome par excellence with a history stretching back almost two thousand years. To the right of the Colosseum, here we are at the Arch of Constantine, Rome’s best-known triumphal arch. While just a stone’s through away we can see the Palatine Hill, where Romulus founded the Eternal City in 753 B.C.

Moving down the Via dei Fori Imperiali we come to the Roman Forum, the political, financial and religious hub of Rome, with the Imperial Forum just across the road.

A little further on, at the end of Via dei Fori Imperiali and after Piazza Venezia, there is Piazza del Campidoglio, which has been centre of city government since the XII century. Michelangelo’s stunning piazza is flanked by the Capitoline Museums, the world’s oldest national museums.

Leaving Capitol Hill to walk down Via del Corso, one of the greatest masterpieces of architecture awaits us: the Pantheon, a perfectly proportioned temple dedicated to all of Rome’s major gods.

It is time to start heading off in the direction of the Tiber to suddenly find ourselves in one of Baroque Rome’s most spectacular piazzas: Piazza Navona. The square’s Baroque style is largely attributable to Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers and his rival Borromini’s Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone and Palazzo Pamphili.

By tracing our steps to Via del Corso we can discover two more celebrated sites: The Trevi Fountain and Piazza di Spagna.

The Trevi Fountain’s spectacular impact does not gradually creep up on us. None of the roads in fact hinges on the Fountain itself. True, we can hear the rumblings of its waters drawing closer, but then we are totally unprepared for the amazing sight suddenly awaiting us. It is as though the curtain is raised before our eyes. It is impossible to tire of the surprise that lies in store.