As you gaze at the same statues that the Romans swooned over, the history of Rome comes alive — from Julius Caesar's murder to Caligula's incest to Vespasian's Colosseum to the coming of Christianity. I carried one from home the first couple trips to Rome until I discovered the free ones. Engineers still admire how the Romans built such a mathematically precise structure without computers, fossil fuel-run machinery, or electricity. This Dying Gaul — a Roman copy of a Greek original — was part of a monument celebrating another victory over the barbarians. City Maps on Back: Includes detailed city-center maps of Rome, Venice, Florence, and Siena, locating sights from Rick's guidebooks. Largo Argentina is a modern transportation hub, with traffic roaring all around some of the Rome's oldest temples. The beauty of the Pantheon and the brilliance of its construction has inspired architects through the ages. Without water, Rome basically shriveled up. Mine has done several trips with me, and more with friends, and is still going strong. Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany, however, has more in-depth sightseeing information for Florence, Siena, and Pisa, as well as extra information on Florence's shopping, nightlife, and kids' activities. The gates of imperial Rome are a two-mile chariot ride this way. Interactive map of Rome, Italy. With smart planning you can pack a lot of sightseeing into your Roman visit, but there's no point in overloading your trip — with any luck, you'll keep coming back to Rome. I like a hotel in a convenient neighborhood, near a subway stop. The other dynamic is that little instrument, the smart phone which has "map apps" to guide you (Rick Steves apps a great as well). The dome is made of poured concrete, which gets thinner and lighter with height — the highest part is made with pumice, an airy volcanic stone. Reliefs decorating the various arches show how war and expansion were the business of state. It's the great example of ancient Roman engineering. Rome's various triumphal arches — named after the emperors who built them — functioned as public-relations tools. Part of your Roman experience — regardless of your budget — should be experiencing a fine meal. To celebrate the Colosseum's grand opening, Romans were treated to the slaughter of 5,000 animals. Here, a boy quietly pulls a thorn from his foot. Throughout the ages, people mined once-glorious buildings as quarries. People who spoke Latin or Greek were considered civilized, part of the empire. In a nutshell, classical Rome lasted about a thousand years: roughly 500 BC to AD 500. Rick Steves Italy Planning Map: Including Rome, Florence, Venice and Siena City: Steves, Rick: 9781598800531: Books - Amazon.ca 2021 . Until next time...keep on travelin'. The Pantheon survived so well because it's been in continuous use for over 2,000 years. This simple brick building was once richly veneered with marble and fronted by a grand portico. The stability and relative prosperity that characterized the two centuries of the Roman Peace was due in part to a steady succession of capable rulers. And this is one of three episodes we dedicate to the Eternal City. The powerful elites of the Republic found all this change just too radical. Choose from these three free options to listen to Rick Steves' Italy Audio Tours: Get the Audio Europe app! Part one of three shows on the Eternal City, this episode resurrects the rubble and brings back to life the capital of the ancient world. Even in early May, it's plenty warm to dine outside. Today, visitors to Rome find fascinating layers of history and culture: early Christian, Baroque, and modern. Even though you are corny sometimes and basically only write for Americans. Then we'll head out on a bike ride along the ancient Appian Way and take in nearby marvels of Roman engineering. Romans filled and emptied the Colosseum's 50,000 seats as quickly and efficiently as we do our super‑stadiums today. At first glance these look like paintings, but they're actually micro-mosaics, made of thousands of tiny chips. While only a few fragments of that glorious past remain, history seekers find plenty to ignite their imaginations amid the half-broken columns and arches (and my free audio tours help as well). It was very useful to us on our recent trip, and I also liked that it had the Metro map on it as well. And, a visit to the National Museum at the Palazzo Massimo helps humanize the empire. It has stood for centuries as a symbol of a truly cosmopolitan civilization. Caesar established a no-nonsense, more disciplined government, became dictator for life, and for good measure, had a month named in his honor...July. It was lovely. By the Middle Ages, the catacombs were abandoned and forgotten. As everywhere, eat with the season. And several are open to the public. The world's grandest column from antiquity anchors Trajan's Forum. Hi, I'm Rick Steves, back with more of the best of Europe. It not only has a map of Rome (and surrounding areas), but a Metro map, conversion chart, and tabs to write down your favorite spots. Rome is huge, complex, and endlessly entertaining. From the Appian Way, start at Appia Antica Caffè (near the Tomb of Cecilia Metella), take the bus to the Colli Albani Metro station, and catch the Metro to Giulio Agricola. And the museum also shows a more peaceful and intimate side of Roman life. Rome's subway system, while not extensive, is easy to use. With its imperial might and those stories about persecutions and hungry lions in the Colosseum, it's easy to forget that the last century of the Roman Empire was Christian. We're starting with a great spread of antipasti, prosciutto, porcini mushrooms, puntarelle — a local salad, and fresh mozzarella. As you explore Italy, you'll stand face-to-face with some of the world's most iconic images from this 2,000-year history: Rome's ancient Colosseum and playful Trevi Fountain, Pisa's Leaning Tower, Florence's Renaissance masterpieces (Michelangelo's David and Botticelli's Venus), and the island city of elegant decay — Venice. but decided where it was laminated and small, what the heck! The one drawback with the Streetwise maps is that they don't show all the streets, just the mid-sized to main ones. New audio tours now available as of Spring 2020: Dublin City Walk 1: South Bank, Dublin City Walk 2: O'Connell Street, Barcelona's Eixample Walk, Sevilla City Walk In 312, the general Constantine, following a vision that he would triumph under the sign of the cross, beat his rival, Maxentius. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. As just about anything important that happened in ancient Rome happened here, it's arguably the most important piece of real estate in Western civilization. Like any propaganda art, battle scenes stoked imperial pride. Rick Steves Pocket Rome works best for people taking a short trip, or perhaps a return trip, to Rome. Between acts, animals and gladiators were shuffled around out of sight. Over time, Trajan's column was capped with a Christian saint, the Pantheon became a church, Emperor Hadrian's mausoleum became the Pope's fortress, and the tomb of the Apostle Peter, a man the Romans executed, was crowned by the grandest building in the city — St. Peter's Basilica. The citizens of Rome gathered here in the heart of the Forum to hear Mark Antony say, in Shakespeare's words, "Friends, Romans, countrymen...lend me your ears; I [have] come to bury Caesar, not to praise him." Check it out on Amazon, it is around $15. According to legend, Rome was founded by two brothers — Romulus and Remus. I'm in Rome, and this is the ancient Appian Way — Europe's first super-highway. Romantic Age tourists on the "Grand Tour" visited by candlelight and legends grew about Christians hiding out to escape persecution. To commemorate the Smithsonian Presents Travels with Rick Steves magazine — now on sale online, and at newsstands nationwide — Rick is blogging about the 20 top destinations featured in that issue.One of those destinations is Rome after dark. Patrick, The museum helps you imagine life before the fall of Rome. see our FAQ. I really like Moleskine's Roma Journal. With its million people, Rome needed lots of water. Like a 200-yard-long scroll, it winds all the way to the top. Whether you're playing gladiator or simply marveling at the remarkable ancient design and construction, the Colosseum gets a unanimous thumbs-up. Thanks to this lack of originality, ancient Greek statues were preserved for our enjoyment today. Round-Trip Tough: We've designed our newest generation of planning maps to resist rips and repel water. I like to begin near the Tomb of Cecilia Metella, at the far (southern) end of the key sights, and work northward (mostly downhill) toward central Rome. Like the obelisks, its massive one‑piece granite columns were shipped from Egypt. In fact, in the sixth century, the barbarians did just that. Medieval Romans built with scavenged fragments of once-grand buildings. We will be there May 24 through 28 and have 3 full days and a little over a half of a day. The altar's exquisite reliefs celebrate Rome's success and prosperity. Gladiators, criminals, and wild animals fought to the death, providing the public with a festival of gore. Rick Steves European travel planning maps are the perfect "before you go" tools for mapping out your itinerary, and navigating within cities. 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