Rome Italy summer 2015

Rome is one of the world’s most historically significant cities. It was once the center of the Roman Empire, whose influence shaped law, politics, language, architecture, and engineering across Europe and beyond. Many of Rome’s best-known landmarks date back to antiquity. The Colosseum built nearly 2,000 years ago. Nearby are the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, where visitors can walk among the remains of temples, arches, government buildings, and imperial palaces. Other famous sights include the Pantheon, celebrated for its remarkable domed roof, and the Trevi Fountain, where tradition says tossing in a coin ensures a return to Rome. Rome is also deeply connected to the Catholic Church. Vatican City, an independent city-state located within Rome, is home to the Pope and to landmarks such as St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Peter’s Square, and the Vatican Museums. The museums contain an extraordinary collection of art and history, including Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. We visited Italy for the first time in the summer of 2015 and spent three wonderful weeks there. One of those weeks was in Rome, a city we would love to return to. To explore Rome in detail, we walked nearly 100 kilometers through its streets, parks, and museums. We attended an amazing opera, visited main attractions like the Vatican and the Colosseum, and explored many museums. We stayed in an apartment near the Colosseum, which made it easy to experience the city’s historic atmosphere. The weather was very hot during the day, but that did not stop us from enjoying our time there. On our last day in Rome, we rented a car and headed to Florence for the next part of our Italian journey.