When in Rome: 10 Unmissable Historic Sites in the Eternal City

Rome, once the beating heart of the Ancient Roman Empire and a central player in Italian history, is home to hundreds of historic sites and landmarks. The Italian capital functions as a virtually free open-air museum. The city is literally built upon layers of ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance structures that allow us to track the evolution of Rome’s religious, cultural, social, and political history. Walking through Rome is like stepping back in time.

Take a look at 10 historic sites you need to include on your Roman bucket list: 

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

It is a major papal basilica and one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches in Rome. Built in 432 AD, it is also the burial place of the famous Italian Baroque architect, Bernini. 

Colosseum 

This ancient structure could hold more than 50,000 spectators at a time. It hosted gladiatorial combats, executions of criminals, and battles between wild exotic beasts like lions, tigers, and boars. Entrance into the amphitheater was free and seating was based on class ranking and social standing. 

Roman Forum 

Situated at the center of the ancient city, the Roman Forum, known in Latin as Forum Romanum, was home to religious, political, legal, and social activities. Today, it is a rectangular plaza framed by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings and temples. 

Palatine Hill

One of the seven hills of Rome, it is considered the oldest part of the city. It was the nucleus of Ancient Roman life. The hill overlooks the Roman Forum and Circus Maximus, the ancient chariot-racing stadium that was the largest stadium in the Ancient Roman Empire. 

Basilica Papale San Paolo fuori le Mura

The Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls is one of the city’s four major papal basilicas and one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches in Rome. It was originally built in the 4th century by Constantine the Great, the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, but was mostly destroyed during a fire in 1823. The current structure was heavily reconstructed in the 19th century. It is believed to be the burial place of St. Paul the Apostle. 

Le Domus Romane di Palazzo Valentini

Palazzo Valentini is a palazzo located near Piazza Venezia built in the 16th century. Beneath this palazzo, are the remains of two Ancient Roman houses and their baths dating to the imperial era. The remains of these houses can be seen from beneath a glass floor and their details, including wall frescoes and mosaics, can be experienced with a virtual reality tour. 

Stadio di Domiziano - Navona Square Underground 

Located some 15 feet beneath Rome’s iconic Piazza Navona is a Roman stadium dating to around 80 AD. Commissioned by Emperor Titus Flavius Domitianus as a gift to the people of Rome, it mostly hosted athletic competitions. It is the only known example of a masonry stadium in the city. 

Palazzo Altemps

Palazzo Altemps is a late 15th-century palazzo located near Piazza Navona. It holds an extensive collection of Renaissance art, as well as Greek and Roman statues and antiquities. 

Colle Capitolino

Capitoline Hill is one of the seven hills of Rome. It has at its crown jewel the Piazza del Campidoglio, a Renaissance-era square that also functions as the seat of city hall. It is one of the most significant hills in the history of the city. Together with Palatine Hill, it was the center of Ancient Roman life. 

Santa Cecilia in Trastevere

This 8th-century church, located in the popular Trastevere neighborhood, is devoted to the martyr St. Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians. It stands upon the remains of the home St. Cecilia shared with her husband, St. Valeriano.