Rome: UNESCO World Heritage, museums and ancient urban history

Rome combines a cityscape that has developed over centuries with important museums, archaeological sites and extensive green spaces. The historic centre of Rome has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980. Among ancient buildings, former fortifications, squares and parks, you will encounter different layers of the city’s history – from Rome’s beginnings to later urban developments.

Culture and history

The Musei Capitolini are among the city’s notable cultural sites. Most of their works originate from Rome, while the Pinacoteca Capitolina is considered the oldest public art gallery. The Colosseum also represents the city’s long historical development: its construction began in AD 70 and was completed in AD 80. The Roman Forum was the centre of public life in Rome for more than a millennium.

On the Palatine Hill, remains of Iron Age settlements have been preserved and are attributed to Rome’s oldest urban centre. The remains of several imperial palaces have also survived, including the Domus Tiberiana, the Domus Transitoria and the Domus Aurea. The Pantheon is one of the best-preserved examples of Roman monumental architecture and complements these historic testimonies with a particularly intact surviving building.

Squares, water and cityscape

Several places in the centre show how closely Rome’s cityscape is connected with its ancient infrastructure. The Trevi Fountain is the Aqua Virgo aqueduct’s monumental terminus. Piazza Navona preserves the shape and dimensions of the racetrack of the Stadium of Domitian. At Castel Sant’Angelo, a monument, an archaeological site and a museum come together.

The Museo delle Mura offers another perspective on the city’s history. In three sections – Antiquity, the Middle Ages and the modern era – it traces the history of Rome’s fortifications. The museum includes an original wall walk that can be explored along a section of approximately 400 metres, extending to the arches at Via Cristoforo Colombo. Between the large battlemented towers, there is also a panoramic terrace offering extensive views from the Via Appia Antica to the Castelli Romani.

Green spaces and paths

The Via Appia Antica combines walking or cycling with outstanding historical and archaeological sites. The Parco degli Acquedotti covers an area of approximately 240 hectares between the Via Appia and the Via Tuscolana. The impressive surviving arches of the Claudio and Felice aqueducts stand there. Paths run alongside streams and waterfalls and through areas of trees and pastureland.

Villa Borghese also offers a special way to experience the park landscape: small boats can be rented at the Giardino del Lago. Alongside the closely spaced historic buildings, open paths, waterways, trees and pastureland therefore stand as independent elements of Rome’s cityscape.

Practical points of contact

For access to the city’s most important museums and archaeological sites, the Roma Pass combines admission with free use of the public transport network. The Tourist Infopoints in Rome are open 365 days a year. The Mercato rionale Testaccio offers a different aspect of urban life: the covered food market is also a meeting place for food lovers.

Further destinations: Subiaco, Frosinone, Province of Rieti.

For the overview of the wider travel region: Lazio.