Book a Flight to Rome from €45

St. Peter’s: The world’s biggest church is located in the smallest independent state on earth, the Vatican, the heart of the Roman Catholic faith. The majestic basilica was founded in 1506, above the tomb of St. Peter. The gigantic piazza with its imposing colonnades of Doric columns, crowned with statues, is the work of Bernini. The imposing dome was designed by Michelangelo, whose marble Pietà can be admired in the church’s interior.
Address: Piazza San Pietro, 0039 06 6988 3731, www.vatican.va/

Sistine Chapel: The greatest of all the masterpieces in the Vatican Museums. This is the chapel where the conclave of cardinals meets to select a new Pope, where you can marvel at Michelangelo’s Creation on the ceiling, the fruit of four years’ work by the artist, who painted it on scaffolding, lying on his back.
Address: 00120, Vatican, 0039 06 69884947, www.museivaticani.va/

The Coliseum: The most immediately recognizable monument in Rome, symbol of the Eternal City. This impressive oval construction, with its three rows of arches, was built in the 1st century AD to provide the people of Rome with bread and circuses. It was the largest amphitheatre anywhere in the Roman Empire. Imagine the gladiators fighting to the death with wild beasts in the arena, begging for the clemency of the Emperor and the 85,000 spectators in the stands.
Address: Piazza del Colosseo, 0039 06 3996 7700

Roman Forum: Walk through the ruins of the Roman Forum and travel back in your mind to the time of Julius Caesar and the senators. The archaeological site, with the Via Sacra, the arches and temples, reflects the majesty of ancient Rome.
Address: Via della Salaria Vecchia 5/6, 0039 06 0608

The Pantheon: This perfectly circular edifice, with its symmetrical proportions, was built in the reign of Augustus and rebuilt by the Emperor Hadrian as a pagan temple dedicated to all the gods of Rome. It was later converted into a church. Admire the Madonna of the Rock above the tomb of the painter Raphael.
Address: Piazza della Rotonda, 0039 06 6830 0230

Castel Sant’ Angelo: This circular building on the west bank of the Tiber was constructed in the 2nd century as a mausoleum for the Emperor Hadrian. It has played a prominent part in some of the most turbulent episodes in the city’s history. It has served as a fortress, a prison and a refuge for the Popes at times of crisis and war. Its museum is home to works of Renaissance ceramics, Roman sculptures and a collection of 19th century weapons.
Address: Lungotevere Castello 50, 0039 06 6819111, www.castelsantangelo.com/

Palatine Hill: Take a walk up the most celebrated of Rome’s seven hills, to admire the view of the city below and return to the very origins of Roman history. It was on the slopes of this hill, according to legend, that a shepherd found the twins, Romulus and Remus, who went on to found the city, suckling at the teats of a she-wolf. Enjoy a stroll through the greenery, among the ruins of the imperial palaces. 
Address: Via di San Gregorio, 0039 06 0608

Villa Borghese: An idyllic park right in the centre of Rome, home to the Borghese Gallery with its masterpieces by Bernini, Caravaggio, Titian, Veronese and Raphael, and also to the Bioparco, a zoo designed to resemble the natural habitats of its animals. 
Address: Galleria Borghese, Piazzale del Museo Borghese 5, 0039 06 32810, www.galleriaborghese.it/ Bioparco, Viale del Giardino Zoologico, 0039 06 3608211, www.bioparco.it/

Maxxi: The National Museum of the 21st century Arts, housed in the futuristic building by Zaha Hadid in the Flaminio district, keeps abreast of all avant-garde trends in art and architecture. There are pioneering exhibitions on Italy’s relationship with haute couture and the cinema, art workshops and events.
Address: Via Guido Reni, 4A, 0039 06 320 1954, www.fondazionemaxxi.it/

Macro: Housed in the premises of a former brewery, in the Salario quarter, and in a former slaughterhouse, in the newly fashionable Testaccio quarter, the Rome Museum of Contemporary Art thrills visitors with its art installations and alternative happenings.
Address: Via Nizza 138, 0039 06 671070400, www.museomacro.org/

Rome gives the impression of an open-air catwalk, starting from the famous Scalinata and branching out into up-and-coming neighbourhoods with alluring boutiques. The trademark shopping street is the elegant Via Condotti, with the glamorous shop windows of the Italian fashion designers serving as a barometer of all the latest styles. Your shopping safari will continue along the equally fashionable Via Borgognona and Babuino, as well as the more commercial Via del Corso.

In the concept stores of the up-and-coming Monti quarter you will discover imaginative creations by new designers, while in the hip neighbourhood of San Lorenzo there are classic vintage and more groovy clothes and accessories.

At the Campo de’ Fiori you should cast an eye over the cult market and see if you can unearth something original for your wardrobe among the stalls of the street market.

For souvenirs we suggest wooden Pinocchio dolls from the open-air market in Porta Portese, or lavish coffee table books with photographs of the Eternal City from one of the many cosy bookshops.
Take the metro to the stock outlets in Prati (Lepanto station), with famous labels at half price, or get off at the Subaugusta station for Via Tuscolana, a road several kilometres long and packed with shops.

The gastronomic palette of the Italian capital features just about every taste and flavour, from cult trattorias with old Roman recipes, to trendy wine shops, mozzarella bars and a five-storey building dedicated to gastronomy where aspiring gourmets can take crash courses in Italian cuisine. Rome worships at the altar of pasta, while offering its own version of the pizza, pizza romana, made with thin, hand-made dough. Sample the delicious cornetti (croissants) with a caffè macchiato in the bars of the Piazza Navona, and try the panini and tramezzini, the local sandwiches.

For more serious gourmet exploration, make your way south of the Tiber to the little streets of Trastevere, Testaccio and Ostiense. These old-fashioned, run-down neighbourhoods, which once were home to the meat market and the abattoirs, are now among the hottest locations in the city, packed with gourmet trattorias serving authentic Roman cuisine. Try the penne all’arrabbiata, the pasta amatriciana and carbonara, and the famous gnocchi.

For an aperitivo, try the bars near the Pons Cestius, along the river bank. Excellent ice cream is available at the city’s many gelaterie. The tradition of the gelato is as old as the Eternal City itself, earning due appreciation even from emperors like Nero.

The Roman night life continues in the traditional wine shops, the minimalist lounge bars, the locali, the little bars of Trastevere, at Testaccio and San Lorenzo. Or you might choose just to stroll aimlessly through the magically illuminated city, until sunrise.

The historic buildings and piazzas of the Eternal City are frequently transformed into the backdrop for unique events.

• Christmas market in Piazza Navona: The beautiful Baroque square with Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers plays host to the festive market, with decorations, toys and street art with mime shows.
• Women under the Stars: A fashion show staged by Italian designers which provides a spectacular finale to Rome Fashion Week each summer. The Spanish Steps in Piazza di Spagna are converted into a catwalk where the models can show off the designs.
• Rock in Roma: All summer long audiences flock to the huge Ippodromo delle Capannelle to pay homage to great names of world rock music.
• Travel Writing Festival: The Eternal City becomes the starting point for voyages to Egypt and the Far East, and also the Inferno of Dante – through articles, photographs, maps, events at the city’s libraries and bookshops, book readings on the banks of the Tiber, visits to the homes of Goethe, Pirandello, Moravia, Shelley and other famous writers who have lived in Rome.
• Estate Romana: Theatrical performances, concerts and dance events set against the backdrop of the ancient buildings and piazzas. All summer long Rome is transformed into a giant stage for the Festival of Summer in Rome.
• L’Isola del Cinema: Movie enthusiasts can make their way to the little island of Tiberina in the Tiber where there are summer screenings of new and classic films, Italian and international, at the open-air cinema festival.

Getting to and from the airport in Rome

Aegean Airlines operates through Leonardo da Vinci – Fiumicino International Airport, located 32 kilometres south of the city. Recently renovated, the airport has luxury shops for clothes and accessories, by Italian and international designers, as well as electronics and souvenirs. There are restaurants serving pizza and gelato, wine bars, ethnic food. You can enjoy a genuine espresso at the cafes, and there are also banks, foreign exchange desks, a post office and free Wi-Fi.

You can get into Rome on the Leonardo Express, the train linking the airport to the central Termini station in Rome, or the FL1 line of Italian Railways. Alternatively you can take one of the buses run by five different companies, offering frequent services connecting the airport to the city centre.