This itinerary starts with one of the most iconoclastic buildings in Rome, the Colosseum, and traces the history of the capital along what was once the major route through the ancient city, the Via del Corso. The tour then crosses the Tiber River to another major symbol of this, the Eternal, City - the Vatican State. The journey concludes amidst the winding streets of the quintessentially Italian Trastevere.
You begin, in the ruins of ancient Rome, at the mighty Colosseum. This is the largest amphitheatre ever built in the Roman Empire and one of the greatest achievements of Roman architecture and engineering. Here 60,000 people would come to enjoy Gladiatorial contests and other spectacles. Your first site of this building is absolutely unforgettable.
Another great architectural accomplishment stood on the nearby Colle Oppio, - the notorious Domus Aurea, the Golden House, the infamous Nero's 'party' villa. This extravagant complex, extending over 50 hectares, was constructed two years before Nero's suicide in 68AD. The building itself was revolutionary in many ways and the myriad rooms were lavishly decorated not only with goldleaf but with paintings, stucco work, precious stones and ivory veneers. When Nero died the villa as abandoned and became buried in debris. In the 15th century the villa was rediscovered and the décor, preserved beneath the ground, came to greatly influence Renaissance art.
Rising up to a height of 21metres, between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill, is the last of Rome's triumphal arches - the Constatine Arch. Erected to commemorate Constantine's victory over Maxentios. Through this arch, along the Via Triumphis, victory processions would return to the city and to the Forum.
It is an amazing experience to descend into the valley in which the Imperial Forum is situated. This was the centre of all civic life in Ancient Rome, the hub of all justice, faith and economy. The valley is crowded with edifices which form the fulcrum of Western Culture - arches, basilicas, temples and the Regia.
Leaving the Forum, you take the Via del Corso to the geographic centre of Rome - the majestic square - Piazza Venezia. The square was enlarged and buildings demolished and moved in the 19th century to celebrate Italian Unification. As you approach the view is dominated by the huge, white marble building, known as the "Altar of the Fatherland", and dedicated to Italy's first king, Victor Emmanuel II.
The Via del Corso now leads to another famous square, perhaps the most famous of Rome's many beautiful squares - the Piazza Navona. The piazza was built over the Emperor Domitian's stadium - hence the long oval shape. In this lively piazza, with its many outdoor cafes there are three fountains, the Neptune Fountain, the Moor Fountain and Bernini's renowned fountain which represents four rivers from different continents.
Nearby is another Roman building - the Pantheon. This, the Temple of all the Gods, was rebuilt in 125AD and is the best preserved of all Roman buildings. The design of this structure has greatly influenced Western architecture. A portico of three ranks of Corinthian columns under a pediment opens to the rotunda which is under a coffered concrete dome. The dome has a central opening which is the only source of daylight and is known as "the eye".
From the Pantheon you return to Via del Corso via Piazza Calonna, dominated by the Marco Aurelio Column. The Piazza Colonna was considered by the Romans to be the centre of the city. Today, the piazza is the centre of Italian political life. Off the square is the restored Art Nouveau arcade constructed in 1914 as the Galleria Colonna. This fashionable, elegant galleria was recently renamed after the Italian comedy actor Alberto Sordi.
In contrast, one of the most emblematic examples of Baroque art is to be found in Trevi Square. In 1732 Nicola Salvi was commissioned to create a large fountain here, at the end of the Aqua Virgo - the aqueduct constructed in 19thcentury BC which brings water from the Salone Hills to Rome. Made world famous by the night bathing scene in Fellini's "La Dolce Vita", the fountain represents Neptune on a chariot pulled by two winged horses.
Just North of the Trevi Square, in the centre of what was once the Strangers' Quarter, is the Piazza di Spagna. The Piazza is linked to the Trinita dei Monti church above by the Scalinata or Spanish Steps. Built between 1721 and 1725, these 138 steps have been called "the longest widest staircase in all Europe". The piazza and steps have been one of the most popular meeting places since Renaissance times. This crowded stairway, with the French church towering above, at its most attractive in springtime when it is decorated with flowers.
Beginning at the foot of the steps is one of the best known fashion streets in Rome, Via Condotti. The street is named after the conduits which carried water to Agrippa's baths. In 1905 Bulgari opened here and was followed by other upmarket fashion houses and design boutiques.
Returning to Via del Corso you follow it to the junction with the Via Flaminia - the most important route North - in Piazza del Popolo. Between 1811 and 1822 Valadier redesigned this square in neoclassical style. The masterstroke of this design was to link the heights of the Pincio, the Pincian Hill, with the square. From the balustraded Pincio there is a marvellous view, taking in not only the, now pedestrianised square, its 24metre high Egyptian Obelisk, its fountains, its trees and the twin Baroque churches but also over the rooftops of Rome to the dome of St. Peters.
It is to St. Peters Square and the Vatican City, over the Ponte St. Angelo, that this journey now leads. The Vatican, the Holy See, the seat of the Catholic Church covers 44 hectares and is an independent city state. Popes have lived here since the return from Avignon in 1377 but even before Christianity this area was thought sacred. The great cultural significance of the Vatican was recognised by UNESCO when it became a World Heritage Site in 1984. There is so much to see of historical, scientific and cultural importance that a separate itinerary is needed to do justice to the treasures here; such as St Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, some of the most famous art in the world, libraries and collections.
Just outside the Vatican is Castel Sant'Angelo, originally Hadrian's mausoleum, then a fortress and papal residence, and then a prison. (Castel Sant'Angelo is the setting of Tosca's suicide in Puccini's Opera). Now the Castle is a museum, housing weaponry, marbles and artwork by Crivelli, Signorelli and Montagna.
You come to the end of the itinerary in lively Trastevere, "the place to be at night". Originally a city port, this picturesque medieval area on the West bank of the River Tiber escaped the grand 19th century developments in central Rome. A maze of narrow lanes open out into Piazzas, with countless restaurants and stylish bars, Piazzas such as Piazza Trilussa. Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere is the buzzing heart of the area. Here, inside the lovely church, which dates back to the 3rd century, there are gleaming mosaics by Pietro Cavallini and in the square an octagonal fountain plays. Designed by Bernini, Fontana and Della Porta the fountain is reputed to be the oldest in Rome.
