Backpacking Tours

Rome

Rome is the capital city of Italy, center of Lazio region and was the center of the Roman Empire. It is also the biggest and most populated city of the country with more than 2,7 million people per 1,285,3 square kms.. Here we can find the Vatican, the center of the Catholic church, the residence of the pope and this is the smallest independent nation in the world.

It has a history of more than 2500 years. It was the capital of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. The latter was the center of power of Western Europe and the coastal countries of the Mediterranean sea from 1st century B.C. until the 7th century B.C. In 2007, Rome was the 11th most popular city in the world and the 3rd of the European Union, and tourists who visited Italy chose this city as their destination. [1] Its center was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[2] Its museums and monuments, e.g. museums of the Vatican and the Colosseum are included in the 50 most popular tourist attractions of the world.

Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica

Vatican is one of the few enclaves of the world (a country, which is fully in the territory of another country). This country existing from 1929 with its 44 acres is the smallest country of the world. The main sights of the tiny country are the St. Peter’s Square and its basilica and the 14 wonderful Vatican museums.

The Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano, that is the St. Peter’s Basilica is one of the four basilicas of Rome. The Basilica is the most emerging building of the Vatican its dome dominates the view of Rome. The dimensions of the Basilica are amazing, almost indescribable, but let’s have a try: until 1989 this was the biggest Catholic church of the world, when the basilica in Yamoussoukro (capital of Cote D’Ivoire) was declared to be the biggest one. Its territory is 2.3 acres and can house more than 60 thousand people, so e.g. the population of Veszprém. Its length is 211 meters, width 186 meters and its highest point is 132 meters. In the church, there are several works of art, e.g. the famous Pieta, which is the only signed work of Michelangelo. It’s right at the entrance, on the right side. You can get to the dome of the St. Peter’s Basilica, designed by Michelangelo, by using the elevator and then going up all the 537 stairs.

The St. Peter’s Square, where you can find the Basilica, has been finished by 1667, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. At the time of the design, the main aim was to assure that the largest possible number of people can listen to the Pope’s mass. The square is a masterpiece for optic illusion: getting closer to the dome it’s like it seems distant, moreover, the square looks round, while it is elliptical and there are several more phenomena.

The museums of the Vatican exhibit the gorgeous collection of the Roman Catholic Church. The museums were founded in the 16th century. Nowadays, more than 4 million visitors came here annually. Their main entrance is on the Viale del Vatican. Looking at the museums and the more than 50 thousand artefacts is a unique experience. To make sure no one miss the most famous arts and not to get lost and miss something, coloured ways are created: violet, beige, green and yellow ones, the first one takes one and a half our while the last one takes 5 hours, but all ways end at the Sistine Chapel. The ticket is really worth its price: 14 museums and 14 palaces/home can be visited. The art gallery is outsanding with the works of artist, like Raphael, Leonardo, Caravaggio or Bernini. The Museo Pio Clementino has the biggest ancient collection in the world with Greek and Roman classics.

St. Peter’s Square, Vatican, Rome

The Colosseum, one of the symbols of Rome, is the biggest amphitheatre built at the time of the Roman Empire. It is also one of the most significant building of Roman architecture. The arena was built from about 70-72 A.D. until 80 A.D. Originally it was able to house 50 thousand spectators and was used for gladiator combats, animal fights and other performances. It was also the venue of public executions combined with animal fights at the time of the early Christianity.

Between the Capitolium and the Palatine Hill, there is the center of the ancient Rome, which is totally revealed nowadays, so locals and tourists can easily imagine the life in ancient times and the flourishing of culture of that time. The Roman Forum was the center of judgement, political life and trade in Rome. On the Roman, there were the churches of several gods (e.g. Saturn, Janus, Vesta, Concordia), the Senate, the execution square, basilicas, palace remainings and the remainings of 4 arches. There are also night trips, when the remaings can be seen in moonlight.

Trevi Fountain

To one of the most famous fountains of the world, many people drop a coin, as based on a superstition, who drops a coin into the fountain, he/she will return to Rome. This is the biggest fountain in Rome – 26 meters high and 20 meters wide. This Baroque fountain was built based on the plans of Nicola Salvi, and was finished by 1762, since then it was renovated more times (the last in 1998). The coins are collected every day (about 300 euros per day), but sometimes smart thieves try to steal from the fountain by using magnets.

Spanish steps

The longest and widest outdoor steps in Europe is one of the favourite meeting points of Romans. It consists of 138 stairs, was built in 1777 and was renovated last in 1995. Even today, here is the Spanish Embassy, that is why it has the name: Spanish Steps. It was a French diplomat, Étienne Gueffier, who donated 20 thousand scudi for the building of the steprs. Beside its beauty, its mood is also impressive, it is always full of locals, tourists, young people and lovers.
The steps lead to the Trinitá dei Monti church, consecrated in 1585, in front of which there is the Obelisco Sallustiano, one of the Egyptian obelisk in Rome, and at the bottom of the steps, there is a nice square (Piazza di Spagna) and a Baroque fountain, built from 1627 to 1629.