Rome

In this 2,500-year-old city, you will have to weave your way between the ancient city, the baroque city and the apostolic city. To find your way around, why not follow the chronological sequence? The Colosseum and the Forum take us back to Latin lessons at school. The ruins, Caesar's antics and the gladiatorial jousts take on a new light. The tour becomes a walking challenge to discover the Baroque and Renaissance facades of the city centre. Street art is everywhere, from alleyways to churches, with masterpieces such as a forgotten Caravaggio in a basilica or a ‘minor’ Botticelli illuminating a palace.

To keep a cool head in the face of so much splendour, take a refreshing break or enjoy a ristretto coffee. Piazza di Spagna, with its staircases of azaleas in Spring, and Piazza Navona, Baroque perfection with Bernini's exuberant fountain, are not to be missed. The famous Italian ice creams, gelati, will convince you that gluttony is no sin in Rome.

If you are looking for authenticity, explore the working-class district of Trastevere, where laundry dries in lacy patterns over the streets. Finish your walk with a visit to the Trevi Fountain, where, according to legend, by tossing in a coin, you are sure to return to the eternal city.

On the other side of the Tiber, the Vatican, enclosed within Rome, displays its riches. St Peter's Square, surrounded by columns and an obelisk, can hold up to 300,000 worshippers. The immense St Peter's Basilica could swallow up four Chartres cathedrals. Climbing the 136-metre dome is rewarded by an eternal view of the city of seven hills.

The Vatican Museums display the Church's collections, right up to the Sistine Chapel. You will be overwhelmed by the power of Michelangelo's ‘The Creation of the World’ on the ceiling.

Sites and monuments

• The Colosseum dating from the 1st century, the largest Roman amphitheatre whose terraces could hold 50,000 spectators!
• Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by Michelangelo and flanked by three palaces: the Senators' Palace, Conservators' Palace and Palazzo Nuovo.  
• The Forum with its innumerable vestiges of ancient Rome (temples, triumphal arches, baths...). 
• The Pantheon, whose vast dome has defied time for the past two thousand years.
• The Victor-Emmanuel II Monument, an imposing white marble building from the end of the 19th century. A breath-taking view from the terrace
• The Trinità dei Monti church, a baroque masterpiece above the Piazza di Spagna, at the top of the 137 Spanish Steps.  
• Trevi Fountain with its monumental decor, immortalized by Fellini in the film "La Dolce Vita".
• The Basilica of St. John Lateran, the oldest church in Rome 
• The Basilicas of Santa Maria Maggiore and St. Paul-Outside-the-Walls, two of the four papal basilicas in Rome.  
• Castel Sant'Angelo, a medieval fortress with crenelated walls and rich interiors, at the gates of the Vatican City
• St. Peter's Basilica with its vast dome, epicentre of the Vatican and Christianity

Parks

• The park of the Villa Borghese (80 ha), of English inspiration. It also features games for children and a zoo.
• The Vatican Gardens, about 20 hectares that can only be explored in the morning.
• The gardens of Villa Celimontana, a stone's throw from the Colosseum, to regain your strength in the cool surroundings. 
• The Botanical Garden of Rome (Trastevere district): rose garden, bamboo garden, Japanese garden...

Museums

• Capitoline Museums - Housed in two palaces bordering Capitoline Square. Frescoes, statues...
• Palazzo Colonna - Still inhabited, this 14th century palace houses an important collection of works, notably exhibited in a rich gallery of 76 m.
• The Villa Medici - This Renaissance palace, which houses the French Academy in Rome, hosts exhibitions of French-speaking artists
• Borghese Gallery - a fabulous private collection in a stunning setting
• Maximus’ Palace - it is exclusively dedicated to the Roman world.
• Vatican Museums - Several museums with priceless collections, including Julius II's apartments decorated by Raphael and the Sistine Chapel vault painted by Michelangelo. 
• GNAM – national gallery of modern and contemporary art (19th century to the present day), in a neoclassical building.

• Certain vehicles are forever associated with Rome: the Fiat 500 and the Vespa, but also the Ape Calessino, the iconic sixties scooter popularized by the film La Dolce Vita. Take a chance on these means of transport (with driver!) offered by local agencies, for an offbeat discovery of the city. 
• In the popular districts of Testaccio and Ostiense, you can admire the street art on the walls of abandoned factories before going on to the old Montermartini power station, which exhibits ancient statues amidst monumental machines. A striking contrast!

Starters

• Antipasti - hors d'oeuvres to share, made up of seafood, vegetables, cheese...
• Bruschetta - a slice of bread, rubbed with garlic and topped with tomatoes, grilled peppers, ham, cheese...  
• Prosciutto, salami, bologna... Italian cold cuts to work up an appetite.

Dishes

• Spaghetti, tagliatelle, penne, rigatonis... there are dozens of ways to prepare pasta! 
• Abbacchio (lamb) - roasted, stewed or pan-roasted, it is a must in Roman cuisine. 
• Coratella - lamb offal simmered in white wine and olive oil, with onions. It is eaten with artichokes stuffed with garlic.
• Porchetta - suckling pig stuffed and then roasted, eaten cold sliced or pan-fried

Desserts

• Pecorino - a sheep's cheese, eaten dry and full-bodied in Rome 
• Tiramisu - mascarpone cake and coffee-soaked biscuits
• Panna Cotta - a cream dessert that can be eaten plain or with a fruit sauce

Drinks

• Wine* and in particular the wines of Lazio (a region that includes Rome) the main grape varieties being Malvasia (white), Merlot and Sangiovese (the most widespread in Italy). 
• Coffee, especially espresso, which is drunk very strong (ristretto) in Italy.
• Cappuccino, a long coffee topped with milk foam and sprinkled with cocoa.
• Grappa*, a grape-based brandy that can be enjoyed white (young), aged or flavoured (spices, medicinal plants...).
• Sambuca*, an aniseed-based digestive particularly popular in Rome.