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Places in RomeThe fountains of Piazza NavonaAt Piazza Navona there are three gorgeous fountains. The central one, Fontana Dei Fiumi (Fountain of Rivers), is said to have the most complex ornaments of all the fountains in Rome. Its sculptor Bernini designed it in the early 1650s and its project was so expensive that a decision was taken for raising the bread tax in order to cover its high costs. The fountain is beautifully decorated and represents four rivers - the Danube, the Nile, the Ganges and the Rio de la Plata, each distinctive with its typical flora and fauna. Piazza NavonaLaid out in 15th century on the ruins of a former stadium, Piazza Navona is now one of the most charming squares in Rome where you can either take a coffee at one of the numerous coffee bars or observe the cultural sites there. For two centuries, the square was flooded at times in summer and its oval shape, preserved also today, was used for aquatic games. At one of its sides, there is an obelisk, which was originally in the Circus of Maxentius and transferred later from Egypt to Piazza Navona. Popular sites in Rome: Capitoline HillAfter the Colosseum visit, walking up in the central part of Rome you will first come across the Roman Forum (a former commerce, business and administrative centre of ancient Rome) and then you will find the Capitoline Hill (or Campidoglio). As being one of the famous Seven Hills of Rome, it is now popular for the ancient remains, which expressively show the use of urban spaces during the Roman Age. Nevertheless the smallest among the hills of Rome, from earliest times the Capitoline Hill was Rome's centre of political, social, and religious life. When the Celtic Gauls invaded Italy’s capital in 390 BC, this ancient place was the one section of the city to evade capture by the barbarians. In those historic times, this was the site of the great Italic temple dedicated to the Capitoline Jupiter, and people used the name Capitolium referring rather to the temple than to the entire site. There are several typical sightseeings situated at the Capitoline Hill, including museums and palaces with art galleries, sculptures, and frescoes. Your attention deserves Michelangelo' s Piazza del Campidoglio, which is impressively decorated by the statue of Marcus Aurelius. Besides the magnificent Palazzo Senatorio, there are another two palaces - Palazzo Nuovo and Palazzo dei Conservatori, designed as twins by Michelangelo and characterised by exquisite architectural layout. In particular, the Palazzo Senatorio distinguishes by its converging flights of stairs and its large Council Hall where the meetings of Senate Tribune were held in the past. The Palazzo Nuovo is even more attractive with its Capitoline Museum, containing the oldest museum collection in the world. Apart from the famous Egyptian collection, the different museum halls include treasures of classic art, monuments and busts of Roman emperors, distributed among the Hall of Oriental Cults, Hall of Columns, Hall of Emperors and the renown Hall of the Dying Gaul (The Dying Gladiator). As a tip for the tourists, the museum ticket gives admission to both Palazzo Nuovo and Palazzo dei Conservatori and there is a free access the last Sunday of the month. Seven Hills of RomeProbably you have heard from the Roman mythology about the Seven Hills of Rome, situated east of the Tiber River, which form the heart of Rome. According to the myth, the original city has been founded by Romulus on the Palatine Hill (''Collis Palatinus''). The rest of the Seven Hills of Rome are the Capitoline Hill (''Collis Capitolinus''), the Aventine Hill (''Collis Aventinus''), the Esquiline Hill (''Collis Esquilinus''), the Quirinal Hill (''Collis Quirinalis''), the Caelian Hill (''Collis Caelius'') and the Viminal Hill (''Collis Viminalis''). Colosseum of RomeThe Colosseum is an impressive ancient ampitheater, built by the Flavian Emperor Vespasian in AD 80 and was the scene of many bloody gladiatorial fights and wild animal slaughter. Today, if you pass between the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine, you may see men dressed in gladiator costume acting like real bullfighters but only for the visitors’ amusement. The term amphitheater derives from the Greek “amphi” (on both sides) and “theatron” (semicircular viewing place or theater). |