Rome begins its early mornings with the clangor of the church bells
A city of dramatic and unforgettable images, the view of Rome’s city silhouette from Janiculum Hill at dawn, ruins of temples of the Roman Forum, the collection of broken marble columns, and St. Peter’s dome against a pink-and-red sunset that caps a magnificently decorated basilica, makes up some of the splendid Rome attractions.
Also a city of sounds, Rome begins its early mornings with the clangor of the church bells calling the faithful to Mass. As the city comes to life and awakens, the sounds grow and blend into a kind of city sonata. The streets start to fill with taxis, motor scooters, and cars, all blowing their horns as they merge in and out of traffic. Sidewalks bustle with bleary-eyed office workers rushing, shops opening their metal grilles as loudly as possible, and before long, fruit and vegetable stands abuzz with activity as people start to buy their day’s supply.
It’s hard to say what a visitor will find most breathtaking in this “Eternal City”, as Rome attractions line up from the grandiose historical architectures and remnants, to the small but powerful intoxication of eating chestnut gelati or caffe latte. The major tourist season begins at Easter and runs until October, peak times are in spring and autumn, when tour buses pour in and tourists are flocked around like cattle. The summer is almost worth the heat because it is the time for numerous outdoor festivals and concerts, not to mention the fact that Romans abandon the city for the mountains and beaches, which means very light traffic and less-crowded city center. Some of the major Rome attractions that lure up tourists include:
Churces, basilicas, colosseum.. attractions of Rome
Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano This basilica was founded by Constantine in the fourth century and was the first Christian basilica constructed in Rome. It remains to be Rome’s cathedral and the pope’s place as Bishop of Rome. Devastated by fire twice and restructured several times, the mix of styles adds up to making it one vastly impressive church, and one of the remarkable Rome attractions.
Capuchin Cemetery This cemetery vividly recalls the particulars of the strange and ghastly chapels of the cemetery, where decorative facets, from the picture frames to the light fittings, are all made up human bones. The brown-clad Capuchin monks ornamented this cemetery with the dried remains of their deceased brothers between 1528 and 1870. The appropriately pious message “What you are now we used to be, what we are now you will be”, has a rather sensational effect on the cemetery that also makes it one of the most interesting Rome attractions.
Colosseum This monument is one of Rome’s most thrilling sites, where gladiators once met in mortal combat and condemned captives fought off hungry lions. This site still remains to be a great symbol of eternal Rome that excites the imagination of tourists, which is evident with the hordes of visitors waiting to get in.
There are still so many Rome attractions awaiting its visitors such as Castel Sant’Angelo, Museo e galleria Borghese, Pantheon, Pincio Hill, Roman Forum, Trastevere, Trevi Fountain, and many more. For those planning to take on Rome for their next vacation, the city will definitely pamper each sightseer with the lavish places to see and things to do, just don’t forget to bring those cameras and guidebooks because you’ll surely need it