Italy

Rome

Villa Borghese is Rome's great central park, big enough to hide a lake, a replica Globe theatre and the Galleria Borghese with its Bernini sculptures. The terrace at the Pincio end looks out over Piazza del Popolo and the domes beyond.

Villa Borghese Park

The Museum of the Souls of Purgatory is one of Rome's most unusual and little-known museums, a tiny collection housed in a side room of the Church of the Sacred Heart of Suffrage on the banks of the Tiber.

The story begins in 1897, when a fire broke out in a chapel of the church. After the flames were extinguished, Father Victor Jouet, the church's priest, claimed to see the imprint of a face burned into the wall, which he interpreted as the mark of a soul in Purgatory trying to communicate with the living.

Inspired by this event, Father Jouet spent years collecting objects that were said to bear the marks of souls from Purgatory. The museum's small display includes burned papers, fabric, and prayer books, each with scorch marks that are presented as handprints or fingerprints of the dead. The collection is tiny, fitting in a single display case, but the concept is unlike anything else in Rome.

The church itself is worth a visit. Built between 1894 and 1917 in a Neo-Gothic style by architect Giuseppe Gualandi, it looks more like a northern European church than a Roman one. The museum is in the sacristy, accessed through the left side of the nave.

Entry is free. If you're on a Questo quest through Rome, the Museum of Souls is a stop where the boundary between this world and the next is presented, quite literally, as a burn mark on a piece of cloth.

Museo delle Anime del Purgatorio

Castel Sant'Angelo is a towering cylindrical fortress on the banks of the Tiber, just a short walk from St. Peter's Basilica. Originally built as a mausoleum, it has been a castle, a prison, a papal refuge, and a museum over nearly 2,000 years.

The building was commissioned by Emperor Hadrian in 123 AD as a tomb for himself and his family. Completed in 139 AD, after Hadrian's death, it was the tallest building in Rome for centuries. In 403 AD, it was converted into a military fortress, and by the medieval period it had become one of the most important defensive structures in Rome.

The name comes from a legend. In 590 AD, during a devastating plague, Pope Gregory I reportedly saw the Archangel Michael atop the building, sheathing his sword. The plague ended shortly after, and a statue of the angel was placed on the summit, where it still stands.

The castle also has a famous escape story. In 1539, the goldsmith and sculptor Benvenuto Cellini was imprisoned here but managed to escape by breaking through his cell with tools he had fashioned from tongs, lowering himself from the walls with knotted bedsheets. He broke his leg in the fall and was recaptured.

A secret elevated passageway, the Passetto di Borgo, connects the castle directly to the Vatican, allowing popes to flee to safety. It was used during the Sack of Rome in 1527.

If you're on a Questo quest through Rome, Castel Sant'Angelo is a landmark where every layer of history tells a different story.

Castel Sant'Angelo

The Fontana del Nettuno (Neptune Fountain) sits at the northern end of Piazza Navona, one of Rome's most magnificent squares. It's the less famous of the square's three fountains, but it has a dramatic history of its own.

The fountain was originally created in 1574 by Giacomo della Porta as a simple basin. It sat for nearly 300 years without any crowning sculpture, earning the nickname "the fountain of the coppersmiths" after the nearby metalworkers. In 1878, sculptors Antonio della Bitta and Gregorio Zappala finally completed the composition, adding a muscular Neptune battling a giant octopus, surrounded by sea horses, cherubs, and nereids.

The delay in completion was partly due to the rivalry between the fountain's location and Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi at the centre of the square. For centuries, no sculptor wanted to compete with Bernini's masterwork.

The fountain is best seen in late afternoon, when the sunlight catches the spray and the marble figures. It sits near the entrance to Via Agonale, which takes its name from the agonal games held in the Stadium of Domitian, the ancient arena that lies beneath the entire piazza.

If you're on a Questo quest through Rome, the Neptune Fountain is a stop where three centuries of artistic ambition, rivalry, and eventually courage created a fitting bookend to one of the world's greatest public squares.

Fontana del Nettuno

The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, the Fountain of the Four Rivers, is one of the masterpieces of Baroque sculpture. It sits at the centre of Piazza Navona, one of Rome's most beautiful squares, and was unveiled on June 12, 1651.

Designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini for Pope Innocent X, the fountain represents the four great rivers of the known continents: the Nile (Africa), the Danube (Europe), the Ganges (Asia), and the Rio de la Plata (the Americas). Each river is personified by a massive marble figure reclining on a travertine rock formation.

One of the most repeated stories about the fountain is that the figure of the Nile has its head covered because the source of the river was still unknown in the 17th century. Another popular legend claims Bernini positioned the Rio de la Plata figure with its hand raised in horror at the sight of the nearby church of Sant'Agnese in Agone, designed by his rival Francesco Borromini. The story is entertaining but false: the fountain was completed before Borromini began work on the church.

At the top of the fountain stands an ancient Egyptian obelisk, a Roman copy from the 1st century AD, brought from the Circus of Maxentius on the Appian Way. The dove at the obelisk's peak is the symbol of the Pamphilj family, the pope's clan.

Piazza Navona itself follows the exact shape of the 1st-century Stadium of Domitian, which lies beneath the square.

If you're on a Questo quest through Rome, the Fountain of the Four Rivers is a stop where every angle reveals another detail and another story.

Fontana dei Fiumi

The Ponte Sant'Angelo is one of the most beautiful bridges in Rome, a pedestrian crossing over the Tiber lined with ten marble angels, each holding an instrument of Christ's Passion.

The bridge was originally built in 134 AD by Emperor Hadrian to connect the city to his massive mausoleum, which we now know as Castel Sant'Angelo. The architect was Demetrianus, Hadrian's personal engineer. Three of the original Roman arches survive, making it nearly 1,900 years old.

The bridge's transformation into a work of art came in 1669, when Pope Clement IX commissioned Gian Lorenzo Bernini to redesign it. Bernini and his workshop created ten angel statues, each holding a symbol of Christ's suffering: the column, the whip, the crown of thorns, the nails. The angels are arranged chronologically, telling the story of the Passion as you walk from one end to the other. It was Bernini's last major commission.

The bridge has a dark side too. For centuries after the 1500s, the bodies of executed prisoners were displayed here as a warning. And in 1450, during a Jubilee pilgrimage, the bridge balustrades collapsed under the weight of the crowd, killing 172 people.

Today, the bridge is pedestrian-only and offers stunning views of St Peter's Basilica and the Tiber. If you're on a Questo quest through Rome, the Ponte Sant'Angelo is a stop where ancient engineering, Baroque sculpture, and views of the Vatican come together in a single crossing.

Ponte Sant'Angelo

The Trevi Fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in Rome and one of the most famous fountains in the world. Tucked into the corner of a narrow square, it takes most visitors by surprise when they first turn the corner and see it.

The fountain was completed in 1762 after 30 years of work, designed by Nicola Salvi and built against the rear wall of the Palazzo Poli. It marks the terminal point of one of ancient Rome's aqueducts, the Acqua Vergine, which has been bringing water to this spot since 19 BC.

The central figure is Neptune, riding a shell-shaped chariot pulled by two sea horses, one calm and one wild, representing the changing moods of the sea. The fountain is 26 metres high and 49 metres wide, making it almost as tall as the building behind it.

The coin-tossing tradition was popularized by the 1954 film "Three Coins in the Fountain." Legend says throwing one coin ensures your return to Rome, two coins means you'll find love, and three means you'll marry. The fountain collects an estimated 3,000 euros per day in coins, all of which goes to Caritas, a Catholic charity feeding Rome's poor.

The fountain underwent a major restoration from 2014 to 2016, funded by the fashion house Fendi.

If you're on a Questo quest through Rome's historic centre, the Trevi Fountain is a stop where 2,000 years of engineering meets Baroque drama, and where a coin toss might just bring you back.

Fontana di Trevi

Piazza Navona is one of the most beautiful squares in Rome and one of the finest examples of Baroque urban design in the world. Its elongated oval shape is no accident: it follows the exact footprint of the 1st-century Stadium of Domitian, which lies beneath the square.

Emperor Domitian built the stadium around 80 AD to host athletic competitions in the Greek tradition. It could seat 30,000 spectators and was 276 metres long. The underground ruins are still accessible and open to visitors.

The square's three fountains are its crown jewels. Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) dominates the centre, flanked by the Fontana del Moro at the south end and the Fontana del Nettuno at the north. The church of Sant'Agnese in Agone, designed by Borromini, faces Bernini's fountain, a pairing that has inspired centuries of rivalry legends between the two architects.

From the 15th to the 19th century, the square was periodically flooded for summer water games, a spectacle that drew crowds from across Rome.

Today, Piazza Navona is lined with cafes, restaurants, and street performers. It's free and open 24 hours a day. If you're on a Questo quest through Rome, Piazza Navona is a stop where an ancient stadium, Baroque sculpture, and Roman cafe life share the same extraordinary address.

Piazza Navona

The Pantheon is the best-preserved building from ancient Rome and one of the most influential structures in the history of architecture. Nearly 1,900 years after it was completed, its dome remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world.

The original Pantheon was built by Marcus Agrippa in 27 BC. The inscription on the facade, "M.AGRIPPA.L.F.COS.TERTIUM.FECIT" (Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time, built this), refers to that first building, which was destroyed by fire around 80 AD. The current Pantheon was built by Emperor Hadrian around 126 AD.

The dome's dimensions are staggering: 43.5 metres in diameter and 43.5 metres high, creating a perfect sphere that could fit inside the building. The only source of natural light is the oculus, a 9-metre circular opening at the apex of the dome. When it rains, water falls through the oculus onto the slightly convex marble floor, which is angled to drain it away.

In the early 7th century, Pope Boniface IV converted the Pantheon into a Christian church, the Church of St Mary and the Martyrs, which is why it survived the centuries of neglect and stone-robbing that destroyed most of Rome's ancient buildings.

The Pantheon holds the tombs of the painter Raphael and two Italian kings.

If you're on a Questo quest through Rome's centro storico, the Pantheon is a stop where standing under a 2,000-year-old dome makes you feel both very small and very grateful.

The Pantheon

Campo dei Fiori is one of the liveliest squares in Rome, a bustling open-air market by day and a popular gathering spot by night. Unlike most of Rome's major piazzas, it has no church, which gives it a distinctly secular, earthy character.

The name means "Field of Flowers," a reference to the meadow that occupied this space before the square was paved in 1456. Since 1869, the square has hosted a daily market selling fresh produce, flowers, spices, and local specialties.

The statue at the centre of the square is a hooded, brooding figure: Giordano Bruno, the philosopher and astronomer who was burned alive on this spot on February 17, 1600, by the Roman Inquisition for heresy. Bruno's ideas, including the theory that the universe was infinite and contained many worlds, were too radical for the church of his time. The statue, erected in 1889, faces the Vatican, and has become a symbol of free thought.

Before it became a market square, Campo dei Fiori was also a place of public execution. The square's darker history contrasts sharply with the bright colours and cheerful noise of the morning market.

In the evenings, the market stalls give way to restaurant terraces and bars, and the square fills with a mix of locals and visitors. It's one of the best spots in Rome's centro storico for people-watching.

If you're on a Questo quest through Rome, Campo dei Fiori is where the city's past and present collide over fresh tomatoes and a glass of wine.

Campo dei Fiori

The Vatican Museums are among the largest and most important museum complexes in the world, housing over 70,000 works on display across 54 galleries that stretch for seven kilometres.

The collection began with Pope Julius II in 1503, when he placed a classical sculpture of Laocoon in his private garden. Over the centuries, popes accumulated an extraordinary collection of art, antiquities, and manuscripts through purchases, commissions, gifts, and conquest.

The museums include specialized collections: the Egyptian Museum, the Etruscan Museum, the Gallery of Maps (featuring 40 topographical maps of Italy painted on the walls between 1580 and 1585), the Raphael Rooms (four chambers decorated by Raphael and his workshop), and the Pinacoteca (painting gallery) with works by Giotto, Leonardo, Raphael, and Caravaggio.

The route through the museums is designed to build toward a climax: the Sistine Chapel. After walking through gallery after gallery of masterpieces, you enter the chapel and look up at Michelangelo's ceiling. For many visitors, it is one of the most powerful moments in art.

The museums welcome around 6 million visitors a year. Advance booking is strongly recommended.

If you're on a Questo quest through Rome, the Vatican Museums are a stop where 2,000 years of human creativity are arranged in a seven-kilometre procession that ends with the most famous ceiling in the world.

The Vatican Museums

Vatican City is the smallest independent country in the world, covering just 44 hectares on the west bank of the Tiber. It is the spiritual centre of the Catholic Church and home to some of the most important art and architecture on earth.

The Vatican became an independent state on February 11, 1929, when the Lateran Pacts were signed between the Holy See and Italy, ending the "Roman Question" that had persisted since Italian unification in 1870. For 59 years, popes had refused to leave the Vatican in protest, considering themselves "prisoners" of the Italian state.

The most important buildings within the Vatican are St Peter's Basilica (the largest church in the world), the Vatican Museums, and the Sistine Chapel. St Peter's Basilica was built over the tomb of St Peter, the first pope, and the current building, begun in 1506, was designed by a succession of architects including Bramante, Michelangelo, and Maderno.

The Vatican has its own postal service (which many Romans prefer to the Italian system), its own radio station, its own newspaper, and even its own stamps and coins. The Swiss Guard, established in 1506, remains the world's smallest standing army.

Vatican City has a population of around 1,000 and no one is born a citizen. Citizenship is granted by papal appointment and lost when your service ends.

If you're on a Questo quest through Rome, the Vatican is a stop where the world's smallest country contains some of its greatest treasures.

Vatican City

Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte is one of Rome's most macabre churches, founded by a confraternity whose sole mission was to collect and bury abandoned dead bodies found in the Roman countryside and the Tiber River.

The Confraternity of Prayer and Death was established in 1538 and chartered by Pope Julius III in 1552. Over more than 300 years, the brotherhood collected and buried approximately 8,000 bodies that would otherwise have been left unburied, a genuine act of charity in an era when a proper burial was considered essential for salvation.

The current church was rebuilt in 1734 by architect Ferdinando Fuga using an elegant elliptical plan. The facade on Via Giulia features carved skulls and winged hourglasses, appropriate symbols for a church dedicated to death and prayer.

Beneath the church lies a crypt with burial chambers that once extended all the way to the Tiber. Only one crypt chamber survives, accessible through the left wall of the sanctuary. Inside, you'll find bone chandeliers, antique lamp holders fashioned from bone fragments, and the remains of the confraternity's centuries of work.

The church stands on Via Giulia, one of Rome's most elegant Renaissance streets, directly opposite Palazzo Farnese. It's a short walk from Campo de' Fiori.

If you're on a Questo quest through Rome, Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte is a stop where the city's relationship with death, faith, and charity takes a form you won't find anywhere else.

Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte

The Sistine Chapel is one of the most extraordinary spaces in the world, a relatively small room that contains some of the greatest works of art ever created.

The chapel was built between 1473 and 1481 for Pope Sixtus IV (whose name it bears) and designed by Giovanni dei Dolci. The original wall frescoes were painted by a team of Renaissance masters including Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, and Perugino, depicting scenes from the lives of Moses and Christ.

Then, in 1508, Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling. Michelangelo spent four years on the scaffolding, painting 343 figures across nine scenes from the Book of Genesis. The centrepiece, "The Creation of Adam," showing God's outstretched finger nearly touching Adam's, is arguably the most recognized image in all of art.

Twenty-three years later, in 1535, Michelangelo returned to paint "The Last Judgment" on the altar wall, a vast, dynamic composition showing the Second Coming and the judgment of souls. The painting features 391 figures and took six years to complete.

The Sistine Chapel is also the room where papal conclaves are held. When a new pope is elected, white smoke rises from the chapel's chimney.

The chapel is accessed through the Vatican Museums, and photography is prohibited inside. If you're on a Questo quest through Rome, the Sistine Chapel is a stop where looking up changes how you see everything that came before and after.

The Sistine Chapel

The Colosseum is the largest amphitheatre ever built and the most iconic symbol of ancient Rome. Standing in the heart of the city, it has drawn visitors for nearly 2,000 years and remains one of the most visited landmarks on earth.

Construction began under Emperor Vespasian around 72 AD and was completed by his son Titus in 80 AD. The inaugural games lasted 100 days and, according to ancient sources, resulted in the deaths of over 2,000 gladiators and 9,000 wild animals. The labour force that built it included an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 Jewish slaves captured during the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

The amphitheatre could hold up to 50,000 spectators and featured a sophisticated system of numbered entrances, underground tunnels, animal cages, and trapdoors. A retractable awning (velarium) shaded the audience from the sun. Beneath the arena floor, the hypogeum, a network of corridors and rooms, housed gladiators and animals before they emerged into the arena.

The name "Colosseum" does not refer to the building's size but to a colossal bronze statue of Nero that once stood nearby.

Despite earthquakes, stone-robbing, and centuries of neglect, about two-thirds of the original structure survives. It welcomes over 7 million visitors a year.

If you're on a Questo quest through Rome, the Colosseum is a stop where the scale of the building matches the scale of the stories it has witnessed.

The Colosseum

The Caserma Giacomo Acqua is a Carabinieri barracks near Piazza del Popolo, named after one of the most symbolic figures of Italian unification. Giacomo Acqua was the first officer of the Royal Carabinieri to enter Rome through the breach at Porta Pia on September 20, 1870, the moment that completed the unification of Italy and ended the temporal power of the papacy.

The building itself is a working military facility, so access is restricted, but its location near Piazza del Popolo makes it a prominent feature of the surrounding streetscape. The barracks serve as a reminder that Rome's grand piazzas and churches sit alongside buildings that tell the story of modern Italy, not just ancient Rome.

The Breach of Porta Pia, the event that Acqua's name commemorates, was one of the most consequential moments in Italian history. When Italian troops broke through the Aurelian Walls, Pope Pius IX retreated to the Vatican, beginning a 59-year standoff between the papacy and the Italian state that only ended with the Lateran Pacts in 1929.

If you're on a Questo quest through Rome, the Caserma Giacomo Acqua is a stop where the story of Italy's birth is written on a building most visitors walk right past.

<ul><li>Caserma Giacomo Acqua's strategic location near the Tiber River made it a key military site, ensuring that it played a vital role in Rome's defense strategy. Today, it stands as a peaceful relic of strategic might, offering a stark contrast to its bustling surroundings.</li><li>The barracks were named after Giacomo Acqua, a celebrated figure in Italian military history, known for his bravery and service. His legacy is immortalized not just in name but in the spirit of the place, which continues to inspire tales of heroism and honor.</li><li>Though no longer serving military purposes, the building now hosts various public offices and events, seamlessly blending its historical significance with contemporary utility. It's a prime example of how Rome repurposes its past, ensuring that history remains alive and accessible.</li></ul>

Behind the Barracks: The Lore of Caserma Giacomo Acqua

Ghosts of Rome: The Forgotten Soul Walking Tour & Escape Game

See the Caserma Giacomo Acqua near Piazza del Popolo, Rome. Named after the first officer through the Breach of Porta Pia (1870) during Italian unification.

Caserma Giacomo Acqua Rome - Italian Unification & Porta Pia History