6. Ancient Rome Today

Take the Rome Metro to the Colosseo stop.

Thrill to the facade of the Colosseum. The entrance to the Palatine Hill is behind the Colosseum, on the left.

It is fun to walk through the monumental ruined palaces on top of the Palatine Hill. Descend from there into the Roman Forum.

Nothing puts your feet on the ground of Ancient Rome better than a stroll through the Forum.

Because Christian churches need room for large congregations they were inspired, not by Roman temples, but by Roman public buildings like the Basilica of Constantine shown here.

Around the corner from the Forum you can climb these broad, shallow, steps to the Capitoline Museums. The steps were designed in the 16th Century by Michelangelo.

The Capitoline has some of Rome's most stupendous sculpture.

Centre: Dying Gaul. Right: Juno (with staff).

Here's a detail of Juno, to show you the quality of the work.

The Capitoline also boasts great views down into the Forum.

Near the train station, the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme (National Museum of Rome in Palazzo Massimo) has Bill and my favourite collection of antiquities. We call it the Massimo.

Find portrait heads and other statues on the 1st and 2nd floors.

On the third floor find mosaics and frescoes from Pompeii,

including Livia’s Frigidarium, an entire room painted to resemble a garden filled with birds and flowers.

The Museo Nazionale Romano, Terme di Diocleziano, (National Museum of Rome in the Baths of Diocletian), near the train Station, has another strong collection of antiquities.

The perimeter of the cloister is lined with sculpture.

The collection of Latin epigraphs and inscriptions is one of the best in the world. “DOMUS ETERNALIS…” (eternal house…).

The ancient Roman mosaics are full of personality.