Rome: the eternal city! From its beginning Rome has always been the place to be for culture, history and great food. From the Pantheon to the Trevi Fountain there is always something to see and do in Rome.

The Forum holds ancient buildings which transport visitors back to the time of Julius Caesar. The famous eulogy from Caesar’s funeral was delivered in the Forum. Wandering through the Forum truly gives visitors a glimpse into what used to be. Across the street from the Forum is the Coliseum. In ancient times the Coliseum was where people would gather to watch a variety of sporting events, concerts and other entertainment. Another ancient and equally famous building is the Pantheon. The Pantheon was originally built as a place of worship which was open to everyone. This was very strange for the time period because temples were only for priests and other religious. The Pantheon is also a national Mausoleum which holds many famous Italian families and artists.

Inside Rome lies another entire city, the Vatican City. St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City is the home of the Christian church. The bones of St. Peter himself as well as all of the other Catholic popes are buried in St. Peter’s. The basilica is the largest church in the world with numerous side altars which allow Catholics to go to mass or even be married. The current building is not what the Basilica has always looked like. Those who are 16 years and older can go on a Scavi tour which is a tour of the underground of St. Peter’s. The Vatican Museum also draws tourists because it contains Michelangelo’s famous Sistine Chapel. Visitors to the Vatican also have the opportunity to climb to the top of the Dome of St. Peter’s which gives them the best view of Rome. The Vatican is the home of the Catholic pope who holds an audience every Wednesday at noon. The audience is free and open to anyone. There are hundreds of churches in Rome but there are four main basilicas for Catholics to visit and St. Peter’s is one of them. The other three are St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore) and St. John Lateran.