Roaming Rome ^_^

"The Glory That Was Greece; The Grandeur That Was Rome."

Rome, particularly the Vatican City is undeniably on a hot seat nowadays due to the rising and falling of issues and critics that the movie "Angels and Demons", a movie adaptation of Dan Brown's book is facing. Ever since the "Da Vinci Code", Dan Brown and Ron Howard (director) dealt with loads of criticisms but nevertheless, their work of art was astounding and something many people can never forget.

One thing that hooked me into reading and watching "Angels and Demons" is my inclination to history and breathtaking architectures. Evidently, "Angels and Demons" were full of magnificent structures and watching the movie just got me daydreaming. When and how on earth can I go visit Rome and many other historical places? *sigh*

As a result, my love for historical structures was again awakened. Rome is one of the many places I want to visit. And if given the chance, I'd be oh so willing to sacrifice a sound sleep just to go roaming around Rome. Lots of things can surely amaze me in Rome: churches, buildings, palaces, monuments, gardens, bridges, baths, basilicas, forums, gates, walls and many more. You name it. haaayz... thinking of those stuffs and going them over the Internet just makes me want to drool.. ahahaahah :D

Rome has unique and fascinating history, thousand churches, palaces and fountains; It is where behind every corner and building lays a secret to be discovered, a legend to be told and history to be revealed.

Traditionally founded in 753 BC by Romulus and Remus, Rome began its great development beginning from the 10 century BC till it became first a Republic and then the centre of a great empire, the Roman Empire.

- Rome is in the Lazio region of central Italy on the Tiber river (Italian: Tevere). The original settlement developed on hills that faced onto a ford beside the Tiber island, the only natural ford of the river.

The historic centre of Rome was built on seven hills: the Aventine Hill, the Caelian Hill, the Capitoline Hill, the Esquiline Hill, the Palatine Hill, the Quirinal Hill, and the Viminal Hill. The city is also crossed by another river the Aniene which joins the Tiber north of the historic centre.

There are around 900 churches in Rome in total, aside from the cathedral itself, some others of note include: the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, the Basilica di San Clemente, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane and the Church of the Gesu.

One of the symbols of Rome is the Colosseum (70–80 AD), the largest amphitheatre ever built in the Roman Empire. Originally capable of seating 60,000 spectators, it was used for gladiatorial combat.

A list of important monuments of ancient Rome includes the Roman Forum, the Domus Aurea, the Pantheon, Trajan's Column, Trajan's Market, the Catacombs, the Circus Maximus, the Baths of Caracalla, Castel Sant'Angelo, the Mausoleum of Augustus, the Ara Pacis, the Arch of Constantine, the Pyramid of Cestius, and the Bocca della Verità.

Rome is a nation-wide centre for higher education. Its first university, La Sapienza (founded in 1303), is the largest in Europe and the second-largest in the world, with more than 150,000 students attending.

The works of the architects Borromini and Bernini, masters of the Baroque, left an indelible and representative sign to the city, embellished by a great numbers of palaces, villas, and fountains. Many works of art by the greatest artists of Italy and the world are gathered in the famous museums of the city and of the Vatican.