Italy is a country rich in historical sites, boasting several UNESCO World Heritage sites like Pisa’s Leaning Tower and San Giovanni Basilica Laterano Basilica – which will add an authentic European experience.
Visit Pompeii, a well-preserved Roman city which was destroyed when Mount Vesuvius exploded in 62 AD and covered it in an ashy blanket of dust and ash. Here, plaster casts of its residents reveal their final moments before death by volcano.
Colosseum
The Colosseum in Rome is an elliptical amphitheater and one of the greatest engineering feats ever completed, serving as an icon of Roman grandeur and engineering achievement. Built between 69 AD by Emperor Vespasian on the site of Nero’s Golden Palace and offering entertainment for Rome residents.
Before the games started, an elaborate parade of slaves and wild animals would pass through the crowd, thrilling and disconcerting audiences alike as it created anticipation for what lay ahead.
Once fighting games ceased in the late 6th century, the Colosseum was no longer used for fighting or other purposes; its arena floor became a cemetery and vaulted spaces under seating were rented out as houses or workshops. An earthquake seriously damaged its outer south wall in 1349 before eventually being converted into a fortress by Christian clergy.
Forum
As you wander across the Forum’s ancient cobbles, you feel transported back through time. This monumental square witnessed everything from triumphal processions to everyday life in Ancient Rome.
At the far end of the Forum is a Basilica, all that remains from an enormous temple begun by Emperor Maxentius and completed by Constantine. Its north aisle served as an inspiration for early Christian churches with exquisite porphyry columns covering its north aisle.
By the medieval era, the Forum had devolved into an abandoned cow field (Campo Vaccino). Once glorious structures such as palaces, towers and churches had been built on top of it by popes and aristocrats for their use – such as using Romulus’ tomb to stash treasure. Today the ruins are used as an archeological site where new discoveries are often made: in February 2018 alone archaeologists discovered an altar to Roman gods as well as what may be his tomb.
Palatine Hill
The Palatine Hill, Rome’s original imperial seat and one of Italy’s premier archaeological sites, plays an integral role in its founding myth and is revered as an archaeological treasure today. According to legend, twin brothers Romulus and Remus were raised here by a she-wolf before going on to establish Rome in 753 BC.
Roman patricians built elaborate palaces on the slopes of a nearby hill over time. When Roman republic was replaced with empire, many emperors chose this spot to build their domains, leaving behind a labyrinthine maze of chambers that can still be seen today.
On the east side of the hill stands Domus Flavia, an ancient palace constructed in 81 B.C. by an emperor to display his wealth and power. Some original frescoes still adorn its walls today, as did churches and convents built over time; finally during Renaissance, part of its remains were transformed into an ornate botanical garden by influential Farnese family members.
Sassi di Matera
Matera, in Basilicata, is an incredible historic and natural marvel, comprising two districts (Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano) known for their prehistoric cave dwellings dating back to the Paleolithic period and some of Italy’s oldest and most distinctive churches – it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
Matera wasn’t always known as an attractive tourist spot: prior to 1950s, it was known as “the shame of Italy”, due to high levels of poverty and malaria resulting from poor living conditions and living standards. Carlo Levi’s book Christ Stopped at Eboli highlighted this injustice to which local residents had fallen victim; eventually they were relocated out of Matera altogether.
Many of these homes were later transformed into hotels, restaurants, and other luxury accommodations. Today, Sassi’s historic district is an architectural treasure; featuring narrow streets with cave homes carved out of calcarenitic rock; it also contains rupestrian churches (commonly referred to as “cave churches”) boasting priceless frescoes.
