Rome

Rome has been continuously inhabited for nearly 3,000 years and has served as the capital of the Roman Republic, the Roman Empire, the Papal States and the Italian Republic in sequence — each layer of governance leaving physical evidence that is still largely above ground. The Colosseum, completed in 80 AD with a capacity of 50,000–80,000 spectators, is the most visited structure in Italy. The Roman Forum immediately to its west was the civic and commercial centre of ancient Rome; the Senate house, the temples, the triumphal arches and the road that carried every Roman general’s victory parade are all still there, in varying states of ruin. The Palatine Hill above the Forum is where the emperors built their palaces, and where the city was traditionally said to have been founded in 753 BC.

Vatican City, the world’s smallest sovereign state at 44 hectares, is enclosed within Rome and governed independently by the Holy See. St Peter’s Basilica — built over the site of the apostle’s tomb, with Michelangelo’s dome completed in 1590 — is the largest church in the world. The Vatican Museums, which include the Sistine Chapel, hold one of the most significant art collections in existence, assembled by the papacy over five centuries. Entry to the Basilica is free; the Museums require a timed ticket and advance booking is strongly recommended. The Trevi Fountain, three blocks north of the Pantheon, was completed in 1762 at the junction of three ancient aqueducts; the Pantheon itself has been in continuous use since 125 AD — first as a Roman temple, then as a Christian church.

Rome has a well-established halal dining scene concentrated in the Pigneto, Torpignattara and Esquilino neighbourhoods east and southeast of the centre — the most accessible halal corridor for visitors staying near Termini station. The Islamic Cultural Centre of Rome on Viale della Moschea, opened in 1995, is the largest mosque in Western Europe and an active place of worship. The city is best visited April to June or September to October; July and August are intensely hot (35–38°C regularly) and the main sites are at their most crowded. A local English-speaking guide makes a material difference at the Colosseum and Vatican — both sites require context that the ruins alone do not supply.