12 Top Historical Places to See in Rome, Italy as a first-time visitor

Welcome to the city of Rome. It’s rich with world-renowned historic landmarks. This old city has so much to offer that one might spend a week exploring it and still not see everything. There are, nevertheless, a few spots in Rome that are regarded as “must-see” attractions due to their prominent aesthetic, historical, and cultural characteristics.

They are among the world’s most spectacular sights to visit and should be on every traveler’s bucket list. Get our free Travel Checklist

Visit the Roman Colosseum

The Colosseum, erected in AD 80, was the greatest Amphitheatre in the Roman Empire and still exists today as a reminder of the past. It is located 20 minutes southeast of the Vatican and was previously the site of legendary gladiatorial combats, wild animal hunts, and beast conflicts.

St. Peter’s Basilica is a great place to visit in Rome (Vatican City)

St. Peter’s Basilica is the most recognizable landmark in the center of Vatican City and is regarded as one of Christendom’s holiest places.

The basilica is open to the public, however, there is a stringent dress code in effect, so avoid wearing skirts or shirts with exposed shoulders. The Renaissance-style church is located 4 kilometers west of the Colosseum.

After you’ve taken your stunning photographs of St. Peter’s Basilica and its dome from the plaza, consider ascending the 320 steps to the top of the dome for unparalleled views of the square and Rome’s cityscape.

Roman Forum is another important site to see in Rome city

The Roman Forum is located in a valley between Rome’s Palatine and Capitoline hills, and it is packed with ancient Roman remains of temples and basilicas with massive arches and towering columns, monuments, sculpted gardens, ponds, and springs.

Take a stroll in the Roman Forum and picture yourself in ancient times! That is, after all, is one of the main reasons why people, especially beginner travelers visit historic places.

Visit Pantheon, the ancient Roman temple

The Pantheon in Rome is one of the city’s most beautiful landmarks in the entire city. This ancient Roman temple, still standing in Piazza della Rotonda after over 2,000 years, has stunning chapels and historical tombs of some of Italy’s most prominent personalities, including Raphael and King Vittorio Emanuele.

Massive marble columns and Renaissance statues decorate the Pantheon’s altars. Looking above, you’ll see beautiful gold and blue mosaics on its dome ceilings, as well as brilliantly colored marble beneath your feet.

Outside the building, you will see the Pantheon fountain, which was commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII, there perfectly standing with its high obelisk.

Castel Sant’Angelo in Vatican City

Castel Sant’Angelo is an old castle located just east of Vatican City and was formerly Rome’s highest building. Emperor Hadrian built the fortress in the second century AD as his family’s mausoleum, and it today serves as a museum. It is reached by crossing the cobblestone Aeilian Bridge from Piazza Navona.

Crossing the historic angel bridge provides a picturesque perspective of the Castel Sant’Angelo, and the cityscape from here is particularly beautiful around sunset.

Explore the elaborately painted papal chambers, large hallways, passageways, and treasury before heading to the rooftop cafe for a cappuccino with a view.

Now enjoy your tour of the Palatine Hill

The Palatine Hill, also known as Palatino, is regarded as Rome’s birthplace. The Palatine Hill, one of Rome’s seven hills, is inextricably intertwined with the city’s history and now holds some of its most ancient and significant structures.

According to legend, the she-wolf who reared the twins Romulus and Remus led them to Palatine Hill, where they formed the settlement that would become Rome.

Romulus finally killed his brother at the Palatine Hill in a quarrel over who was the real head of the new town, becoming the namesake of Rome. Indeed, the Palatine Hill is where the first huts of Rome were discovered, allegedly erected under Romulus’ command.

Visit the 4th century BC Ostia Antica

Ostia Antica is a remarkable Roman landmark just outside the city center that features the remnants of the ancient port town that once served as Rome’s entryway. Ostia Antica, which dates back to at least the 4th century BC, was Rome’s main port for hundreds of years, serving as a witness and memorial to the development of the ancient superpower, its domination, and its final decline.

Today, tourists may see various remnants from the ancient town, including a well-preserved Roman theatre, the Baths of Neptune, military camp ruins, temples to ancient deities, the forum, and even the Ostia Synagogue, Europe’s oldest known synagogue site.

The Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi)

The Trevi Fountain, also known as Fontana di Trevi Italian in Italian is a fountain in the Trevi district in Rome. The Trevi Fountain is a well-known 18th-century Rome landmark.

The Trevi Fountain, a magnificent portrayal of ancient deities and adorned with frescos of tales and myths, attracts crowds of tourists eager to toss money into its waters to ensure their return to Rome – or so the belief goes.

Visit the famous Vatican Museums

When the Vatican Museums are united, they form the world’s largest museum. In the museums, you will view some of the world’s most important artworks by Renaissance maestros such as Da Vinci, Raphael, Bellini, Titian, and Caravaggio at over 50 galleries located on the northern boundary of Vatican City.

Every last Sunday of the month, you may visit the Vatican Museums for free, which also includes admission to the Sistine Chapel, housing Michelangelo’s spectacular ceiling frescoes.

Piazza Venezia Is Another Great Place To Visit In Rome City

Piazza Venezia is a public square near the Tiber’s eastern bank, 1 km northwest of the Colosseum.

The plaza is named after a neighboring palace of the same name, which was constructed as a house for Pietro Barbo. It has several green spaces that are surrounded by spectacular domed palaces and monuments.

Once here, you may also explore the Museum of Italian Reunification, or climb its grand staircase for a 360-degree perspective of the square.

Explore the Capitoline Museums

The Capitoline Museums, located on the historic Capitoline Hill in the heart of ancient and contemporary Rome, have a vast collection of artifacts from the ancient, medieval, and Renaissance periods.

Among the many treasures of Musei Capitolini are collections of classical sculptures and statues, displays on ancient mythology, medieval and Renaissance artworks, including numerous bronzes and portraits.

Temples of the Forum Boarium

The Temples of the Forum Boarium are two of the best surviving Roman temples from the Republican era, and together they marked an important economic and religious location wedged between the Capitoline, Palatine, and Tiber rivers.

The temples are in wonderful condition, surrounded by towering trees and boundless Roman blue sky. They provide visitors with a feeling of the lively old cattle market, dominated by these monuments.

Are these the only places to visit in Rome? Surely no but these are some of the most important places to visit as a first-time visitor to Rome city.

If you find any value in this post, share also with your friends who might need it. Get our Free Travel Checklist for your next trip.