Things to do in Cappadocia

No. 9 of Ski Resorts in Abruzzo

Camporotondo ( AQ)

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Colosseum

•This was once the place where gladiators fought to the death and condemned prisoners struggled against hungry lions, and it is also where the great symbol of eternal Rome stands. •Admire the magnificent architecture and imagine the epic battles that once took place here △The Colosseum was built on the original site of the opulent Domus Aurea and was completed in 80 AD. However, with the decline of the Roman Empire, the Colosseum was gradually abandoned and became overgrown with weeds. Later, the Colosseum suffered damage from earthquakes multiple times and even became a source of stone and marble for builders. What people see before them now is only the incomplete skeleton of the Colosseum, but its former glory can still be glimpsed. △On the first floor, you can clearly see the maze-like structure in the center of the Colosseum, which used to be the basement of the Colosseum, where the beasts and gladiators awaiting combat were held. △The entire outer wall of the Colosseum was built of limestone, and the arches (vomitoria) allowed spectators to enter quickly and take their seats. The recesses on the second and third floors were once filled with marble statues. The top of the wall was adorned with windows and slender Corinthian pilasters, and 240 wall posts supported the canvas awning that covered the Colosseum.

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Pantheon

The Pantheon is one of the best-preserved buildings of ancient Rome. It was originally commissioned around 27 BC by Agrippa, a general under Augustus, and later destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt in the 2nd century AD by Emperor Hadrian and stands as a masterpiece of ancient Roman architectural skill. Michelangelo once called it "a design of angels." The Pantheon houses the tomb of Renaissance artist Raphael, as well as those of Italian kings Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto I and other historical figures. The building is located in the heart of Rome, with the Piazza della Rotonda as its forecourt. In the center of the piazza stands an Egyptian obelisk, and beneath its base the fountain foundation is adorned with stone carvings of dolphins and masks. The main structure is a massive cylinder of equal width and height, topped by a hemispherical dome, with no windows inside. The surrounding niches once housed statues of the gods in ancient Roman times; today they contain the tombs of notable figures from various eras. At the apex of the dome is a circular oculus about 9 meters in diameter, which serves as the main source of light for the interior. Sunlight pours down from above, changing angle as the sun moves, and light and shadow slowly travel across the floor and walls, creating a solemn spatial atmosphere.

Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity

Parco archeologico del Colosseo

Parco archeologico del Colosseo is a large archaeological and cultural complex that brings together the remains and heritage of ancient Roman civilization, occupying about 40 hectares. The park is centered on buildings, squares, and ruins from the Roman period and includes important areas such as Colosseo, the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and Domus Aurea. It preserves a large number of ancient architectural remains, including grand stone structures, temples, triumphal arches, colonnades, and underground spaces, showcasing public life, political activity, and architectural artistry in ancient Rome. As you walk through the park, you can follow the old roads to observe architectural remains from different periods and sense the city’s historical layout and changes over time. Some areas also feature museums and special exhibitions that, through archaeological finds, historical artifacts, and multimedia displays, help visitors understand the cultural significance behind the sites. By combining heritage preservation, archaeological research, and public access, the park serves as an important place to learn about ancient Roman civilization.

Parco Naturale Regionale Monti Simbruini

No. 9 of Best Things to Do in Italy

Borghese Gallery and Museum

The Borghese Gallery and Museum was originally a 17th-century countryside villa built by Cardinal Scipione Borghese in northern Rome. The villa and its collection were nationalized in the early 20th century and converted into a museum, still surrounded by extensive gardens today. The gallery is renowned for its Baroque marble sculptures and Renaissance to Baroque paintings, featuring masterpieces by Bernini, Canova, Caravaggio, Raphael, Titian, and others, all displayed within this compact two-story building. The highlights on the first floor are almost all by the young Bernini: in room 2, "David" twists his entire body, frozen in the moment before releasing the stone; in room 3, "Apollo and Daphne" captures the fleeing maiden as her fingertips sprout laurel leaves; in room 4, "The******of Proserpina" shows Pluto's fingers sinking deep into the marble-carved flesh; while room 6's "Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius" was sculpted when he was just over twenty—the hard stone takes on the soft textures of skin, foliage, and drapery in these statues. Room 5 houses the "Sleeping Hermaphroditus," an ancient Roman copy of a Greek original, with the buttoned mattress beneath added by Bernini in 1620, so lifelike it could deceive; at the center of room 1 stands Canova's reclining statue of Napoleon's sister Pauline, the goddess holding a golden apple, with a hidden mechanism in the base allowing the entire sculpture to rotate. Don't rush through the entrance hall either—underfoot lies a 4th-century gladiator mosaic floor, while overhead is Mariano Rossi's ceiling fresco depicting Romulus being welcomed to Olympus to meet Jupiter. Gallery 7 features ancient Egyptian-style displays, while gallery 8 showcases original works by Caravaggio, including "David with the head of Goliath," "Sick Bacchus," and "Boy with a basket of fruit." The second floor is a gallery displaying a condensed history of Italian painting, with Titian's "Sacred and profane love" and "Venus blinding Cupid," Raphael's "The entombment," Correggio's "Danaë," Rubens' "Susanna and the elders," Cranach's "Venus and Cupid as honey thief," Botticelli's Madonna, and Pinturicchio's 1473 "Crucifixion" all lined up in sequence. The art museum has long implemented a reservation system with entry by time slot. Each slot is limited to 2 hrs with a capped number of visitors, and peak season quotas often get booked up well in advance—plan ahead to secure your spot. Once inside, consider focusing first on the Bernini sculptures on the first floor and Caravaggio's works in Hall 8, then leisurely head to the second floor for the paintings. Two hours is just enough to thoroughly cover the highlights.

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Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

• Known as the main church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Florence and the third largest church in the world • Consisting of the main church, bell tower and baptistery, it is not only large in scale, but also a representative building of the entire early Renaissance • The cathedral has a 19th-century Gothic Revival-style facade. Its exterior is paved with marble blocks of different shades of white, green and pink. The colors are colorful and harmonious △ In 1982, the cathedral was listed as a World Cultural Heritage as part of the historical center of Florence. After entering the church, you can climb up to the dome from the small door on the side. You need to climb 463 steps, and then overlook the entire city of Florence. △ The bell tower of the church is a Gothic building, 85 meters high. It consists of a six-story square structure stacked upward into a column. The outer wall is paved with white marble, which is pure and elegant, bringing more momentum to the majestic church.

No. 2 of Night Attractions in Italy

Piazza del Duomo

Piazza del Duomo is located in the heart of the historic center of Florence, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982. The square has been the city's religious center since the Middle Ages. In the late 13th century, surrounding residential buildings were demolished to build the new cathedral and bell tower, and it was gradually expanded over the following centuries to its current size. The square brings together three iconic buildings: theCathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto's Bell Tower, and The Baptistery of San Giovanni. Together, they form the "Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore complex," showcasing the evolution of architectural art in Florence from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. The dome designed by Brunelleschi stands over 90 m high and is a striking visual focal point on the square's skyline. Historic buildings such as the Archbishop's Palace, the Cathedral Museum, and the Bigallo Museum are also located around the square. Standing in the center of the square and looking around, the facades of buildings from different eras and styles complement each other, making it a key location for experiencing the urban landscape of Florence.

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Uffizi Gallery

• Exhibits the private collection of the Medici family, including Botticelli's “Birth of Venus” and “Springtime”, Leonardo da Vinci's “Annunciation”, Raphael's “Virgin and Child with Saint Anna” and other works • Collect more than 100,000 precious exhibits, covering almost the entire history of art, from ancient Greek sculptures to 18th-century Venetian oil paintings • Learn about Renaissance works and review Italian classics △The Uffizi Gallery displays the private collection of the Medici family. The Medici family was an Italian aristocratic family with a long history. They collected many important Italian Renaissance works of art and donated them to the Uffizi Gallery, which became part of the Uffizi Gallery. △This is a gathering place for Renaissance paintings, including works by famous painters such as Botticelli, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo. They are divided into more than 90 exhibition halls according to creation time and creative genre.