Hard to believe some of these structures have been around for a couple of thousand years...that's a heck of a long time. But what makes it more amazing is the brilliance in architecture and the robustness of the materials used. Take the Pantheon, for example. Built between 118–128 AD, this building is still used to this day.
We must have beaten the crowds (who were probably all still hanging out at the Colosseum), and we were able to walk into the Pantheon without having to queue. This is one of the best preserved of all the ancient buildings, and the more I read about it on Wikipedia the bigger the wow factor it provided.
After the Pantheon experience we had to wander the streets for a bit to soak up the atmosphere.
We stopped by a cafe and ordered some caffè latte.
Piazza Navona
Built in the 1st century AD, the Romans raced their chariots here. In the center stands the famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or Fountain of the Four Rivers. There are also fountains at both ends.
There was was lots of art stalls and artists at the piazza.
The Column of Marcus Aurelius
The spiral picture tells the story of Marcus Aurelius’ Danubian or Marcomannic wars, waged by him from 166 to his death. The column stand in Piazza Colonna.
Other famous historical artifacts that ain't ancient
Really ancient if they were found in NZ, not that old here in Rome.We did visit the Trevi Fountain, but it was empty of water and all behind a glass wall under maintenance so that was a shame.
Nearby the Pantheon was the Piazza della Minerva , at the center of which housed the elephant and obelisk by Bernini.
The Spanish Steps
Last but certainly not least were the famous steps appearing time and again in one of my favourite movies. This place was numero due on my list of musts. I'm guessing this crowd felt the same too.
Climb further up and we could actually find a clear spot to sit.
