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Rome

Rome rewards wandering as much as any checklist — a night might start with cocktails at The Gin Corner and end with scooters parked beneath a bougainvillea-draped archway in Trastevere, its ivy-covered alleys busy with cafe tables long after dark. By day, the ancient city asserts itself everywhere: the Colosseum's ruined arena floor and weathered arches, the Arch of Titus with its carved menorah looted from Jerusalem, and the Arch of Septimius Severus rising over the Roman Forum's scattered columns. The Pantheon's columned portico still bears Agrippa's original inscription two thousand years on, while the Trevi Fountain draws crowds to its turquoise pool regardless of the hour. Up on the Pincio terrace, Rome shows its quieter side — a bust of Leonardo da Vinci watching over the gardens, a goose patrolling the pond by the Temple of Aesculapius in Villa Borghese, an old dog making his rounds against a skyline of domes, and, on one lucky afternoon, a bride crossing the terrace with St. Peter's floating in the haze behind her. Baroque Rome holds its own too: Bernini's Triton blows water skyward in Piazza Barberini, and the ceiling of Chiesa Nuova dissolves into painted clouds and saints. It's a city where a five- minute walk can move from a wedding dress to a two-thousand-year-old ruin without missing a beat.

The round window signage of The Gin Corner — The Gin Corner's window signage

A cozy candlelit lounge at The Gin Corner in Rome — A candlelit corner at The Gin Corner

The Pantheon's columned portico in Rome — The Pantheon's columned portico

An ivy-covered pedestrian alley in Trastevere, Rome — A lively pedestrian alley strung with ivy in Trastevere

Scooters parked among greenery near Dar Poeta in Trastevere — Scooters tucked among the greenery near Dar Poeta

Scooters parked beneath a stone archway in Trastevere — Scooters parked beneath a stone archway

A woman cycling down a street toward the Spanish Steps — Local cycling down toward the Spanish Steps

A goose in front of the Temple of Aesculapius at Villa Borghese — Temple of Aesculapius, Villa Borghese

A marble bust of Leonardo da Vinci in a Rome park — A bust of Leonardo da Vinci in the park

An elderly Labrador walking along a terrace overlook with Rome's domes in the distance — Terrace regulars — a dog and a skyline of domes

The Trevi Fountain in Rome — The Trevi Fountain

A woman in a wedding dress crossing a terrace with St. Peter's Basilica in the distance — A bride crossing a terrace overlooking St. Peter's

A woman running along a terrace with St. Peter's Basilica in the distance — A runner along a terrace overlooking St. Peter's

The ruined interior arena floor of the Colosseum — Inside the Colosseum

The menorah relief carved into the Arch of Titus — The menorah relief on the Arch of Titus

The facade of the Church of Santa Francesca Romana — The facade of Santa Francesca Romana

The Arch of Septimius Severus in the Roman Forum

A close-up of the Colosseum's arched exterior — The Colosseum's arched exterior

The frescoed ceiling of Chiesa Nuova — The ceiling fresco at Chiesa Nuova

Another view of the Pantheon's columned portico — The Pantheon's columned portico, revisited

Bernini's Triton Fountain in Piazza Barberini — The Triton Fountain in Piazza Barberini

← 2025 Dublin, Amsterdam, & Italy