5 Things to Do in Rome, Italy

The largest amphitheater ever built in the Roman Empire, once hosting gladiatorial contests for up to 50,000 spectators — its partially ruined but still-massive structure remains the single most recognizable symbol of ancient Rome.

Good to know: Buy a combined ticket that includes the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill — it's cheaper than separate entries and covers the whole ancient city core.

Technically located in Vatican City, a separate sovereign state entirely enclosed within Rome, this museum complex culminates in Michelangelo's ceiling and Last Judgment fresco in the Sistine Chapel — one of the most significant works of art in the Western world.

Good to know: Book skip-the-line tickets in advance — walk-up queues routinely run several hours, especially in summer.

Rome's largest and most theatrical Baroque fountain, where tradition holds that throwing a coin over your shoulder into the water guarantees a return trip to Rome — millions of euros are collected from the fountain each year and donated to charity.

Good to know: Visit very early morning or late at night to see it without the dense daytime crowds.

A remarkably well-preserved ancient Roman temple, nearly 1,900 years old, whose unreinforced concrete dome — still the largest of its kind in the world — has an open oculus at its center that's the building's only light source.

Good to know: Entry is free but requires a reserved timed ticket as of recent years — book online ahead of visiting.

A cobblestoned neighborhood across the Tiber that kept its medieval, working-class character even as central Rome modernized — narrow lanes, ivy-covered facades, and some of the city's best trattorias make it the top choice for an evening away from the main monuments.

Good to know: Go for dinner rather than lunch — Trastevere's atmosphere is best after dark when the streets fill up.