Rome's Best Travel Routes

Rome, one of the cradles of Europe, which the ancient poets called the Eternal City and which we still call that, changing its meaning from the pride of a lost empire to the reality of passing time, flowing like the Tiber River. Its ancient stones tell stories in which change is not only welcomed but persistently celebrated. A mosaic of ruins and relics, where fragments of the past find new purpose, testifies to the remarkable synergy of ancient charm and contemporary vitality. The saga of the “open city,” embracing the world and its inhabitants, unfolds through the layers of time, a living testament to the art of persevering through change. The “blond” Tiber is still the mighty witness of changing time, crossed by bridges that mend any gap.

Lands near the Tiber have revealed important remains since the Paleolithic, while life in the Neolithic and Copper Age highlights the importance of the river and its crossings. In the Bronze and Iron Ages the foundations of the flourishing city were laid on the hills controlling the ford of the Tiber Island. Here the Republic and Empire found nourishment not only in the might of armies, but also in the pillars of law and justice. 

Changes in late antiquity transformed Rome into the seat of the Catholic Church, with a vision that embraced the whole world, marking a lasting thread of continuity through the changes in our city. Doctrinal rigidity was balanced by the visionary splendors of art, architecture and intellect that still adorn its streets and galleries today. 

After the Fascist dictatorship and World War II, Rome witnessed the first treaty that set the course for the European Union. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations found its headquarters here, as did the International Center for the Study of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage.

Reflecting on the past and its traces, we embrace the dilemma of “Persisting with Change” and celebrate enduring human endeavor, in Rome, the heart of history, a city that remains forever, a city for all.

Have a look at the video I made with my team for the 30th European Association of Archaeologists Annual Meeting in Rome (2024) for a glimpse of the city’s history and picture-perfect spots: