Attractions

Where else but in Rome could you admire a 17th-century colonnade designed by Bernini while resting against an Egyptian obelisk carried off from Heliopolis while Jesus was still alive? Or stand amid the splendor of Renaissance frescoes in a papal palace built on top of the tomb of a Roman emperor? Where else, for that matter, are Vestal Virgins buried adjacent to the Ministry of Finance?

For the year 2000 Jubilee, decades' worth of grime from car exhaust and other pollution was scrubbed from the city's facades, revealing the original glory of the Eternal City (although Rome could still stand even more work on this front), and ancient treasures such as the Colosseum were shored up. Many of the most popular areas (such as the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona) are sparkling and inviting again.

Whether time-blackened or newly gleaming, the city's ancient monuments are a constant reminder that Rome was one of the greatest centers of Western civilization. In the heyday of the empire, all roads led to Rome, and with good reason. It was one of the first cosmopolitan cities, importing slaves, gladiators, great art, and even citizens from the far corners of the world. Despite its carnage and corruption, Rome left a legacy of law; a heritage of great art, architecture, and engineering; and an uncanny lesson in how to conquer enemies by absorbing their cultures.

But ancient Rome is only part of the spectacle. The Vatican has had a tremendous influence on making the city a tourism center. Although Vatican architects looted ancient ruins for their precious marble, they created great Renaissance treasures and even occasionally incorporated the old into the new -- as Michelangelo did when turning the Baths of Diocletian into a church. And in the years that followed, Bernini adorned the city with the wonders of the baroque, especially his glorious fountains.

No More Lines -- The endless lines outside Italian museums and attractions are a fact of life. But reservation services can help you avoid the wait, at least for some of the major museums. Select Italy allows you to reserve tickets for the Colosseum, the Palatine and Forum and Museum, Palazzo Altemps, the Galleria Borghese, and more, plus many other museums in Florence and Venice. The cost varies from 17€ to 35€, depending on the museum, and several combination passes are available. Contact Select Italy at (tel. 800/877-1755), or buy your tickets online at www.selectitaly.com.

Before & After -- To appreciate the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and other ruins more fully, buy a copy of the small red book Frommer's Rome Past and Present (Wiley Publishing), sold in bookstores or by vendors near the Forum. Its plastic overleafs show you the way things looked 2,000 years ago.