Once known as caput mundi (the capital of the world), today it’s only the capital of Italy. However, Rome doesn’t mind losing its status as the epicentre of the vast Roman Empire. Over the centuries, it has retained its allure to visitors, seducing them with its fascinating, chaotic, romantic, authentic, and rich in history. The remnants of the past are everywhere and make you feel like you’re in an open-air museum. Art and culture fill palaces, churches and museums, and sampling the local gastronomy alone makes it worth the visit.

An entire book would not do Rome justice, so we will just tell you about some of the most essential attractions: the Colosseum, the city’s most famous monument and one of the most visited in Italy, evokes images of gladiators and emperors; the Vatican Museums, which house one of the largest collections of classical art in the world; St Peter’s Basilica, impressive for its size and artistic value; Villa Borghese and its luxuriant gardens, where art and relaxation come together in fantastically unique way; the grand Pantheon, the only Roman building that has remained more or less intact over the centuries. And then, of course, there is the famous Trevi Fountain, a selfie-magnet, where you have to stop to take the customary photo (almost as customary as a shot on the Spanish Steps); the Roman Forum, the heart of Ancient Rome and now an extraordinary collection of ruins of temples, basilicas and public spaces; the incredible Piazza Navona and Campo dei Fiori, the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, the National Roman Museum, via Appia...

But Rome is not just one big tourist attraction: above all, it’s about the beauty of wandering around and getting lost in its remarkable neighbourhoods and having authentic experiences: going to markets, spending an evening in San Lorenzo, Pigneto or Trastevere, chatting with the locals in an old Roman osteria (tavern) before digging into some cacio e pepe (spaghetti with black pepper and pecorino romano cheese), watching Roma play at the Olympic Stadium, discovering the many museums and exhibitions, spotting street art… and much, much more.

There is always something else to see and do in Rome, and that is why, if you come here once, you always have that burning desire to keep coming back for more.