The Roman Forum (Rome): Two
thousand years ago, most of the known world
was directly affected by decisions made in the
Roman Forum. Today classicists and archaeologists
wander among its ruins, conjuring up the glory
that was Rome. What you'll see today is a pale,
rubble-strewn version of the site's original
majesty -- it's now surrounded by modern boulevards
packed with whizzing cars.
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Palatine Hill (Rome): According
to legend, the Palatine Hill was the site where
Romulus and Remus (the orphaned infant twins
who survived in the wild by being suckled by
a she-wolf) eventually founded the city. Although
Il Palatino is one of the seven hills of ancient
Rome, you'll find it hard to distinguish it
as such because of the urban congestion rising
all around. The site is enhanced by the Farnese
Gardens (Orti Farnesiani), laid out in the 1500s
on the site of Tiberius's palace.
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The Colosseum (Rome): Rome
boasts only a handful of other ancient monuments
that survive in such well-preserved condition.
A massive amphitheater set incongruously amid
a maze of modern traffic, the Colosseum was
once the setting for gladiator combat, lion-feeding
frenzies, and public entertainment whose cruelty
was a noted characteristic of the Empire (just
ask Russell Crowe). All three of the ancient
world's classical styles (Doric, Ionic, and
Corinthian) are represented, superimposed in
tiers one above the other.
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Villa Adriana (near Tivoli):
Villa Adriana, an exceptional complex of classical
buildings created in the 2nd century AD by the
Roman Emperor Hadrian, reproduces the best elements
of the material cultures of Egypt, Greece, and
Rome in the form of an "ideal city."
The Villa Adriana is a masterpiece that uniquely
brings together the highest expressions of the
material cultures of the ancient Mediterranean
world.Study of the monuments that make up the
Villa Adriana played a crucial role in the rediscovery
of the elements of classical archi-tecture by
the architects of the Renaissance and the Baroque
period. It also profoundly influ-enced many
19th and 20th century architects and designers
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Ostia Antica (near Rome):
The ancient Roman city of Ostia was in antiquity
situated at the mouth of the river Tiber, some
30 kilometres to the west of Rome. The shoreline
moved seawards, due to silting, from the Middle
Ages until the 19th century. Therefore Ostia
is today still lying next to the Tiber, but
at a distance of some three kilometers from
the beach. Ostia is Latin for "mouth",
the mouth of the Tiber. The river was used as
harbour, but in the Imperial period two harbour
basins were added to the north, near Leonardo
da Vinci airport. The harbour district was called
Portus, Latin for "harbour".
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Herculaneum (Campania):Herculaneum,
once called Heracleia, is an ancient town lying
5 miles (8 Km) southest of Naples, South Italy,
on the western slopes of Mount Vesuvius. It
is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating town
of the Naples area because it is not only famous
as an important archeological site, but also
as a lively town which offers a variety of beautiful
scenery and unvaluable arts. Apart from a visit
to the ruins and the Volcano, it is worth visiting
the Vesuvian Villas, such as Villa Campolieto,
Villa Signorini, Villa Ruggiero, Villa Favorita,
the Second-hand Market, the medieval Pugliano
Church and the Astronomic Observatory which
has now become a Museum
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Pompeii (Campania): Once it
was an opulent resort filled with 25,000 wealthy
Romans. In A.D. 79, the same eruption that devastated
Herculaneum (above) buried Pompeii under at
least 6m (20 ft.) of boiling volcanic ash and
pumice stone. Beginning around 1750, Charles
of Bourbon ordered the systematic excavation
of the ruins -- the treasures hauled out of
Pompeii sparked a wave of interest in the classical
era throughout northern Europe.
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Paestum (Campania): Paestum
was discovered by accident around 1750 when
local bureaucrats tried to build a road across
the heart of what had been a thriving ancient
city. Paestum originated as a Greek colony around
600 B.C., fell to the Romans in 273 B.C., and
declined into obscurity in the final days of
the empire. Today amateur archaeologists can
follow a well-marked walking tour through the
excavations.
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The Valley of the Temples
(Sicily): Although most of the Valley of the
Temples in Agrigento lies in ruins, it is one
of Europe's most beautiful classical sites,
especially in February and March when the almond
trees surrounding it burst into pink blossoms.
One of the site's five temples dates from as
early as 520 B.C.; another (though never completed)
ranks as one of the largest temples in the ancient
world.
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Segesta (Sicily): This large
archeological zone, with its magnificent Doric
temple, ranks as one of the best-preserved Greek
architectural sites to be found anyplace. Strangely
enough, it was built by the Elami (Elymians)
and not by the Greeks themselves. Segesta's
temple is situated in a pristine countryside,
standing alone in tranquil beauty amidst nature.
There are virtually no modern-day structures
to mar the setting of the Temple. You can really
enjoy the splendor of the structure and the
tranquility of the setting. At Segesta, you
can easily imagine what it was like to live
in Sicily in ancient times. Taking into consideration
all the Greek sites and temples existing in
Sicily, we encourage you to see Segesta during
your stay in Sicily, not only for the structures
themselves, but for the beautiful and natural
setting. This idyllic setting is nothing like
that of the temples of Agrigento, which, magnificent
though they are, are located on the edge of
town amidst creeping urban sprawl and illegally
constructed villas
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Selinunte (Sicily): The massive
columns of Selinunte lie scattered on the ground,
as if an earthquake had punished its builders,
yet this is one of our favorite ancient ruins
in Italy. Around 600 B.C., immigrants from Syracuse
built Selinunte into an important trading port.
The city was a bitter rival of neighboring Segesta
(above) and was destroyed around 400 B.C. and
then again in 250 B.C. by the Carthaginians
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