Rome shares with Paris the title of "the most beautiful city in the world". But for the French, it is much more exotic! Dressed like a true Roman, sandals (or more likely trainers!) are the thing for walking around the city and savouring the atmosphere, from backstreets to piazzas, from gardens to palaces, from fountains to museums. Be careful not to get run over by the scooters roaring by! Because unlike Florence, which is fixed in its heritage, the eternal city offers a delicious slice of life, a "dolce vita" embodied by the carefree Romans, as beautiful as a Botticelli painting, and proud of their colourful accents! 

In this cradle of Western civilization, this 2500- year-old city, you will have to weave your way between the Ancient City, the Baroque City and the Apostolic City. To make sense of this Roman muddle, why not give it some chronological order? Start by honouring the emperors, with the Colosseum and the Forum, bringing back memories for some of Latin lessons. In the midst of time-blackened ruins, Caesar's escapades and gladiatorial jousts seem far more entertaining than in the classroom! The visit then becomes more of an epic walking rally, as you discover the baroque and Renaissance facades of the city centre. The street art here didn't have to wait for graffiti! There are masterpieces everywhere, in the alleyways, in the churches; a forgotten Caravaggio in a basilica, a "minor" Boticelli illuminating a palace...

The best way to keep a cool head in the face of so much splendour is to take a few refreshing breaks or treat yourself to a strong coffee. Piazza di Spagna, for example, at the bottom of the Spanish Steps, festooned with azaleas in the spring; or Piazza Navona, baroque perfection with its exuberant fountain designed by Bernini. "Gelati" - the famous Italian ice creams - will convince you that even in Rome, gluttony is not a sin! Unless you prefer a family trattoria or a pizzeria in the popular Trastevere district, where the laundry is draped in lace above the streets... The trip would not be complete without a final detour to throw a coin into Trevi Fountain. According to legend, by doing this you are sure to return to the Eternal City one day.

On the other side of the Tiber that divides Rome in two, the Vatican displays its riches; a 44-hectare state (the smallest in the world) enclosed within the city, with its own "government", its stamps and euros carrying the Pope's image and its famous Swiss Guards in their picturesque red, yellow and blue uniforms. Surrounded by a forest of columns topped by 140 statues, decorated with fountains and an obelisk, St. Peter's Square stands at the epicentre. It can hold up to 300,000 worshippers.

And yet it seems almost cramped compared to St Peter's Basilica, so vast that it could engulf four Chartres cathedrals... The overall effect makes your head spin: the 29-metre canopy, the columns of the central nave, the flamboyant gilding and bright marbles. The effect is vertiginous when you climb up the 136 metres of the dome (via a narrow, perilous staircase). But from up there, the view of the city of seven hills is eternal. Like the Vatican Museums that hold collections amassed by the Church over the centuries, and all the way to the Sistine Chapel. You emerge from the chapel overwhelmed by the power of Michelangelo's "The Creation of the World" which adorns the ceiling...  

Sites and monuments

• The Colosseum dating from the 1st century, the largest Roman amphitheatre whose terraces could hold 50,000 spectators!
• Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by Michelangelo and flanked by three palaces: the Senators' Palace, Conservators' Palace and Palazzo Nuovo.  
• The Forum with its innumerable vestiges of ancient Rome (temples, triumphal arches, baths...). 
• The Pantheon, whose vast dome has defied time for the past two thousand years.
• The Victor-Emmanuel II Monument, an imposing white marble building from the end of the 19th century. A breath-taking view from the terrace
• The Trinità dei Monti church, a baroque masterpiece above the Piazza di Spagna, at the top of the 137 Spanish Steps.  
• Trevi Fountain with its monumental decor, immortalized by Fellini in the film "La Dolce Vita".
• The Basilica of St. John Lateran, the oldest church in Rome 
• The Basilicas of Santa Maria Maggiore and St. Paul-Outside-the-Walls, two of the four papal basilicas in Rome.  
• Castel Sant'Angelo, a medieval fortress with crenelated walls and rich interiors, at the gates of the Vatican City
• St. Peter's Basilica with its vast dome, epicentre of the Vatican and Christianity

Parks

• The park of the Villa Borghese (80 ha), of English inspiration. It also features games for children and a zoo.
• The Vatican Gardens, about 20 hectares that can only be explored in the morning.
• The gardens of Villa Celimontana, a stone's throw from the Colosseum, to regain your strength in the cool surroundings. 
• The Botanical Garden of Rome (Trastevere district): rose garden, bamboo garden, Japanese garden...

Museums

• Capitoline Museums - Housed in two palaces bordering Capitoline Square. Frescoes, statues...
• Palazzo Colonna - Still inhabited, this 14th century palace houses an important collection of works, notably exhibited in a rich gallery of 76 m.
• The Villa Medici - This Renaissance palace, which houses the French Academy in Rome, hosts exhibitions of French-speaking artists
• Borghese Gallery - a fabulous private collection in a stunning setting
• Maximus’ Palace - it is exclusively dedicated to the Roman world.
• Vatican Museums - Several museums with priceless collections, including Julius II's apartments decorated by Raphael and the Sistine Chapel vault painted by Michelangelo. 
• GNAM – national gallery of modern and contemporary art (19th century to the present day), in a neoclassical building.

• 21 April - Birth of Rome, with events and fireworks 
• 25 April - Liberation Day 1945
• 2 June - Feast of the Proclamation of the Republic
• 24 June - Saint John's Day, to share roast suckling pig
• 29 June - Feasts celebrating St. Peter and St. Paul, the two patron saints of Rome
• 15/30 July - Noantri festival, with processions in the Trastevere district
• End of September - Roma Europa Festival (concerts, performances...)  
• The Christian feasts (Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, Assumption...), with pilgrims arriving from all over the world.

• Certain vehicles are forever associated with Rome: the Fiat 500 and the Vespa, but also the Ape Calessino, the iconic sixties scooter popularized by the film La Dolce Vita. Take a chance on these means of transport (with driver!) offered by local agencies, for an offbeat discovery of the city. 
• In the popular districts of Testaccio and Ostiense, you can admire the street art on the walls of abandoned factories before going on to the old Montermartini power station, which exhibits ancient statues amidst monumental machines. A striking contrast!
• In a city steeped in history, we can forget the future! But it is perfectly at home in the Flaminio district. You can discover the Maxxi, a futuristic building by the architect Zaha Hadi dedicated to contemporary art, the Renzo Piano Auditorium and the Mosque of Rome (1995) whose minaret rises to 43 metres.   

Starters

• Antipasti - hors d'oeuvres to share, made up of seafood, vegetables, cheese...
• Bruschetta - a slice of bread, rubbed with garlic and topped with tomatoes, grilled peppers, ham, cheese...  
• Prosciutto, salami, bologna... Italian cold cuts to work up an appetite.

Dishes

• Spaghetti, tagliatelle, penne, rigatonis... there are dozens of ways to prepare pasta! 
• Abbacchio (lamb) - roasted, stewed or pan-roasted, it is a must in Roman cuisine. 
• Coratella - lamb offal simmered in white wine and olive oil, with onions. It is eaten with artichokes stuffed with garlic.
• Porchetta - suckling pig stuffed and then roasted, eaten cold sliced or pan-fried

Desserts

• Pecorino - a sheep's cheese, eaten dry and full-bodied in Rome 
• Tiramisu - mascarpone cake and coffee-soaked biscuits
• Panna Cotta - a cream dessert that can be eaten plain or with a fruit sauce

Drinks

• Wine* and in particular the wines of Lazio (a region that includes Rome) the main grape varieties being Malvasia (white), Merlot and Sangiovese (the most widespread in Italy). 
• Coffee, especially espresso, which is drunk very strong (ristretto) in Italy.
• Cappuccino, a long coffee topped with milk foam and sprinkled with cocoa.
• Grappa*, a grape-based brandy that can be enjoyed white (young), aged or flavoured (spices, medicinal plants...).
• Sambuca*, an aniseed-based digestive particularly popular in Rome.

* l'abus d'alcool est dangereux pour la santé, à consommer avec modération

• Italy Tourist Office
• Rome Fiumicinio Airport (FCO)
• French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• French Ambassy in Italy
• Ambassy of Italy in France