DK Travel : Rome

Although functioning as a vibrant, modern capital akin to any in Europe, the unique appeal of Rome is that the entire city is a vast, 3,000-year-old, indoor-outdoor museum. In every quarter you’ll find ancient monuments, art treasures and timeless architecture in churches, galleries and protected ruins. Home to the world’s smallest city, the Vatican, Rome has religion at its heart and history in its soul – a city that dazzles and inspires visitors time and time again.

Museo della Civiltà Romana

A Fascist Art Deco Temple of Karnak is home to this fascinating museum. The most striking exhibit is a 1:250 scale model of what Rome looked like in the 4th century. There are also models of ancient furniture, musical instruments and other items.
Museo delle Anime del Purgatorio

The Gothic Sacro Cuore del Suffragio church is host to a truly spooky display. A glass case preserves various types of physical “evidence” (mostly handprints somehow burned on to surfaces) of visitations from dead souls, waiting in Purgatory to move up into Heaven.
Museo delle Mura

Porta San Sebastiano is the most impressive gate surviving in the Aurelian Wall (see Beyond the City Walls). It houses a museum containing prints and models illustrating the wall’s history, and you can take a short walk along the restored parapets, which provide great views, especially along the Via Appia.
Museo di Roma in Trastevere

Housed in a beautifully restored ex-convent, this museum includes life-size dioramas of Ancient Roman rooms and shops.
Museo Napoleonico

A collection of paintings, furnishings and objets d’art that once belonged to the extensive Bonaparte clan.
Museo Nazionale delle Paste Alimentari

The National Museum of Pasta proudly proves that pasta was invented in Italy in the 12th century. Discover how pasta is made from durum wheat, which processes are used to create pastasciutta (dried pasta), and how eating it al dente (chewy) makes it easier to digest.
Museo Nazionale Romano

These collections, housed at two sites, feature some of the world’s finest ancient art, including Classical sculpture and stunning mosaics.
Museo Nazionale Romano

Founded in 1889, this museum’s holdings include archaeological finds and antiquities unearthed since 1870, plus pre-existing collections. The works are spread around five separate locations: the Baths of Diocletian, the Aula Ottagona – a part of the baths, nearby Palazzo Massimo, Palazzo Altemps, and the recently opened Crypta Balbi (see Museo Nazionale Romano).
Mussolini Takes Power

Benito “Il Duce” Mussolini, leader of the nationalistic Fascist Party, marched on Rome in 1922 and was declared prime minister. Delusions of imperial grandeur led him to excavate many of the ruins we see today. He allied Italy with Hitler, but when the tides turned, Mussolini was deposed and Italy joined Allied troops. The current Republic was set up in 1946.
Myricae

Country-style furnishings and undyed Calabrian and Grecian wool rugs. Another branch at Piazza Parlamento 38–9 sells hand-painted ceramics and women’s clothing.