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Diocletian (284–305) set up a governing system of multiple emperors. A virulent persecutor of the Christians.

When English parliamentarian Gibbon (1737–94) stood in the Forum for the first time in 1764, he was struck by how “...each memorable spot where Romulus stood, or Tully spoke, or Caesar fell, was at once present to my eye.” He resolved to write the history of Rome, and by 1788 had finished his seminal work, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire .

Built by Mussolini as a showcase to the world of the ideal Fascist metropolis, the EUR (l’Esposizione Universale di Roma) is disturbing to many visitors. The critic Robert Hughes described the so-called Square Colosseum as “the most frightening building in the world”, yet the aesthetic inspired many postwar architects. Aside from the hard-edged architecture, there’s a park with a lake, and a visit to the Museo della Civiltà Romana is instructive.

By the late 4th century Rome was in decline, as Barbarians from across the Rhine and Danube conquered outlying provinces. In 476, the last emperor was deposed and the Empire fell.

The five-time Academy Award-winner (1920–1993) embodied styles from neo-realism to magico-realism.

Fellini’s 1972 tribute to his adopted home town. Rome’s heritage gets in the way of modernization, and the absurdity of the Vatican is shown in a frighteningly funny papal fashion show. Fellini built a highway at the Cinecittà studios so he could film rush hour without the bother of real traffic.

The “Fountain of the Tortoises” is the work of three artists. First created in the late 1500s for the Mattei family, it was designed by Giacomo della Porta. The four bronze boys, however, were sculpted by Taddeo Landini. The crowning touch came almost a century later, when an unknown artist (some say Bernini) added the tortoises and gave the fountain its name.

The name refers to the ancient cattle market that was once here. Now the area is a mini-archaeological park, with two 2nd-century BC temples and a later Arch of Janus. If not for the ferocious traffic, it would be a wonderful place to linger. Dating from the reign of Constantine or later, the arch is unprepossessing, but the temples are amazingly well preserved. The rectangular shrine is to Portunus, god of rivers and ports, while the circular one is a Temple of Hercules.

Originally called the Foro Mussolini, the name was understandably changed in the late 1940s, even though the 16-m (55-ft) obelisk still shouts out “Mussolini Dux” (“Mussolini the Leader”). In imitation of every mad Roman emperor, there was even supposed to have been a 75-m (250-ft) statue of Il Duce posing as Hercules. The sculptures of the Stadio dei Marmi, 60 colossal nude young Fascist athletes, are worth a look.