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The saint here is being pierced by a smirking angel’s lance, and is Bernini at his theatrical best. He sets this religious ecstasy on a stage flanked by opera boxes from which members of the commissioning Cornaro family look on (see Santa Maria della Vittoria).

Rarely has marble captured flowing, almost liquid movement so gracefully. Bernini freezes time, wind-blown hair and cloak, in the instant the fleeing nymph is wrapped in bark and leaves, transformed into a laurel by her sympathetic river god father.

An example of Bernini’s fun-loving side. This baby elephant, carved to the master’s designs by Ercole Ferrata in 1667, carries a miniature 6th-century BC Egyptian obelisk on its back. It is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Carthaginian leader Hannibal’s war elephants, which carried tall siege towers across the Alps to attack the Roman Empire in 218 BC.

The capital of Christendom is packed with works by Bernini, statues by Michelangelo and panoramic views from the dome (see Features of St Peter’s Basilica).

Bernini’s gargantuan colonnade, 196 m (640 ft) across, embraces the hordes of worshippers and tourists arriving at St Peter’s. Its perfect ellipse is confirmed by the optical illusion of disappearing columns afforded by standing at one of the focus points – marble discs set between the central 1st-century BC obelisk, carved in Egypt for a Roman Prefect, and either fountain: Bernini’s on the left, Domenico Fontana’s on the right.

This tiny city-state is home to the Pope, the world’s greatest museum, largest church, and the most astounding work of art ever created – Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling.

Hadrian built this bridge in 133-4 to access his mausoleum, but only the three central arches of that span remain. Clement VII had the statues of St Peter (by Lorenzetto) and St Paul (by Paolo Taccone) installed in 1534. Clement IX hired Bernini in 1688 to design the statues of 10 angels holding symbols of the Passion.

This could be called the “piazza of the bees”, the Barberini family symbol (judiciously upgraded from horseflies when their fortunes improved). Both of the piazza’s fountains by Bernini have large, mutant-like versions of the busy insects carved onto them, to let everyone know who sponsored their creation. The central figure of a triton blowing his conch is one of Rome’s most appealing and memorable, made of travertine that takes on a warm honey colour. The other fountain is a simple scallop shell (see Palazzo Barberini).

When Maffei Barberini became Pope Urban VIII in 1623, he decided to build a family palace on the (then) edge of town. Architect Carlo Maderno designed it as an outsize country villa with three floors of arcades. Bernini added the square staircase on the left; Borromini the spiral staircase on the right.

The elongated oval of Rome’s loveliest square hints that it is built atop Domitian’s ancient stadium (see Domitian’s Stadium). This pedestrian paradise is filled with cafés, street performers and artists, milling tourists, kids playing football, and splashing fountains. Bernini designed the central Fountain of Four Rivers, and added the Moor figure to the most southerly of the piazza’s other two fountains, constantly altered from the 16th to 19th centuries.

Giacomo della Porta designed this delightful fountain between 1581 and 1584. The turtles (tartarughe ) struggling up over the lip, however, were added in 1658, perhaps by Bernini.

The statues ringing Bernini’s theatrical 1651 centrepiece symbolize four rivers representing the continents: the Ganges (Asia, relaxing), Danube (Europe, turning to steady the obelisk), Rio de la Plata (the Americas, bald and reeling), and the Nile (Africa, whose head is hidden since the river’s source was then unknown). The obelisk, balancing over a sculptural void, is a Roman-era fake, its Egyptian granite carved with the hieroglyphic names of Vespasian, Titus and Domitian.

This elegant, off-centre sweep of a staircase is Rome’s most beloved Rococo monument. It is at its most memorable in May, when it is covered in azaleas, but all year round it is littered with people drinking in la dolce vita (sweet life) and musicians strumming guitars until late into the night. Francesco De Sanctis designed the steps in 1723–6 for King Louis XV, and their true name in Italian is Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti, after the church at the top. The hourglass-shaped Piazza di Spagna, with its Bernini Barcaccia fountain and milling tourists, was named after the Spanish Embassy to the Vatican located nearby.

Bernini’s father Pietro possibly helped train his son in making this tongue-in-cheek 1629 fountain of a sinking boat. The design ingeniously solved the low water pressure problem by having a boat sprouting leaks rather than jets and sprays.

One of Europe’s greatest small museums, worth seeing for its setting alone, is home to Rome’s best collection of early Bernini sculptures.

Though altered during the Renaissance and Baroque eras, the church was built just 12 years after St Francis stayed at this hospice in 1219. Ask the sacristan’s permission to visit the cell in which St Francis stayed, bearing a copy of his portrait by Margaritone d’Arezzo. The last chapel on the left houses Bernini’s Beata Ludovica Albertoni (1671- 4), in a state of religious ecstasy bordering scandalously on the sexual.

This 17th-century Baroque extravaganza has perhaps Rome’s most ornate decor, most of it executed by Bernini and his students. The most indulgent corner is the Cornaro Chapel, to the left of the altar, home to Bernini’s shocking Ecstacy of St Teresa (see Bernini’s Ecstasy of St Teresa).

Bernini’s 1670 palace has housed Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies since 1871. The south façade is original; the north is Art Nouveau.

Founded in the 5th century, and overhauled in 1090–1118. Guido Reni did the Crucifixion altarpiece, Bernini the second chapel on the right.

Pietro da Cortona designed the façade and vestibule (1660); Bernini the high altar (1639–43). Its 6th-century frescoes are now in the Crypta Balbi.

Because of church opening times, you should take this walk (two to four hours) starting at about 10am or at 4pm. Starting with the Theatre of Marcellus, notice the soaring buttresses that support the palace, added in the 16th century. Heading round the next corner, in Santa Maria in Campitelli (see Cafés, Gelaterie and Bars) use binoculars to espy the oak leaves depicted in the altar’s tiny icon. Continuing west, as you approach the Fontana delle Tartarughe, listen for the sound of splashing water echoing off the medieval walls. To the north, the Crypta Balbi Museum (see Crypta Balbi) has fascinating displays about the neighbourhood’s history. One block north is the awe-inspiring Gesù.

For one of the best cappuccino-cornetto combinations in town, stop off at Bernasconi (Piazza Cairoli, 16).

At Sant’Andrea della Valle look up at the unusual barrel-vaulted ceiling. Then head south to Via di Grotta Pinta for the remains of the Theatre of Pompey . A block northwest, in the piazza of the Palazzo Farnese (see p104), admire the twin fountains, composed of stone tubs from the Baths of Caracalla. Walk across Campo de’ Fiori to Palazzo della Cancelleria to contemplate its Renaissance perfection.

End with a drink at La Curia di Bacco set in 1st-century BC vaults of the Theatre of Pompey.

Begin in Piazza SS Apostoli to see its namesake church (see Santissimi Apostoli) and the 2nd-century AD relief of an Imperial eagle against the portico’s right wall. Then continue straight across Via dell’Umilità and through the elaborate iron, glass, and frescoed 1880s pedestrian passage. Turn right on Via di Muratte to the Trevi Fountain . Your three coins tossed over your shoulder should ensure a return trip. Leave the square on Via di Lavoratore and turn left on Via di Panetteria for some of Rome’s best gelato at San Crispino .

Turn right up Via del Tritone and left on Via Francesco Crispi for the Galleria Comunale d’Arte Moderna to enjoy a rare glimpse in Rome of contemporary art . Walk down Via Capo le Case and right on Via Due Macelli into Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps (see The Spanish Steps and Piazza di Spagna). Spend as long as you like window-shopping along the grid of streets west of the piazza, but try to finish up by 5pm so you can work your way north, weaving between Via del Babuino and Via Margutta to see the art and antiques shops), to Piazza del Popolo.

Pause for a cappuccino at Caffè Canova , then cross to Santa Maria del Popolo , with its works by Caravaggio, Raphael and Bernini. Try to get to Santa Maria dei Miracoli and in Montesanto around 7pm to hear the Gregorian chant, before heading off for a special dinner at Dal Bolognese .

Start at the Porta San Sebastiano, the grandest city gate of them all, where you can visit the Museo delle Mura . Climb the stairs for great views. From here, continue straight on along the Via Appia Antica . One of the first sights you’ll come to, on the left at a crossroads, is the small church of Domine Quo Vadis? - this marks the spot where Peter, fleeing persecution, encountered Christ and decided to return to Rome and face his martyrdom like a saint. The church contains a replica of footprints in stone, said to be those of Christ, but it is actually an ancient pagan ex voto .

Quite a bit further ahead, you’ll come to the Catacombs of San Sebastiano. Take the guided tour, and don’t miss the curious fresco of a bowl of fruit and a partridge, which, according to some ancient writers, was the most lascivious of all creatures. Continuing on, past a mobile bar where you can buy snacks and drinks, visit the Circus of Maxentius, an ancient racetrack. Note how amphorae were embedded in the bricks to lighten the construction of the upper grandstands. Last stop will be the 1st-century BC Tomb of Cecilia Metella. The frieze of bulls’ skulls and garlands is beautiful and the cone-shaped sanctum is peaceful.

For lunch, walk back to the Antica Hostaria l’Archeologia (see Antica Hostaria l’Archeologia, Via Appia Antica). After lunch, backtrack a few hundred metres to the bus stop to catch the No. 118 into town.

Start with a cappuccino at Café Sant’Eustachio . Follow Salita de’ Crescenzi into Piazza della Rotonda and the stunning beauty of the The Pantheon . Head down to Piazza di Minerva, with Bernini’s Elephant Obelisk and the façade of Santa Maria sopra Minerva , hiding masterpieces by Filippino Lippi and Michelangelo inside.

Via S Caterina da Siena becomes Via Pie’ di Marmo (look right to see the famous ancient marble foot). The street spills into the long piazza in front of Galleria Doria Pamphilj . After paying homage to works by Caravaggio, Tintoretto and Bernini continue out the east end of the piazza on Via Lata, then on to the Corso to Santa Maria in Via Lata (see Santa Maria in Via Lata). Turn left up the Corso to the Baroque Piazza Sant’ Ignazio, backed by Rome’s best trompe-l’oeil frescoes in Sant’Ignazio di Loyola. Work your way behind the square’s mini palaces onto Piazza di Pietra. A narrow alley leads to the Column of Marcus Aurelius. Head to Giolitti for a delicious ice cream.

Walk west on Via del Leone into Piazza Borghese, home to an antiques print market and the Palazzo Borghese . Two blocks north it opens out on to Piazza Augusto Imperatore, home to many churches, Augustus’s Mausoleum and the Ara Pacis . End your morning with lunch at trendy ’s ’Gusto .

The parkland on the other side of the Circus Maximus from the Palatine Hill conceals exquisite early churches and other gems. Start on the south side of the Circus Maximus, now a sunken patch of dust and weeds, but once a majestic racecourse until the popes plundered its stones to build their palaces. Head up the hill to the Rose Garden (see Rose and Orange Gardens, Parco Savello). In spring and summer few places in Rome radiate such beauty. Continue along the old wall and enter Parco Savello’s Orange Garden (see Rose and Orange Gardens, Parco Savello) to take in the view from the parapet. Next door is Santa Sabina . Use a torch and binoculars to scrutinize carved wooden doors and the Crucifixion scene. Stop next at Piranesi’s Piazza of the Knights of Malta and peer through the celebrated keyhole.

Wind down Via di San Alessio until Viale Aventino and San Saba. Take time to appreciate the notorious St Nicholas fresco on the left wall. In the Parco della Resistenza dell’8 Settembre you can get a gelato in the park’s café and gaze at length on the 3rd-century Aurelian Wall (see Beyond the City Walls).

Cross over to the lovely Protestant Cemetery, pay your respects at the graves of Shelley, Keats and friends, pause to reflect on the splendid Pyramid of Caius Cestius, and leave your donation in the box as you exit.

Volpetti is a fabulous choice for lunch with a made-to-order gourmet sandwich.

Start in the courtyard of the Sapienza, marvelling at the remarkable façade of Sant’Ivo . Head around the church’s right side and out the back exit on to Via della Dogana Vecchia. If you need a morning pick-me-up, turn left and then right into Piazza Sant’Eustachio (if the namesake church is open, pop in for an early 18th-century interior). In the elongated piazza to the left are fine views of Sant’Ivo’s dome and two great cafés to choose from, Camillo and Sant’ Eustachio.

Return to Via della Dogana Vecchia and turn right to visit the Caravaggio works inside San Luigi dei Francesi . Continue up the street to Via delle Coppelle and turn left for more Caravaggio at Sant’Agostino. Continue into Piazza della Cinque Lune and walk a few yards to the left down Corso del Rinascimento to Ai Monasteri (see Ai Monasteri) and browse the quality liqueurs and old-fashioned beauty products, all made by monks.

Around the corner is Palazzo Altemps, now full of Classical statuary. Spend a good hour inside. Then relax from the morning’s sightseeing with a stroll amid the street performers and splashing fountains of Piazza Navona . Enjoy a tartufo ice cream or a full lunch at the wonderful Tre Scalini , before ending the morning window-shopping along the antiques of Via dei Coronari .

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.

Noted for its door and window frames shaped into screaming mouths of grotesque ogres, this bit of 16th-century Mannerist fantasia was the atelier of the painters Taddeo and Federico Zuccari.

Everyone comes here for the famous bronze keyhole view of St Peter’s Basilica, ideally framed by an arbour of perfect trees (see Knights of Malta Keyhole). However, it’s also worth a look for the piazza’s wonderful 18th-century decoration by Giambattista Piranesi, otherwise renowned for his powerful engravings of fantasy-antiquity scenes. To honour the ancient order of crusading knights (founded in 1080), the architect chose to adorn the walls with dwarf obelisks and trophy armour, in the ancient style. Originally based on the island of Rhodes, then Malta, the knights are now centred in Rome.

Following the Egyptian fashion, many ancient Romans used to build their tombs as pyramids, but this is the only survivor. It was made to form part of the defensive wall around the city (see Pyramid of Caius Cestius).

Under this church lies a 2nd-century AD shrine to Mithraism, a popular religion among Rome’s soldiers and lower classes while Christianity was gaining with patricians (see Santo Stefano Rotondo).