Legend has it that Rome was founded on the seven hills by the banks of the river Tiber by two brothers, Romulus and Remus, some time in the eighth century BC. In time, Rome built an empire that stretched from Britain to the banks of the Euphrates, from the Rhine to the deserts of North Africa. Roman and Greek culture (which the Romans adapted as their own) spread wherever the Pax Romanum (the Roman Peace) held sway. Several of the world’s major languages—Spanish, French, and Italian—evolved from Latin, the language of the Roman conquerors.

After the Western Roman Empire fell to the barbarians, Rome became the center of another empire, but one based more on spiritual rather than temporal power. During the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church was the universal religion for most of Europe. Even with the coming of the Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation, the Church has remained a force to be reckoned with.

The city of Rome is replete with reminders of both its imperial and its religious past, of which some of the more interesting ones are:

St. Peters Basilica

The construction of St. Peters Basilica was begun under Pope Julius II in the early 16th Century. Seen from the entrance to St. Peters Square, it is one of the most impressive sights on Earth, a huge edifice that captures the eye and the imagination.

The basilica is in the traditional form of the Latin cross. Once inside, one can be overwhelmed by the sheer size of the place, the ornate decorations, and the golden light that seems to fill the air.

One of the highlights of a visit to St. Peters includes the first chapel in the right Nave, just beyond the entrance, which contains the Pieta, a sculpture of the adult Christ, laying in the arms of his mother the Virgin Mary, carved by Michelangelo. The monumental papal alter of St. Peter in Glory dominates the apse. The dome by Michelangelo lays overhead. The central and side naves are filled with altars, monuments to the Popes, statues of the founders, intricate mosaics.

An elevator will take the visitor to the base of the dome and a magnificent vista of Vatican City and Rome beyond. For those with the stamina to climb the stairs to the top of the dome, an even greater visit awaits of the Eternal City.