Aurelian Walls - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

One of the most beautiful and luxurious pubic baths in ancient Rome begun by the emperor Septimius Severus in AD 206. There were three main bath chambers: the frigidarium, or cold room; the caldarium, or hot room; and the tepidarium, or lukewarm room. There were also large open-air swimming pools. Marble was used lavishly, and sculpture, mosaics, frescoes, and other decorations ornamented the interior.

The catacombs of St. Callixtus are among the greatest and most important of Rome. They originated about the middle of the second century and are part of a cemeterial complex that occupies an area of 90 acres, with a network of galleries about 12 miles long, in four levels, more than twenty meters deep. In it were buried tens of martyrs, 16 popes, and very many Christians. The area of the catacomb proper is about fifteen hectares, and it goes down for five levels.

The Pyramid of Cestius was most likely built between 18 and 12 BC. The 36-meter high pyramid was built as a tomb for a wealthy Roman under the sway of all things Egyptian. It is a remarkable monument, made of white Carrara marble and exactly 100 Roman feet high. It stands at a fork between two ancient roads, the Via Ostiensis and another road that ran west to the Tiber along the approximate line of the modern Via Marmorata.

St. Clement Basilica is a minor basilica dedicated to Pope Clement I. This church is remarkable because archaeologically, it records the history of Rome from the beginning of Christianity up until the Middle Ages. This ancient church was transformed over the centuries from a private home and site of clandestine Christian worship in the first century to a grand public basilica by the 6th century, reflecting the emerging Roman Catholic Church's growing legitimacy and power.

The Circus Maximus was a chariot racetrack in Rome first constructed in the 6th century BCE. A U-shaped structure with seats on three sides and a low wall running down the middle of the arena around which the chariots raced. It was also used for other public events such as the Roman Games and gladiator fights and was last used for chariot races in the 6th century CE. In its fully developed form, it became the model for circuses throughout the Roman Empire. The site is now a public park.

The Arch of Constantine is an arch in Rome, found between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill. It was built in honor of Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge on October 28, 312. It is the latest of the triumphal arches in Rome. The arch is also a tour de force of political propaganda, presenting Constantine as a living continuation of the most successful Roman emperors, renowned for their military victories and good government.