No hope for people who judge a city by a religion. Go to a madhouse! Without any doubt the most beautiful city in the world.

I give it 4 stars only because of its importance to Western Culture. Other than that I didn't really care for it

Catholics need to learn the truth. www.gty.org

Everyone must visit Rome and Italy. Here is the history of religion, mankind and many arts and sciences rolled into one. It really is the capital of Western Civilization and the Eternal City!

Twice, in 1985, I spent a day there for some R&R while stationed on a ship in Gaeta. I recall the following things: - On the train ride to Rome, I met two beautiful Italian college girls who lived in Latina, but went to school in Rome. Their English (and my Itlian) were adequate enough to have an interesting conversation. One of the girls was reading an excerpt from my copy of Ian Fleming's Casino Royale that I took along to read. She sounded quite sensual reading about the scene where Bond is in the car with 2 thugs and sweet Vesper Lynd. We spent 15 minutes trying to comprehend the Itlian translation for "outskirts" (though I was thinking more about "in-skirts.") - Rome is not a clean town (but cleaner than Naples). And it has a fairly large contingent of foreigners (e.g., Africans, Arabs, Orientals). - Some of the best Chinese food I ever had was in Rome. I think I was so tired of Italian food, that the Chinese was such a refreshing change of pace. - The only site of interest I had a chance to see (I did not have a car) was the Coloseum. It was about the same size as Philadelphia Veteran's Stadium (and about the same condition). - The nightlife was fair. I was in a part of town near the University and there were some good looking British Girls at one bar. I also hung out with a couple of Greek girls who sponged me for some drinks and smokes, then walked out. The best proposition I got that night was from an old and rich Italian Dude from Milano (Sorry Signorno, No Brokeback Mountain stuff for me). - The hotel did not have a bathtub. You had a shower head and the water went all over the bathroom floor. The floor was sloped for rapid drainage. It doesn't work that well because I got everything wet. - I took a whole bunch of pictures. But my camera did not have any film in it.

I've never been there, and I understand that it's dirty, probably in part because of its antiquity, and partly due to the fact that most if not all of the world's large cities are dirty due to pollution and industrialization. Rome, regardless of one's personal beliefs, IS one of the world's most historically and culturally important cities, it's beyond questioning in my view. I consider myself to be a deist, I believe in God, but not really a member of any organized faith. If anything, I would probably be described as a lapsed Catholic, though my grandmother was a Baptist, and from The South as well. I have no problems with anyone's beliefs, could care less about them. What gets me about fundamentalists is not their doctrine, or their beliefs, but the fact that the topic they're writing about often has little to nothing to do with their faith at all. This is supposed to be a board rating Rome as a city, not a forum for one's religious opinion on things. Frankly, I have found that one of the most distressing things about commenting on this site is that it provides people with a safe, anonymous way of bashing others. There is a lot of crypto-racism and religious intolerance on this site, and sadly it often comes not just from 14 year olds or lunatics, but sadly enough from objectively good writers as well. This isn't a political thing, it applies to people on the left, in between, and right. Racism, Anti-Semitism, and other ills unfortunately flourish on RIA. I used to go down South and visit my grandma's relatives, and a great many people down there are wonderful people, in fact, you couldn't ask for more hospitable and friendly folks. However, there's an element down there who are stuck in 1902. Are there people in The North who suck, who are bigots and idiots? Of course, there are...But I have found that there is indeed an element who like to bash Catholics, I naively used to think that that particular prejudice was nearly dead, but it isn't. It pales in comparison to racism, Anti-Semitism, and other troubling matters, but it's still there. Leaving aside the recent scandals and what not, what infuriates me is the audacity that some of the evangelicals have, or the idea that they alone have the right to tell Catholics what to think. If you go up North, you will find that there are a great many ethnic Catholics- Irishmen, Italians, Polish, etc who, believe me, are not at all pleased to be preached to, or condescended to, or ridiculed. Don't buy into any fallacy that everyone up there is just some milquetoast liberal. Maybe there aren't so many different types of people in The Bible Belt, I feel they don't know what they're getting into. You will also find that as people in Boston, in New York, in Philadelphia, etc they are a hell of a lot more sarcastic and street smart than you may think, and brutally effective at handling insults than you might think- having little to no experience with them. I don't come from the turn the other cheek school Is it a one way street? No, but IMO I find that the stereotypical, Fundamentalist Protestants of the ilk of Hagee and others are a hell of a lot more prejudiced toward Catholics than vice-versa when it comes to religion.Let me tip you to a little something- the majority of Catholics in The North really don't care to trouble themselves with what YOU think religiously speaking. I won't even get into N.Ireland, where the relatives of many evangelical types, in The British Isles are largely, perhaps not solely, but largely responsible for the mess there and have produced absolute monsters like Paisley. Do I feel that I, myself, make mean comments about evangelicals sometimes? Yeah, I do, but at least I have the grapes to admit that sometimes I'm wrong, and I've been wrong before, and will undoubtedly continue to be wrong about things in the future. You gotta understand that, while there are fools, idiots, racists, and boors in The North as well,even though this is just a board, I don't come from a background where it's ok to have your ancestry or the religion of your family and friends insulted and condescended to. I am sorry to go on a rant like this, but I do feel that this condescending attitude toward Catholics and others is widespread on RIA, and I felt the need to get this off my chest.

One of the most walkable cities I've ever had the pleasure of visiting. Fun things to do and see at every turn.

Dirty and poluted. It might have alot of culture and all but it's boring and dirty.

Wow. Ancient culture, the vatican, great art, great food, spanish steps. Great place to shop too.

Queen of cities, former mistress of the world, golden Rome. Rome is a very interesting place and one of these places where there is always something to see and if you had a lot of time, could take forever to see. Also, like London, a place where the more things change, the more they stay the same. Only interesting modern structures are Termini station (the most efficient train station in the world, also restored and very convienient), and EUR. Then there is the hidden Rome of the Caesars which abruts out of the ground all over the place. Don't miss sites like the little visited Circus of Maxentius out on the Via Appia Attica and many other sites to extensive to mention here.

Eternal city!! one week is not enough to see everything

It would take an eternity to see all of the Eternal City.

Come on...it's the eternal city... I've said enough

The great sites everyone lists below are a given, but I really enjoy just walking around (roaming?) in Rome. Strolling at night gives the city an entirely different look and it is the best time to people-watch. Taxis are surprisingly cheap there, and on a hot day the speed and air conditioning make it an even better value. I give it 4 stars instead of 5 because Rome's a bit chaotic for my tastes and the public transportation is not as easy or thorough as London's or Paris'.

What's truly amazing about Rome is its churches, and I'm not just referring to the Catholic ones. Besides of course the expected visits to the Vatican and St. John Lateran, Rome is a great opportunity to see services of other old Christian churches w/ congregations in the Eternal City. When I was last there, I was lucky to come upon an Ethiopian Coptic Church, and I checked out its Mass. The Coptic Church was founded in the very early years of Christianity and is mostly found in Egypt, Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia. Its liturgy is quite different from other denominations (Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant). Also, Rome has one of the oldest Synagogues in Europe. For those interested in history and religion, Rome is a jackpot for you.

Rome is incomparable. Comments based on many repeated (mostly brief) visits to Rome between 1947 (when I was a kid) and 1996. Although it suffers a lot from urban sprawl, the ancient heart of Rome is fantastic. Plenty of history, pretty much confined to a relatively small area the two farthest points being the Colosseum and the Vatican). It's hard to walk anywhere beteen those two points without walking through, over, under, or around something of interest such as the Trevi Fountain, the Roman forum, the Spanish Steps, Via Condotti, etc. Shopping can be expensive, depending on where you shop, but there are some bargains, such as silk ties (which you can find almost everywhere in Rome). Traffic is bad, the streets are raucous, and there are too many one-way streets. YUou're usually better off walking. The natives can be somewhat obnoxious and, like the Parisians, insufferable at times, although most sales, restuarant, and hotel people are OK, and tend to speak English pretty well. The food, as in most of Italy, simply is great (a couple of restaurants I'd recommend are Il Giardino, Trattoria alla Rampa and Otello alla Gran Guardia, but I don't know what prices are like these days. Coffee is great in Rome (don't drink cappuccino after about 10 AM; it's pretty much a breakfast drink for the natives). Ice creams are great almost anywhere in the city, and the array of flavors is mind-boggling (there's one place that used to serve Guinness Stout flavor!). Stick to white wines from Frascati and Orvieto; Romans don't do red very well. Hotels usually are OK, but again, don't expect them to be as comfortable as most US motels (in terms of heating and air conditioning, and especially in terms of street noise. Most hotels are right on the street, and Romans and most Italians just seem to go on making noise forever, like the Energizer bunny. I stayed at the Pensione Scalinata di Spagna once - charming place, but the room I had was directly above a restaurant whose waiters liked to sing a lot, and then around midnight, ended the performance with much clattering of dishes and silverware after they stopped sereving). Weather usually is pretty good - it doesn' usually get overly hot or overly cold, although it can get wet in the winter season. Rome is a must on any Italian travel itinereary, even if you have to put up with the Romans themselves.

I was lucky enough to get to stay for 2 weeks while attending college. It is magical, we found this place with a view and we would sit here everynight and just look over the city. Just thinking of how it was 2000 years ago. Don't fall into the tourist traps, do your own thing and explore. Look for off the path restaurants and they are no more expensive than anything here in the USA.

Roma, a beautiful city, has zillion architecture wonders to show.

I lived here for a couple of months and while I enjoyed the city, I got a little tired of both the high prices for food and the constant onslaught of pickpockets. Keep your cash in a money belt or somewhere safe. Termini station offers great people watching, Trevi Fountain is amazing. Eating gelato and sitting at Trevi Fountain was one of those "zen" moments in my life. There's history in every nook and cranny of the city.

Rome is truly a city that will make you feel both glorious and right at home. Forget the tourist attractions - there is so much more to see and do. The food is the best you will ever taste and the people are very friendly. Hang around the Campo Di Fiore and Piazza Navonna - the neighborhoods are wonderful. Visit San Clemente, the Capuchin Cemetery, and Quatro Coronati for some real treats. Stop in every church that you pass, one is more magnificent than the other. Gelati, coffee, panini and pizza that cannot be beat! Great jewelry stores in the Jewish ghetto - all 18k - stop by Shelly Ginto and tell Arturo that Donald sent you. Also, eat a fine meal at Dante Taberna dei Gracchhi in the Prati section - the food is out of this world - ask for Tommaso. If you know any priest that belong to an order- see if they have any friends stationed in Rome - they can really show you the city.

Some cities are so stacked with historical landmarks that it's almost too much. Rome is one of those cities, from the Vatican, to the Collosseum to the Pantheon, you would need weeks to hit the tourist spots of this city alone. And that doesn't even give you time to check out the non-touristy spots of this city, which in many ways are even more appealing.

Rome has some of the most amazing sights in the world. From the Coliseum to St. Peter's, it is truly amazing to actually see the many sites that you've heard about. Unfortunately, it is quite dirty with a lot of polution. There is also a serious problem with gypsies. My friend and I saw a group of gypsy kids (using pieces of cardboard to distract their targets) pickpocket a young woman and attempt to do the same to many others.

I just spent some time in Italy and thought Rome was nice but not for me. The ancient and religous history contained within one single city is amazing...the artwork in the Vatican, St. Peter's, the Forum, the Senate. However, I found it very crowded and noisy and almost got run over by mopeds every five minutes. I think that Tuscany has much more to offer...Florence and Siena are beautiful and quite cultural and the food and people of the Tuscany are much more appealing.

I think that Rome deserves 5 because it is a beautiful city with a lot of culture, history & art. It has a lot of places to visit, a lot of nice restaurants and good clubs! People are very friendly!

Rome is truly the Eternal City - no where else in Europe will you have the unique experience of living in a modern city, yet experiencing antiquity in such an in your face way. And you just can't beat Italian men! Mamma Mia!