Walking through the ancient ruins of the city and browsing its characteristic alleys is an unforgettable experience for sure. Rome, however, offers panoramic viewpoints, each with its own characteristic, where to enjoy a splendid view and grasp all the magnificence of the city from a privileged perspective.
Let’s discover the terraces and overlooks from where to admire the capital from above, trying to identify the most famous monuments, getting excited in front of the Roman sunsets, embracing with a single glance the entire historic center and beyond, up to the nearby Castelli Romani.
PINCIO
From the astonishing “Terrazza del parco”, part of Villa Borghese, you can experience one of the most beautiful views in the world and a real suggestive sunset. You will be amazed by the panorama including a large part of the historic center of Rome: the underlying Piazza del Popolo, Saint Peter's Dome, Castel Sant'Angelo, the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, the 16th-century architecture of the ancient palaces and, from afar, the equestrian monument of Garibaldi on the Janiculum Hill.
JANICULUM HILL
From the viewpoint of this hill, located on the right bank of the Tiber, near the statue of Garibaldi, you can enjoy fascinating glimpses of the historic center. It is one of the Romans most favourite promenades and viewpoints, where the skyline of the city appears as an evocative succession of roofs, domes and monuments.
THE TERRACES OF THE VITTORIANO
From the “Terrazza delle Quadrighe”, at the top of the Complesso del Vittoriano, you can apreciate a truly breathtaking view. Two panoramic lifts allow you to reach the highest point of the building, where you can see Rome from at 360 degrees. The view ranges from the majesty of the Colosseum and the Imperial Fora to the churches of the historic center, from the Tiber to the Ancient Jewish Ghetto, from Piazza del Campidoglio to the Quirinale, from the contemporary architecture of the EUR district to the characteristic Castelli Romani area.
THE TERRACE OF THE QUIRINALE
A few steps from the suggestive alleys that wind around the Trevi Fountain and via del Corso, the heart of the Capitoline shopping, stands the charming terrace of the Quirinale, one of the privileged panoramic points over the city. Although not very high, the belvedere nonetheless offers a scenario as far as the eye can see over iconic places such as the St. Peter's Dome and a sea of near and far roofs silhouetted against the sky. If you look for a higher view, extraordinary during the day but even more so at dusk and in the evening, when it is open to the public, you can enter the magnificent building overlooking the square, the Scuderie del Quirinale. From the window located on the third floor, designed by Gae Aulenti, you can enjoy a 180-degree panorama from the most elevated of the Seven Hills of Rome.
THE ORANGE GARDEN
On top of the Aventine, one of the most elegant hills of Rome within the medieval walls of the ancient fortress of the Savelli family, is the fascinating Parco Savello, also known as the Orange Garden. It is a small rectangular garden taking its name from the trees planted in memory of San Domenico. It is one of the favourite places for lovers, with a wonderful view of Rome, going from the bend of the Tiber, including Rione Trastevere and Tiber island, to St. Peter's Basilica, up to the Janiculum Hill and Monte Mario.
ST. PETER'S DOME
A total weight of about 14,000 tons, 133.30 meters of external height from the street level to the top of the cross, 117.57 meters its internal height from the floor to the vault of the lantern, an outer diameter of 58.90 meters, an inner diameter of 41.50 meters: these are the impressive numbers of the dome that dominates the basilica, the symbol of Christianity, the work of the genius of Michelangelo Buonarroti, and visited every year by millions of faithful from all over the world.
The access to the dome is through a long spiral climb, the so-called "lumaca di Sant'Andrea" and 537 steps leading up to the external gallery, which offers a breathtaking view of Piazza San Pietro, the Bernini's colonnade and a 360-degrees panoramic view of the city and the surrounding territories, up to the Castelli Romani and the sea. From here, Rome unveils all its beauty. The Eternal City is at your feet, in the breadth of its neighborhoods alternating with green gardens, furrowed in the middle by the Tiber and surrounded by the Colli Albani in the distance.
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