Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

An amazing amalgam of sights and sounds, Rome is a kinetic tapestry stimulating every sense. The ring of church bells and honks of early morning traffic echo off the weathered stone of ancient buildings. Office workers dash past fruit stands and sidewalk cafés in the shadows of elegant palace façades. Meanwhile, tourists make their way from piazza to piazza, monument to monument, church to church: the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica. From the sculptures of the ancients to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes to the Baroque fountains of Bernini, Rome’s art and architecture are unsurpassed. Here the day-to-day life of a busy European metropolis intermingles with many of the most recognizable monuments ever created. Rome belongs not only to Italy, but to the world.