Rome. General Information

Rome

Rome today is one of the most important tourist destinations of the world, due to the incalculable immensity of its archaeological and artistic treasures, as well as for the charm of its unique traditions, the beauty of its panoramic views, and the majesty of its magnificent "villas" (parks). Among the most significant resources are the many museums – (Musei Capitolini, the Vatican Museums, Galleria Borghese, including those dedicated to modern and contemporary art and great many others) – aqueducts, fountains, churches, palaces, historical buildings, the monuments and ruins of the Roman forum, and the Catacombs. Rome is the 3rd most visited city in the EU, after London and Paris. The Colosseum and the Vatican Museums are the 39th and 37th (respectively) most visited places in the world, according to a recent study.

Rome is also widely recognized as a world fashion capital.  Although not as important as  Milan,  Rome is the world's 4th most important center for fashion in the world. Major luxury fashion houses and jewelry chains,  such as Bulgari,  Fendi,  Laura Biagotti and Brioni, just to name a few,  are headquartered or were founded in the city. 
The best times to have roman holidays are in spring (late March through May)  and fall  (September through mid-November) - though know that it does tend to rain bit more in October. The best way to see the city is to walk.

Things to do in Rome are lot.  After seeing all sights you must throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain. 

Legend sais that you will return to Rome if you throw a coin into the water.

The Spanish Steps - steps extending from Piazza di Spagna to Trinita dei Monti, were originally named after the Spanish Embassy adjacent. Ascend further from the top of the steps to get good views of Rome. The steps had a major restoration in 1995-6, and the once popular art of lunching on the steps is frowned upon, and fines can be levied. At the foot of the steps is the Keats-Shelley Memorial House The area around the steps offers designer shops, restaurants and bars.

Amble around antique markets. Markets in Rome are a great opportunity to really breathe city life, strolling around the stalls. 
Looking, touching, getting bargains or just simply buying a souvenir. 
The markets open at about 9-10 o'clock in the morning and close at sunset.

Photograph and visit the city's best piazzas.  From the shadows of the ancient, winding streets of the historic center you suddenly come upon the breathtaking magnificence of Piazza Navona, born as a place of spectacle and still today a spectacular open air show; an architectural miracle in the heart of the Eternal City, filled with masterpieces in perfect harmony with each other. This piazza, which displays the genius of Bernini and Borromini, is one of the finest Baroque Masterpiece in papal Rome. Its harmony and colors, combined with its elegance, give it a charm that is enhanced by the surprising contrast of architecturally sober houses alternating with a number of monumental Buildings.

Of all Rome's piazzas, this isola pedonale (pedestrian precinct) is one where the liveliness of Roman life is most tangible. It has long been a meeting place for the inhabitants of Rome. In past, in addition to the market, processions and spectacles where held here - included "naumachiae", or mock naval battles. Today life in the piazza revolves around the open-air-cafés and the seasonal fairs. Of these the most popular is the one held in December and early January where toys and crib figures are sold. Its theme if the Feast of Epiphany as well as Christmas, so la Befana (the Epiphany witch, who his roughly the Italian equivalent of Father Christmas) features prominently. In the summer the piazza provides a continous festival of painters, caricaturists, fortune-teller and buskers, who entertain visitors until the small hours.

The Porta del Popolo on the north side of the Piazza marks one end, while the East is dominated by the passeggiata del Pincio. This piazza served as an exposition hall, a stadium, and a theater for popular plays. The face of the piazza changed a great deal from the 1400's to the 1800's, with the reconstruction of the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo, the placement of the Flaminian obelisk at the center of the piazza, and the addition of neo-classical elements by Giuseppe Valadier.

New York - General Information

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. The home of the United Nations Headquarters. New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural capital of the world.

New York City is in reality a collection of many neighborhoods scattered among the city's five boroughs - Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island - each exhibiting its own lifestyle. Moving from one city neighborhood to the next may be like passing from one country to another.

New York City's boroughs are home to some of the world's most recognizable, cherished landmarks and attractions. From Times Square and Central Park to the Empire State Building and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the island of Manhattan packs more legendary icons into one compact area than any other place on Earth - and that's to say nothing of the City's four other boroughs, each of which contains its own roster of must-see destinations. With so much to see and do, a trip to NYC may seem a little overwhelming. To help, we've rounded up attractions that belong on any visitor's to-see list.

Statue of Liberty

Many of New York City's major monuments and attractions are America's iconic landmarks - the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge. But that's only the beginning.
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frederic Bartholdi,  Enlightening the World.  It was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. It was dedicated on October 28, 1886, designated as a National Monument in 1924 and restored for her centennial on July 4, 1986.

The Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to America by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is a globally recognized symbol of the United States and its democracy.

Times Square

Times Square is a major intersection in New York City that was named after the Times Building (now One Times Square), where The New York Times was formerly headquartered. Times Square, iconified as "The Crossroads of the World", is the brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway theater district, one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections, and a major center of the world's entertainment industry.
New York City's financial district, anchored by Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, functions as the financial capital of the world and is home to the New York Stock Exchange, the world's largest stock exchange by total market capitalization of its listed companies.

This is a city made for pedestrians: Manhattan's grid makes for easy orientation, subway stations are relatively close together, and there are so many other pedestrians that you'll find strength in numbers when you choose to cross against the light.

Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883 as the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time. It was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service, and a New York City Landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River. With a main span of 1,595.5 feet (486.3 m). The Brooklyn Bridge was initially designed by German immigrant John Augustus Roebling. More than 120,000 vehicles, 4,000 pedestrians and 3,100 bicyclists cross the Brooklyn Bridge every day. With over 127 years of heavy use, this iconic East River crossing is now one of three DOT bridges in the New York City area rated "poor" in a 2007 state inspection. The rating means components of the bridge - ramps, approaches, and decking - are in need of rehabilitation.

Madrid - General Information

Madrid 

Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third largest in the European Union after London and Paris. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million. Madrid is now the fourth most visited capital city in Europe.  The city is located in the heart of the peninsula and the right in the center of the Castillian plain 646 meters above sea level. As the capital city of Spain, a cosmopolitan city, a business center, headquarters for the Public Administration, Government, Spanish Parliament and the home of the Spanish Royal Family, Madrid also plays a major role in both the banking and industrial sector. It is considered the major financial centre of Southern Europe. Madrid also ranks among the 12 greenest European cities in 2010. This is a city as at home in the nightclubs and bars that give the streets their soundtrack as it is in the hallowed halls of high culture. 

Its landmarks include the Royal Palace of Madrid; the Teatro Real (Royal theatre); the Buen Retiro park; the 19th-century National Library building; a large number of National museums, and the Golden Triangle of Art, located along the Paseo del Prado and comprising three art museums: Prado Museum, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, a museum of modern art, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, which completes the shortcomings of the other two museums.

The Royal Palace of Madrid

The Royal Palace of Madrid  is the official residence for the Royal family, but these days they only use it for state ceremonies. The rest of the time it's open to the public. It was built during the 18th and 19th centuries, and is a monumental building. The present day Royal Palace of Madrid was decorated to the tastes of Charles III, and is extremely lavish inside. Visitors can wander through many of the rooms and banqueting halls. With 2,800 rooms, over forty balconies, parade grounds, a plaza and a large landscaped park, the Royal Palace is an immense landmark that should be visited with plenty of time to spare.

The Teatro Real

The Teatro Real Located just in front of the Palacio Real of Madrid, the beautiful Teatro Madrid was originally the official residence of the Spain's Queen Isabel II. It was first inaugurated as an opera house in 1850, with a performance of Donizetti's "La Favorite"and has served gloriously in this role since. Today you can enjoy a variety of excellent programs and operas in this historic theater. 

It has been the scene of lyric productions but has also played host to parliamentary sessions and has even been used as a dance hall during the last century and a half.

The Buen Retiro park is the first biggest park of Madrid city. It has 1.4 km2 (350 acres) at the edge of the city center. It was created as a royal park; it belonged to the Real Sitio del Buen Retiro palace. In 1632, the palace was built by King Philips IV as a retreat for the Royal family. It's a magnificent park, filled with beautiful sculpture and monuments, galleries, a peaceful lake and host to a variety of events.It is a spectacular urban oasis of aromatic bay leaf trees, ponds, rose gardens, stunning fountains and museums.

National Library

The National Library of Spain (Biblioteca Nacional) is situated in an impressive neoclassical building to one side of Plaza de Colón. It has a rectangular floor plan and is neoclassical in style. Work began on its construction in 1866 and was completed in 1892. Come and visit this library which is a monument in itself. Special mention should be made of its broad exterior staircase and its main façade, with a Corinthian style, square-fronted portico, finished with sculptures by the artist Agustín Querol, representing the Triumph of the Sciences and the Arts. The facade of three entrance archways and wrought-iron gates is fantastically beautiful. The building also hosts statues of Alfonso X (The Wise) and San Isidoro before grand main staircase.   The National Library houses a bibliographic archive of incalculable value, comprised of books from the early days of print, engravings, musical scores, manuscripts, editorial rarities and a host of printed documents.

Prado Museum

Prado Museum is the jewel of Madrid, housed in a neo-classical 18th century building designed by Juan de Villanueva, located on the beautiful Paseo del Prado. The Prado Museum opened in 1819 during the reign of Fernando VII, as a public repository for the massive Spanish royal art collection, including paintings from the Habsburgs, Bourbons and the Church. The Prado was the first public art museum of its time and today holds impressive collections, particularly of the Spanish, Italian and Flemish schools. The Prado boasts the world's finest collection of Spanish art, with extensive examples of works by El Greco, Velazquez, Goya, and Murillo. Visitors can also explore a fine collection of works by Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens and Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch as well as a number of Italian masterpieces.

Rome. The most visited places

Rome

Rome is the capital and largest city of Italy and of the Lazio region. it is also the country's largest and most populated comune and fourth most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. Rome’s history spans two and half thousand years. No other city comes close. It may no longer be capital of the world, but Rome is an epic, bubbling-over metropolis harboring lost empires.

Its historic centre is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Monuments and museums such as the Vatican Museum and the Colosseum are amongst the world's 50 most visited tourist destinations.

The most visited places in Rome are:

 Colosseum

1) The Colosseum Arguably one of Rome's most famous and iconic monuments, it is one of the Roman world's biggest amphitheaters. It is regarded as being a wonder of the medieval world. The Colosseum today is now a major tourist attraction in Rome with thousands of tourists each year paying to view the interior arena, though entrance for EU citizens is partially subsidized, and under-18 and over-65 EU citizens' entrances are free. There is now a museum dedicated to Eros located in the upper floor of the outer wall of the building. Part of the arena floor has been re-floored. 

Pantheon

2) Pantheon  is a classical building in the city, originally built by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome, and rebuilt in the early 2nd century AD. A near-contemporary writer, Cassius Dio, speculates that the name comes from the statues of many gods placed around the building, or from the resemblance of the dome to the heavens. It is one of the best preserved of all Roman buildings. It has been in continuous use throughout its history, and since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to "St. Mary and the Martyrs" but informally known as "Santa Maria della Rotonda". The square in front of the Pantheon is called Piazza della Rotonda.

Trevi Fountain 

3) Trevi Fountain was designed and completed in the 18th century. It is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and the most beautiful in the world. A traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome or supposed to bring good luck. The central figure of the fountain, in front of a large niche, is Neptune, god of the sea. He is riding a chariot in the shape of a shell, pulled by two sea horses. Triton guides each sea horse. One of the horses is calm and obedient, the other one restive. They symbolize the fluctuating moods of the sea. On the left hand side of Neptune is a statue representing Abundance, the statue on the right represents Salubrity. Above the sculptures are bas-reliefs; one of them shows Agrippa, the general, who built the aqueduct that carries water to the fountain.

Sistine Chapel

4) Sistine Chapel Found in the Vatican City, it contains a huge collection of several paintings from all periods, and is Rome's leading and most visited chapel. It was painted by Michelangelo.
Due to the extraordinary talents of Michelangelo, the Sistine Chapel has become one of the most famous art displays in the western world. The famous Sistine ceiling depicts scenes from Genesis in striking detail, and The Last Judgment on the chapel's end wall is equally dramatic. In addition to these famous artworks, the side walls are festooned with frescoes of Moses and Christ and portraits of popes. The middle part of the walls has 12 large paintings called frescoes, done by famous artists in 1481. 

Roman Forum

5) The Roman Forum  the centre of the city's politics and business at the time. The main sight of the Forum include the Arch of Titus (Arco di Tito), the Temple of Saturn, Temple of Vesta, and the church of San Luca e Martina. These are all linked by the Sacra Via, the main road through the Forum. The Forum was the marketplace of Rome and also the business district and civic center. It was expanded to include temples, a senate house and law courts. When the Roman Empire fell, the Forum became forgotten, buried and was used as a cattle pasture during the Middle Ages. Much of the forum has been destroyed. Columns and stone blocks are all that remain of some temples.

Saint Peter's Basilica

6) Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world. Found in the Vatican city, it is near where the Pope resides, and it is one of the most important centres for Christian pilgrimage, and is commonly regarded as the "home of the Roman Catholic Church" The Pieta (1498–1499) housed in St. Peter’s Basilica is a masterpiece of  Michelangelo Buonarroti. Saint Peter's tomb is under the main altar and many other popes are buried in the basilica as well. Originally founded by Constantine in 324, Saint Peter's Basilica was rebuilt in the 16th century by Renaissance masters including Bramante, Michelangelo and Bernini.