Explore Julius Caesar’s Rome

All roads might lead to Rome, but it wasn't always that way. The Via Appia Antica, the "Queen of Roads," was built in 312 BC, and by 191 BC, extended all the way to the port of Brindisi, almost 310 miles southeast of Rome on the Adriatic Sea. The Via Appia Antica became Rome's most important road—and perhaps the most important road in the world—opening Rome up to the East.

By the time Julius Caesar was ascending to power, the road had been worn down. Sensing the importance of the road to Rome and its people, he became the curator of the Appian Way in 66 BC, and borrowed a significant amount of state funds to ensure its restoration. The move gained him political support, which proved crucial in advancing his political career.

To explore the road (and the three catacombs that are open to the public that line it), take the metro out to the Appia Antica stop and head to the Appia Antica Regional Park Information Point. Here, you can buy a map of the park and rent bikes. The park also runs tours, but those must be booked two weeks in advance.

If you think that Trastevere's charming streets and buildings look downright Medieval, that's because they are: this neighborhood, located across the river from Rome's bustling center, is an incredibly well-preserved glimpse into medieval Rome. But it's got more than Medieval history—it dates back to antiquity, and Julius Caesar once called the neighborhood his second home. 

According to historian Stacy Schiff, Caesar's country estate included a colonnaded court, a mile-long, lushly planted garden, and an extensive collection of paintings and sculptures. Caesar mainly lived in the center of the city, near the Forum, with his third wife, Calpurnia. But it is here in his villa Horti Caesaris, that he is believed to have entertained Cleopatra when she was in Rome in 46 B.C.. Though it's impossible to pinpoint exactly where the villa once stood, one can gaze across the Tiber toward the center of Rome as the Egyptian queen once did with her son, and Caesar's love-child, Caesarion.

Wandering the streets of Trastevere transports one back through several periods of Roman history. Visit the 12th-century Basilica di Santa Maria or check out the Villa Farnesina, a Renaissance-era villa with frescoes by artsits like Raphael.

To get to Trastevere, you can either walk from the city center (you can cross the river via the stone footbridge Ponte Sisto) or talk public transportation (tram number 8 to Viale Trastevere).

Before Rome became one of the ancient world's most famous Republics, it was ruled by Etruscan kings who built their seat of power in the marshlands between three Roman hills. By constructing a sewer to drain the marshlands, they gained valuable land between the Palatine, Capitoline and Esquiline hills. In 509 BC, when Rome became a Republic, this area became the seat of political power, containing the buildings and temples which were the focal point of Roman political life—an area then, and today, known as the Roman Forum.

Caesar, being an intregal member of Roman political life, would have spent a great deal of his time in and around the Forum. After he rose to power, he even began to change the landscape of the Forum itself by planning and constructing several new buildings and monuments. One such building was the Basilica Julia, the construction of which began in 54 BC. Caesar reorganized the Roman Forum to make way for this massive and ornate basilica, dedicated in his honor, tearing down the Forum's exisiting basilica (the Basilica Sempronia, built in 169 B.C.). The building was destroyed twice in a fire, once in 8 B.C. and again in 283 A.D. Both times, the basilica was rebuilt, only to be sacked completely during the fall of Rome. The building's ruins are still visible, however, and the floorplan of the basilica can be easily identified. 

You can explore the Roman Forum by purchasing a ticket, which will also grant you access to the neighboring Colosseum and Palatine Hill. Tickets are €12 (about $17). The sites are open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Audio tours, as well as guided tours, are offered in a variety of languages. For booking information, call +39 (0)6 39 96 77 00 or go online.