Rome

===Architecture===
{{Excerpt|Architecture of Rome}}
[[File:Palazzo della civiltà del lavoro (EUR, Rome) (5904657870).jpg|thumb|The [[Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana]] in [[EUR, Rome|EUR district]]]]

====Fountains and aqueducts====
{{Main|List of fountains in Rome|List of aqueducts in the city of Rome}}
[[File:Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy 2 - May 2007.jpg|thumb|Construction of the [[Trevi Fountain]] began during the time of Ancient Rome and was completed in 1762 by a design of [[Nicola Salvi]].]]

Rome is a city known for its numerous fountains, built-in all different styles, from Classical and Medieval, to Baroque and Neoclassical. The city has had [[fountain]]s for more than two thousand years, and they have provided drinking water and decorated the [[piazza]]s of Rome. During the [[Roman Empire]], in 98 AD, according to [[Sextus Julius Frontinus]], the Roman consul who was named ''[[Curator Aquarum|curator aquarum]]'' or guardian of the water of the city, Rome had nine [[aqueduct (watercourse)|aqueducts]] which fed 39 monumental fountains and 591 public basins, not counting the water supplied to the Imperial household, baths, and owners of private villas. Each of the major fountains was connected to two different aqueducts, in case one was shut down for service.<ref>Frontin, Les Aqueducs de la ville de Rome, translation and commentary by Pierre Grimal, Société d'édition Les Belles Lettres, Paris, 1944.</ref>

During the 17th and 18th century, the Roman popes reconstructed other degraded Roman aqueducts and built new display fountains to mark their termini, launching the golden age of the Roman fountain. The fountains of Rome, like the paintings of [[Peter Paul Rubens|Rubens]], were expressions of the new style of Baroque art. In these fountains, sculpture became the principal element, and the water was used simply to animate and decorate the sculptures. They, like baroque gardens, were "a visual representation of confidence and power".<ref>''Italian Gardens, a Cultural History'', Helen Attlee. Francis Lincoln Limited, London 2006.</ref>

====Statues====
{{See also|Talking statues of Rome}}
[[File:Vierströmebrunnen-Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (27903447766).jpg|thumb|right|Fontana dei Fiumi by [[Gian Lorenzo Bernini]], 1648]]

Rome is well known for its statues but, in particular, the [[talking statues of Rome]]. These are usually ancient statues which have become popular soapboxes for political and social discussion, and places for people to (often satirically) voice their opinions. There are two main talking statues: the [[Pasquino]] and the [[Marforio]], yet there are four other noted ones: [[il Babuino]], [[Madama Lucrezia]], [[il Facchino]] and [[Abbot Luigi]]. Most of these statues are ancient Roman or classical, and most of them also depict mythical gods, ancient people or legendary figures; il Pasquino represents [[Menelaus]], Abbot Luigi is an unknown Roman magistrate, il Babuino is supposed to be [[Silenus]], [[Marforio]] represents [[Oceanus]], Madama Lucrezia is a bust of [[Isis]], and [[il Facchino]] is the only non-Roman statue, created in 1580, and not representing anyone in particular. They are often, due to their status, covered with placards or [[graffiti]] expressing political ideas and points of view. Other statues in the city, which are not related to the talking statues, include those of the Ponte Sant'Angelo, or several monuments scattered across the city, such as that to [[Giordano Bruno]] in the Campo de'Fiori.

====Obelisks and columns====
{{Main|List of obelisks in Rome}}
[[File:Piazza del Popolo Obelisco Flaminio a Roma.jpg|thumb|[[Flaminio Obelisk]], [[Piazza del Popolo]]]]

The city hosts eight [[ancient Egypt]]ian and five [[ancient Rome|ancient Roman]] [[obelisk]]s, together with a number of more modern obelisks; there was also formerly (until 2005) an [[Aksumite Empire|ancient Ethiopian]] obelisk in Rome.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.initaly.com/regions/classic/obelisks.htm |title=Chasing Obelisks in Rome |publisher=Initaly.com |access-date=3 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206125357/http://initaly.com/regions/classic/obelisks.htm |archive-date=6 February 2010}}</ref> The city contains some of obelisks in [[piazza]]s, such as in [[Piazza Navona]], [[Saint Peter's Square|St Peter's Square]], [[Piazza di Monte Citorio|Piazza Montecitorio]], and [[Piazza del Popolo]], and others in [[villa]]s, [[thermae]] parks and gardens, such as in [[Villa Mattei|Villa Celimontana]], the [[Baths of Diocletian]], and the [[Pincian Hill]]. Moreover, the centre of Rome hosts also [[Trajan's column|Trajan]]'s and [[Column of Marcus Aurelius|Antonine Column]], two ancient Roman columns with spiral relief. The Column of Marcus Aurelius is located in [[Piazza Colonna]] and it was built around 180 AD by [[Commodus]] in memory of his parents. The [[Column of Marcus Aurelius]] was inspired by [[Trajan's Column]] at [[Trajan's Forum]], which is part of the [[Imperial Fora]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.roundtheworldmagazine.com/free-things-to-do-in-rome/ |title=7 Free Things To Do In Rome |publisher=roundtheworldmagazin.com |access-date=17 January 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217200236/http://www.roundtheworldmagazine.com/free-things-to-do-in-rome/ |archive-date=17 February 2017 |date=12 January 2017}}</ref>

====Bridges====
{{Main|List of bridges in Rome}}
[[File:Bridge Vittorio Emanuele II at sunset.jpg|thumb|[[Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II]] at sunset]]

The city of Rome contains numerous famous bridges which cross the [[Tiber]]. The only bridge to remain unaltered until today from the classical age is [[Pons Fabricius|Ponte dei Quattro Capi]], which connects the [[Isola Tiberina]] with the left bank. The other surviving – albeit modified – ancient Roman bridges crossing the Tiber are [[Pons Cestius|Ponte Cestio]], [[Ponte Sant'Angelo]] and [[Ponte Milvio]]. Considering [[Ponte Nomentano]], also built during ancient Rome, which crosses the [[Aniene]], currently there are five ancient Roman bridges still remaining in the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.citrag.it/archi/page/bridges/e_f_pn_ro.htm |title=The Bridges of Ancient Rome |publisher=Citrag.it |access-date=3 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113044759/http://www.citrag.it/archi/page/bridges/e_f_pn_ro.htm |archive-date=13 January 2010}}</ref> Other noteworthy bridges are [[Ponte Sisto]], the first bridge built in the Renaissance above Roman foundations; [[Ponte Rotto]], actually the only remaining arch of the ancient ''Pons Aemilius'', collapsed during the flood of 1598 and demolished at the end of the 19th century; and [[Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II]], a modern bridge connecting Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Borgo. Most of the city's public bridges were built in Classical or Renaissance style, but also in Baroque, Neoclassical and Modern styles. According to the [[Encyclopædia Britannica]], the finest ancient bridge remaining in Rome is the [[Ponte Sant'Angelo]], which was completed in 135 AD, and was decorated with ten statues of the angels, designed by [[Gian Lorenzo Bernini|Bernini]] in 1688.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/523159/SantAngelo-Bridge |title=Sant'Angelo Bridge |access-date=3 February 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100109154613/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/523159/SantAngelo-Bridge |archive-date=9 January 2010}}</ref>

====Catacombs====
{{Main|Catacombs of Rome}}
[[File:PiusXItomb2.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Vatican Necropolis|Vatican Caves]] are the location of many papal burials.]]

Rome has an extensive amount of ancient catacombs, or underground burial places under or near the city, of which there are at least forty, some discovered only in recent decades. Though most famous for Christian burials, they include [[Religion in ancient Rome|pagan]] and Jewish burials, either in separate catacombs or mixed together. The first large-scale catacombs were excavated from the 2nd century onwards. Originally they were carved through [[tuff]], a soft [[volcanic rock]], outside the boundaries of the city, because [[Roman law]] forbade burial places within city limits. Currently, maintenance of the catacombs is in the hands of the [[Pope|Papacy]] which has invested in the [[Salesians of Don Bosco]] the supervision of the Catacombs of St. Callixtus on the outskirts of Rome.