The Roman Empire may have fallen 1500 years ago, but it continues to bring global commerce into Rome. Some crumbling and wonderfully preserved arches, aqueducts, and amphitheaters give a sense of majesty, mystery, and poetry. Although many Italian cities, including Spoleto , Rimini , Aquileia , Aosta , and Acqui Terme boast some sort of Roman relic, the most impressive ruins are scattered through the streets of Rome itself , where travelers can admire the famous Colosseum, Pantheon, and Roman Forum. Daytrips from Rome lead to the extravagant Villa Adriana in Tivoli . Farther south, Naples boasts a world-renowned archaeological museum and miles of subterranean Roman aqueducts open for exploration. Near Naples, Pompeii is a city eternally petrified in AD 79, when an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius covered it in lava. A neighboring excavation site, Herculaneum , features another surprisingly intact 2000-year-old town. Across the peninsula, Brindisi is home to the column marking the end of the Appian Way, an ancient road that led to Rome. Italy also has numerous relics of pre-Roman inhabitants. Etruscan artifacts can be found in many Tuscan towns like Fiesole . Sicily’s proximity to Greece led to the establishment of many Greek colonies, which were the first great civilizations in Italy, including Segesta , Agrigento , and Syracuse . On the mainland, Paestum is home to both Doric temples and Roman forums. Evidence of more ancient civilizations can be found in Alberobello’s trulli , and Sardinia’s nuraghi .
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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