Skyline of Rome: breathtaking panoramic terraces

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«Summer is almost upon us. And what’s better to fully enjoy the beauty of your city if not the panoramic terraces. These are some of the places to enjoy skyline of Rome.»

That Rome offers extraordinary views is well known, especially for the inhabitants of the capital. But you should not underestimate the beautiful views that the Roman city offers. For this reason we have decided to list the best panoramic terraces that you can find in Rome, perfect places to enjoy the skyline of Rome.

Gianicolo

Let’s start from one of the most famous terraces: the Gianicolo. The Roman hill rises behind Trastevere and extends to the Basilica of San Pietro. In addition to being one of the most romantic places in the capital, it offers a breathtaking view that encompasses almost all the main monuments of Rome. Peculiarity of the place is the well-known cannon, which, built at the behest of Pope Pius IX in 1847 to synchronize all the churches, shoots at noon on the dot. But the hill of the Gianicolo was also a place of clash between the French and the Garibaldians in 1849: the hill was bombed and stormed, making vain the defensive barricades of the Garibaldini and the Mazziniani. However, those heroic events became an example of the struggle for freedom and for the homeland. It is not by chance that inside the park, on the highest part of the hill, it is possible to find an equestrian monument dedicated to Garibaldi and his enterprises. From here you can enjoy the skyline of Rome.

Terrazza del Pincio

Another of the best places to admire the skyline of Rome is the Pincio, located in the Villa Borghese and above Piazza del Popolo. Reachable from inside the park or from the steps of Trinità dei Monti, the terrace offers a beautiful show, which is often seen in postcards. The Pincio promenade was conceived by the Napoleonic administration, established in Rome in 1810, to satisfy many urban and social needs: on the one hand it served to make Piazza del Popolo the main entrance to the north; on the other hand it responded to the need to equip the “second city of the empire” with an urban space for the recreation and health of the people.

Vittoriano

On the opposite side of Piazza del Popolo, continuing along Via del Corso, we find Piazza Venezia and the Altare della Patria. Here you can take advantage of an elevator that allows you to reach the terrace on its top: the Terrace of Quadrighe, also better known as Vittoriano, place rich in history where you can enjoy the skyline of Rome. The terrace allows you to enjoy a 360° view of the capital. Known as the Altare della Patria, the Vittoriano was built to celebrate and remember Vittorio Emanuele II, first king of Italy. It was erected between 1885 and 1911 and represents, in addition to the majesty of Rome, also the homeland love, since in November 1923 the corpse of the Unknown Soldier was buried in the heart of the Vittoriano.

Giardino degli Aranci

On the Aventine, instead, we find the Giardino degli Aranci, also referred to as the Parco Savello, which houses several citrus trees. The real highlight of the park is the Dome of St. Peter, which stands out in the center of the scene, and is already visible from inside the garden. Regarding the park, it extends in the area of ​​the ancient fort built by the Savelli family between 1285 and 1287 at the church of Santa Sabina sull’Aventino. The current garden was built in 1932 by Raffaele de Vico, after it was decided to allocate to a public park the area that the Dominican fathers of the nearby church used as a vegetable garden, in order to create a new belvedere to support those of the Pincio and of the Gianicolo.

Castel Sant’Angelo

Among the visible terraces for a fee there are the Dome of St. Peter and that of Castel Sant’Angelo. Despite the numerous steps, both offer the opportunity to get on the elevator, and the view that will unravel before you once you get to the top will leave you speechless. As we all know, the dome was designed by Michelangelo Buonarroti, starting from the end of 1546 during the pontificate of Pope Paul III; the works ended in 1590, while three years later, the large golden bronze sphere surmounted by a cross, made by Sebastiano Torrigiani, was installed on the cusp of the lantern. As for Castel Sant’Angelo, it should be remembered that its history substantially coincides with that of Rome. In fact, the castle was initially born as a tomb wanted by the emperor Hadrian, and his possession was the object of contention of numerous Roman families. The mausoleum took its current name in 590 following the medieval legend according to which the Archangel Michael appeared to Pope Gregory the Great on the top of the Mole, announcing the end of the plague. Even today in the Capitoline Museum there is a circular stone with footprints that according to tradition would have been left by the Archangel.

Palatino

To conclude, if you wanted to enjoy ancient Rome, you should go to the Palatine, one of the seven hills of the capital. From the hill, in fact, it is possible to admire the whole area of ​​the Roman Forums, up to the Colosseum. Among other things, legend has it that Rome had its origins on the Palatine, originally a swamp. Since the end of the 7th century BC, after the reclamation of the marsh, the Roman Forum, which was the center of public life for over a millennium, was built in the valley. Over the centuries several monuments were built: first the buildings for political, religious and commercial activities, and then the civil basilicas, where the judicial activities took place. Only towards the end of the republican age, the Roman Forum became insufficient and inadequate to perform the function of administrative center and representation of the city.

Alessia Battistella

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