Cradled between the Apennine Mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea,

"the city of seven hills" is home to almost 3 million people.

According to legend, Rome was founded by twin brothers, Romulus and Remus,

seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ.

And it was here, on Palatine Hill

that the foundations for the city were laid.

A city, that would soon become Caput Mundi ~ the Capital of The World!

Below the birthplace of Rome lays the Roman Forum ~ the Foro Romano.

Filled with temples, monuments and markets,

The Forum was the center of public life in Ancient Rome

and the most celebrated meeting place in the world.

When the Roman Empire fell in the 5th century,

the forum was reduced to a cow pasture...a mere vegetable garden.

Ah, desolazione!

But, the eight columns of the Temple of Saturn,

and the Arch of Septimius refused to crumble.

In the 17th century young Europeans travelers came to Rome,

searching for the roots of Western Civilization.

This hunger for Rome's antiquities led to their preservation.

And still the travelers come, from all corners of the globe.

Surviving earthquakes and centuries of stone-thieves,

The Colosseum, remains the most enduring symbol of Ancient Rome.

Across four centuries, tens of thousands gladiators, slaves and Christians

died in a blaze of glory, or martyrdom.

On the nearby Arch of Constantine, an inscription bears the words,

"inspired by the divine".

The Pantheon, was a place to worship all the gods,

from Juno the god of fertility, to Mars the god of war.

Step beneath the dome's central oculus

and stand in the same divine light

that has bathed emperors, gladiators, merchants and travelers

for almost two millennia.

Once a stadium, today, Piazza Navona is one of Europe's great squares.

The thundering crowds and chariots have long faded,

replaced by a trio of fountains, Baroque architecture, artists,

and the aroma of Rome's best coffee.

No Roman holiday is complete without making a wish at the Trevi Fountain.

Toss one coin into the Trevi, and one day you will return to Rome.

Toss in two coins and you will fall in love with a Roman.

If you're not looking for love, relax on the steps with a gelato.

Rome is a city of elegant bridges too.

Ponte Sant'Angelo was built by the Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century

as part of the grand entranceway to his mausoleum.

Rome may no longer be the capital of the world,

but it has long been the center of Christianity.

Today, modern pilgrims continue to cross the river,

guided by the bridge's angels as they make their way

to one of the world's great squares,

Piazza Saint Pietro,...St Peter's Square.

And here, stands the world's largest church,

Saint Peter's Basilica.

Filled with masterpieces by Bernini, Giotto, and Raphael,

St Peter's crowning glory is her dome,

designed by the brightest star of the Renaissance, Michelangelo.

From the dome look down upon the holy square

where two colonnades reach out like open arms

welcoming the faithful who gather in their thousands

to receive blessings from the Pope.

As the sun sets on Rome, head to the island sanctuary of Isola Tiberina.

Let the rushing waters of the River Tiber soothe your senses,

and enjoy traditional Roman recipes

that have been perfected by generations of Italian grandmothers.

This is just an appetizer, an aperitivo of what awaits in The Eternal City.

To really taste all of Rome's treasures can take a lifetime.

But be warned, it only takes a moment for Rome,

to forever conquer your heart.