There are several reasons to go to Rome and many amazing things to see. The Colosseum, the Forum and some of the best gelato you’ll ever taste are experiences that every traveler should have. Although the following aren’t unknown, the sights below aren’t always on everyone’s list for their first visit to Rome, but they are some of our favorites.

The Trastevere neighborhood is just far enough from the major sights that it is a little less crowded and more authentic than the areas that are thronged with tourists only. But, it is still central enough that you won’t waste much time getting to it. The area is filled with shops and delightful restaurants that are generally less expensive than those in the center of town. It also has a beautiful 4^th century church, Santa Maria, which is worth a visit.

Our favorite building is the Pantheon. It’s one of the few Roman structures that isn’t a ruin due to its preservation as a church by later generations. Its dome was a marvel of Roman engineering and remained the largest in the world until the construction of the Duomo in Florence during the Renaissance (and it is still the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome). Its proportions are perfect and you can see the burial places of several Italian kings and the artist Raphael. The piazza in front is also a decent place to get a gelato or pizza, although it is overwhelmingly popular.

Campo de Fiori is a delightful square. During the day it has a lively vegetable and flower market, which is appropriate as its name means “field of flowers”. You can also pick up other picnic items there. At night it is lined with popular restaurants and bars and offers entertaining people watching (although none of the establishments are gay). This is quite a change from its earlier history when it was used as a place for public executions.

The Borghese Gallery has one of the best collections of Baroque art in Europe. Plus it’s housed in a beautiful villa that is located in a current park and garden that was once the estate of the Borghese family. So whether you like gardens, architecture or art; there is something for everyone. The only downside is that you do need to make reservations to enter in advance.

In our opinion the Piazza Navona is the city’s loveliest square. Its long narrow dimensions are beautiful and exist due to the fact that it was built over the site of the Roman Stadio di Domiziano. It is lined with gorgeous baroque era mansions and churches and its many street artists and vendors make for a lively atmosphere. It is also known for its fountains. The most famous is the fountain of four rivers by Bernini. Its waters represent the Nile, Ganges, Danube and Plate, plus it has an Egyptian obelisk; as if it needed anything else.

One final can’t miss destination is of course, the Vatican. Yes, it is one of the most popular attractions in Rome and the church doesn’t have a history of being gay friendly; but you can’t miss the massive St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and its many other treasures. Aside from the major sites, one of our favorite areas is the gallery in the Vatican Museums containing the modern religious art. As much of the art in Rome is ancient to the Baroque it’s nice to suddenly be surrounded by Rodin, Van Gogh, Kandinsky, Chagall, Dali and Picasso. Plus you don’t generally see religiously themed work by these artists in many other museums. A side bonus is the high number of good looking security guards in the galleries (whose dark suits and ties are much sexier than the uniforms of the Swiss Guards outside).

We hope that the brief outline above has peaked your interest in this amazing city. You can always Google to find out more information, or better yet give us a call to help plan your next vacation. When you do you’ll also receive more information on the best restaurants, bars and other establishments that cater to our community. Happy travels!