The most famous monument of ancient Rome, the Colosseum, was the largest structure ever built in the Roman Empire.

It is considered one of the greatest works of roman architecture and Roman engineering. This gigantic sports arena, designed by Emperor Flavian, was completed by Vespasian and Titus.

The arena was designed to hold more than 50,000 spectators and has a circumference of 1,720 feet (almost 6 football fields).

The prestigious Savelli name belongs to an old Roman family who features four Popes among its ancestors: Benedict II, Gregory II, Honorius III and Honorius IV.

With its religious goods stores offering a broad range of handmade artistic products, Savelli Arte e Tradizione has grown to become the leading producer of religious articles in Rome since Lorenzo Savelli Senior opened his first store just off Saint Peter’s Square in 1898.

As well as religious articles and icons, you will find Vatican souvenirs and gifts and evne a mosaic art gallery and small workshop.

The passion and care for the business has been handed down from father to son and in 1929 the Galleria Savelli store moved to its present location in Piazza Pio XII, across from Saint Peter’s Cathedral.

The Savelli family still specializes in the sale of religious articles and the production of traditional handicrafts in ancient and modern styles.

Located in a country famous for its coffee culture, Rome offers some of the best cafés in the world. If you find yourself in the eternal city any time soon, be sure not to miss some of our favorite local places to get a caffeine fix.

Caffé Greco

Via dei Condotti, 86
www.anticocaffegreco.eu

Piazza Navona is arguably Rome's greatest square or piazza, as well as being home to Rome's best Christmas market each December.

The spot was originally a stadium built by Emperor Domitian in 86 AD. Athletes competed here in honor of Jupiter and you can still visit the ruins under street level.

It has been tinkered with for centuries but you don't need much imagination for a feel of the Eternal city at its Renaissance best.

And they can't stop tinkering with it. The latest proposal by the Comune is to remove the step on which the fountains and central portion stand and level out the whole square as it was originally.

Lately, there has also been some criticism of more and more drivers starting to use the square as a car park again, as in the bad old days of the 1970's.

Christmas offers another view of Piazza Navona for visitors to Rome.

The Savelli Mosaics Gallery boasts one of Rome's most prestigious collections of miniature mosaics from the eighteenth and nineteenth century.

Here you can visit part of the private collection of Lorenzo Savelli, the greatest living collector of Roman micro-mosaics.

Indeed, it is unique and a number of the precious mosaics are loaned to the Vatican Museum by the same Savelli family.

This splendid collection also has the merit of preserving the cultural patrimony of the city of Rome.

The collection shown here belongs to the Savelli family and therefore is not for sale.