When you arrive in Rome, you realize that this city is not just a place—it's a tapestry
of memories and meanings. At every corner, you breathe in another layer of history.
It's as if your steps don’t just touch stones but awaken the memory of centuries.
Setting foot in Rome is like shaking hands with the past.
For me, Rome is not merely a city—it’s a time machine.
The first place I stood was in the shadow of the Pantheon.
Built in 126 AD, this majestic temple—with its vast dome like an eye to the
heavens—whispers not just of architectural genius but of divine echoes. In the silence
within, you can almost hear the gods.
From there, I wandered through narrow alleyways until I reached Piazza Navona.
Here, time slows down. Bernini’s famed Fountain of the Four Rivers stands
proudly, surrounded by artists, musicians, and the subtle noise of life. Sitting at a
café, sipping espresso, you don’t just taste the coffee—you taste the moment. Even a
simple espresso at an iconic spot like Tazza d’Oro feels richer, deeper here.
Of course, Rome means the Colosseum.
The first time I saw it, I thought of the drawings I had seen in childhood books—and
how incredibly real and unchanged it stood before me. Opened in 80 BC, this
amphitheater is like a stone heart echoing with battles, victories, and human drama. If
you close your eyes while standing in the center, you can almost hear the clash of
gladiator armor and the roar of the crowd.
Right next to it lies the Roman Forum—but it’s far more than just ruins. This was
once the very heart of the Roman Empire. Walking the same paths as Julius Caesar
once did turns history from abstraction into an experience you feel under your feet.
Then I made my way to the Trevi Fountain—Rome’s fountain of wishes.
Amid the crowd, I found a quiet moment, turned my back, made a wish, and tossed in
a coin. Legend says that those who do this will one day return to Rome. For me, that
coin wasn’t just a wish—it was a vow to this city.
Before heading to the Vatican, I paused in Trastevere, one of Rome’s most authentic
and atmospheric neighborhoods. With its cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, and
cozy trattorias, it feels like stepping into a film.
At Osteria da Enzo, the fresh pasta and house wine made me feel every cell in my
body knew it was in Rome. If Trastevere isn’t the heart of the city, it’s definitely its
soul.
Crossing into Vatican City felt like entering another world.
The grandeur of St. Peter’s Basilica, Michelangelo’s Pietà, and the ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel, with its iconic “Creation of Adam” fresco… These are not just
artworks—they are the very limits of human expression stretched into the divine.
Standing in silence beneath that painted ceiling, looking up at God reaching toward
Adam’s hand, I felt chills run through me.
In Rome, sunset is a sacred thing.
From Pincian Hill, as the city’s domes, towers, and ruins glowed in golden light, I
thought to myself:
In Rome, every day feels like a lifetime.

Rome is not just a place to visit—it’s a feeling to live.
To truly understand it, you don’t need to rush through it; you need to slow down.
Because Rome contains everything: history, art, love, loss, rediscovery.
And this city, somehow, leaves a piece of itself inside everyone who walks its ancient
streets.