For a non-religious guy, I became fascinated by religious art in college. Specifically, I was enamored with Italian Renaissance and medieval art and architecture.
Spending an hour or two per day in a dark classroom, looking at slides of the Virgin Mary, Christ, crucifixions, and the churches and cathedrals that housed them made me happy.
When I traveled to Italy after college graduation, it was as if the pages of all those art books came alive. I could finally walk through the naves I'd studied and admire my favorite altarpieces and frescoes in 3-D. It almost made me want to go back to school for architecture.
Visiting Rome was a no-brainer for me then, and I'm thinking about returning in 2012. Without further ado, here are my top three architectural highlights of the Italian capital.
The Colosseum
The Colosseum is the #1 symbol of Rome, if not all of Italy. Construction on the Roman Empire's largest amphitheater began in 72 AD and was completed within just 8 years, by 80 AD.
Despite earthquakes over the centuries, it has maintained its form, a testament to the engineering involved in its construction.
The ancient stadium hosted gladiatorial fights. The lack of original flooring lets modern visitors see the maze of hallways beneath the fighting area. In the movie Gladiator, for example, tigers are shown to be released through false doors in the ground.
Visitors who want more historical context can compare Colosseum tours before choosing how to explore the site.
The Pantheon
While not as well known or recognized as the Colosseum, the Pantheon is another testament to ancient architecture and engineering.
Emperor Hadrian commissioned it as a temple to Rome's gods, and it was built around 126 AD. The main building is circular, with a Greek-style portico attached and 3 rows of 8 Corinthian columns.
The building has been repurposed often over its 2,000-year history. It currently contains the tombs of famed Renaissance painter Raphael, as well as several Italian kings.
My favorite aspect of the Pantheon is its coffered dome, which has a circular opening at the top that lets a small stream of light into the otherwise dark interior. The Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome.
St. Peter's Basilica
Technically located within the Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica has the largest interior space of any Christian church in the world.
That's what I remember most about walking through the front door: how small I felt compared to its size and grandeur. I craned my neck up to see streams of white light shooting down diagonally from the upper windows.
Unfortunately, when I visited in 1998, the entire front facade was covered in scaffolding as restoration work was being done.
Still, the interior is far more fascinating. Every visitor should take the opportunity to climb the narrow, curved staircase that winds around the dome. From the upper cupola, visitors are afforded sweeping 360-degree views of Vatican City and Rome.
