Spanning over 3 millennia with one of the highest concentrations of architecture in the world, Rome is a transcendental influence on the world's culture. A city rich in history, academia, and arts, the Italian capital is considered as one of the oldest continuously-occupied cities in Europe, and has maintained its countless layers of history to become a perfect depiction of old meets new, earning its nickname of "The Eternal City".
Rome's historic center, which stretches from Piazza del Popolo to Piazza Venezia and from the the east bank of the Tiber up to Piazza di Spagna, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along with its historical significance, the presence of renowned contemporary architects and designers in the city has made Rome an influential design destination. In 2019, it was the 14th most visited city in the world, welcoming over 8.6 million tourists to make it the third most visited in the European Union, and the most popular tourist destination in Italy.
The following list highlights 30 must-see historic and contemporary buildings that provide a good starting point for your first visit to the Italian capital, featuring works from renowned architects and offices such as Renzo Piano, Zaha Hadid, Richard Meier & Partners Architects, Foster+Partners, Studio Odile Decq, and Luigi Moretti, to name a few.
Auditorium Parco della Musica / Renzo Piano
Villa Doria Pamphilj
Mosque of Rome / Paolo Portoghesi
La Rinascente / Franco Albini y Franca Helg
MACRO (Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome) / Studio Odile Decq
Mercado de Porta Portese
Tor Marancia Street Art / 999 Contemporary
Casa “Il Girasole" / Luigi Moretti
Quartiere Coppedè / Gino Coppedè
Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana / Ernesto Lapadula, Giovanni Guerrini and Mario Romano
Church of 2000 / Richard Meier & Partners Architects
Corviale / Mario Fiorentino
MAXXI Museum / Zaha Hadid
Forced Perspective Gallery at the Palazzo Spada / Francesco Borromini
Olympic Village / Vittorio Cafiero, Adalberto Libera, Amedeo Luccichenti, Vincenzo Monaco, and Luigi Moretti
Recovery of the former slaughterhouse into University campus / Studio Insula
Piazza Perin del Vaga
Palazzetto dello Sport / Annibale Vittellozzi and Pier Luigi Nervi
Palazzo Zuccari / Federico Zuccari
Casa Sperimentale by Perugini / Giuseppe Perugini
Barrio Garbatella / Gustavo Giovannoni and Massimo Piacentini
National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art / Cesare Bazzani
Città del Sole / Labics
Marmorata Post Office / Adalberto Libera and Mario De Renzi
Piazza di Sant’Ignazio / Filippo Raguzzini
Museum of the Ara Pacis / Richard Meier & Partners Architects
Roman Pantheon / Emperor Hadrian
Rome Apple Store / Foster+Partners
INTECS SPA Headquarters / modostudio + Studio Cattinari
Lateran University Library / King Roselli Architetti
You can visit our list of City Guides here.