Pantheon

The Pantheon is the most preserved and influential building of ancient Rome. A rectangular vestibule links the porch to the circular building. The building has a central opening (oculus) to the sky that illuminates the entire building. When it is raining one can watch the water disappear into the floor’s 22 almost invisible holes. Pan means every and Theon means divinity, the Pnatheon is dedicated to the worship of all gods. Commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus and rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian about 126 AD. In 609, it was converted into a Christian Church by Pope Boniface IV and consecrated to Santa Maria of the Martyrs.It is unknown what the original purpose of the Panthenon was, except that is was classified as a temple. However, it is unknown as to how the people worshipped in the building, because the structure of the temple is so different from other traditional Roman temples such as in the Roman Forum.

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Trevi Fountain

Designed by the Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Pietro Bracci, the Trevi fountain is standing 26.3 meters (86 ft) high and 49.15 meters (161.3 ft) wide. It is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and possible the most famous fountain in the world, appearing in many movies, Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita among them. Visitors throw coins in the fountain because according to the legend they will then come back in Rome. The fountain was built to mark the terminal point of an ancient roman acqueduct. The acqueduct was built by Agrippa to supply the thermal baths he built in the Campus Martius, by the Pantheon. There was a fountain at the end of the acqueduct already then. The display spilling water was located on the site of the actual Church of St. Ignatius. The acqueduct was damaged by the invasion of the Ostrogoths led by king Vitigis in 537. Starting from the early renaissance the popes start to decorate the end of the acqueducts they restored with large fountains that were richly decorated.

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Doges Palace Venice

A palace built in Venetian Gothic style, the Doges Palace Venice is one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice, northern Italy. If you imagine coming in Venice from the sea, as did those who came inland by ship, the first thing you see rising out of the water is the Doge's Palace - the city's most famous building. For centuries it served as the Doge residence, the palace of justice and the seat of government. Many of Venice most important decisions were taken in this building. Built in the IX century A.D. it was more like a castle than a palace with four towers and high walls. It was strategically situated to control the city sea access. After a series of fires and rebuildings it became what it is today – an example of splendid Venetian gothic architecture. Despite its considerable size, the multi-coloured façade decorations and the splendid perforation of the Gothic loggias, give an elegant structure that isn't heavy in appearance.

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Grand Canal

The Grand Canal is a canal in Venice forming one of the major water-traffic corridors in the city. Public transport is provided by water buses and private water taxis, and many tourists explore the canal by gondola. Most of the buildings on the banks of the canal date from the 13th to the 18th century, and demonstrate fortunes spent by the noble Venetian families to show off their richness. Most of the traffic in the city goes along the canal, rather than across it, therefore the city has only four bridges, one of which is the controversial Ponte della Costituzione designed by Santiago Calatrava, connecting the train station to Piazzale Roma, one of the few places in Venice where ground transportation can enter. Most of the palaces emerge from water without pavement. Consequently, one can only tour past the fronts of the buildings on the grand canal by boat.

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Mount Vesuvius

Mount Vesuvius is a volcano in the Gulf of Naples, Italy, about 9 km (5.6 mi) east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. Vesuvius is the only active volcano in mainland Europe, and is responsible for some of the continent's largest volcanic eruptions. The most famous and destructive one is the eruption from the 79 AD which destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Starting in 1631, Vesuvius entered a period of steady volcanic activity, including lava flows and eruptions of ash and mud. Even though the volcano last erupted in 1944, it is still considered as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of the population of 3,000,000 people living nearby and its tendency towards explosive eruptions. It is the most densely populated volcanic region in the world.

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