Rome Architecture City Guide: 30 Sites that Celebrate the City’s Rich Culture and History

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.

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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.