This is a very dog friendly city so there are only a few times when I can't find somewhere to take…read moremy little grayhound to. The park at Villa Torlonia is gorgeous! It is big and full of little grassy hills to chill on or exercise around. There are also many historic buildings inside the park because from what I've read, this house was built for a rich banker and his family and the Mussolini used it for one of his homes in Rome. Go figure.. Anyways, it is very well located and really easy to get to in public transportation, just take bus line 60 and it will drop you off right in front of it. If you can go check out the museum, the park entrance is free of course but a small charge is made to go into the historical buildings. Pro tip- if you go at noon be sure you don' forget your bug spray it is like Jurassic Park in there! Have fun fellow yelpers!

Villa Torlonia consists of a small palace and associated buildings set in in 14 hectares of…read morelandscaped parkland beside the Via Nomentana, about 2Km north of Rome city centre. (The number 90 bus from Termini will take you there for about €1.50) Built in the early 1800's for a wealthy banking family, to a classical design by the architect Valadier, it became Mussolini's residence in the 1930's, later falling into disrepair, before being bought and restored by the city of Rome in the 1990's. Admission to the park is free, but admission to the buildings was €12, as of 2013, which I thought was good value. We were impressed by the quality of the restoration and the well-maintained and tranquil palm-shaded parkland. The main villa is surprisingly small and manages, I thought, to fall just the right side of ostentatiousness, and have a degree of charm. Among the other buildings are the Casino dei Principe, used as an art gallery, and the Art Nouveau 'House of Owls' - a faux Swiss cottage with lavish stained glass windows. There's also a restaurant with outdoor dining in a delightful setting - La Limonaia - though it's best to stick to the wood-fired pizza and salads, if our experience was anything to go by. If you need to get away from the bustle and pollution of Rome's centre, this is a great place to relax, even though it is a little further out than the obvious option, Villa Borghese.

The green horse is the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. This horse is a focal point of Piazza…read moredel Campidoglio, immediately next to Basilica di Santa Maria in Aracoeli. The statue is ancient bronze (2nd century AD). Over -2K years, bronze reacts with air and moisture, forming a green patina (copper oxidation), which protects the metal underneath and is intentiol preserved. In the Middle Ages, people mistakenly believed the statue depicted Emperor Constantine, the first Christian emperor. Due to that mistake, it was not melted down, unlike many other pagan bronzes. The statue outdoors today is a replica; the original is preserved inside the Capitoline Museums to protect it from weather damage.

This piazza is a great walk-through near the monument to Emanuele II. I like being here in the…read moreevening. To bound up the steps toward the Senatorial Palace is quite fun. It projects an amazing calm and it's fun to look back down the steps at the streets and broad pine umbrellas bathed in the night's light.