Top 10 Rome facts

Pope Sixtus IV. The chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who restored it between 1477 and 1480. He also introduced the Early Renaissance into Rome with the first masterpieces of the city's new artistic age.

All the gods. It is widely accepted that Pantheon was dedicated to all the gods, as its name suggests (from the Ancient Greek Pan "all" + Theon "gods"). However, the concept of a temple dedicated to all the gods is highly unusual and thus questionable. Some sources suggest that the name "pantheon" was only a nickname for the building during the Roman times, and its original name and purpose was lost.

50,000 - 80,000 spectators. The Colosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators, having an average audience of some 65,000. It was similar in capacity to the largest of modern football stadiums.

Hadrian. Castel Sant'Angelo (English: Castle of the Holy Angel) was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum. The structure was once the tallest building in Rome.

Flavian Amphiteatre. The Colosseum was built by the three emperors known as the Flavian dynasty (Vespasian, Titus, Domitian). During the Ancient times, it was known in Latin as Amphitheatrum Flavium. The name "Colosseum" had been coined to refer to the amphitheatre around year 1000 AD.

Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. The battle took place in the Teutoburg Forest in 9 CE between an alliance of Germanic and tribes Roman legions and their auxiliaries. Its outcome is regarded as "Rome's greatest defeat", and as "a turning-point in world history". The Romans never again attempted to conquer the Germanic territories east of the Rhine river.

The Roman Senate and People. SPQR (Latin: Senātus Populusque Rōmānus, "The Roman Senate and People" refers to the government of the ancient Roman Republic. It appears on Roman currency, at the end of documents made public by inscription in stone or metal, and in dedications of monuments and public works. The phrase commonly appears in the Roman political, legal, and historical literature.

Gaius. Roman nomenclature is somewhat different from the modern English form. Gaius, Iulius, and Caesar are Caesar's praenomen, nomen, and cognomen, respectively. In modern usage, his full name might be something like "Gaius Iulius, the Caesar", where 'Caesar' denoted him as a member of the 'Caesarian' family branch of the 'Iulian' clan, and 'Gaius' was his personal name.

Concrete. The temple - 43 meter in diameter - was built by emperor Hadrian. Its dome with 8-meter wide oculus was built of unreinforced concrete that has been a mystery for ages. The weight of Roman concrete used to build the monolitic structure is merely 1/5 of common concrete. Such effect was achieved by mixing in of volcanic tuff and pumice.

To drink wine. A rhyton is a roughly conical container from which fluids were intended to be drunk or to be poured in some ceremony such as libation, or merely at table. They are typically formed in the shape of an animal's head. Many have an opening at the bottom through which the liquid fell; others did not, and were merely used as drinking cups, with the characteristic that they could not usually be set down on a surface without spilling their contents.