Piazza della Repubblica is the central square of the Castro Pretorio district. It occupies an area that used to be part of the Baths of Diocletian. It is actually more of a roundabout than a square, with the Fountain of the Naiads in the middle.

02. Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri Basilica

This beautiful and very large basilica is one of the churches that plays a role in the nonsensical “Angels and Demons” of Dan Brown. When building the Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri Church, Michelangelo used the frigidarium of the Terme di Diocleziane to create the large auditorium.

03. Baths of Diocletian/Museo Nazionale Romano

When the Baths of Diocletian were constructed, an entire district of the city had to be demolished. These baths were much larger than what can still be seen today. A part was reused in the construction of the Santa Maria degli Angeli Church and a larger part is now part of one of the seats of the Museo Nazionale Romano. The San Bernardo alle Terme Church is another sanctuary for which part of the Terme di Diocleziane was reused.

04. Palazzo Massimo alle Terme

A second seat of the Museo Nazionale Romano is located in Palazzo Massimo alle Terme. This 19th-century building is the most important seat of the four and there are a number of famous classical sculptures on display. There are also frequent exhibitions on a particular theme.

05. Santa Maria della Vittoria Church

The Santa Maria della Vittoria is a baroque church. Since a number of years the church has become a lot more popular among tourists, thanks to the “writer” Dan Brown, who had an episode in one of his novels taking place here. Bernini‘s “Ecstasy of Theresa” is one of his most famous works and is the main attraction of the church.

06. Quattro Fontane

The Quattro Fontane are the four fountains at the intersection of Via del Quirinale and Via delle Quattro Fontane. They are located at the highest point of the Quirinal hill and were last restored in 2014. (Not all four of them are located in the Castro Pretorio district.)

07. Roma Termini

The building that most defines the character of the neighborhood is the central station Roma Termini. Until the end of the 20th century this was a very beautiful building, but over the years commerce has gained the upper hand and unfortunately it is crammed with shops and fast food outlets. On the bus square in front of Termini, Piazza dei Cinquecento, you can still see some ruins of the Serbian Agger. The Sacro Cuore di Gesù Church, near the Via Marsala exit, has an enormous statue of Jesus on its rooftop.

08. Via Nazionale

The Via Nazionale is the result of a reclassification of a number of Roman districts, which took place towards the end of the 19th century. The area closest to Piazza della Repubblica is one of the most famous shopping streets in Rome. One of the attractions along the street is the St.Paul within the Walls Church.

09. Porta Pia

The Porta Pia, at the beginning of the Via Nomentana, is one of the most impressive city gates in Rome. On 20 September 1870 a battle between Roman and papal troops took place here. The gate was designed by Michelangelo. After the construction of the Porta Pia, the nearby Porta Nomentana fell into disrepair.

10. Teatro dell’Opera

The Teatro dell’Opera is also called the Teatro Costanzi and was built towards the end of the 19th century.