Local Insight: The Pantheon’s massive dome, built nearly 2,000 years ago, remains the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. Its central oculus is the building’s only light source and also lets in rain, which drains through 22 almost invisible holes in the marble floor.

The Appian Way, one of the earliest and most important Roman roads, was known as the “Queen of Roads.” Its original cobblestones, still visible today, were designed for military transport and are incredibly durable—perfect for a smooth e-bike ride through history.

Villa d’Este in Tivoli is famous for its 500 fountains, but the “Organ Fountain” (Fontana dell’Organo) was a 16th-century hydraulic marvel that actually played music using water pressure. Although the mechanism is silent today, it remains a testament to Renaissance engineering genius.

Rome’s architecture tells a layered story. You can stand in a 12th-century basilica, descend to a 4th-century church, then further down to a 2nd-century Mithraic temple, all on the same spot—a physical timeline of history waiting to be explored.