Moments from the Hotel Solis on Via Cavour in Rome is Via dei Fori Imperiali - the magnificent road down which parades, protests and processions of all kinds travel from the enduring symbol of ancient Rome - the Colosseum - at one end, down to the heart of united Italy - Piazza Venezia - at the other.

Pedestrians on Via dei Fori Imperiali are surrounded by breathtaking beauty on both sides, with the very essence of nearly 3000 years of civilisation on view all around.

On reaching Piazza Venezia, the nucleus of the city, one passes the imposing Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of united Italy. This remarkable piece of fascist architecture unfortunately symbolises a less than proud past yet nevertheless a reminder of what brought Italy to where it is today.

Past Piazza Venezia is what the ancient Romans called the Field of Mars - marshland drained thanks to the audacity of ancient Roman engineering and now the white marble heart of Renaissance Rome, with its ornate fountains, churches and noble residences.

Further onward to the River Tevere, across which stand the Holy City of the Vatican, fronted by the unforgettable sight of St Peter's Cathedral Basilica, home of the Pope and heart of the Roman Catholic world. That's in one direction.