My holiday destination

I have always wanted to visit Italy when I was younger and for my holiday destination I would chose Rome. Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in 1,285.3 km2 (496.3 sq mi). In 2006 the population of the metropolitan area was estimated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to have a population of 3.7 million.

The city of Rome is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy. Rome's history spans over two and a half thousand years. It was the capital city of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, which was the dominant power in Western Europe and the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea for over seven hundred years from the 1st Century BC until the 7th Century AD. Since the 1st Century AD Rome has been the seat of the Papacy and, after the end of Byzantine domination, in the 8th century it became the capital of the Papal States, which lasted until 1870. In 1871 Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, and in 1946 that of the Italian Republic.
After the Middle-Ages, Rome was ruled by popes such as Alexander VI and Leo X, who transformed the city into one of the major centers of the Italian Renaissance, along with Florence. The current-day version of St Peter's Basilica was built and the Sistine Chapel was painted by Michelangelo. Famous artists and architects, such as Bramante, Bernini and Raphael resided for some time in Rome, contributing to its Renaissance and Baroque architecture.
In 2007 Rome was the 11th-most-visited city in the world, 3rd most visited in the European Union, and the most popular tourist attraction in Italy. The city is one of Europe's and the world's most successful city brands, both in terms of reputation and assets. Its historic centre is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Monuments and museums such as the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum are amongst the world's 50 most visited tourist destinations (the Vatican Museums receiving 4.2 million tourists and the Colosseum receiving 4 million tourists every year).






I heard that if you make a wish and toss a coin into the Trevi fountain, your wish would come true. And I wish that I have billions of dollars because, think of the number of Maserati cars I can buy. Awesome. One day I shall visit the fountain and make sure my wish comes true.

The Trevi fountain is at the ending part of the Aqua Virgo, an aqueduct constructed in 19 BC. It brings water all the way from the Salone Springs (approx 20km from Rome) and supplies the fountains in the historic center of Rome with water. The Trevi Fountain (Italian: Fontana di Trevi) is a fountain in the Trevi rione in Rome, Italy. Standing 25.9 meters (85 feet) high and 19.8 meters (65 feet) wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city, and it is one of the most famous fountains in the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevi_Fountain


Construction of the Fountain
In 1732, Pope Clement XII commissioned Nicola Salvi to create a large fountain at the Trevi Square. A previous undertaking to build the fountain after a design by Bernini was halted a century earlier after the death of Pope Urban VIII. The restive sea horse masterpiece on this design. Construction of the monumental baroque fountain was finally completed in 1762.

The Fountain
The central figure of the fountain, in front of a large niche, is Neptune, god of the sea. He is riding a chariot in the shape of a shell, pulled by two sea horses. Each sea horse is guided by a Triton. One of the horses is calm and obedient, the other one restive. They symbolize the fluctuating moods of the sea. On the left hand side of Neptune is a statue representing Abundance.
The crowded square on the right represents Salubrity. Above the sculptures are bas-reliefs, one of them shows Agrippa, the general who built the aqueduct that carries water to the fountain.

Tossing a Coin
The water at the bottom of the fountain represents the sea. Legend has it you will return to Rome if you throw a coin into the water. You should toss it over your shoulder with your back to the fountain.
http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/trevi.htm

The Colosseum in Imperial Rome
The elliptical building is immense, measuring 188m by 156m and reaching a height of more than 48 meter (159 ft). The Colosseum could accommodate some 55,000 spectators who could enter the building through no less than 80 entrances.
Above the ground are four storeys, the upper storey contained seating for lower classes and women.

The lowest storey was preserved for prominent citizens. Below the ground were rooms with mechanical devices and cages containing wild animals. The cages could be hoisted, enabling the animals to appear in the middle of the arena.

Velarium
The Colosseum was covered with an enormous awning known as the velarium. This protected the spectators from the sun. It was attached to large poles on top of the Colosseum and anchored to the ground by large ropes. A team of some 1,000 men was used to install the awning.

Bread and circuses
Emperors used the Colosseum to entertain the public with free games. Those games were a symbol of prestige and power and they were a way for an emperor to increase his popularity.
Games were held for a whole day or even several days in a row. They usually started with comical acts and displays of exotic animals and ended with fights to the death between animals and gladiators or between gladiators. These fighters were usually slaves, prisoners of war or condemned criminals. Sometimes free Romans and even Emperors took part in the action.


I read about this in the comic Asterix and Obelix, and was really fascinated by all the gladiators fighting and the history and architecture behind this place. And I wanted to visit Rome even more after I watched Angels and Demons, where the film was set in the Vatican City. Even though Im not a christian, I would love to see the Sistine Chapel and all the artworks done by Michelangelo and Bernini. The paintings are all exquisitely beautiful and magical.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/rome
3)Which evaluation criteria did you used to evaluate the multimedia websites for your dream holiday? Why?
Website: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/rome

Purpose:
The whole website is talking about Rome solely, and they have pratical informations like the weather, hotels, shops, places of interest, history etc.

Coverage:
The website is very informative, they provides the overview of Rome, getting there and how to make your way around Rome, maps of the city, the history of Rome, hotels and hostels as well as having a section for the "top picks of Rome". The links above provides me with all sorts of information that I need if I ever go to Rome. For example, when I click on the link "Pantheon in Rome", they generates the address, which is Piazza della Rotonda, Transport: Largo di Torre Argentina, the phone number:06 683 00 230, the price admission is also stated there, is is free unless you want to purchase an audioguide for €4. They also included the opening hours, which are 8.30am-7.30pm Mon-Sat, 9am-6pm Sun. Everything that I need can be found in this website and I feel that they gives all the neccesary information that any tourist would need.

Authority:
This website specializes in travelling.

Accuracy and currency:
The website can be found in twitter, which allows them to update anyone about their recent activities or special occassions. Also it is updated regularly and comments left by tourists were just recently and they had nothing but praises for the places of interest that they visited.

Accessibility:
It can be found at various search engines too. The site is very easily accessible and there is no need to log in or sign up if you want to view the content. Everyone can read more about Italy on this site.

Presentation, arragement and usability:
For this website the information is neatly categorised in different tabs and links, and one can find their search results easily. They also have clear images and they included a section on "nearby things to do", where other than visiting your place of interest, the Pantheon for example, the Trevi fountain and the vatican churches are just nearby, so instead of wasting time travelling around, the tourists can slowly walk in the vacinity and easily find another historical site of Rome.

Overall:
I like this site, I can easily access to information and learn more about Italy, without having to search through different sites. Also the presentation and the layout of the site is clear and precised. The website also provides maps and screenshots of maps as to how to get to a certain place.