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Rome has never been easier to visit. Walter Veltroni, the city’s former mayor, made tourism a top priority, even transforming once traffic-jammed streets into pedestrian havens. Yes, you’ll still encounter patches of gridlock and maniacal Roman drivers, but walkers will actually feel welcome not wary. Other major inducements: extended museum hours, more world-class exhibitions and cultural events year-round. In addition to initiating free concerts at the Colosseum (Elton John and Paul McCartney have performed in recent years), Veltroni was a big supporter of the jazz center, Casa del Jazz, that opened in 2005.

A former Minister of Culture, Veltroni followed the lead of his predecessor by commissioning leading architects to design exciting new museums and exhibition halls. Last spring, Veltroni decreed that “a new Louvre” would rise in Rome’s historic center, with a number of museums, including one to house the artifacts of the Museum of Roman History. American architect Richard Meier has finally unveiled his modern edifice for the Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace), which features marble bas-reliefs commissioned by Emperor Augustus 2,000 years ago. Not universally adored, the building has inspired renewed debate about what Rome should be in the 21st century. “Rome is a city that’s growing,” Veltroni recently declared, “and doesn’t fear what is new”—even if most visitors come to see its ancient treasures.