All Roads Lead to Rome...

"Rome is yet the capital of the world. It is a city of palaces and temples, more glorious than those which any other city contains, and of ruins more glorious than they"....so wrote Percy Bysshe Shelley in March 1819. Almost 200 years later few would argue with the great poet's assessment of the Italian capital which, this week, hosts the second leg of the 2007 Samsung Super League with FEI series.

The timeless beauty of one of the most-visited tourist locations in the world brings people back again and again. There is a kind of magic in the air which stirs the senses with its heady mixture of culture, history, style and elegance. No wonder then that the international equestrian fraternity look forward to their annual gathering at the Villa Borghese, Rome's largest public park which is located just north of the Spanish Steps and at the end of the world-famous Via Veneto.

The history of the city dates back over 3,000 years, mythology telling the story of a she-wolf who adopted and reared the babies Romulus and Remus before Romulus murdered his twin-brother and founded Rome on the Palatine Hill, one of the city's famous Seven Hills. From its beginnings as a tiny village whose inhabitants eventually merged with their neighbouring hill-dwellers though the era of the mighty Roman empire, decline through famine and plague, survival through the Dark Ages and Renaissance and right up until today Rome reflects, like nowhere else in the world, the march of man. And it does so with the most extraordinary charm.

In Rome the past and present go hand-in-hand. As you walk the streets the statues, fountains and beautiful piazzas are contrasted by designer shopping and the most frenetic car-drivers you will ever meet. Your most frustrating experience will be the discovery of an enchanting narrow side-street filled with character that, once left behind, becomes impossible to find again - but disappointment will fade quickly as you stumble upon one of the many unmissable tourist sites.

The Colosseum is one of the most famous of these and once seen will never be forgotten. The towering building, which began construction in AD72, was the venue for gladiatorial contests between men and wild animals, with death the order of the day. A visit to the Forum is a must because, although now reduced to a heap of marble fragments, columns and floor layouts this former centre of the political, commercial and social heart of ancient Rome includes amongst its many treasures the remains of Caesar' rostra from where his great speeches were made. The Pantheon, built as a temple to the gods by Hadrian around AD119, is the best-preserved and most beautifully proportioned of Rome's ancient monuments and of course St Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel with its wonderful frescoes painted by Michelango and the Vatican Museum are also must-see locations. The films "Three Coins in a Fountain" (1954) and "La Dolce Vita" (1960) ensured that the Trevi Fountain has become one of the most famous romantic sites in the city but no visit to Rome is complete without a stroll down the Spanish Steps from which there are spectacular views. At the foot of the steps lies the boat-shaped Barcaccia fountain designed in 1627 by Bernini while just to the right stands the Keats-Shelley Memorial House where the 25 year old Keats died of tuberculosis in 1821.

The Piazza di Siena in the Villa Borghese is the perfect amphitheater for the equestrian enthusiasts who will turn up in large numbers to see the eight best show jumping teams in the world do battle in Friday's Samsung Super League with FEI Nations Cup competition. The Borghese Park, a pleasant refuge from the city's hectic streets which is also home to the Borghese Gallery and Museum, the National Gallery of Modern Art and the Etruscan National Museum has witnessed many epic show jumping competitions and this year celebrates its 75th anniversary horse show. Another piece of Roman history is about to be written with horses and riders playing the central roles this time around, and the stakes are high because national pride is at the heart of the Samsung Super League with FEI series. As in all sport endeavour is everything, and riders may bear in mind John Keats' quote - "I would sooner fail than not be amongst the greatest...."