RomTour(e) (V1.0)

Flight created on October 20, 2025

Estimated flight duration: 2.5 hours

Difficulty level: easy

Task: Fly a short tour over Rome.

Introduction:

After landing with the tourists (see Mission CilipiTransport), the boss has granted you a day off.

So you've rented a small plane and are visiting Rome.

Lisa really wanted to see Rome and Pisa.

It's an easy flight with no problems, but surprises are still to be expected.

The flight:

You are in a Mooney Bravo on the parking apron.

First, you must request taxi clearance from air traffic control.

Open the ATC menu and follow the co-pilot's instructions.

After takeoff, you must activate flight tracking because the aircraft rental companies insist on it. During the flight to the Leaning Tower, you will therefore make several frequency changes.

Activate the mission compass after takeoff. It will help you find the individual landmarks.

GPS is not helpful because the individual points are too close together.

You will fly to the 13 sights in sequence. To enable Lisa to take good pictures, you must fly close and low over each object. If you fly too far away or too high, Lisa will complain.

Flying low is risky, as it is easy to collide with a building.

Especially when flying over St. Peter's Square, you can “supposedly” collide with a building, although this is not the case (the collision detection for St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square is somewhat inaccurate).

If this is too tricky for you, disable collision detection.

To do this, go to the Options/General menu, select Realism, and enable “Ignore crashes and damage.”

The sights:

You are in Italy, at Fiumicino Airport (LIRF), near Rome.

The co-pilot has created a route in the GPS that will take you to 12 sights in Rome and finally to Pisa.

1 = Colosseum

 2 = Sant’Agnese in Agone

 3 = Trajan's Market

 4 = Castel Sant'Angelo

 5 = Theatre of Marcellus

 6 = St. Peter's Basilica

 7 = Victor Emmanuel II Monument

 8 = Spanish Steps

 9 = Stadio Flaminio

10 = Olympic Stadium

11 = Pantheon

12 = Temple of Venus and Roma

13 = Leaning Tower

Information about the individual sights:

1 = Colosseum

Built between 72 and 80 AD, the ruins are now considered one of the city's landmarks. They bear witness to the outstanding architectural skills of the ancient Romans. The amphitheater could seat around 50,000 spectators. In addition to gladiator fights and animal hunts, naval battles were also reenacted. For the naval battles, the wooden floor of the arena was removed and the arena flooded.

2 = Sant’Agnese in Agone

(Latin: Ecclesia Sanctae Agnetis in Agone)

The church is named after the martyr Agnes of Rome. When Agnes was 12 years old and was to be married to the son of the prefect of Rome, she said that she was already betrothed to Jesus Christ and had committed herself to celibacy. Because Roman law prohibited the execution of virgins, Agnes was to be completely stripped naked and raped. According to legend, her long hair covered her entire body and the whole square was bathed in white light. During the attempted rape, the prefect's son was strangled by an evil spirit and died. Agnes brought him back to life through prayer, whereupon she was branded a witch. The attempt to burn Agnes at the stake failed because the fire recoiled from her. She was finally beheaded by a soldier. She died in the same way that lambs were slaughtered at that time. Many depictions of her therefore show her with a sword and a lamb.

3 = Trajan's Markets

This brick building was constructed during the reign of Emperor Trajan (98–117). It is a collection of ancient buildings. Archaeologists believe that it was a trading center with restaurants. In the Middle Ages, Trajan's Markets were used as barracks, a fortress, or a monastery.

4 = Castel Sant'Angelo

Today, Castel Sant'Angelo is a museum, but it was originally a mausoleum for Roman emperors. Built in 139 for the late Emperor Hadrian, it became a citadel of the city fortifications in the 5th century. In the 10th century, it was owned by the popes, who used it as a refuge and prison.

5 = Marcellus Theater

The 33-meter-high building could seat 15,000 spectators. At the end of the 4th century AD, it fell into disrepair and was used as a quarry. In the Middle Ages, the remaining parts were used as living quarters.

The theater looks a little different today, but P3d shows us what it probably looked like back then.

6 = St. Peter's Basilica

With an area of 20,139 square meters and a capacity of 20,000 people, St. Peter's Basilica is one of the largest church buildings. No, the Pope does not live in St. Peter's Basilica, but he does reside nearby. The obelisk in St. Peter's Square is the only one that does not feature hieroglyphics. The obelisk was originally built between 1070 and 1550 and was brought to Rome in the early Roman Empire. It has stood in its current location since 1586.

7 = Victor Emmanuel Monument

This monument was erected in honor of King Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of unified Italy.

8 = Spanish Steps

Pope Innocent XIII initiated this construction in 1723. A popular meeting place for tourists. The staircase has 136 steps. Since 2019, sitting on the steps has been prohibited.

9 = Stadio Flaminio

The rugby and soccer stadium can accommodate 24,973 spectators, 8,000 of whom are covered. The stadium has been unused since 2011.

10 = Olympic Stadium

Built in 1927, it can seat 72,000 spectators. The stadium was intended for the 1940 Summer Olympics, but after the bid was withdrawn, the games were held in Tokyo. Athletics competitions were held there during the 1960 Summer Olympics. The opening and closing ceremonies also took place in this stadium.

11 = Pantheon

One of the best-preserved buildings from Roman antiquity. Completed between 125 and 128 AD, the Pantheon had the largest dome in the world for more than 1700 years. The dome has an internal diameter of 43.44 m, with a round opening 9 m in diameter at its apex. The opening is the only source of light, but what happens when it rains? In light rain, the drops are atomized by the updraft (chimney effect) and never reach the ground. When it rains harder, the water is drained away through 22 almost invisible holes in the slightly sloping floor.

12 = Temple of Venus and Roma

Construction of the double temple began in 121 AD. Its floor area measured 140 x 100 meters, making it the largest temple in Rome.

13 = Leaning Tower

In 1185, 12 years after construction began, the tower had reached the third floor when it began to lean due to loamy mud and sand in the subsoil. Construction was then halted for 100 years. The next four floors were built with a slight angle of inclination to the existing floors in order to compensate for the tilt. In 1372, the bell floor was also completed.

The leaning tower currently has an inclination of 3.97 degrees. At a height of 55.8 m, this means a deflection of 3.9 m at the top. Inside the tower, a plumb line hangs from the top center, and due to the tilt, it almost touches the side wall at the bottom. Extensive renovation work in 1990 reduced the tilt from 5.5 degrees to the current 3.97 degrees, which is expected to secure the tower for the next 300 years.

Lisa couldn't resist taking the usual tourist photo of herself supporting the tower. ;-)

I hope you enjoyed this flight, if so please give feedback to p3d@andi20.ch . Also send error messages (spelling mistakes, wrong information, etc.) to p3d@andi20.ch, I appreciate any feedback.