3D Rome Is Now Available in Google Earth

Google is expanding the number of cities which have been recreated in 3D in Google Earth with a big entry, Rome. Thousands of buildings have been modeled and can now be viewed in three-dimensional glory in Google Earth and Maps.

Google already has plenty of interesting and beautiful cities modeled in 3D, but Rome is a great addition.

With a history of thousands of years and buildings dating from as far back as ancient times, there are plenty of interesting things to see in the city and you can now do it from the comfort of your desk.

"Rome really is an eternal city. With a history spanning over 2500 years and regimes from the early kingdom, through the republic, the empire, and later as the heart of the Catholic faith in the Vatican city, each has made their mark on the current urban architectural landscape of Rome," Posted by Mason Thrall, program manager for Geo 3D at Google, writes.

The first thing you'll probably want to see is the Colosseum, but there are other interesting places, such as Trajan’s Market and Column still standing today almost 2,000 years after they were built.

But Rome's sights, faithfully recreated in Google Earth, aren't limited to ancient sites, there are plenty of more modern, if you consider the Renaissance period, architecture to appreciate, like Saint Peter’s Basilica and the square.

"The Pantheon is a great example of the layered reuse of buildings in Rome; originally built in the Republican period, the Pantheon was retrofitted with the front portico in the Imperial period, and then later converted into a church," Tharll detailed other sights from Rome.

If you want to limit yourself to ancient Rome though, this has been possible for quite a while now, via the dedicated Ancient Rome 3D layer which has been in Google Earth for three years now.

Other cities that have been recreated in 3D in Google Earth recently:

Google SketchUp is available for download here on Softpedia.