All Topics  
Rome

 

 

 

 

 

Rome


 
 
Geography and climate
LocationRome is in the Lazio region of Central ItalyCentral Italy Summary

Central Italy is a geographic area in Italy that encompasses six of the country's 20 autonomous regions:...
 at the confluence of the AnieneAniene

The Aniene River is a 98 km river in Lazio, Italy....
 and TiberTiber

The Tiber , the third-longest river in Italy at 406 km after the Po and the Adige, flows through Rome in its course from Mo...
 () rivers. Although the city center is about inland from the Tyrrhenian SeaTyrrhenian Sea

The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off of the western coast of Italy....
, the city territory extends to the very shore, where the south-western OstiaOstia Antica (district) Overview

Ostia Antica is a district in the commune of Rome, Italy, five kilometers away from the coast....
 district is located. The altitudeAltitude

Altitude is the elevation of an object from a known level or datum....
 of the central part of Rome ranges from above sea level (in Piazza del PopoloFacts About Piazza del Popolo

The Piazza del Popolo is one of the most famous places, especially for foreigners, in Rome....
) to above sea level (the peak of Monte MarioMonte Mario

Monte Mario is the highest hill of Rome....
). The comune of Rome covers an overall areaArea

Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface....
 of about , including many green areas.
Climate Rome enjoys a typical Mediterranean climateMediterranean climate Overview

A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles those of the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea....
 which characterizes the MediterraneanMediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the sou...
 coasts of ItalyItaly

Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European country....
. It is at its most comfortable from April through June, and from mid-September to October; in particular, the Roman ottobrate (the ItalianItalian language Summary

Italian is a Romance language spoken by about 70 million people, primarily in Italy....
 word ottobrata can roughly be translated as "beautiful October day") are famously known as sunny and warm days.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Rome'
Start a new discussion about 'Rome'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum






Timeline

753 BC   The city of Rome and the Roman Kingdom is founded by Romulus (according to tradition). Beginning of the Roman 'Ab urbe condita' calendar.

673 BC   Tullus Hostilius becomes the third king of Rome.

642 BC   Ancus Marcius becomes the fourth king of Rome (traditional date).

616 BC   Lucius Tarquinius Priscus becomes the fifth king of Rome.

534 BC   Lucius Tarquinius Superbus becomes seventh king of Rome, after murdering the sixth king Servius Tullius;

509 BC   The temple of Jupiter on Rome's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September.

508 BC   Office of ''pontifex maximus'' created in Rome.

390 BC   Battle of the Allia: Gauls, under Brennus, defeat the Roman army. This leads to the capture and sack of Rome. Although he raised an army in outlying districts, the again dictator Marcus Furius Camillus got rid of the Gauls by paying a large tribute.

390 BC   Battle of the Allia: Gauls, under Brennus, defeat the Roman army. This leads to the capture and sack of Rome. Although he raised an army in outlying districts, the again dictator Marcus Furius Camillus got rid of the Gauls by paying a large tribute.

70 BC   In Rome, Cicero prosecutes former governor Verres; Verres exiles himself to Marseille before the trial is over.







Quotations


All roads lead to Rome (Referring to the vast amount of roads the Romans had built.)

I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble. (Augustus)

O Rome! My country! City of the soul! (George Gordon Byron, Lord Byron, 1788-1824, English poet)

Rome makes fall in love with itself very slowly but forever. (Nikolaj Vasil'evic Gogol, 1809-1852, Russian poet)

Rome was not built in a day.

It is my sixth time in the Eternal City, but Im deeply touched again. Being touched while coming to Rome is usual in sensitive people, so Im almost ashamed of my writings. (Henri Beyle, alias Stendhal, 1783-1841, French writer)






Encyclopedia


Geography and climate


Location

Rome is in the Lazio region of Central ItalyCentral Italy Summary

Central Italy is a geographic area in Italy that encompasses six of the country's 20 autonomous regions:...
 at the confluence of the AnieneAniene

The Aniene River is a 98 km river in Lazio, Italy....
 and TiberTiber

The Tiber , the third-longest river in Italy at 406 km after the Po and the Adige, flows through Rome in its course from Mo...
 () rivers. Although the city center is about inland from the Tyrrhenian SeaTyrrhenian Sea

The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off of the western coast of Italy....
, the city territory extends to the very shore, where the south-western OstiaOstia Antica (district) Overview

Ostia Antica is a district in the commune of Rome, Italy, five kilometers away from the coast....
 district is located. The altitudeAltitude

Altitude is the elevation of an object from a known level or datum....
 of the central part of Rome ranges from above sea level (in Piazza del PopoloFacts About Piazza del Popolo

The Piazza del Popolo is one of the most famous places, especially for foreigners, in Rome....
) to above sea level (the peak of Monte MarioMonte Mario

Monte Mario is the highest hill of Rome....
). The comune of Rome covers an overall areaArea

Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface....
 of about , including many green areas.

Climate

Rome enjoys a typical Mediterranean climateMediterranean climate Overview

A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles those of the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea....
 which characterizes the MediterraneanMediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the sou...
 coasts of ItalyItaly

Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European country....
. It is at its most comfortable from April through June, and from mid-September to October; in particular, the Roman ottobrate (the ItalianItalian language Summary

Italian is a Romance language spoken by about 70 million people, primarily in Italy....
 word ottobrata can roughly be translated as "beautiful October day") are famously known as sunny and warm days. By August, the temperatureTemperature

In thermodynamics, temperature is a measure of the tendency of an object or system to spontaneously give up energy....
 during the heat of the day often exceeds 32 °C (90 °F); traditionally, many businesses would close during August, and Romans would abandon the city for holiday resorts, but this trend is weakening, and the city is increasingly remaining fully functional during the whole summer, in response to growing tourismTourism

Tourism is the act of travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes, and also refers to the provision of service...
 as well as change in the population's work habits. The average high temperature in December is about 13 °C (57 °F), but below zero lows are not uncommon.

History




From founding to Empire


According to a legendLegend Overview

A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history...
, the city of Rome was founded by the twins Romulus and RemusRomulus and Remus

Romulus and Remus are the traditional founders of Rome, appearing in Roman mythology as the twin sons of the priest...
 on April 21, 753 BC, and archaeological evidence supports the theory that Rome grew from pastoralPastoralism

Pastoralism is a form of farming, such as agriculture and horticulture....
 settlements on the Palatine HillFacts About Palatine Hill

The Palatine Hill is the centermost of the seven hills of Rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city of Rome in I...
 built in the area of the future Roman ForumRoman Forum

The Roman Forum was the central area around which ancient Rome developed, in which commerce, business, prostitution, cult an...
, coalescing into a city in the 8th century BC. The city developed into the capitalCapital

In politics, a capital is the principal city or town associated with a country's government....
 of the Roman KingdomRoman Kingdom

The Roman Kingdom was the monarchal government for the city of Rome and its territories from its founding....
 (ruled by a succession of seven kingsRoman Kingdom

The Roman Kingdom was the monarchal government for the city of Rome and its territories from its founding....
, according to tradition), Roman RepublicRoman Republic

The Roman Republic was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a republican form of government....
 (from 510 BC, governed by the SenateRoman Senate

The Roman Senate was the main governing council of both the Roman Republic, which started in 510 BC, and the Roman Empire, w...
), but finally the Roman EmpireRoman Empire

The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government....
 (from 27 BC, ruled by an EmperorRoman Emperor

"Roman Emperor" is the term historians use to refer to rulers of the Roman Empire, after the epoch conventionally named the ...
); this success depended on military conquest, commercialCommerce

Commerce is the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money between two or more ent...
 predominance, as well as selective assimilation of neighboring civilizations, most notably the Etruscans and GreeksAncient Greece

Ancient Greece is the period in Greek history which lasted for around one thousand years and ended with the rise of Christia...
. From the foundation of Rome in 753 BC, the City of Rome was undefeated militarily (though losing occasional battles), until 386 BC, when Rome was occupied by the Celts (one of the three main Gallic tribes), and then recovered by Romans in the same year. Livy, Book 5. According to the history, the Gauls offered to deliver Rome back to its people for a thousand pounds of gold, but the Romans refused, preferring to take back their city by force of arms rather than ever admitting defeat.

Roman dominance expanded over most of EuropeEurope

Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth....
 and the shores of the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the sou...
, while its populationPopulation

In sociology and biology, a population is the collection of people, or organisms of a particular species, living in a given ...
 surpassed one million inhabitants. For almost a thousand years, Rome was the most politically important, richest and largest city in the Western worldWestern world

The term Western World or "the West" can have multiple meanings depending on its context....
, and remained so after the Empire started to declineDecline of the Roman Empire

The decline of the Roman Empire, also called the fall of the Roman Empire, is a historical term of periodization that ...
 and was split, even if it ultimately lost its capital status to MilanFacts About Milan

Milan is the main city of northern Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy....
 and then RavennaRavenna

Ravenna is a city and commune in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy....
, and was surpassed in prestige by the Eastern capital ConstantinopleConstantinople

Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine Empire and following its fall in 1453, of the Ottoman Empire until 1930, wh...
.

Fall of the Empire and Middle Ages

With the reign of Constantine IFacts About Constantine I

Gaius Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinusantine is best remembered in modern times for the Edict of Milan in 313, which f...
, the Bishop of RomeBishop of Rome Summary

The Bishop of Rome is the bishop of the Holy See and is more commonly referred to as the Pope....
 gained political as well as religious importance, eventually becoming known as the PopePope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, and, as Successor of Saint Peter, is the head of the Catholic Church....
 and establishing Rome as the center of the Catholic Church. After the Sack of Rome in AD 410Sack of Rome (410)

The Sack of Rome occurred on August 24, 410....
 by Alaric IAlaric I

Alaric I , who was likely born about 370 on an island named Peuce at the mouth of the Danube, became king of the Visigoths ...
 and the fall of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476, Rome alternated between ByzantineByzantine Empire

Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of the...
 and plundering by GermanicGermania

Dating back to the Roman era, Germania was the Latin name for a geographical area that stretched from the west bank of the R...
 barbarians. Its population declined to a mere 20,000 during the Early Middle AgesEarly Middle Ages

The Early Middle Ages are a period in the history of Europe following the fall of the Western Roman Empire, spanning roughly...
, reducing the sprawling city to groups of inhabited buildings interspersed among large areas of ruins and vegetation. Rome remained nominally part of the Byzantine EmpireByzantine Empire Overview

Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of the...
 rule until AD 751 when the LombardsLombards

The Lombards , were a Germanic people originally from Northern Europe that entered the late Roman Empire....
 finally abolished the Exarchate of RavennaExarchate of Ravenna

The Exarchate of Ravenna was a center of Byzantine power in Italy, from the end of the 6th century to 751, when the last Exa...
. In 756, Pepin the Short gave the pope temporal jurisdiction over Rome and surrounding areas, thus creating the Papal StatesPapal States

The Papal States or State of the Church was one of the major historical states of Italy before the Italian peninsula ...
.

Rome remained the capital of the Papal StatesPapal States

The Papal States or State of the Church was one of the major historical states of Italy before the Italian peninsula ...
 until its annexation into the Kingdom of ItalyKingdom of Italy (1861–1946)

The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia;...
 in 1870; the city became a major pilgrimagePilgrimage

A pilgrimage is a term primarily used in religion and spirituality of a long journey or search of great moral significance....
 site during the Middle AgesMiddle Ages

The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three "ages": the clas...
 and the focus of struggles between the Papacy and the Holy Roman EmpireHoly Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a mainly Central European conglomeration of lands in the Middle Ages and the early modern period, ...
 starting with CharlemagneCharlemagne

Charlemagne was the King of the Franks who conquered Italy and took the Iron Crown of Lombardy in 774 and, on a visit to ...
, who was crowned its first emperor in Rome on ChristmasChristmas

Christmas is a holiday on the Christian calendar, celebrating the birth of Jesus....
 800 AD by Pope Leo IIIPope Leo III

Leo III was Pope from 795 to 816....
. Apart from brief periods as an independent city during the Middle AgesMiddle Ages

The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three "ages": the clas...
, Rome kept its status of Papal capital and "holy city" for centuries, even when the Pope briefly relocated to AvignonAvignon

Avignon is a commune in southern France with an estimated mid-2004 population of 89,300 in the city itself and a popul...
 (1309–1337). While no longer politically powerful, as tragically shown by the brutal sack of 1527Sack of Rome (1527)

The Sack of Rome of 6 May 1527 by the troops of Charles V marked a crucial imperial victory in the conflict between the Holy...
, the city flourished as a hub of cultural and artistic activity during the RenaissanceRenaissance

In the traditional view, the Renaissance was understood as a historical age in Europe that followed the Middle Ages and ...
 and the BaroqueBaroque

In the arts, Baroque is both a period and the style that dominated it....
, under the patronage of the Papal court.

17–19th century

PopulationPopulation

In sociology and biology, a population is the collection of people, or organisms of a particular species, living in a given ...
 rose again and reached 100,000 during the 17th century, but Rome ultimately lagged behind the rest of the EuropeEurope

Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth....
an capitalsCapital City

Capital City is a 60-minute television show produced by Euston Films that ran for 13 episodes in 1989 on ITV....
 over the subsequent centuries, being largely busy in the Counter-ReformationCounter-Reformation

The Counter-Reformation or Catholic Reformation was a movement within the Catholic Church to reform itself in the wake...
 process.
Caught up in the nationalistic turmoils of the 19th century and having twice gained and lost a short-lived independence, Rome became the focus of the hopes for ItalianItaly

Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European country....
 unificationUnification

In mathematical logic, in particular as applied to computer science, a unification of two terms is a join with respect ...
, as propelled by the Kingdom of ItalyKingdom of Italy (1861–1946)

The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia;...
 ruled by KingKing of Italy

King of Italy is a title adopted by many rulers of the Italian peninsula after the fall of the Roman Empire....
 Vittorio Emanuele II; after the FrenchFrance Overview

France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe and whi...
 protection was lifted in 1870, royal troops stormed the city, and Rome was declared capital of the newly unified Italy in 1871.

20th century

After a victorious World War IWorld War I

World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War and "The War to End All Wars" was a global m...
, Rome witnessed the rise to powerPolitical power

Political power is a type of power held by a person or group in a society....
 of Italian fascismItalian fascism

Italian fascism was the authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito ...
 guided by Benito MussoliniBenito Mussolini

Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was the Prime-Minister and fascist dictator of Italy from 1922 until his overthrow in 1943...
, who marched on the city in 1922, eventually declared a new EmpireItalian Empire

The empire ordinarily associated with geographical Italy is the Roman Empire but like Venice and Genoa in feudal times, modern Ita...
 and allied ItalyItaly

Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European country....
 with Nazi GermanyNazi Germany

Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, refers to Germany in the years 1933 to 1945, when it was governed by the National So...
. This was a period of rapid growth in population, from the 212,000 people at the time of unification to more than 1,000,000, but this trend was halted by World War IIFacts About World War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers ,...
, during which Rome was damaged by both Allied forcesAllies of World War II

The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis Powers during the Second World War. ...
 bombingBombing of Rome in World War II

The bombing of Rome in World War II took place on several occasions in 1943 and 1944, by both Allied and Axis aircraft, befo...
 and Nazi occupation; after the execution of Mussolini and the end of the war, a 1946 referendumBirth of the Italian Republic

The birth of the Italian Republic is a key event of Italian contemporary history....
 abolished the monarchy in favor of the Italian Republic.

Rome grew momentously after the war, as one of the driving forces behind the "Italian economic miracle" of post-war reconstructionPostwar reconstruction

A postwar reconstruction is a reconstruction after a war....
 and modernizationModernization

Modernization is a concept in the sphere of social sciences that refers to process in which society goes through industriali...
. It became a fashionable city in the 1950s and early 1960s, the years of la dolce vitaLa Dolce Vita

La Dolce Vita is a film directed by Federico Fellini and usually cited as the film that signals the split between his ea...
("the sweet life"), and a new rising trend in population continued till the mid-1980s, when the comune had more than 2,800,000 residents; after that, population started to slowly decline as more residents moved to nearby comuni.

Architecture, landmarks and city layouts









Ancient Rome

One of the symbols of Rome is the ColosseumColosseum

The Colosseum or Coliseum, originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre , is the largest amphitheatre built in t...
 (70-80 AD), the largest amphitheatreAmphitheatre

The name amphitheatre is given to a public building of the Classical period which was used for spectator sports, games and...
 ever built in the Roman EmpireRoman Empire Summary

The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government....
. Originally capable of seating 60,000 spectators, it was used for gladiatorGladiator

Gladiators were professional fighters in ancient Rome who fought against each other, wild animals, and condemned criminals,...
ial combatCombat Summary

Combat, or fighting, is purposeful violent conflict between one or more persons or organizations, often intended to es...
. The list of the very important monuments of ancient Rome includes the Roman ForumRoman Forum Overview

The Roman Forum was the central area around which ancient Rome developed, in which commerce, business, prostitution, cult an...
, the Domus AureaDomus Aurea

The Domus Aurea was a large palace built by the Roman emperor Nero after the fire that devastated Rome in 64 AD had clea...
, the PantheonPantheon, Rome

The Pantheon is a building in Rome which was originally built as a temple to the seven deities of the seven planets in the s...
, Trajan's ColumnTrajan's Column

Trajan's Column is a monument in Rome raised by Apollodorus of Damascus at the order of the Senate....
, Trajan's MarketTrajan's Market

Trajan's Market is a large complex of ruins in the city of Rome, located on the Via dei Fori Imperiale, at the opposite ...
, the several catacombs areaCatacombs of Rome

The Catacombs of Rome are ancient Jewish and Christian underground burial places near Rome, Italy....
, the Circus MaximusCircus Maximus

The Circus Maximus is an ancient arena and mass entertainment venue located in Rome....
, the Baths of CaracallaBaths of Caracalla

The Baths of Caracalla were Roman public baths, or thermae, built in Rome between 212 and 216 AD, during the reign of th...
, Castel Sant'AngeloCastel Sant'Angelo

The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as the Castel Sant'Angelo is a towering cylindrical building in Rome the capit...
, the Mausoleum of Augustus, the Ara PacisAra Pacis

The Ara Pacis Augustae is an altar to Peace, envisioned as a Roman goddess....
, the Arch of ConstantineArch of Constantine

The Arch of Constantine is a triumphal arch in Rome, situated between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill....
, the Pyramid of CestiusPyramid of Cestius Overview

The Pyramid of Cestius is an Egyptian-style pyramid in Rome, Italy near the Porta San Paolo and the Protestant Cemetery....
, and the Bocca della Verità.

Medieval

Often overlooked, Rome's medieval heritage is one of the largest in Italian cities. Basilicas dating from the Paleochristian age include Santa Maria Maggiore and San Paolo Fuori le Mura (the second largely rebuilt in the 19th century), both housing precious 4th century AD mosaics. Later notable medieval mosaic and fresco art can be also found in the churches of Santa Maria in TrastevereSanta Maria in Trastevere

The basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of the oldest churches in Rome, perhaps the first in which mass was openly ...
, Santi Quattro CoronatiSanti Quattro Coronati

Santi Quattro Coronati is an ancient basilica in Rome....
 and Santa PrassedeSanta Prassede Overview

Santa Prassede is a basilica church in Rome, located near the major basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore....
. Lay buildings include a number of towers, the largest being the Torre delle MilizieTorre delle Milizie

The Torre delle Milizie is a tower in Rome, annexed to the Trajan's Market in the Imperial fora....
 and the Torre dei ContiTorre dei Conti

The Torre dei Conti is a medieval tower in Rome, Italy, located near the Coliseum and the Roman Forum....
, both next the Roman Forum, and the huge staircase leading to the basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli.

Renaissance and Baroque

Rome was a major world center of the RenaissanceRenaissance

In the traditional view, the Renaissance was understood as a historical age in Europe that followed the Middle Ages and ...
, second only to FlorenceFlorence

Florence is the capital city of the region of Tuscany, Italy....
, and was profoundly affected by the movement. The most impressive masterpiece of Renaissance architectureRenaissance architecture

Renaissance Architecture: Between the 14th and the 16th Centuries there was the stirrings of a new cultural movement which c...
 in Rome is the Piazza del Campidoglio by MichelangeloMichelangelo Summary

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, pai...
, along with the Palazzo Senatorio, seat of the city government. During this period, the great aristocratic families of Rome used to build opulent dwellings as the Palazzo del Quirinale (now seat of the President of the RepublicPresident of the Italian Republic

The President of the Italian Republic is the head of State of Italy, and as such is intended to represent national unity rat...
), the Palazzo VeneziaPalazzo Venezia

The Palazzo Venezia is the name for a large palazzo in central Rome, just north of the Capitoline Hill....
, the Palazzo Farnese, the Palazzo BarberiniPalazzo Barberini

Palazzo Barberini is a palace in Rome, on the piazza of the same name in Rione Trevi....
, the Palazzo ChigiPalazzo Chigi

The Palazzo Chigi is a palace or noble residence in Rome, overlooking the Piazza Colonna and the Via del Corso....
 (now seat of the Prime MinisterPrime minister of Italy

In Italy, the President of the Council of Ministers is the country's prime minister or head of government, and occupie...
), the Palazzo SpadaPalazzo Spada

The Palazzo Spada is a palace in Rome that houses a grand art collection, the Galleria Spada, assembled by Bernardino ...
, the Palazzo della CancelleriaPalazzo della Cancelleria

The Palazzo della Cancelleria is a palace in Rome, situated between the present Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and the Campo de'...
, and the Villa FarnesinaVilla Farnesina

Villa Farnesina is an artistically and architecturally influential Renaissance villa in Via della Lungara, in the central di...
.

Rome is also famous for her huge and majestic squares (often adorned with obelisksObelisks in Rome

There are eight ancient Egyptian and five ancient Roman obelisks in Rome, together with a number of more modern obelisks....
), many of which were built in the 17th century. The principal squares are Piazza NavonaPiazza Navona

Piazza Navona is a square in Rome....
, Piazza di Spagna, Campo de' FioriCampo de' Fiori

Campo de' Fiori is an informal rectangular piazza near Piazza Navona in Rome, on the edge of rione Parione....
, Piazza VeneziaFacts About Piazza Venezia

The Piazza Venezia is a piazza in central Rome....
, Piazza Farnese and Piazza della MinervaSanta Maria sopra Minerva

Santa Maria sopra Minerva is a basilica church in Rome....
. One of the most emblematic examples of the baroque art is the Fontana di Trevi by Nicola SalviNicola Salvi

Nicola Salvi or Niccolo Salvi was an Italian architect most famous for the Trevi Fountain in Rome....
. Other notable baroque palacesBaroque architecture

Baroque architecture, starting in the early 17th century in Italy, took the humanist Roman vocabulary of Renaissance archite...
 of 17th century are the Palazzo MadamaPalazzo Madama

Palazzo Madama is a palace in Rome, currently house of the Senate of the Italian Republic....
, now seat of the Italian SenateItalian Senate

The Italian Senate is the upper house of the Parliament of Italy....
 and the Palazzo MontecitorioPalazzo Montecitorio

The Palazzo Montecitorio is a palace in Rome, which is currently the seat of the Italian Chamber of deputies....
, now seat of the Chamber of Deputies of Italy.

Neoclassicism


In 1870, Rome became capital city of the new Kingdom of ItalyKingdom of Italy (1861–1946)

The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia;...
. During this time, neoclassicismNeoclassical architecture

The neoclassical movement that produced Neoclassical architecture began in the mid-18th century, as a reaction against both ...
, a building style influenced by the architecture of AntiquityClassical antiquity

Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, which begin...
, became a predominant influence in Roman architecture. In this period many great palaces in neoclassical styles were built to host ministries, embassies and other governing agencies. One of the best-known symbol of Roman neoclassicismNeoclassicism

Neoclassicism is the name given to quite distinct movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, a...
 is the Monument of Vittorio Emanuele IIMonument of Vittorio Emanuele II

Monument of Vittorio Emanuele II or Altare della Patria or "Il Vittoriano" is a monument located in Rome, Italy....
 or "Altar of Fatherland", where the grave of the Unknown Soldier, that represents the 650,000 Italians that fell in World War IWorld War I

World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War and "The War to End All Wars" was a global m...
, is located.

Fascist architecture

The Fascist regime that ruled in Italy between 1922 and 1943 developed an architectural style which was characterized by its links with ancient Roman architecture. The most important fascist site in Rome is the E.U.R.Esposizione Universale Roma

The Esposizione Universale Roma is a large complex, built in 1935 by Benito Mussolini as symbol of fascism for the world; he...
 district, designed in 1938 by Marcello PiacentiniMarcello Piacentini

Marcello Piacentini was an Italian architect and urban theorist. ...
. It was originally conceived for the 1942 world exhibitionEsposizione universale (1942)

The Esposizione universale of 1942 was planned to be held in Rome....
, and was called "E.42" ("Esposizione 42"). The world exhibition, however, never took place because ItalyItaly

Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European country....
 entered the Second World War in 1940. The most representative building of the Fascist style at E.U.R. is the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (1938-1943), the iconic design of which has been labeled the cubicCube

A cube is a three-dimensional Platonic solid composed of six square faces, facets or sides, with three meeting at each ver...
 or Square ColosseumFacts About Colosseum

The Colosseum or Coliseum, originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre , is the largest amphitheatre built in t...
.
After World War II, the Roman authorities found that they already had the seed of an off-centre business district that other capitals were still planning. Also the Palazzo della FarnesinaPalazzo della Farnesina

Palazzo della Farnesina is a building in Rome, Italy, designed in 1935....
, the current seat of Italian Foreign Ministry, was designed in 1935 in fascist style.

City centre

The historical centre ville is dominated by the traditional "Seven hills of RomeSeven hills of Rome

The Seven Hills of Rome east of the Tiber form the heart of Rome....
": the CapitolineCapitoline Hill

The Capitoline Hill, between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the most famous and highest of the seven hills of R...
, PalatinePalatine Hill

The Palatine Hill is the centermost of the seven hills of Rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city of Rome in I...
, ViminalViminal Hill Summary

The Viminal Hill is the smallest of the famous seven hills of Rome....
, QuirinalQuirinal Hill

The Quirinal Hill is one of the Seven Hills of Rome, at the north-east of the historical city center....
, EsquilineEsquiline Hill

The Esquiline Hill is one of the famous Seven Hills of Rome....
, CaelianFacts About Caelian Hill

The Caelian Hill is one of the famous Seven Hills of Rome....
, and AventineAventine Hill

The Aventine Hill is one of the seven hills on which ancient Rome was built....
 hills. The Tiber flows south through Rome, with the city centre located where the midstream Tiber IslandTiber Island

The Tiber Island is a boat-shaped island in the southern bend of the Tiber river in Rome....
 facilitated crossing.

Large parts of the ancient city walls remain. The Servian WallServian Wall

The Servian Wall was a defensive barrier constructed around the city of Rome in the early 4th century BC....
 was built twelve years after Gauls' sack of the city in 390 BC; it contained most of the Esquiline and Caelian hills, as well as the whole of the other five. Rome grew out of the Servian WallServian Wall

The Servian Wall was a defensive barrier constructed around the city of Rome in the early 4th century BC....
, but no more walls were constructed until 270 AD, when AurelianAurelian

Lucius Domitius Aurelianus , known in English as Aurelian, Roman Emperor , was the second of several highly successful...
 began building the Aurelian WallsAurelian Walls

The Aurelian Walls were built between 270 and 273, by Roman Emperor Aurelian....
. These were almost long, and were still the walls the troops of the Kingdom of ItalyKingdom of Italy (1861–1946)

The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia;...
 had to breach to enter the city in 1870.

The old city center contains about 300 hotels and 300 pensioniPension (lodging)

A pension is a family-owned guesthouse....
, over 200 palacePalace

In English a palace is the home of a head of state or other high-ranking public figure....
s, 900 churches, eight of Rome's major parks, the residence of the President of the Italian RepublicQuirinal Palace

The Quirinal Palace is now the official residence of the President of the Italian Republic upon the Quirinal Hill, one of th...
, the houses of the ParliamentParliament

A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system m...
, offices of the city and city government, and many monuments. The old city also contains thousands of workshops, offices, bars, and restaurants. Millions of tourists visit Rome annually, making it one of the most visited cities in the world.

Peripheral layout


The ancient city within the walls covers about four percent of the modern municipality's . The historic city center is the smallest of Rome's nineteen administrative zones. The city center is made up of 22 rioniRioni of Rome Summary

The word rione comes from the Latin regio; during the Middle Ages the Latin word became rejones, from which rione'...
(districts), with one of them, ( PratiPrati (rione of Rome) Summary

Prati is the XXII rione of Rome. Its logo is the shape of Hadrian's mausoleum, in a blue color on a silver background....
), actually lying out of the walled area. Surrounding the center are 35 quartieri urbani (urban sectors), and within the city limits are six large suburbi.

The belt highwayHighway

Highway is a term commonly used to designate major roads intended for travel by the public between important destinations, s...
 known as Grande Raccordo AnulareGrande Raccordo Anulare

The Autostrada del Grande Raccordo Anulare is a toll-free, ring-shaped orbital motorway, 68,2 km in circumference that encir...
 (G.R.A.) describes a huge circle around the capital, about six miles (10 km) out from the city center; unlike most Italian highwayHighway

Highway is a term commonly used to designate major roads intended for travel by the public between important destinations, s...
s, the G.R.A. is toll-free. The circular highway ties together the ancient roads that led to Rome in antiquity: the Via FlaminiaVia Flaminia

The Via Flaminia was a Roman road leading from Rome to Ariminum, and was the most important route to the north....
, Via AureliaVia Aurelia

Via Aurelia was the Roman road which passed out of ancient Rome through the Porta Aurelia in the Aurelian Walls and ran to t...
, Via SalariaVia Salaria

Via Salaria, an ancient Roman road in Italy, which eventually ran from Rome to Castrum Truentinum on the Adriatic co...
, Via TiburtinaVia Tiburtina

Via Tiburtina is an ancient road of Italy leading east-northeast from Rome to Tivoli for a distance of about 18 miles....
, Via CasilinaVia Casilina

The Via Casilina was a road born from the fusion of two ancient Roman roads in Italy: the Via Latina and the Via Labicana....
 and Via Appia. The modern Via Appia connects the city center to a string of towns known as Castelli RomaniFacts About Castelli Romani

The Castelli Romani is a group of communes in the province of Rome....
.

Vatican City

The city of Rome surrounds the Vatican City, the enclave of the Holy SeeHoly See

The Holy See is the episcopal see of Rome....
, which is a separate sovereignSovereignty

Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme political authority over a geographic region, group of people, or on...
 stateState

A state is a set of institutions that possess the authority to make the rules that govern the people in one or more societie...
. It hosts Saint Peter's SquareSaint Peter's Square

Saint Peter's Square, or Saint Peter's Piazza, is located directly in front of St....
 with the Saint Peter's Basilica. The open space before the basilica was redesigned by Gian Lorenzo BerniniGian Lorenzo Bernini

Gian Lorenzo Bernini was a pre-eminent Baroque sculptor and architect of 17th century Rome. ...
, from 1656 to 1667, under the direction of Pope Alexander VIIPope Alexander VII

Pope Alexander VII , born Fabio Chigi, was Pope from April 7, 1655 until his death in 1667. ...
, as a forecourt, designed "so that the greatest number of people could see the Pope give his blessing, either from the middle of the façade of the church or from a window in the Vatican Palace" (Norwich 1975, p. 175). In Vatican City there are also the Vatican LibraryVatican Library

The Vatican Library is the library of the Holy See, currently located in Vatican City....
, Vatican MuseumsVatican Museums

The Vatican Museums are the public art and sculpture museums in the Vatican City, which display works from the extensive col...
 with the Sistine ChapelSistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Roman Catholic Pope in the Vatican Cit...
, the Raphael RoomsRaphael Rooms

The Stanze di Raffaello in the Palace of the Vatican are papal apartments with frescoes painted by the Italian artist Raphae...
 and other important works of Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da Vinci

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was a talented Italian Renaissance Roman Catholic polymath: architect, anatomist, sculptor,...
, RaphaelRaphael

Raphael or Raffaello , born in Urbino, was a master painter and architect of the Florentine school in the Italian High...
, GiottoGiotto

Giotto may refer to:* Giotto di Bondone an Italian painter....
, and Botticelli.

Museums and galleries

The most important museums and galleries of Rome include the National Museum of RomeNational Museum of Rome Summary

The National Museum of Rome is a set of museums in Rome, Italy, split between various branches across the city....
, the Museum of Roman CivilizationMuseum of Roman Civilization

The Museum of the Roman Civilization is a museum in Rome, devoted to the aspects of the Ancient Roman civilization....
, the Villa GiuliaVilla Giulia

The Villa Giulia is a villa built by Pope Julius III, on the edge of the city of Rome, in 1550–1555....
 National Etruscan Museum, the Capitoline MuseumsCapitoline Museums

The Capitoline Museums are a group of art and archeological museums in Piazza del Campidoglio, on top of the famous Ca...
, the Borghese Gallery, the Museum of Castel Sant'AngeloCastel Sant'Angelo

The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as the Castel Sant'Angelo is a towering cylindrical building in Rome the capit...
, and the National Gallery of Modern ArtGalleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna Overview

Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna, or the National Gallery of Modern Art, is an art gallery in Rome, dedicated to cont...
.

Villas and gardens

The center of Rome is surrounded by some large green areas and opulent ancient villasRoman villa

The Roman Empire contained many kinds of villas....
, which are the remains of the crowns of villas which encircled the papal city. Most of them were largely destroyed by real estateReal estate

Real estate, or immovable property, is a legal term that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to ...
 speculationSpeculation

Speculation involves the buying, holding, and selling of stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, collectibles, real estate, ...
 at the end of the 19th century. The most important among the surviving ones are:
  • Villa BorgheseVilla Borghese

    Can refer to:*Villa Borghese Pinciana, villa built by the architect Flaminio Ponzio, developing sketches by Scipione Borghe...
    , with a large landscape garden in the naturalistic 19th century English style, containing a number of buildings, museums (see Galleria BorgheseGalleria Borghese

    The Borghese Gallery is an art gallery housed in the former Villa Borghese Pinciana, in the eponymous park of the Vill...
    ) and attractions;
  • Villa AdaVilla Ada

    Villa Ada is one of the very largest public parks in Rome, Italy....
    , the largest public landscaped park of Rome;
  • Villa Doria PamphiliVilla Doria Pamphili

    Villa Doria Pamphili, on the Gianicolo, the Roman Janiculum, is the largest public landscaped park of Rome....
    , the second largest with an area of ;
  • Villa TorloniaVilla Torlonia (Rome) Overview

    Villa Torlonia is a villa in Rome, Italy, belonging to the Torlonia family....
    , a splendid example of Art NouveauArt Nouveau

    in [[Vienna]...
     mansion that was the Roman residence of Benito MussoliniBenito Mussolini

    Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was the Prime-Minister and fascist dictator of Italy from 1922 until his overthrow in 1943...
    ;
  • Villa Albani, commissioned by Alessandro Cardinal AlbaniAlessandro Cardinal Albani

    Alessandro Albani was an Italian aristocrat and cardinal, and a collector and patron of the arts....
     to house his collection of antiquities and Roman sculptureSculpture

    A sculpture is a three-dimensional, human-made object selected for special recognition as art....
    , which soon filled the casino that faced the Villa down a series of formal parterres.

Government


Capital status


Rome is the national capitalCapital

In politics, a capital is the principal city or town associated with a country's government....
 of ItalyItaly

Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European country....
 and is the seat of the President of the Italian RepublicPresident of the Italian Republic

The President of the Italian Republic is the head of State of Italy, and as such is intended to represent national unity rat...
, whose official residence is Quirinale Palace. Rome hosts also the Italian Parliament, Italian Prime Minister and all the ministries.
The Mayor of Rome is Giovanni Alemanno of the People of Freedom coalition, elected in 2008. A political debateFacts About Debate

Debate or debating is a formal method of interactive and position representational argument....
 in Italy focuses on the opportunity of providing the city with "special powers" of local jurisdiction (the "Roma Capitale" directives), and possibly of turning either the comune or the Province of RomeProvince of Rome

The Province of Rome, is a province and the metropolitan area of Rome in the Latium region of Italy, with an area of 5,352 k...
 into a "capital district" separate from the Lazio region, modelled after other European capital cities.

Subdivisions


The territory of the commune of Rome is divided into 19 Municipi (area subdivisions). Originally, the city was divided into 20 sub-municipalities, but the XIV, what is now the Comune di FiumicinoFiumicino, Italy

Fiumicino is a central-Italian town in the province of Rome, in which the busy Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport is lo...
, voted some years ago to become a full municipality itself and eventually detached from Rome.

Other sovereign entities




Rome is unique in its containing two other sovereignSovereignty

Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme political authority over a geographic region, group of people, or on...
 entities. One is the Holy SeeHoly See

The Holy See is the episcopal see of Rome....
, the political and religiousReligion

Religion is a system of social coherence based on a common group of beliefs or attitudes concerning an object, person, unsee...
 entity that governs the territory of the Vatican CityVatican City

Vatican City formally State of the Vatican City, or Vatican City State is a sovereign city-state whose terri...
 (a de factoDe facto

De facto is a Latin expression that means "in fact" or "in practice"....
enclave since 1870, officially recognised as such in 1929), as well as claiming extraterritorial rightsExtraterritoriality

Extraterritoriality is the state of being exempt from the jurisdiction of local law, usually as the result of diplomatic neg...
 over a few other palaces and churches, mostly in the city centre; indeed, Rome hosts foreign embassies to both Italy and the Holy See. The other entity is the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), which took refuge in Rome in 1834 after having lost MaltaMalta

Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is a small and densely populated island nation consisting of an archipelago o...
 to Napoleon in 1798, and thus claims no territory (leading to disputes over its actual sovereign status); SMOM too owns extraterritorial palaces in central Rome.

International involvement

Rome has traditionally been heavily involved in the process of EuropeEurope

Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth....
an political integration. In 1957, the cityCity

A city is an urban area that is differentiated from a town, village, or hamlet by size, population density, importance, or ...
 hosted the signing of the Treaty of RomeTreaty of Rome

The Treaty of Rome established the European Economic Community and was signed by France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the N...
, which established the European Economic CommunityEuropean Economic Community

The European Economic Community was an international organisation created in 1957 to bring about economic integration betwe...
 (predecessor to the European UnionFacts About European Union

The European Union is an intergovernmental and supranational union of 25 democratic member states....
), and also played host to the official signing of the proposed European constitution in July 2004.

Rome is also the seat of significant international organizations of the United NationsUnited Nations

name = United NationsNations Unies...
, such as the World Food Program (WFP), the Food and Agriculture OrganizationFood and Agriculture Organization

The Food and Agriculture Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that works to raise levels of nutrition...
 (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentInternational Fund for Agricultural Development

The International Fund for Agricultural Development is a specialized agency of the United Nations....
 (IFAD).

It is the place where the Rome Statute of the International Criminal CourtRome Statute of the International Criminal Court

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is the treaty which established the International Criminal Court....
 was formulated.

Demographics

At the time of EmperorRoman Emperor Summary

"Roman Emperor" is the term historians use to refer to rulers of the Roman Empire, after the epoch conventionally named the ...
 Augustus, Rome was the largest city in the world, and probably the largest ever built until the nineteenth century. Estimates of its peak population range from 450,000 to over 3.5 million people with 1 to 2 million being most popular with historians. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the city's population may have been less than 50,000, and continued to stagnate (or shrink) until the RenaissanceRenaissance

In the traditional view, the Renaissance was understood as a historical age in Europe that followed the Middle Ages and ...
. When the Kingdom of ItalyKingdom of Italy (1861–1946)

The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia;...
 annexed Rome in 1870, it had a population of about 200,000, which rapidly increased to 600,000 at the eve of World War IWorld War I

World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War and "The War to End All