Situated on the
River Tiber, between the Apennine Mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea, the
‘Eternal City’ of Rome (
Roma) was once the administrative center of the mighty
Roman Empire, governing a vast region that stretched from Britain to Mesopotamia. Today, it remains the seat of the
Italian government and home to numerous ministerial offices but is superseded by Milan, in the industrial north, for business and finance.
The legendary beginnings of Rome are related in the tale of
Romulus and
Remus. Princess Rhea Silvia, ravished
by Mars (the God of War), gave birth to the twins and abandoned them to fate. The River Tiber carried them to the
Palatine Hill, where a
she-wolf mothered the babes until their discovery by a shepherd. Romulus later killed Remus, before going on to found Rome in the marshy lowlands of seven hills.
The anniversary of Rome’s foundation (21 April 753BC) is now marked by a public holiday. The historians’ version is no less astonishing. It traces the rise of the city from unimportant
pastoral settlement (the earliest remains date back to the ninth century BC) to
vast empire, ruled over by a
string of emperors.
Rome saw a second period of development during the 15th-century
Renaissance, when the
Papacy took up permanent residence in the city. Although Rome’s power has since waned, the city remains the essence of
European civilization.
Ruins dating from Rome’s glory days lie within an area known as
Roma Antica (Ancient Rome) and include the monumental
Colosseum and the
Foro Romano (
Roman Forum) - a crumbling legacy of pagan temples, broken marble and triumphal arches.
Buildings from the
Renaissance period are concentrated within the
centro storico (
historic center), situated between Via del Corso and the Tevere (River Tiber). Here, a labyrinth of narrow,
winding, cobbled side streets opens out onto
magnificent piazzas presided over by
baroque churches,
regal palaces and
exquisite fountains.
The romantic
Piazza Navona with Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers,
Piazza di Spagna and the sweeping
Spanish Steps, and the
Trevi Fountain immortalized by Fellini’s
La Dolce Vita (1959), all lie within walking distance of each other.
Modern life continues amid this theater of breathtaking monuments, as thousands of years of history are animated by
more recent innovations - sophisticated
boutiques, rowdy
pizzerias and a merry-go-round of
cars, buses and
mopeds.
Across the river, to the west, lies the
Vatican State - home to the
Pope and spiritual center of the
Roman Catholic Church. South of the Vatican, one finds the bohemian quarter of
Trastevere, packed with
trattorie and small
wine bars. Further south still is the
Testaccio district, renowned for
nightclubs and
live music.
With the opening of various venues dedicated to jazz and cinema and the inauguration of the first ever
International Film Festival in October 2006, Rome has seen exponential
cultural growth recently, The Imperial Fora are being revamped and will shortly welcome a new museum, while two modern art museums are being built (the MAXXI) or due to open in 2007 (the MACRO) (see
Key Attractions).
Tourism is a major source of income and visitors come and go throughout the year. The city is blessed with a
warm Mediterranean climate, making Rome particularly pleasant to visit in
autumn and
spring. In August, it is hot and sticky and most of the locals head for the coast - many shops and bars close for the summer break and the streets are strangely empty save for visitors.
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