In June, economists ranked Rome the fourth most expensive city in Europe. In the past year, however, the dollar has appreciated against the lira, making consumer goods and travel less expensive in dollar terms. The crime rate is quite low in Rome, and violent crime against tourists is practically non-existent. Pickpocketing is a problem on some of the more heavily traveled tourist routes, and lost or stolen passports comprise the majority of calls to the duty officer. Air pollution can be a problem for those with respiratory conditions.
Traffic congestion is infamous.
But, above all, absorb your soccer terms. The author is the political-public diplomacy officer in the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See. Vatican City was established as an independent state in 1929. Its diplomatic history, however, goes back to the fourth century. Until the mid-19th century, the Pope exercised authority over a temporal domain that included vast tracts of modern Italy.