Rome

**Rome** () is the capital city of Italy. It is also the capital and largest city in the _region_ of Lazio, and the geographical region of Latium. It is on the Tiber River and has 2.8 million people. An estimate by the OECD put the number of people of the city area of Rome at 3.47 million. When the Roman Empire was new, Rome was called the _Eternal City_ because it was already very old.

Rome is well known for being the home of Vatican City, a sovereign state serving as the headquarters of the Holy See having governance over Vatican and the worldwide Roman Catholic Church with the Pope as its head.

## History

Rome is known for sure about the founding of ancient Rome; it is prehistoric. The myth of Romulus and Remus is often told. They were supposedly raised by a she-wolf. Romulus killed Remus, and became the first king of Rome, for some time Romulus ruled alongside a Sabine King a neighboring tribe. There is no historical evidence of this, but the story is popular. Numa Pompilius was the next king.

With the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom began the Republican era. The new Roman Republic fought and conquered the people around it. In 390 BC, the town was invaded by Gauls. Between the third and second century BC, Rome fought against the rival Carthage. The Roman army captured and destroyed Carthage.

Only with Julius Caesar in the first century BC, did the city began to grow significantly, especially toward the Campo Marzio, at the north of Capitoline Hill, and its domain was extended to Britannia. Caesar was never crowned emperor, a title which, however, fell to his adopted son Octavian who took the throne under the name of Augustus.

Augustus "found a city of bricks and left it marble". With him, Rome reached one million inhabitants and this was the first time in history that has happened in the world. Later emperors also added new monuments, temples, and triumphal arches to ancient Rome.

With the decline of the Roman Empire, the city declined in importance and fell into ruin. Pope Gregory I created major reforms for the people. The city was ruled by the pope, and soon also became the capital of a state, the Papal States, which remained active until the 19th century. Popes, like the emperors, became richer over the centuries and the same happened with the counties ruled by them.

Rome experienced a second "rebirth" in importance during the Italian Renaissance. The city of monuments and churches was called the "capital of Christendom", as the home of the Basilica di San Giovanni Laterano, the most important church of the world. The masterpieces of the Renaissance geniuses, like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, embellished the city.

The power of the Pope lessened along with its state.

But with the Italian Risorgimento Rome experienced a third "rebirth". On 20 September 1870, Garibaldi's army, which had the task of uniting all of Italy under the crown of Savoy, entered the city through a breach opened in the walls at Porta Pia and, the same year, Rome became the capital of the new Italian state. In a few decades Rome grew to be one of the most important capitals of Europe and of the world: in 1936 it was the capital of the _Italian Empire_, even if for a few years because of the second world war.

Today, Rome is a major European political and cultural center, containing the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. There are also numerous museums, basilicas and palaces, such as the Colosseum, and, in the Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica, a brilliant example of the architecture of the Renaissance which can be found all over Rome.

## Geography

Rome stands on seven hills, with an area of . The city is crossed by two rivers: the Tiber, which runs from east to west, and l'Aniene, which runs from north-east to north – within the city, it flows into the Tiber. Rome was built on Sun Hill, later named _Palatine_. It grew and covered seven principal hills, which are now the inner city of Rome:
- Palatine
- Aventine
- Capitoline
- Quirinal
- Viminal
- Esquiline
- Caelian

### Climate

Rome has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa), with cool, humid winters and warm, dry summers. Its average annual temperature is above  during the day and  at night.

## Education

The children in Rome have to go to school from the age of six until 16. This takes them to primary school (), then middle school () and finally high school ().  The biggest university in Italy is the University of Rome.  It was created in 1303.  About  students study at this university.

## Transport

Rome has an airport, which is named Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (IATA: FCO). The  _Leonardo Express_ is a fast train that goes between the airport and the city center.  Many commuter railway lines connect the city to nearby suburbs, and long-distance trains go to other cities in Italy. In the city itself, public transport consists of three metro lines (A, B, and C), six tram lines, and many bus routes.

## Buildings

Rome has many old, famous buildings. In recent centuries, the city has become an important tourist attraction.  Rome has 1,500 fountains, which is more than any other city in the world.
- The Vatican
- Cinecittà Studios
- Roman Forum
- Colosseum
- The Temple of Antonius and Faustina (141 )
- The Temple of Julius Caesar (29 )
- The Temple of Vesta (7th century )
- The Temple of Castor and Pollux (484 )
- The Arch of Augustus (29–19 )
- The Forum of Caesar (54 )
- The Forum of Augustus (2 )
- The Temple of Venus and Rome (135 )
- Circus Maximus
- The Baths of Caracalla (212–216 )
- Pantheon

## Related pages

- Ancient Rome

## Other websites

- Rome – Citizendium
- Ancient Rome first days
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## Infobox (unesco world heritage site)

- **child**: yes
- **official name**: _Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura_
- **id**: 91
- **year**: 1980


## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Rome
- **official name**: _Roma Capitale_
- **native name**: _Roma_
- **settlement type**: Capital city and _comune_
- **image skyline**: Rome Montage 2017.png
- **image caption**: Clockwise from top: the Colosseum, St. Peter's Basilica, Castel Sant'Angelo, Ponte Sant'Angelo, Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon, Rome, Pantheon
- **image flag**:
- **image shield**:
- **nickname**:

Throne of St. Peter
- **etymology**: Possibly
- **established title**: Founded
- **founder**: King Romulus
- **image map**: Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
- **map caption**: The territory of the _comune_ (_Roma Capitale_, in red) inside the Metropolitan City of Rome (_Città Metropolitana di Roma_, in yellow). The white area in the centre is Vatican City.
- **pushpin map**: Italy#Europe
- **pushpin map caption**: Location within Italy##Location within Europe
- **pushpin relief**: yes
- **subdivision type**: Country
- **subdivision type2**: Regions of Italy, Region
- **subdivision name2**: Lazio
- **government type**: Special _Comune_ ("Roma Capitale")
- **governing body**: City Council of Rome, Capitoline Assembly
- **leader title**: Mayor of Rome, Mayor
- **leader name**: Roberto Gualtieri (Democratic Party (Italy), PD)
- **total type**: Total
- **unit pref**: IT
- **area total sq mi**: 496.3
- **elevation m**: 21
- **population as of**: 30 April 2018
- **population density km2**: 2236
- **population rank**: List of cities in Italy, 1st, Italy (List of largest cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 3rd in EU)
- **population blank1 title**: _Comune_
- **population blank1**: 2,879,728
- **population blank2 title**: Metropolitan cities of Italy, Metropolitan City
- **population blank2**: 4,355,725
- **population demonym**:

- **timezone1**: Central European Time, CET
- **utc offset1**: +1
- **postal code type**: Postal code, CAP code(s)
- **postal code**: 00100; 00118 to 00199
- **area code**: 06
- **pushpin label**: Rome