Rome
Rome or the Eternal City, is the capital of Italy and the Lazio region and the country's largest city with over 2.7 million residents. The climate is temperate, with breezy winters and hot summers.
The city of Rome is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy. Rome's history spans over two and a half thousand years. It was the capital city of the Roman Empire for over seven hundred years. Since the 2nd Century CE Rome has been the seat of the Papacy and, after the end of Byzantine domination, in the 8th century it became the capital of the Papal States, which lasted until 1870.
In 1871 Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, and in 1946 that of the Italian Republic.
In 2007 Rome was the 11th-most-visited city in the world, 3rd most visited in the European Union, and the most popular tourist attraction in Italy. Its historic centre is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Monuments and museums such as the Vatican Museum and the Colosseum are amongst the world's 50 most visited tourist destinations.
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Transport
Two airports serve Rome:
- Fiumicino Airport (also called Leonardo da Vinci), 26-km south-west of Rome, is the airport for both international and domestic air services.
- Ciampino Airport, 13-Km south-east of Rome, is a subsidiary airport used mainly for domestic flights and international charter flights.
Within the city itself is an extensive metro system known as the Metropolitana as well as trams and buses. There is also a bike sharing scheme.
Taxis in Rome are white; they will charge Tariffa 1 for travel around the Historic centre and Tariffa 2 for trips outside the centre. There are fixed charges to Ciampino (about 30 euro) and Fiumicino (about 40 euro) airports.
Areas of Rome
There are a number of different ways of classifying and dividing the city used both in the past and presently.
History
- See also the main article, Ancient Rome.
Rome, traditionally, was founded in 753 BC by Romulus and Remus and began its great development from the 10th Century BCE till it became the capital of the Roman Empire.
After the fall of the Empire in 476 CE, the city underwent a slow decline and was invaded and sacked several times. In 754 following the defeat of the Franks, the temporal power of the Popes began over the State of the Church and the city. On Christmas day 800, Charlemagne was crowned as Augustus and Emperor and with him began the period of the Holy Roman Empire, during which the city was reduced to a symbolic role.
The fortune of the city during the following centuries ebbed and flowed. During the 12th century the fortunes of the city rose only to be crushed by the church and the Papal States of central Italy.
Artistically, Rome underwent a period of great rebirth during the Renaissance and the Baroque periods, but politically it freed itself from the domination of the temporal power only in 1871, when it became capital of Italy. During this time Rome became the seat of the Italian government, the seat of Christianity, and one of the most important cultural and artistic centres of the world.
Stray Cats
Stray cats can be found all over Rome however, there are a large number of them around the Colosseum, Forum, Pentheon and Palatine Hill. They're more obvious in the early morning before the hordes of tourists arrive. The cats, as in many cities, are looked after and fed by Le Gattare or cat ladies.
An organization called Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary attempt to rehouse some of the many cats they look after and also raise public awareness over the issue.
Weather
Rome has a mild climate. It is pleasantly warm in spring and autumn with sunny skies and mild temperatures. In July and August it can get very hot (in August the city almost closes down). In winter it is sharp and cold although rarely snowy and rarely grey.
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See Also
Born in Rome - notable people born in Rome
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