89 Facts About Rome

1.

Rome is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, within Lazio, along the shores of the Tiber.

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2.

Rome is often referred to as the City of Seven Hills due to its geographic location, and as the "Eternal City".

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3.

Rome is generally considered to be the "cradle of Western civilization and Christian culture", and the centre of the Catholic Church.

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4.

In 1871, Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, which, in 1946, became the Italian Republic.

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5.

In 2019, Rome was the 14th most visited city in the world, with 8.

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6.

The host city for the 1960 Summer Olympics, Rome is the seat of several specialised agencies of the United Nations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

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7.

Several excavations support the view that Rome grew from pastoral settlements on the Palatine Hill built above the area of the future Roman Forum.

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8.

Rome then began a period characterised by internal struggles between patricians and plebeians (small landowners), and by constant warfare against the populations of central Italy: Etruscans, Latins, Volsci, Aequi, and Marsi.

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9.

Rome's assassination led to a second Triumvirate among Octavian, Mark Antony and Lepidus, and to another civil war between Octavian and Antony.

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10.

Rome was established as a de facto empire, which reached its greatest expansion in the second century under the Emperor Trajan.

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11.

Rome was confirmed as caput Mundi, i e the capital of the known world, an expression which had already been used in the Republican period.

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12.

Rome ended the Principate and introduced the Tetrarchy which sought to increase state power.

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13.

Rome gave governors more fiscal duties and placed them in charge of the army logistical support system as an attempt to control it by removing the support system from its control.

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14.

Rome funded the building of several churches and allowed clergy to act as arbitrators in civil suits.

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15.

Rome was the last emperor of a unified empire: after his death in 395, his sons, Arcadius and Honorius divided the empire into a western and an eastern part.

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16.

Rome, which had lost its central role in the administration of the empire, was sacked in 410 by the Visigoths led by Alaric I, but very little physical damage was done, most of which were repaired.

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17.

Bishop of Rome, called the Pope, was important since the early days of Christianity because of the martyrdom of both the apostles Peter and Paul there.

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18.

The Bishops of Rome were seen as the successors of Peter, who is considered the first Bishop of Rome.

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19.

Subsequently, Rome was sacked and burned by the Normans under Robert Guiscard who had entered the city in support of the Pope, then besieged in Castel Sant'Angelo.

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20.

An idealist and a lover of ancient Rome, Cola dreamed about a rebirth of the Roman Empire: after assuming power with the title of Tribuno, his reforms were rejected by the populace.

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21.

In 1377, Rome became the seat of the papacy again under Gregory XI.

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22.

Under extravagant and rich popes, Rome was transformed into a centre of art, poetry, music, literature, education and culture.

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23.

Rome became able to compete with other major European cities of the time in terms of wealth, grandeur, the arts, learning and architecture.

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24.

Rome reached the highest point of splendour under Pope Julius II and his successors Leo X and Clement VII, both members of the Medici family.

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25.

Raphael, who in Rome became one of the most famous painters of Italy, created frescoes in the Villa Farnesina, the Raphael's Rooms, plus many other famous paintings.

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26.

Under the popes from Pius IV to Sixtus V, Rome became the centre of a reformed Catholicism and saw the building of new monuments which celebrated the papacy.

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27.

Rome then became the focus of hopes of Italian reunification after the rest of Italy was united as the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 with the temporary capital in Florence.

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28.

That year Rome was declared the capital of Italy even though it was still under the Pope's control.

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29.

Rome did away with democracy by 1926, eventually declaring a new Italian Empire and allying Italy with Nazi Germany in 1938.

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30.

Rome developed greatly after the war as part of the "Italian economic miracle" of post-war reconstruction and modernisation in the 1950s and early 1960s.

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31.

The local administration in Rome is commonly referred to as "Campidoglio", the Italian name of the hill.

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32.

Rome is the principal town of the Metropolitan City of Rome, operative since 1 January 2015.

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33.

Rome is the national capital of Italy and is the seat of the Italian Government.

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34.

Rome is in the Lazio region of central Italy on the Tiber river.

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35.

Rome has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild, humid winters.

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36.

In 550 BC, Rome was the second largest city in Italy, with Tarentum being the largest.

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37.

The population had already started to decline from the late fourth century onward, although around the middle of the fifth century it seems that Rome continued to be the most populous city of the two parts of the Empire.

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38.

Urban area of Rome extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of around 3.

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39.

Much like the rest of Italy, Rome is predominantly Christian, and the city has been an important centre of religion and pilgrimage for centuries, the base of the ancient Roman religion with the pontifex maximus and later the seat of the Vatican and the pope.

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40.

Rome was the base of several mystery cults, such as Mithraism.

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41.

Later, after St Peter and St Paul were martyred in the city, and the first Christians began to arrive, Rome became Christian, and the Old St Peter's Basilica was constructed in 313 AD.

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42.

Since the end of the Roman Republic, Rome is the centre of an important Jewish community, which was once based in Trastevere, and later in the Roman Ghetto.

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43.

Rome has been a major Christian pilgrimage site since the Middle Ages.

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44.

Apart from brief periods as an independent city during the Middle Ages, Rome kept its status as Papal capital and holy city for centuries, even when the Papacy briefly relocated to Avignon.

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45.

Pilgrimages to Rome can involve visits to many sites, both within Vatican City and in Italian territory.

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46.

Traditionally, pilgrims in Rome visit the seven pilgrim churches (Italian: Le sette chiese) in 24 hours.

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47.

Rome was for a period one of the world's main epicentres of classical architecture, developing new forms such as the arch, the dome and the vault.

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48.

One of the symbols of Rome is the Colosseum, the largest amphitheatre ever built in the Roman Empire.

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49.

Rome was a major world centre of the Renaissance, second only to Florence, and was profoundly affected by the movement.

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50.

In 1870, Rome became the capital city of the new Kingdom of Italy.

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51.

Rome has a number of regional parks of much more recent origin, including the Pineto Regional Park and the Appian Way Regional Park.

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52.

Rome is a city famous for its numerous fountains, built-in all different styles, from Classical and Medieval, to Baroque and Neoclassical.

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53.

Rome is well known for its statues but, in particular, the talking statues of Rome.

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54.

City of Rome contains numerous famous bridges which cross the Tiber.

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55.

Rome has an extensive amount of ancient catacombs, or underground burial places under or near the city, of which there are at least forty, some discovered only in recent decades.

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56.

Rome had a 2003 GDP per capita of €29, 153, which was second in Italy, (after Milan), and is more than 134.

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57.

Universities, national radio and television and the movie industry in Rome are important parts of the economy: Rome is the hub of the Italian film industry, thanks to the Cinecitta studios, working since the 1930s.

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58.

Rome is a nationwide and major international centre for higher education, containing numerous academies, colleges and universities.

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59.

Rome ISIA was founded in 1973 by Giulio Carlo Argan and is Italy's oldest institution in the field of industrial design.

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60.

Rome is an important centre for music, and it has an intense musical scene, including several prestigious music conservatories and theatres.

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61.

Rome has an opera house, the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, as well as several minor musical institutions.

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62.

Between 1960 and 1970 Rome was considered to be as a “new Hollywood” because of the many actors and directors who worked there; Via Vittorio Veneto had transformed into a glamour place where you could meet famous people.

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63.

Rome today is one of the most important tourist destinations of the world, due to the incalculable immensity of its archaeological and artistic treasures, as well as for the charm of its unique traditions, the beauty of its panoramic views, and the majesty of its magnificent "villas".

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64.

Rome is a major archaeological hub, and one of the world's main centres of archaeological research.

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65.

Rome contains numerous ancient sites, including the Forum Romanum, Trajan's Market, Trajan's Forum, the Colosseum, and the Pantheon, to name but a few.

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66.

Rome contains a vast and impressive collection of art, sculpture, fountains, mosaics, frescos, and paintings, from all different periods.

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67.

Rome first became a major artistic centre during ancient Rome, with forms of important Roman art such as architecture, painting, sculpture and mosaic work.

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68.

Rome later became a major centre of Renaissance art, since the popes spent vast sums of money for the constructions of grandiose basilicas, palaces, piazzas and public buildings in general.

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69.

Rome became one of Europe's major centres of Renaissance artwork, second only to Florence, and able to compare to other major cities and cultural centres, such as Paris and Venice.

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70.

The city was affected greatly by the baroque, and Rome became the home of numerous artists and architects, such as Bernini, Caravaggio, Carracci, Borromini and Cortona.

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71.

Rome hosted a great number of neoclassical and rococo artists, such as Pannini and Bernardo Bellotto.

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72.

Rome has a growing stock of contemporary and modern art and architecture.

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73.

Rome's cuisine has evolved through centuries and periods of social, cultural, and political changes.

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74.

Rome became a major gastronomical centre during the ancient age.

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75.

Rome's cuisine has evolved through centuries and periods of social, cultural, and political changes.

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76.

Rome became a major gastronomical centre during the ancient age.

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77.

Later, during the Renaissance, Rome became well known as a centre of high-cuisine, since some of the best chefs of the time worked for the popes.

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78.

In 2021, Rome was "invaded" by feral boars which plundered trash, disrupted traffic, and threatened residents.

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79.

Rome has long hosted artistic communities, foreign resident communities and many foreign religious students or pilgrims and so has always been a multilingual city.

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80.

Rome hosted the 1960 Summer Olympics, with great success, using many ancient sites such as the Villa Borghese and the Thermae of Caracalla as venues.

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81.

Rome made a bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics but it was withdrawn before the deadline for applicant files.

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82.

Further, Rome hosted the 1991 EuroBasket and is home to the internationally recognised basketball team Virtus Roma.

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83.

Rome has hosted the final portion of the Giro d'Italia three times, in 1911, 1950, and 2009.

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84.

Rome is at the centre of the radial network of roads that roughly follow the lines of the ancient Roman roads which began at the Capitoline Hill and connected Rome with its empire.

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85.

The older Rome Ciampino Airport is a joint civilian and military airport.

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86.

Rome is the seat of the so-called "Polo Romano" made up by three main international agencies of the United Nations: the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

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87.

Rome has traditionally been involved in the process of European political integration.

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88.

In 1957 the city hosted the signing of the Treaty of Rome, which established the European Economic Community, and played host to the official signing of the proposed European Constitution in July 2004.

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89.

Rome is the seat of the European Olympic Committee and of the NATO Defense College.

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