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Rome

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: European Geography

   Comune di Roma
   Skyline of Comune di Roma

   Official flag of Comune di Roma

                                  Official seal of Comune di Roma
   Flag                           Seal
   Nickname: "The Eternal City"
   Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus
   Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red)
   and region of Lazio (grey)
   Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red)
   and region of Lazio (grey)
   Coordinates: 41°54′N 12°30′E
   Region Lazio
   Province Province of Rome
   Founded 8th century BC
   Mayor Walter Veltroni
   Area
    - City 1,285 km²  (496.1  sq mi)
    - Urban 5,352 km² (2,066 sq mi)
   Elevation +20 m
   Population
    - City (2005) 2,553,873
    - Density 1,983/km² (5,135/sq mi)
    - Urban 3,831,959
    - Metro 5,304,778
   Time zone CET ( UTC+1)
   Postal codes 00121 to 00199
   Area code(s) 06
   Patron saints: Saint Peter and Saint Paul
   Website: http://www.comune.roma.it

   Rome ( Italian and Latin: Roma) is the capital city of Italy and of the
   Lazio region, as well as the country's largest and most populous
   comune, with about 2.5 million residents (3.8 million considering the
   whole urbanised area, as represented by the Province of Rome). It is
   located in the central-western portion of the Italian peninsula, where
   the river Aniene joins the Tiber. As one of the largest cities in the
   European Union, the Comune di Roma has a gross domestic product of €97
   billion in the year 2005, equal to 6.7% of Italy's GDP — the highest
   proportion of GDP produced by any single Italian comune. The current
   Mayor of Rome is Walter Veltroni.

   According to legend, the city of Rome was founded by the twins Romulus
   and Remus on April 21, 753 BC. Archeological evidence supports claims
   that Rome was inhabited since the 8th century BC and earlier. The city
   was the cradle of Roman civilization that produced the largest and
   longest-lasting empire of classical antiquity that reached its greatest
   extent in 117. The city was pivotal and responsible for the spread of
   Greco-Roman culture that endures to this day. Rome is also identified
   with Christianity and the Catholic Church and has been the episcopal
   seat of the Popes since the 1st century. The State of the Vatican City,
   the sovereign territory of the Holy See and smallest nation in the
   world, is an enclave of Rome.

   Rome, Caput mundi ("capital of the world"), Limen Apostolorum
   ("threshold of the Apostles"), la città dei sette colli ("the city of
   the seven hills") or simply, l'Urbe ("the City") to the Romans, is
   thoroughly modern and cosmopolitan. As one of the few major European
   cities that escaped World War II relatively unscathed, central Rome
   remains essentially Renaissance in character. This treasure of the
   world is listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site by virtue of its
   three thousand years of accumulated history and art: a city of the
   divine and the sublime, of gods, kings, emperors and popes — Città
   Eterna — the "Eternal City".

History and demographics

From founding to Empire

   The ancient Etruscan bronze Capitoline Wolf suckles the infant twins
   Romulus and Remus; the twins were added in the late 15th century,
   probably by Antonio Pollaiolo.
   Enlarge
   The ancient Etruscan bronze Capitoline Wolf suckles the infant twins
   Romulus and Remus; the twins were added in the late 15th century,
   probably by Antonio Pollaiolo.

   The founding of Rome is shrouded in legend, but current archeological
   evidence support the theory that Rome grew from pastoral settlements on
   the Palatine Hill and in the area of the future Roman Forum, coalescing
   into a city in the 8th century BC. That city developed into the capital
   of the Roman Kingdom (ruled by a succession of seven kings, according
   to tradition), Roman Republic (from 510 BC, governed by the Senate),
   and finally the Roman Empire (from 31 BC, ruled by an Emperor); this
   success depended on military conquest, commercial predominance, as well
   as selective assimilation of neighbouring civilisations, most notably
   the Etruscans and Greeks. Roman dominance expanded over most of Europe
   and the shores of the Mediterranean sea, while its population surpassed
   one million inhabitants. For almost a thousand years, Rome was the most
   politically important, richest and largest city in the Western world,
   and remained so after the Empire started to decline and was split, even
   if it ultimately lost its capital status to Milan and then Ravenna, and
   was surpassed in prestige by the Eastern capital Constantinople.

Fall of the Empire and rise of the Papacy

   After the Sack of Rome (410) by Alaric and the fall of the Western
   Roman Empire in 476, Rome alternated between Byzantine rule and
   plundering by Germanic barbarians. Its population declined to a mere
   20,000 during the Early Middle Ages, reducing the sprawling city to
   groups of inhabited buildings interspersed among large areas of ruins
   and vegetation. With the rise of early Christianity, the Bishop of Rome
   gained religious as well as political importance, eventually becoming
   known as the Pope and establishing Rome as the centre of the Catholic
   Church and capital of the Papal States; the city became a major
   pilgrimage site during the Middle Ages and the focus of struggles
   between the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire started by Charlemagne,
   who was crowned in Rome itself on Christmas of 800 by Pope Leo III.

   Apart from brief periods as an independent city during the Middle Ages,
   Rome kept its status of Papal capital and " holy city" for centuries,
   even when the Pope briefly relocated to Avignon ( 1309- 1337). While no
   longer politically powerful, as tragically shown by the brutal sack of
   1527, the city flourished as a hub of cultural and artistic acitivity
   during the Renaissance, thanks to the maecenatism of the nepotist Papal
   court. Population rose again and reached 100,000 during the 17th
   century, but Rome ultimately lagged behind the rest of the European
   capitals over the subsequent centuries, being largely busy in the
   Counter-Reformation process.

From unification to Fascism

   Caught up in the nationalistic turmoils of the 19th century and having
   twice gained and lost a short-lived independence, Rome became the focus
   of the hopes for Italian unification, as propelled by the Kingdom of
   Italy ruled by King Vittorio Emanuele II; after the French protection
   was lifted in 1870, royal troops stormed the city, and Rome was
   declared capital of the newly unified Italy in 1871. After a victorious
   World War I, Rome witnessed the rise to power of Italian fascism guided
   by Benito Mussolini, who marched on the city in 1922, eventually
   declared a new Empire and allied Italy with Nazi Germany. This was a
   period of rapid growth in population, from the 212,000 people at the
   time of unification to more than 1,000,000, but this trend was halted
   by World War II, during which Rome was damaged by both Allied forces
   bombing and Nazi occupation; after the execution of Mussolini and the
   end of the war, a 1946 referendum abolished the monarchy in favour of
   the Italian Republic.

Republican times

   Rome grew momentously after the war, as one of the driving forces
   behind the " Italian economic miracle" of post-war reconstruction and
   modernisation. It became a fashionable city in the 1950s and early
   1960s, the years of "la Dolce Vita" ("the sweet life"), and a new
   rising trend in population continued till the mid- 1980s, when the
   comune had more than 2,800,000 residents; after that, population
   started to slowly decline as more residents moved to nearby comuni;
   this has been attributed to their perceiving a decrease in the quality
   of life, especially because of the continuously jammed traffic and the
   worsening pollution it brings about.

Geography and climate

Location

   Rome is in the Lazio region of central Italy, at the confluence of the
   Aniene and Tiber (Italian: Tevere) rivers. Although the city centre is
   about 24 kilometres inland from the Tyrrhenian Sea, the city territory
   currently extends to the very shore, where the south-western Ostia
   district is located. The altitude of Rome ranges from 13 metres above
   sea level (in Piazza del Popolo) to 120 metres above sea level (the
   peak of Monte Mario). The comune of Rome is one of the largest European
   capital cities, covering an overall area of about 1,285 square
   kilometers.

Climate

   Rome enjoys the temperate climate which characterises the Mediterranean
   coasts of Italy, although the weather has been getting warmer in recent
   decades. It is at its most comfortable from April through June, and
   from mid-September to October; in particular, the Roman "ottobrata"
   (roughly translated as "October period") is famously known for its
   sunny days and pleasant temperatures. By August, the temperature during
   the heat of the day often exceeds 35° C (95° F); traditionally, many
   businesses would close during August, and Romans would abandon the city
   for holiday resorts, but this trend is weakening, and the city is
   increasingly remaining fully functional during the whole summer, in
   response to growing tourism as well as change in the population's work
   habits. The average high temperature in December is about 13° C (55°
   F).

Government and politics

Capital status

   Rome is currently a comune, as well as the seat of the Regione Lazio
   (one of the twenty regions of Italy) and of the Province of Rome (one
   of the five provinces of the Lazio region). The current Mayor of Rome
   is Walter Veltroni, elected in 2001 and again for a second term in
   2006. A current political debate in Italy focuses on the opportunity of
   providing the city with "special powers" of local jurisdiction (the
   "Roma Capitale" directives), and possibly of turning either the comune
   or the Province of Rome into a "capital district" separate from the
   Lazio region, modelled after Washington, D.C..

Other sovereign states

   Rome is unique in its containing two other sovereign states. One is the
   Holy See, the political and religious entity that governs the territory
   of the Vatican City (a de facto enclave since 1870, officially
   recognised as such in 1929), as well as claiming extraterritorial
   rights over a few other palaces and churches, mostly in the city
   centre; indeed, Rome hosts foreign embassies to both Italy and the Holy
   See. The other state is the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM),
   which took refuge in Rome in 1834 after having lost Malta to Napoleon
   in 1798, and thus currently claims no territory (leading to disputes
   over its actual sovereign status); SMOM too owns extraterritorial
   palaces in central Rome.

International involvement

   Rome has traditionally been heavily involved in the process of European
   political integration. In 1957, the city hosted the signing of the
   treaty of Rome, which established the European Economic Community
   (predecessor to the current European Union), and also played host to
   the official signing of the proposed European constitution in July
   2004. Rome is also the seat of significant international organisations,
   such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,
   and is the place where the Rome Statute of the International Criminal
   Court was formulated.

Culture and society

Religion

   The Religio Romana constituted the major religion of the city in
   antiquity. However, several other religions and imported mystery cults
   remained represented within its ever-expanding boundaries, including
   Judaism, whose presence in the city dates back from the Roman Republic
   and was sometimes forcibly confined to the Roman Ghetto, as well as
   Christianity. Despite initial persecutions, by the early 4th century,
   Christianity had become so widespread that it was legalised in 313 by
   Emperor Constantine I, and later made official religion of the Roman
   Empire in 380 by Emperor Theodosius I, allowing it to spread further
   and eventually wholly replace the declining Religio Romana.

   Rome became the pre-eminent Christian city (vis-a-vis Antioch and
   Alexandria, and later Constantinople and Jerusalem) based on the
   tradition that Saint Peter and Saint Paul were martyred in the city
   during the 1st century, coupled with the city's political importance.
   The Bishop of Rome, later known as the Pope, claimed primacy over all
   Bishops and therefore all Christians on the basis that he is the
   successor of Saint Peter, upon whom Jesus built his Church; his
   prestige has been enhanced since 313 through donations by Roman
   emperors and patricians, including the Lateran Palace and patriarchal
   basilicas, as well as the obviously growing influence of the Church
   over the failing civil imperial authority. Papal authority has been
   exercised over the centuries with varying degrees of success, at times
   triggering divisions among Christians, until the present.

   With the increasing chaos and disorder leading to the collapse of the
   Roman Empire in 476, the popes assumed more and more civil authority
   first in Rome and in the surrounding territories. Rome became the
   centre of the Catholic Church and the capital city of the Papal States;
   consequently, a great number of churches, convents and other religious
   buildings were erected in the city, sometimes above the ruins of older
   pre-Christian sites of worship. Churches proliferated during the
   Renaissance, when the most notable churches currently in Rome were
   built (this includes St. Peter's basilica on the Vatican Hill (the
   largest church in the world) and the city cathedral of St. John at the
   Lateran. The Papacy established its residence first in the Lateran
   Palace, then in the Quirinal Palace. When Rome was annexed by force to
   the newly unified Kingdom of Italy In 1870, Pope Pius IX retired to the
   Vatican, proclaiming himself a prisoner of the Savoy monarchy and
   leading to decades of conflict between the neonate state and the
   Catholic Church. This was resolved in 1929, when the Lateran Treaties
   were signed in Rome, establishing the right for the Holy See to govern
   the Vatican City as an independent, sovereign state. The patron saints
   of Rome remain Saint Peter and Saint Paul (or, as they are collectively
   referred to in this context, "the most holy Saints Peter and Paul"),
   both celebrated on June 29.

   In recent years, the Islamic community has grown significantly, in
   great part due to immigration from North African and Middle Eastern
   countries into the city. As a consequence of this trend, the comune
   promoted the building of the largest mosque in Europe, which was
   designed by architect Paolo Portoghesi and inaugurated on June 21,
   1995.

Language

   The original language of Rome was Latin, which evolved during the
   Middle Ages into Italian. The latter emerged as the confluence of
   various regional dialects, among which the Tuscan dialect predominated,
   but the population Rome also developed its own dialect, the Romanesco.
   This remained largely confined to Rome until the 19th century, but then
   expanded into the rest of Lazio from the beginning of the 20th century,
   thanks to the rising population of Rome and to better transportations
   systems; as a consequence, Romanesco abandoned its traditional forms to
   mutate into the dialect currently spoken within the city, which is more
   similar to standard Italian, although remaining distinct from other
   Romanesco-influenced local dialects of Lazio. Dialectal literature in
   the traditional form Romanesco includes the works of such authors as
   Giuseppe Gioacchino Belli, Trilussa, and Cesare Pascarella.
   Contemporary Romanesco is mainly represented by popular actors such as
   Aldo Fabrizi, Alberto Sordi, Nino Manfredi, Gigi Proietti, Enrico
   Montesano, and Carlo Verdone.

Immigration and multiculturalism

   Since the time of ancient Rome, the city has always been a site for
   immigration. This once extended to all reaches of the Roman Empire, but
   was more confined to the rest of Italy in later centuries, as Rome's
   political power waned. Still, many of its citizens' families originate
   from outside the city, and the Romanesco phrase Romano de Roma ("Roman
   from Rome") has been coined to indicate someone who descends from a
   family that has lived in Rome for at least seven generations, the mark
   of a "true" Roman.

   Over the second half of 20th century, Rome has seen increasing
   immigration from other countries. There currently is a substantial
   immigrant population, including a large number of clandestines. The
   2005 ISTAT estimations state that 145,000 immigrants live in the
   comune, or 5.69% of the total comune population. The foreign population
   in the urban area of Rome consists in 206,000 persons, or 5.37% of the
   total urban area population. The foreign population in the metropolitan
   area of Rome is about 248,000 persons or 4.67% of the total
   metropolitan area population. By far the largest number of immigrants
   are Eastern European, with the largest numbers of foreigners coming
   from Romania, The Philippines, Poland, Albania, Peru, Bangladesh, and
   Ukraine.

   Possibly as a consequence of its multiethnic past, the city has reacted
   with less difficulty to the current waves of immigration into Italy. In
   particular, Mayor Walter Veltroni has made multiculturalism one of the
   key points of political program; inhabitants of Rome who are not
   citizens of a EU country are now entitled to elect their own
   representatives in the city council, even if they do not hold formal
   legal residence in Rome.

Universities

   Rome is a nation-wide centre for higher education. Its first
   university, La Sapienza (founded in 1303), currently is the largest in
   Europe, with more than 150,000 students attending. Two new public
   universities were founded: Tor Vergata in 1982, and Roma Tre in 1992,
   although the latter has now become larger than the former. The city
   also hosts various private universities, such as the LUMSA, the
   Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Roman centre), the LUISS, the
   John Cabot University, the IUSM, the American University of Rome, the
   S. Pio V University of Rome, and the Università Campus Bio-Medico.

Music

   The main auditorium in the Parco della Musica, designed by Renzo Piano.
   Enlarge
   The main auditorium in the Parco della Musica, designed by Renzo Piano.

   Rome is an important centre for music. It hosts the Accademia Nazionale
   di Santa Cecilia (founded in 1585), for which new concert halls were
   recently built in the new Parco della Musica, one of the largest
   musical venues in the world. Rome also has an opera house, the Teatro
   dell'Opera di Roma, as well as several minor musical institutions. The
   city also played host to the Eurovision Song Contest 1991 and the MTV
   Europe Music Awards 2004.

Sports

Olympics

   Rome hosted the 1960 Summer Olympics and is an official candidate to
   hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics (the latter candidacy was withdrawn in
   July 2006 due to political difficulties, but was later reinstated).

Football

   Football is the most popular sport in Rome, as in the rest of the
   country. The Stadio Olimpico is the home stadium for the Italy national
   football team, and hosted the final game of the 1990 FIFA World Cup; it
   is also the home stadium for local serie A clubs A.S. Roma and S.S.
   Lazio, whose rivalry has become a staple of Roman sports culture.
   Indeed, famous footballers who play for these teams and are also born
   in the city tend to become especially popular in the city, as has been
   the case with players such as Bruno Conti and Giuseppe Giannini (both
   for Rome), Paolo Di Canio and Alessandro Nesta (both for Lazio), and
   the current Rome captain Francesco Totti. Other notable football teams
   in the city include serie C2 team Cisco Calcio Roma.

Rugby

   While far from being as popular as football, rugby is gaining wider
   acceptance. The Stadio Flaminio is the home stadium for the Italy
   national rugby union team, which has been playing in the Six Nations
   Championship since 2000, albeit with less than satisfactory
   performances, as they have never won the championship so far. Rome is
   home to local rugby teams, such as Rugby Roma, S.S. Lazio, and Unione
   Rugby Capitolina.

Other sports

   Cycling was immensely popular in the post-WWII period, although its
   popularity has faded in the last decades; Rome has hosted the final
   portion of the Giro d'Italia twice, in 1989 and 2000. Every spring, the
   annual Rome marathon is considered to be the most widely attended
   sports even in Italy. Rome is also home to many other sport teams,
   including basketball ( Virtus Pallacanestro Roma), handball ( S.S.
   Lazio), volley (male: M. Roma Volley, female: Virtus Roma and Linea
   Medica Siram Roma), waterpolo ( A.S. Roma, S.S. Lazio).

Economy

   Today Rome sports a dynamic and diverse economy with thriving
   innovation, technologies, communications and service sectors. It
   produces 6.7% of the national GDP (more than any other city in Italy).
   Rome grows +4,4% annually and continues to grow at a higher rate than
   any other city in the rest of the country. Rome's economic growth began
   to surpass that of its rivals, Naples and Milan, after World War II,
   although a traditional rivalry persists with Milan. Tourism is
   inevitably one of Rome's chief industries, with many notable museums
   including the Vatican Museum, the Borghese Gallery, and the Musei
   Capitolini. Rome is also the hub of the Italian film industry, thanks
   to the Cinecittà studios. The city is also a centre for banking as well
   as electronics and aerospace industries. Many international
   headquarters, government ministries, conference centres, sports venues
   and museums are located in Rome's principal business districts: the
   Esposizione Universale Roma (EUR); the Torrino (further south from the
   EUR); the Magliana; the Parco de' Medici-Laurentina and the so-called
   Tiburtina-valley along the ancient Via Tiburtina.
   Panorama over Rome.
   Enlarge
   Panorama over Rome.

City layout and sites of interest

City centre

   The historical city centre is dominated by the traditional " Seven
   hills of Rome": the Capitoline, Palatine, Viminal, Quirinal, Esquiline,
   Caelian, and Aventine hills. The Tiber flows south through Rome, with
   the city centre located where the midstream Tiber Island facilitated
   crossing. Large parts of the ancient city walls remain. The Servian
   Wall was built twelve years after Gauls' sack of the city in 390 BC; it
   contained most of the Esquiline and Caelian hills, as well as the whole
   of the other five. Rome grew out of the Servian Wall, but no more walls
   were constructed until 270, when Aurelian began building the Aurelian
   Walls. These were almost twelve miles long, and was still the wall the
   troops of the Kingdom of Italy had to breach to enter the city in 1870.

Peripheral layout

   The ancient city within the walls covers about four percent of the
   modern municipality's 582 square miles. The old city is the smallest of
   Rome's twelve administrative zones. The walled city centre is made up
   of 22 rioni (districts), surrounding it are 35 quartieri urbani (urban
   sectors), and within the city limits are six large suburbi ( suburbs).
   The comune of Rome located outside the municipal boundaries about
   doubles the area of the actual city.

   The belt highway known as Grande Raccordo Anulare (G.R.A.) describes a
   huge circle around the capital, about six miles out from the city
   centre; unlike most Italian highways, the G.R.A. is toll-free. The
   circle ties together the antique roads that led to Rome: the Via
   Flaminia, the Via Aurelia and Via Appia. Large amounts of modern
   apartment buildings are located in the districts outside the centre,
   where contemporary architecture has not gone unnoticed. Many street
   frontages and show windows often change to keep up with the times and
   the Romans have succeeded in harmonising the old and the new.

   Though relatively small, the old city centre contains about 300 hotels
   and 300 pensioni, over 200 palaces, 900 churches, eight of Rome's major
   parks, the residence of the President of the Italian Republic, the
   houses of the Parliament, offices of the city and city government, and
   many great and well-known monuments. The old city also contains
   thousands of workshops, offices, bars, and restaurants. Millions of
   tourists visit Rome annually, making it one of the most touristic
   cities in the world.

Vatican City

   Saint Peter's Square.
   Enlarge
   Saint Peter's Square.

   The city of Rome surrounds the Vatican City, the enclave of the Holy
   See, which is a separate sovereign state. It hosts Saint Peter's Square
   with the Saint Peter's Basilica. The open space before the basilica was
   redesigned by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, from 1656 to 1667, under the
   direction of Pope Alexander VII, as an appropriate forecourt, designed
   "so that the greatest number of people could see the Pope give his
   blessing, either from the middle of the façade of the church or from a
   window in the Vatican Palace" (Norwich 1975 p 175). In Vatican City
   there are also the prestigious Vatican Library, Vatican Museums with
   the Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Rooms and other important works of
   Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, Giotto, Botticelli.

Architecture and arts

Ancient Rome

   The Colosseum in Rome
   Enlarge
   The Colosseum in Rome

   One of the symbols of Rome is the Colosseum, the largest amphitheatre
   ever built in the Roman Empire. Originally capable of seating 50,000
   spectators, it was used for gladiatorial combat. It was built in the
   70s and completed in 80. The great complex of the Imperial Forums
   consist of a series of monumental fora (public squares), constructed in
   Rome over a period of one and half centuries, between 46 BC and 113.
   The forums were the heart of the late Roman Republic and of the Roman
   Empire. The list of the very important monuments of ancient Rome
   includes the Roman Forum, the Domus Aurea, the Pantheon, the Trajan's
   Column, the Trajan's Market, the Catacombs of Rome, the Circus Maximus,
   the Baths of Caracalla, the Arch of Constantine, the Pyramid of
   Cestius, the Bocca della Verità. Moreover, the archeological site of
   Ostia preserves intact a whole ancient Roman town.

Renaissance and Baroque

   Piazza del Campidoglio
   Enlarge
   Piazza del Campidoglio
   Piazza del Popolo
   Enlarge
   Piazza del Popolo

   Rome was a major world centre of the Renaissance, and that left a
   profound mark on the city. The most impressive masterpiece of
   Renaissance architecture in Rome is the Piazza del Campidoglio by
   Michelangelo, with the Palazzo Senatorio, seat of the city government.
   During this period the great aristocratic families of Rome used to
   build opulent dwellings as the Palazzo del Quirinale, now seat of the
   President of the Republic, the Palazzo Venezia, the Palazzo Farnese,
   the Palazzo Barberini, the Palazzo Chigi, now seat of the Prime
   Minister of Italy, the Palazzo Spada, the Palazzo della Cancelleria,
   the Villa Farnesina. Rome is also famous for her huge and majestic
   squares, often adorned with obelisks, many of those built in the XVII
   century. The principal squares are Piazza del Popolo, Piazza Navona,
   Piazza di Spagna, Campo de' Fiori, Piazza Esedra, Piazza Venezia,
   Piazza Farnese, Piazza Minerva. One of the most emblematic examples of
   the baroque art is the Fontana di Trevi by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Other
   notable baroque palaces of XVII century are the Palazzo Madama, now
   seat of the Italian Senate and the Palazzo Montecitorio, now seat of
   the Chamber of Deputies of Italy.

Neoclassicism

   Monument of Vittorio Emanuele II
   Enlarge
   Monument of Vittorio Emanuele II

   In 1870, Rome became capital city of the new Kingdom of Italy. And
   neoclassicism, a building style influenced by architecture during
   Antiquity, became a predominant style in Roman buildings. In this
   period many great palaces in neoclassical styles were built to host
   ministries, embassies and other governing agencies. One of the
   best-known symbol of Roman neoclassicism is the Monument of Vittorio
   Emanuele II or "Altar of Fatherland", where the grave of the Unknown
   Soldier, that represents the 650,000 Italians that fell in World War I,
   is located.

Fascist architecture

   Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana
   Enlarge
   Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana

   The Fascist regime that ruled in Italy between 1922 and 1943 developed
   an original architectural style, characterized by feast and the
   research of a link with ancient Rome architecture. The most important
   fascist style site in Rome is the E.U.R. district, built in 1935. It
   was originally conceived for the 1942 world exhibition, and was called
   "E.42" ("Esposizione 42"). However, the world exhibition never took
   place due to Italy entering the Second World War in 1940. The most
   representative building of the Fascist style at E.U.R. is the Palazzo
   della Civiltà Italiana (1938-1943), the iconic design of which has been
   labeled the cubic or Square Colosseum. After World War II, the Roman
   authorities found that they already had a germ of an off-centre
   business district that other capitals were still planning ( London
   Docklands and La Defense in Paris). Also the Palazzo della Farnesina,
   the actual seat of Italian Foreign Ministry, was designed in 1935 in
   fascist style.

Villas and gardens

   Villa Borghese
   Enlarge
   Villa Borghese

   The surroundings of Rome are characterized by numerous and large green
   areas and opulent ancient villas. The most important are: Villa
   Borghese, with a large landscape garden in the naturalistic English
   manner, containing a number of buildings, museums (see Galleria
   Borghese) and attractions; Villa Doria Pamphili, the largest public
   landscaped park of Rome with an area of 1.8 km²; Villa Torlonia, a
   splendid example of Art Nouveau mansion that was the Roman residence of
   Benito Mussolini; Villa Albani, commissioned by Alessandro Cardinal
   Albani to house his collection of antiquities and Roman sculpture,
   which soon filled the casino that faced the Villa down a series of
   formal parterres.

Museums and galleries

   The list of most important museums and galleries of Rome includes: the
   National Museum of Rome, the Museum of Roman Civilization, the Villa
   Giulia National Etruscan Museum, the Capitoline Museums, the Borghese
   Gallery, the Museum of Castel Sant'Angelo, the National Gallery of
   Modern Art.

Administrative subdivision of Rome

   Map showing the 19 Municipi of Rome.
   Enlarge
   Map showing the 19 Municipi of Rome.

   The administrative subdivision of Rome consists of the 19
   sub-municipalities ( Municipi) of Rome's municipality. Originally, the
   city was divided into 20 sub-municipalities, but the XIV, what is now
   the Comune di Fiumicino, voted some years ago to become a full
   municipality itself and eventually detached from Rome.

List of Municipi

   The territory of the commune of Rome is divided into 19 Municipi (area
   subdivisions):
     * Municipio I – Includes the traditional Rioni: Monti, Trevi,
       Colonna, Campo Marzio, Ponte, Parione, Regola, Sant'Eustachio,
       Pigna, Campitelli, Sant'Angelo, Trastevere, Esquilino, Ludovisi,
       Sallustiano, part of Castro Pretorio, Celio.
     * Municipio II – Includes the districts: Flaminio, Parioli, Pinciano,
       Salario and a part of the Trieste.
     * Municipio III – Includes: San Lorenzo, Stazione Tiburtina;
       Nomentano (part of), Università La Sapienza, Verano, Bologna, and
       Policinico.
     * Municipio IV – Includes the districts: Monte Sacro, Monte Sacro
       Alto, Val Melaina, Castel Giubileo, Marcigliana, Casal Boccone, Tor
       S. Giovanni and a part of the Trieste.
     * Municipio V – Includes the districts: Pietralata, Ponte Mammolo, S.
       Basilio, Settecamini, Tor Cervara, Tor Sapienza, Acqua Vergine and
       parts of the Tiburtino and of the Collatino.
     * Municipio VI – Includes parts of the districts: Tiburtino,
       Prenestino-Labicano, Tuscolano and Collatino.
     * Municipio VII – Includes the districts: Prenestino, Centocelle,
       Alessandrino, La Rustica and parts of the Tuscolano, Collatino, Don
       Bosco, Tor Cervara, Tor Sapienza and Torre Spaccata.
     * Municipio VIII – Includes the districts: Lunghezza, S. Vittorino,
       Torre Angela, Borghesiana and parts of the Don Bosco, Acqua
       Vergine, Torre Spaccata, Torre Maura, Torrenova and Torre Gaia.
     * Municipio IX – Includes parts of the districts:
       Prenestino-Labicano, Tuscolano and Appio Latino.
     * Municipio X – Includes: Appio Claudio, Capannelle, Casal Morena,
       Cinecittà and parts of Tuscolano, Don Bosco, Appio Pignatelli,
       Torre Maura, Torrenova, Torre Gaia.
     * Municipio XI – Includes parts of: Appio Latino, Ostiense,
       Ardeatino, Appio Pignatelli, Torricola and Cecchignola.
     * Municipio XII – Includes: Giuliano-Dalmata, EUR, Fonte Ostiense,
       Vallerano, Castel di Decima, Torrino and parts of Ostiense, Castel
       di Leva and Cecchignola.
     * Municipio XIII – Includes: Ostia Ponente, Ostia Levante, Castel
       Fusano, and parts of Tor de' Cenci, Mezzocamino.
     * Muncipio XV – Includes parts of: Portuense, Gianicolense, Magliana
       Vecchia, Ponte Galeria, Pisana.
     * Municipio XVI – Includes parts of: Portuense, Gianicolense,
       Maccarese, Pisana, Castel di Guido.
     * Municipio XVII – Includes the Rioni Prati and Borgo and parts of
       the districts Trionfale, Della Vittoria.
     * Municipio XVIII – Includes parts of: Aurelio, Trionfale,
       Primavalle, Castel di Guido, Casalotti.
     * Municipio XIX – Includes parts of: Aurelio, Trionfale, Primavalle,
       Della Vittoria.
     * Municipio XX – Includes: Tor di Quinto, La Giustiniana, La Storta,
       Cesano and parts of Della Vittoria, Tomba di Nerone.

Infrastructure

Airports

   Rome is currently served by three airports, of which the main two are
   owned by Aeroporti di Roma. The intercontinental Leonardo Da Vinci
   International Airport is Italy's chief airport; it is more commonly
   known as "Fiumicino airport", as it is located within the territory of
   the nearby comune of Fiumicino, south-west of Rome. The older Giovan
   Battista Pastine International Airport is a joint civilian and military
   airport; it is more commonly referred to as "Ciampino Airport", as it
   is located within Roman territory near the border with the comune of
   Ciampino, south-east of Rome.

   A third airport, the Aeroporto dell'Urbe, is a small, low-traffic
   airport located about 6 km north of the city centre, which handles most
   helicopter and private flights. A fourth airport in the eastern part of
   the city, the Aeroporto di Centocelle (dedicated to Francesco Baracca),
   is no longer open to flights; it currently hosts the Comando di Squadra
   Aerea (which coordinates the activities of the Aeronautica Militare
   Italiana) and the Comando Operative di Vertice Interforze (which
   coordinates all Italian military activities), although large parts of
   the airport are currently being redeveloped as a public park.

Railways

   Roma Termini, the largest railway station in Europe.
   Enlarge
   Roma Termini, the largest railway station in Europe.

   Rome is the hub of the Italian railways. Located on the Esquiline Hill,
   Rome's central station, called Roma Termini, was opened in 1867, then
   demolished and completely rebuilt between 1939 and 1951; it is
   currently operated by Grandi Stazioni and mainly served by Trenitalia.
   In its current form, it is the single largest station in Europe and is
   visited by 600,000 passengers daily; it has twenty-four railway
   platforms, and also serves as a shopping centre and art gallery. The
   second largest station in the city is Roma Tiburtina, which is
   currently being redeveloped for high-speed rail service. Other notable
   stations include Roma Ostiense, Roma Trastevere, Roma Tuscolana, Roma
   San Pietro, and Roma Casilina.

Urban transportation

Underground

   Map of Rome Metro.
   Enlarge
   Map of Rome Metro.

   A 2-line subway system operates in Rome called the "Metropolitana" or
   Rome Metro. Construction works for the first branch started in the
   1930s. The line had been planned to quickly connect the main train
   station (Termini) with the newly planned E42 area in the southern
   suburbs, where the 1942 World Fair was supposed to be held. The event
   never took place because of war. The area was later partly redesigned
   and renamed EUR (Esposizione Universale di Roma: Rome Universal
   Exhibition) in the 1950s to serve as a modern business district. The
   line was finally opened in 1955 and it is now part of the B Line. The A
   line opened in 1980 from Ottaviano to Anagnina stations, later extended
   in stages (1999 - 2000) to Battistini. In the 1990s an extension of the
   B line was opened from Termini to Rebibbia. A new branch of the B line
   (B1) is under construction, as is a third line, called C. A fourth
   line, line D, is under development. The frequent archaeological
   findings delay underground work. This underground network is generally
   reliable (although it may become very congested at peak times and
   during events, especially the A line) as it is relatively short. As of
   2005, total length is 38 km. The two existing lines, A & B, only
   intersect at Roma Termini station.

Overground

   Roman tram in Via Torre Argentina
   Enlarge
   Roman tram in Via Torre Argentina

   The Rome Metro is part of an extensive transport network made of a
   tramway network, several suburban and urban lines in and around the
   city of Rome, plus an "express line" to Fiumicino Airport. Whereas most
   FS-Regionale lines (Regional State Railways) do provide mostly a
   suburban service with more than 20 stations scattered throughout the
   city, the Roma-Lido (starting at Ostiense station), the Roma-Pantano
   (starting nearby Termini) and the Roma-Nord (starting at Flaminio
   station) lines offer a metro-like service. Rome also has a
   comprehensive bus and light rail system. The English web site of the
   ATAC public transportation company allows a route to be calculated
   using the buses, light rail and subways. The Metrebus integrated fare
   system allows holders of tickets and integrated passes to travel on all
   companies vehicles, within the validity time of the ticket purchased.

   Chronic congestion caused by cars during the 1970s and 1980s led to the
   banning of unauthorized traffic from the central part of city during
   workdays from 6 am to 6 pm. This area is officially called Zona a
   Traffico Limitato (ZTL). Heavy traffic due to night-life crowds during
   weekends led in recent years to the creation of other ZTLs in the
   Trastevere and S. Lorenzo districts during the night, and to
   experimentation with a new night ZTL also in the city centre (plans to
   create a night ZTL in the Testaccio district as well are underway). In
   recent years, parking spaces along the streets in wide areas of the
   city have been converted to pay parking, as new underground parking
   spread throughout the city. In spite of all these measures, traffic
   remains an unsolved problem, as in many of the world's cities.

Major sports venues

     * Stadio Olimpico;
     * Stadio Flaminio;
     * Stadio dei Marmi;
     * Stadio della Stella Polare;
     * Palalottomatica (previouosly known as "PalaEUR";
     * Palazzetto dello Sport (one in Viale Tiziano, one in Ostia);
     * Palazzetto dell'Assobalneari;
     * Foro Italico: tennis stadium, Olympic swimming pools
     * Acqua Acetosa (sports area) sports area;
     * Tre Fontane (sports area) sports area;
     * Ippodromo Capannelle and Ippodromo Tor di Valle.

Sister cities

     * Bolivia Achacachi, Bolivia
     * People's Republic of China Beijing, People's Republic of China
     * Serbia Belgrade, Serbia
     * United States Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
     * United Kingdom Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
     * United States New York City, USA
     * France Paris, France
     * Bulgaria Plovdiv, Bulgaria
     * South Korea Seoul, South Korea
     * Japan Tokyo, Japan

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