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It's hard to describe Rome in a few words; Rome is a city so vast and rich in art, monuments and exquisite views, Rome also is a historic city, which has preserved its charm and independence throughout the centuries.

Rome's history can be read in every monument, and palazzo; in fact, each and every stone bears witness to the periods of splendour, decay, wars, and numerous architectural styles. Rome could be described as a gigantic open-air museum, visited each year by millions of tourists, scholars and pilgrims from all over the world.

It is hard to believe that Roman civilization began with a small settlement of shepherds and farmers near the Tevere river, on Palatino (one of the seven hills on which Rome was built and where most of the Roman archaeological treasures were found), tradition dictates that this is where Romulus founded the city of Rome and where Augustus, the first Emperor, built his house, which is now widely (and incorrectly) known as the house of Livia, his wife.

Rome extended over six other hills: Quirinale, Viminale, Esquilino, Celio, Aventino and Capitolino.

Rome Quirinale
Quirinale, the highest of the seven hills in Rome, has Piazza Omonima on its summit, with its colossal statues of the gods, Castor and Pollux and the Palazzo del Quirinale, where the president lives. Opposite the Palazzo are the Scuderie, which have only recently been opened to the public, thanks to the architect Gae Aulenti, who created a functional exhibition space inside the building.

Rome Viminale
Viminale stands next to Quirinale, it is smaller in size, split into two by Via Nazionale, and dominated by the huge Palazzo delle Esposizioni building (designed by Pio Piacentini) on Piazza della Repubblica, near Rome's principal railway station, Stazione Termini. Piazza della Repubblica is one of the most beautiful piazzas in Rome, surrounded by arches. The recently restored Fontana delle Naiadi, takes pride of place in the centre of the square.

Rome Esquilino
Esquilino is the home of the great poets Virgilio and Orazio. It has three peaks, one of which is Monte Oppio, where you can find the ruins of Domus Aurea, only recently opened to the public after years of restoration. Initially, Esquilino was a suburb of Rome, which is the reason for the nickname exquilini' (non-tenants) given to its inhabitants, some believe that this is how the hill got its name.

Rome Celio and Aventino
Further south stand Celio and Aventino, the former has a long promontory, called Monte delle Querce, as it was once home to many oak trees (querce). It is possibly the greenest and most charming of the seven hills and is home to Parco del Celio and Villa Celimontana. There are many beautiful buildings here, especially along the magnificent Via Appia Antica almost all are places of worship. Both Aventino and Celio have few inhabitants. Aventino is rich in important medieval monuments (such as the S.Maria in Cosmedin basilica, where the famous Bocca della Verità or mouth of truth is housed).

Rome Capitolino
Last but not least, is Capitolino, which stands between Palatino and Quirinale: this used to be the religious and political centre of the city of Rome during the Roman era. It is dominated by the Michelangelo style Piazza del Campidoglio, perfectly proportioned, with a statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius on horseback in the centre. The Capitolino museum has some of the most precious art collections in the world.

The seven hilltops of Rome offer a number of beautiful views; the most breathtaking of these are Pincio, the dome of San Pietro and the Gianicolo.

Rome has spread outwards in a rather haphazard manner, without much regard to town planning; many fields were acquired by the local authorities and transformed into new neighbourhoods. North of Rome, near the Vatican are the Aurelio, Prati and Mazzini neighbourhoods, which are more commercial and residential, as well as the elegant quarters of Parioli and Nomentano, home to many foreign embassies. Further south are Prenestino and Tiburtino, more populated areas, due to the fact that they are university areas, full of students, who can also be found in the nearby S.Lorenzo, a charming district with a wide variety of pizzerias and bars. Trastevere is undoubtedly one of the most charming areas of the city, it is also one of the most crowded areas too, especially on summer evenings. Many people (foreigners and Romans alike) want to live in this highly desirable district. Finally, the Eur, is one of the most modern neighbourhoods, a centre for offices and administration centres.

Rome Historical Background
The glorious Roman civilization had its origins in small groups of farmers and shepherds who settled along the banks of the Tiber, on the Palatine hills and the surrounding areas.

The most famous myth regarding Rome's origins recounts that the Trojans escaped from their ruined city of Troy, with Aeneas as their guide, they reached Lazio, settled there and intermarried with the Latin people. Ascanius, son of Aeneas, founded Albalonga, his ancestor, Amulius took the throne from his older brother, Numitore and forced his daughter Rhea Silvia to become a vestal virgin. However Silvia was loved by the god Mars and bore him twin sons, Romulus and Remus, who were thrown into the Tiber. The twins survived and were washed up close to the Palatine hills. A she-wolf raised the newborn babies, who were later found and adopted by a shepherd and his wife. An argument between the two brothers over who was to be the founder of the city was decided when Romulus murdered his brother and Rome is said to have been established in 753 BC.

The Roman republic was characterized by internal struggles that eventually led to the success of the plebeians (lower class Romans) and a new order of ruling class. The city expanded and gradually, the whole of Lazio, the Italic peninsula and the Mediterranean basin were conquered. For almost four centuries, Rome concentrated her energies on building a strong, solid empire. Mighty conquests came thick and fast: from Sannitic and Tarantine wars, to clashes with Carthage and Syracuse. Rome expanded over land and sea and managed to accomplish what no other civilization had managed i.e. the unification of the East and West.

In the first two centuries of the empire, Rome reached the height of her power, but the first signs of her downfall were already apparent towards the end of the second century. The imperial age opened with a long period of peace and the unity of the empire was secure during the period between Emperors Octavian and Caracallus, however, this unity became increasingly unstable and eventually dissolved.

The fall of the Roman Empire is dated 476 BC. The causes of Rome's decline are numerous: the empire was unable to control her many subjects, social and economic changes made for an unstable climate as did the forceful arrival of the Barbarians. Christianity also began to spread and emperors tried to unite the empire using religion. Emperors wanted to have their titles sanctified and became Holy Roman Emperors. Emperor Constantine sanctioned the freedom and tolerance of Christians in the empire in his edict of 313 but he unwisely decided to move the capital of the empire to Constantinople undermining the empire's power. The pontificate was re-established in Rome with Gregory XI in 1377. The power of the Popes increased, they were able to assign public offices, which led to clashes and schisms.

The centralizing of the papacy and the power absolute that the church had made a cultural impact. Rome became the centre of artistic life. The face of the city changed, as palaces, villas, piazzas and churches were built. New streets were created and the basilica of Saint Peter was restored. The sack of Rome occurred in 1527, and although the effects were disastrous (all the artists abandoned the city), the wounds were soon healed and a new spirit of rebirth and development enveloped the city. More new districts and streets were created and the population began to move back to the city.

In the 17th century, Rome also had a period of expansion and beautification, largely due to the work of two major artists, Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini. Clashes continued between the nobility and the populace. Rome's fortune waxed and waned under Napoleonic rule: the church's estates were confiscated and divided amongst French officials and Italian laymen. The city was subject to French rule until the fall of Napoleon III and the annexation of Italy.

Rome became the capital of Italy in 1870 and the city received a huge influx of immigrants; this led to the rapid, and disordered creation of new dwellings. The situation did not become any better with the advent of fascism. During WWII, the city was bombarded heavily by America, causing major damage, particularly in the areas of Verano and Porta Maggiore. The city was attacked during the period of German occupation until the end of the war. From June 2, 1946 Italy chose to be a republic, ousting its monarchy and Rome was chosen as the capital.
© 2003 by wcities.com Limited

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