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Situated
on the River Tiber, between the Apennine Mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea, the
'Eternal City' of Rome (Roma) was once the administrative centre of the mighty
Roman Empire, governing a vast region that stretched from Britain to
Mesopotamia. Today, it remains the seat of the Italian government and home to
numerous ministerial offices but is superseded by Milan, in the industrial
north, for business and finance.
The
legendary beginnings of Rome are related in the tale of Romulus and Remus.
Princess Rhea Silvia, ravished by Mars (the God of War), gave birth to the
twins and abandoned them to fate. The River Tiber carried them to the Palatine
Hill, where a she-wolf mothered the babes until their discovery by a shepherd.
Romulus later killed Remus, before going on to found Rome in the marshy
lowlands of seven hills. The anniversary of Rome's foundation (21 April 753BC)
is now marked by a public holiday. The historians' version is no less
astonishing. It traces the rise of the city from unimportant pastoral
settlement (the earliest remains date back to the ninth century BC) to vast
empire, ruled over by a string of emperors. Rome saw a second period of
development during the 15th-century Renaissance, when the Papacy took up
permanent residence in the city. Although Rome's power has since waned, the
city remains the essence of European civilisation.
Ruins
dating from Rome's glory days lie within an area known as Roma Antica (Ancient
Rome) and include the monumental Colosseum and the Foro Romano (Roman Forum) –
a crumbling legacy of pagan temples, broken marble and triumphal arches.
Buildings from the Renaissance period are concentrated within the centro
storico (historic centre), situated between Via del Corso and the Tevere (River
Tiber). Here, a labyrinth of narrow, winding, cobbled side streets opens out
onto magnificent piazzas presided over by Baroque churches, regal palaces and
exquisite fountains. The romantic Piazza Navona with Bernini's Fountain of the
Four Rivers, Piazza di Spagna and the sweeping Spanish Steps, and the Trevi
Fountain immortalised by Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1959), all lie within walking
distance of each other. Modern life continues amid this theatre of breathtaking
monuments, as thousands of years of history are animated by more recent
innovations – sophisticated boutiques, rowdy pizzerias and a merry-go-round of
cars, buses and mopeds. Across the river, to the west, lies the Vatican State –
home to the Pope and spiritual centre of the Roman Catholic Church. South of
the Vatican, one finds the bohemian quarter of Trastevere, packed with
trattorie and small wine bars. Further south still is the Testaccio district,
renowned for nightclubs and live music.
Tourism
is a major source of income and visitors come and go throughout the year. The
city is blessed with a warm Mediterranean climate, making Rome particularly
pleasant to visit in autumn and spring. In August, it is hot and sticky and
most of the locals head for the coast – many shops and bars close for the
summer break and the streets are strangely empty save for visitors. Until
recently, Rome was frequently criticised for being noisy, chaotic and poorly maintained.
However, celebrations for the year 2000 prompted the completion of a massive
urban renewal scheme. Tons of scaffolding were finally dismantled to reveal
beautifully restored facades, cleverly revamped museums and a rationalised
public transport system. Today, citizens and visitors alike continue to benefit
from the improvements carried out for the Jubilee celebrations, when the
Eternal City celebrated the fact that the millennium was 2,000 years since the
birth of Christ.
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