Rome

Rome is the largest city and comune in Italy and it also is the largest among European capital cities, with an area of 1290 square kilometers. Within the city limits, the population is 2,669,873 (2005); almost 3.5 million live in the general area of Rome as represented by the province of Rome. The current mayor of Rome is Walter Veltroni.

With a GDP of €97 billion (higher than that of countries like Hungary, Czech Republic or Singapore), in the year 2005 the comune of Rome produced 6.7% of Italy's total GDP, the highest rate among all of Italy's cities.

The city's history extends nearly 2,800 years, during which time it has been the seat of ancient Rome (the Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic, Roman Empire), and later the Papal States, Kingdom of Italy and Italian Republic. Rome is also called "the Eternal City."

History

In mythology, Rome was founded by Romulus, who, with his brother Remus, were brought up by a wolf. He killed his brother when he defied the sacred boundaries of the new city, and became the first king of Rome. In historical times, the civilization of ancient Rome originated in the 8th or 9th century BC, when northern tribes migrated to the Italian peninsula to settle around the River Tiber. For almost a thousand years, Rome was the most important city in the Western world and the largest city in the world (the first to reach and surpass 1,5 millions inhabitants), as the capital of the expansive Roman Empire. With the rise of Christianity, Rome became the center of the Roman Catholic Church and the home of the Popes. The slow decline of the Roman Empire heralded the beginning of the Middle Ages, but the city regained prominence as the political capital of Europe for several hundred years leading up to the Renaissance. Rome remains influential today, as the capital of Italy, of the Catholic Church and as a major world class metropolis.

Economy

Today Rome has a dynamic and diverse economy concentrating on innovation, technologies, communications and the service sector. It produces 6.7% of the national GDP (more than any other city in Italy) and continues to grow at a higher rate than those in the rest of the country (4,4% yearly). Tourism is inevitably one of Rome's chief industries. The city is also a centre for banking, publishing, insurance, fashion, high-tech industries, housing, cinema (particularly at the famous Cinecittà studios, dubbed the "Hollywood on the Tiber"), and the aerospace industries.

Many international headquarters, government ministries, conference centres, sports venues and museums are located in Rome's principal business districts: the E.U.R. (Esposizione Universale Roma); the Torrino (further south from the E.U.R.); the Magliana; the Parco de' Medici-Laurentina and the so-called Tiburtina-valley along the ancient Via Tiburtina.

Transportation

Rome has an intercontinental airport named Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport - FCO, but more commonly known as Fiumicino, which also is Italy's chief airport, and the Giovan-Battista Pastine international airport (commonly referred to as Ciampino Airport), a joint civilian and military airport southeast of the city-center, along the Via Appia, which handles mainly charter flights and regional European flights including some low-cost airlines. A third airport, called Aeroporto dell'Urbe, is located in the north of the city along the ancient Via Salaria and handles mainly helicopters and private flights. A fourth airport, called Aeroporto di Centocelle, in the eastern part of Rome between the Via Prenestina and the Via Casilina, has been abandoned for some years now, but is currently being redeveloped as one of the largest public parks in Rome.

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 in the 1950s to serve as a modern business district. The line was finally opened in 1955 and it's 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 one point, Termini Station, the main train station in Rome (which also is the largest train station in Europe, underneath and around which exists now a lively shopping center known as the "Forum Termini" with more than 100 shops of various types). Other stations includes: Tiburtina (second-largest, which is currently being redeveloped and enlarged to become the main high-speed train hub in the city), Ostiense, Trastevere, Tuscolana, S. Pietro, Casilina, Torricola.

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 system. The web site (translated in English) of the public transportation company (ATAC) allows a route to be calculated using the buses and subways. 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 6.00 a.m to 6 p.m. (this area is officially called Zona a Traffico Limitato, Z.T.L. in short). Heavy traffic due to night-life crowds during week-ends led in recent years to the creation of other Z.T.L.s in the Trastevere and S. Lorenzo districts during the night, and to the experimentation of a new night Z.T.L. also in the city center (plans to create a night Z.T.L. 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-parkings, as new underground parkings spread throughout the city. In spite of all these measures, traffic remains an unsolved problem, as in the rest of the world's cities.

Monuments

Rome houses countless monuments and interesting remains from ancient to modern times. An incomplete list is given here.

Ancient buildings

Medieval buildings and monuments

Modern buildings and monuments

Houses of worship

Rome is home to over 900 Catholic and Christian churches.

Basilicas

Patriarchal basilicas

San Giovanni in Laterano (St. John in Lateran)
San Pietro in Vaticano (St. Peter's)
San Paolo fuori le Mura (St. Paul outside the Walls)
Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major)
San Lorenzo fuori le Mura (St. Lawrence outside the Walls)

Other basilicas

Sant'Agnese fuori le mura (St. Agnes outside the Walls)
Sant'Andrea delle Fratte
Santi Apostoli (Holy Apostles)
San Bernardo alle Terme
San Clemente (St. Clement)
Santi Cosma e Damiano (SS. Cosmas and Damian)
Santa Croce in Gerusalemme
San Lorenzo in Lucina
San Marco (St. Mark)
Santa Maria degli Angeli
Santa Maria in Aracoeli
Santa Maria sopra Minerva
San Martino ai Monti
San Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter in Chains)
Santa Prassede (St. Praxedis)
San Saba
Santa Sabina
San Sebastiano fuori le mura
Santi Quattro Coronati
Santa Maria in Trastevere

Other important churches

The following do not yet have Wikipedia articles, but are important nonetheless:

Other religions edifices

Administrative subdivision of Rome

The Administrative subdivision of Rome consists in the division of the large territory of Rome into nineteen Districts.

Province of Rome

Rome is the capital of a province, with an area of 5,352 sq. km, and a total population of 3,700,424 (2001) in 120 comuni. The province can be viewed as the extended metropolitan area of the town of Rome, although in its more peripheral portions, especially to the north, it comprises towns surrounded by firmly rural landscape, just as towns elsewhere throughout Italy.

Markets and shopping areas

Porta Portese

Street market on Sunday mornings, from very early to around 1pm, on the left bank of the Tiber, between Porta Portese and Stazione Trastevere, centered on Via Portuense. The wares are mainly clothes, both old and new. The second-hand clothing stalls are by far the more popular, with the clothes sorted by type (leathers and furs, jeans, coats, children’s clothes, etc) and piled on large tables with everything at the same (low) price. Tables start at 50 cent, and range up to 20 euro for high-quality leather and fur.

Campo de' Fiori

Campo de' Fiori is one of the oldest markets in Rome, where food and flowers are most frequently found. Though the name literally means "field of flowers," there are no fields in sight; it's in the middle of downtown Rome, off of the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. The market is open every morning of the week except Sunday. Campo de' Fiori, surrounded by many bars and restaurants, is also a popular destination at night for locals and foreigners alike.

Via Frattina

A parallel of Via Condotti begins at Piazza di Spagna as this it's closed to traffic. A concentration of shops of various type.

Symbols and trivia

Rome is commonly identified by several proper symbols, including the Colosseum, the she-wolf (Lupa capitolina), the imperial eagle, and the symbols of Christianity. The famous acronym SPQR recalls the ancient age and the unity between Roman Senate and Roman people.

Rome is called "L'Urbe" (The City), "Caput mundi" (head of the world), "Città Eterna" (eternal city), and "Limen Apostolorum" (the threshold of the apostles).

The town's colors are golden yellow and red (garnet): they stand, respectively, for Christian and imperial dignities.

Rome has two holidays of its own: April 21 (the founding of Rome), and June 29 (the feast of its patron saints, Peter and Paul). Other locally important dates are December 8 (the Immaculate Conception) and January 6 (Epiphany).

Rome was once surrounded by the toll-free beltway called The Grande Raccordo Anulare (commonly shortened "Il GRA" or "Il Raccordo"), which is 68 km long. This beltway has since been outgrown by the city, and the city has other districts well beyond it. Examples are Casalpalocco, Mostacciano, Infernetto, and Axa among others.

Some proverbs about the Eternal City:

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
All roads lead to Rome.
Rome wasn't built in a day.

During its long history, Rome has always had a scarcity of native inhabitants, so by tradition a "true" Roman is one whose family has lived in Rome for no fewer than 7 generations: this is the original "Romano de Roma" (in Romanesco, the local dialect of Italian).

For the Northern federalist party Lega Nord, Rome is the symbol of the allegedly parasitic Italian central government, crystalized in their slogan Roma ladrona ("Thief Rome").

Rome hosted the 1960 Summer Olympics.

Events

Roma Europa Festival, September: Annual appointment for modern art and theatre, music and dance, with artists from of all Europe.
Festival Romics, October: Comics and Cartoon Festival: exhibitions, cartoon film showings of designers and publishing companies.
Roma Jazz Festival, October: Festival of jazz music since of 1876. Italian and international artists.
Roman Summers, from June to September: Various events from music to theater, literary meetings and cinema. Events that take place in the most characteristic places in Rome that attract the participation of thousands of artists from all over the world.
Literature Festival, from May to June: Readings of works of famous contemporary writers, accompanied by music, in the setting of Basilica di Massenzio. ([1])

Cultural Events

White Night

Series of events at venues throughout Rome on September: concerts, special outdoor performances, churches and monuments open to the public during, museums open all night with free entrance, shops open all nights. ([2])

Sister cities

New York City, USA
Paris, France

References

References and bibliography can be found in the more detailed articles linked to in this article.

External links

Template:Wikitravel

Ancient Rome