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| Country | Italy | |
| Region | Lazio | |
| Population | 2.85 million (2019) | |
| High | 21 m | |
Understand
The seven hills of ancient Rome
The island of Tiberina and its surroundings in the 17th century
Map of the center of Rome with districts ("districts")
Satellite photo of Rome with adjoining (Tyrrhenian Sea, left, Lake Bracciano, above, Albanian Lake, right, Tiber, from above / right).
Geographical sketch
Rome lies in the lower valley of the river Tiber , about 30km away from the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The river flows between two ancient volcanoes, which today are Lake Bracciano (30-60km northwest of the city) and Lake Albania with the adjacent hills (20-40km southeast), so the town is located on a small flat strip along the river , rich in clay, and several low hills, rich in volcanic toffee.
La ancient core of the city - today the southern part of the city center - extends on some of such hills (traditionally seven) and the valleys between them. Nearby it was easier to cross the river, thanks to a small island (Tiber Island).
La baroque center, which has grown mainly since the 16th century, is located further north, between the ancient core and St. Peter's. It also, like the ancient core, lies mostly on the left side of the river; the area is however flatter and hills are found only at its edge.
Piazza Venezia (=Venice square, 0 in the map below), which is traditionally estimated as the central point of Rome, is at the border between the ancient and the baroque centers.
The city expanded greatly after 1870, when it became the capital of Italy. Worth mentioning is the railway Termini Station (Termini Station) and the new neighborhood Euro.
Climate
The climate of Rome is a Mediterranean climate: summers very hot and almost without rain, winters moderately cold and rich in rainfall. However, it is located in the colder and wetter part of the Mediterranean climate.
In more detail, in July, the warmest and driest month, there are usually only 2 rainy days and during noon and early afternoon the temperature often exceeds 30 ° C (in particularly hot years it approaches 40 ° C). The coldest month is January, when the temperature at night is often a little below zero, although it rarely stays below zero during the day; but the wettest month is November, not only because of the amount of rainy days (9), but also because of the abundance of rain (110 mm).
Snow is very rare in Rome, but almost every year there is one day with some snow not remaining on the ground.
The most suitable seasons to visit Rome are the spring (from March to June) and the months September-October. Winter (from the second half of December to the whole of February) is pretty good. It is possible to visit Rome also in the remaining months, but keep in mind that in November and in the following weeks (last half of October, first half of December) there is a great chance of heavy rains, July and August are very hot with strong sunlight.
Historical sketch
Foundation of Rome
According to legend, Rome was founded by the brothers Romulus and Remus on April 21, 753 BC. Although the details are not reliable, archaeologists have found traces of an Iron Age village that originated on the Palatine Hill during the 8th or 9th century BC.
It was inhabited by Latins but also experienced significant Etruscan influence. At the end of the 6th century BC. it was no longer a village, but a real city, already spread out on the nearby hills and already protected by walls.
The city was also a small state, ruled by kings, advised by an assembly of noble elders ("senate"). Hopefully, you mean by name Rome the state whose capital was the city of Rome - a state that was initially no larger than the city and its surroundings (countryside, forests, marshes).
From that time there remain few, unimpressive signs.
Roman Republic
In 509 B.C. the last king was expelled and the citizens declared that Rome should no longer be ruled by kings but should be a "Common Thing" (Latin nothing public), with elected rulers ("consuls") who lasted only one year; the senate retained its power with several changes. That's why the Roman Republic which lasted about 5 centuries.
Rome's dominance gradually spread to the entire Italian peninsula, and then to other countries. At the end of the 1st century BC. the Romans dominated all the countries around the Mediterranean and a few more (for example, the whole part of Europe that lies west of the Rhine or south of the Danube).
Roman Empire
During the 1st century BC. the nothing public became less democratic; several unelected people ruled Rome until their deaths. Historians have chosen a symbolic date for the end of the Roman Republic: 27 BC, when Octavian was appointed by the Senate. augustus and princeps (still today he is better known under the honorary name of Augustus). Then began the Roman Empire , which lasted in western Europe until 476 AD.
The largest number of Roman monuments in Rome belong to the time of the Roman Empire.
Middle Ages
By the end of the Roman Empire Rome had acquired a new role, as the seat of the popes and in a sense the capital of the Christians (later only of the Catholic Christians). Despite the popes, during the Middle Ages Rome became small and poor; only around the year 1000 did it regain strength.
During the Middle Ages Rome became the capital of an unusual kingdom, the Papal State , whose king was the pope. Initially, the kingdom contained a number of areas near Rome, then more or less present-day Lazio, and eventually acquired other regions in central Italy.
The most important medieval monuments are churches, several founded just after the fall of the Roman Empire (even before), and largely altered or rebuilt over the following centuries.
Modern times
The golden age for the popes lasted from about the 15th to the 18th century (more or less the centuries usually called the "modern age").
Many monuments show the prosperity of Rome at that time, which gave the baroque center its present appearance.
After the unification of Italy
In 1870 the young kingdom of Italy conquered Rome, and chose it as its capital.
In 1929 a new, very small state was created for the pope on the Vatican hill, officially named Vatican City ("Vatican City") and usually, more briefly, simply "Vatican". But the power of the pope as king is small; more important is his role as leader of the Catholic Church.
Since 1870 Rome has grown a lot. There are several non-religious buildings, although there is no shortage of new churches.
Access
Aircraft
There are two commercial airports in Rome:
- airport Leonardo da Vinci apud Weather in Fiumicino (FCO), Rome's main airport, to the southwest
- airport G.B. Pastine apud Ciampino, southeast
There are frequent buses to / from both airports. To / from Fiumicino airport there are also frequent trains.
Train
Rome's main railway station is named Terms. Almost all trains reach this station, although several also stop at other stations.
Fast trains invariably connect Rome with the most important cities throughout Italy (for example Turin, Milan, Genoa, Venice, Trieste, Bologna, Florence, Naples, Bari, Palermo and Catania). Of the direct international trains that once existed, only one remains, a night train from / to Vienna / Munich.
Buse
It is possible to reach Rome by bus without changes from almost all Italian cities and from many cities located in neighboring countries. The main arrival point is the Rome Tiburtina Bus Station (Rome Tiburtina bus station), next to the railway station of the same name.
By car
La Railcar of the Sun. (Autostrada del Sole, A1) connects Rome with Milan-Bologna-Florence (north) and Naples (south). It is interconnected with further highways. Its northern part of Rome is also the southernmost part of the European highway E35 (from Amsterdam to Rome).
Less important highways connect Rome with Civitavecchia and Abruzzo (both parts of E80).
You can also transport your car by boat (see below) to a nearby port.
By ship
The most important port to reach Rome by ship is Civitavecchia, northwest. The journey is completed by train (approx. 1 hour) or by car (68 km, approx. 1 hour by motorway).
The port of Civitavecchia is connected mainly with Sardinia (Olbia, about 8 hours of navigation; Cagliari, about 15 hours; etc.), Sicily (Palermo, about 14 hours), Barcelona (about 21 hours) and Tunisia (about 35 hours).
It is also possible to use other, more distant ports: Naples, Salerno, Piombino, Livorno. Naples and Salerno offer further ships from / to Sicily; they are also advisable from / to Tunisia. From Corsica you have to sail to Piombino or Livorno and drive from there.
Small ports fairly close to Rome are in Fiumicino, Ostia and Anzio.
Local transportation
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In Rome there are the following types of public transport within the city:
- city buses and city tram lines (the maps are available at ATTACK);
- subway (line A, line B / B1, line C - see map above);
- urban parts of several railroads.
See
Ancient Rome
10 - Colosseum : colossal ancient amphitheater of the 1st century AD.
11 - Roman Forum : ruins of the center of ancient Rome.
12 - Circus Maximus : once a valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills, it was used by the Romans for horse racing.
13 - Pantheon : an ancient temple, now a Catholic church, in the middle of the baroque center.
14 - Baths of Caracalla : large baths built during the 3rd century AD.
15 - Basilica of Santa Maria of Los Angeles , a basilica built in a large hall of the Baths of Diocletian (4th century); much of the remaining halls are occupied by the National Museum of Rome (Archaeological Museum).
16 - Pyramid of Cestius : a pyramid-shaped tomb built c. 20 B.C.
17 - Catacombs of St. Callisto (Pope Callisto I): underground corridors with tombs, used by Christians during the Roman Empire, to escape persecution but also for other purposes. There are also other catacombs in other places.
18 - Via Appia : a long ancient Roman road (the number shows on the map the Tomb of Cecilia Metella, which is a good place to see the Roman road and is also worth visiting, but the Roman road is also visible further south and partly further north, for several kilometers ).
19 - Castle of San Ángel : majestic tomb of the emperor Hadrian, used as a castle during the Middle Ages.
Christian Rome
30 - St. Peter's Basilica with the surrounding Vatican City (short, Vatican), the smallest state in the world, capital of the Catholic Church.
31 - Basilica San Juan de Laterano , the official cathedral of Rome.
32 - Basilica Santa Maria the Great one , dedicated to the Virgin.
33 - Basilica San Pablo exter the Walls (also: San Pablo in front of the Walls), which, along with St. Peter, St. Mary the Great, and St. Paul, is one of the four officially "most important" basilicas in Rome.
34 - Holy Cross in Jerusalem , with relics of the cross of Jesus.
35 - St. Lawrence outside the Walls , next to the old cemetery of Rome (Summer).
36 - Trinity of the Mountains , a church next to the Place of Spain , a very famous place of the baroque center.
37 - Santa Maria of the People .
38 - Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, in the neighborhood Trastevere ("beyond the Tiber"), an ancient and medieval quarter on the right bank of the Tiber.
39 - St. Pancras.
Museums
50 - Capitol Museums , on the historic Capitol Hill. It contains several ancient and modern works of art.
51 - Vatican Museums , containing among many works of art also the famous Sistine Chapel.
52 - Etruscan Museum Villa Giulia.
53 - Etruscan Museum Villa Giulia.
Other curiosities
70 - District EUR, built since 1936 for the international exhibition planned for 1940 in Rome (and not held due to World War II); it contains several monuments of that time.
71 - Monteto Gianicolo (not belonging to the original group of hills), from which one has an excellent view of the whole town.
72 - Trevi Fountain
73 - Navona Square
74 - Biopark (Zoo)
75 - Villa Torlonia, with several buildings between which the villa inhabited by Mussolini.
76 - Villa Pamphilj, a large public park.
Eat
Local traditional cuisine
As in almost all of Italy, a typical meal contains a first dish, which is a kind of pasta, and a second dish, which is mostly meat with or without vegetables; then one can still eat fruit. Common variants: at the beginning can be "breakfast" (Italian appetizer), usually only with ham and other uncooked foods; the second dish may be missing; instead of fruit there may be another sweet dessert (e.g. ice cream).
The traditional Roman cuisine has long been mixed with the regional cuisine of Lazio.
Among the pastas, it is worth mentioning:
- spaghetti alla carbonara, spaghetti "in the charcoal way", t.e. with egg and bacon;
- bucatini all'amatriciana, stuffed spaghetti with amateur sauce, made with pork cheek, mutton and tomato;
- Roman dumplings, Roman griobules;
- rigatoni with the pajata, macaroni with undiscovered calf gut;
- cheese and pepper vermicelli, spaghetti with cheese and pepper;
- tomato fettuccine, ribbon-shaped pasta (often containing eggs mixed with the flour), with tomato sauce.
Among the meats, it is worth mentioning:
- saltimbocca alla romana, thin pieces of veal, cooked with ham and sage;
- I burn with scallops, roasted lamb ribs;
- tail to the vaccinara, beef tail "in the cowboy style" (the tail is boiled and further cooked in a casserole);
- coratella, breast;
- tripe alla romana, tripo.
Among the other dishes, it is worth mentioning:
- cod fillets, dried gad pieces covered in dough and fried;
- Roman artichokes, artichokes cooked in a casserole;
- artichokes alla giudia, fried artichokes;
- several types of cakes and other sweets.
It is traditional too peak (pizza), which is usually thinner than the Neapolitan pizza.
Non-local cuisine
In normal restaurants you can easily find food from the most common Italian or international cuisine (for example, lasagna, escalopes, burgers, etc.).
There are also restaurants offering foreign cuisines: Chinese and Japanese (and kebabs for fast food) are very common; there are others, however.
Where to eat
There are several types of places to eat. Here are the usual types:
- to eat fast:
- bar, offering sandwiches and sometimes other fast food; in many one eats usually standing; for sandwiches, there are usually two sizes, sandwiches (small triangular sandwiches) and panini (buns stuffed with ham, meat or other things);
- sliced pizzeria (pizza cut shop), where you can buy pizza slices (usually rectangular), edible on site or takeaway; usually other traditional foods are also found there, for example suppli (rice balls), croquettes (earthworms);
- a burger joint (McDonald's and the like), where you can eat burgers or other international fast food (also takeaway);
- kebabejo;
- to eat regularly:
- restaurant (restaurant);
- pizzeria (pizza restaurant), offering various pizzas (round and larger than the pizza pieces offered in sliced pizzeria); it is often sacrificed as well bruschetta, suppli, some desserts etc .;
- restaurant-pizzeria, a combination of the two previous sites;
- trattoria, a name that once referred to a cheap restaurant but is now more or less similar to a restaurant; often it offers mainly local food;
- hot table or self-service, which makes it possible to eat regularly, but faster and at a lower cost.
Drink
The traditional drink in Rome is wine, usually from adjacent areas of Lazio.
Quite famous is the "wine from the Castles", for example Weather in Frascati, which is most often white wine. A well-known red wine is Cesanese, a little sweet.
To live
In the city, it is 2 hosts of Passport Service(2020/11).
Security
Watch out for pickpockets, especially at the Vatican and other tourist spots.
Esperanto
The first Esperanto group in Rome was founded in 1905 by Luigi Giambene.
Today the club is a member of IEF (UEA's national association in Italy) and is called the Roman Esperanto Center "Luigi Minnaja". It is located in your Santa Dorotea 23; meetings usually take place on Mondays.[1][2]
In Rome it is also the official headquarters of IKUE, although its activists in Rome are not a local group at present (2019). Several IKUE congresses took place in Rome, the first in 1913.
In August 1935, the 27th Universal Congress of Esperanto took place in Rome.
