HISTORY: Rome has a history that spans almost 3000 years, starting from the legendary foundation by Romulus around 753 BC, until today, as the beautiful capital of Italy. A republic around 509 BC and an empire by the turn of the millennium, Rome grew to become the largest city in the world in the first centuries AD. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, Rome has gone through troubled times, returning to its former glory only in the 14th century, in the Renaissance period.
In the 18th century, the Papacy reached the peak of its power, ruling over most of Central Italy. During the Napoleonic domination, Rome was annexed to the French Empire and, after the fall of Napoleon, the Papal States were restored by the Congress of Vienna of 1815. Although the Kingdom of Italy was founded in 1861, Rome along with the Lazio region remained under the control of the Pope for another nine years. In 1870, the Papal States were defeated, Rome was conquered and, after a plebiscite held on October 2, the city was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy. Read More [...]
GEOGRAPHY: Rome is, today, the capital city of Italy and the capital of the Lazio region. Built on seven hills (Aventine Hill, Caelian Hill, Capitoline Hill, Esquiline Hill, Palatine Hill, Quirinal Hill and Viminal Hill), between the Apennine mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea, Rome is splited in two by the river Tiber, and has an area of about 1,285 square kilometers.
Rome is situated 220 kilometers northwest of Naples, 285 kilometers south of Florence, 385 kilometers south of Bologna, 492 kilometers southeast of Genoa, 495 kilometers south of Venice and about 600 kilometers southeast of Milan.
TRANSPORT: You can get to Rome by plane, arriving at the Fiumicino International Airport Leonardo da Vinci, the main airport of the city, or at the Ciampino International Airport G.B. Pastine, the low-cost airline airport. You can also get to Rome by train - the main railway station is Roma Termini, or, quite easy, by car, because... all roads lead to Rome. The cheapest train ticket from Naples costs 12.35€ and the trip takes about two hours and a half, while the cheapest ticket from Florence is 21.65€ and the trip takes about three hours and a half.
LANDMARKS: It is hard to name only a few of the tourist attractions of Rome, because there are so many. The Colosseum, the Pantheon, the imposing Castel Sant'Angelo, the wonderful Trevi Fountain, the magnificent Piazza Navona or the beautiful garden Villa Borghese, are nothing besides what Rome has to offer. You don't have to take our words, discover the city on your own!
MORE INFO: Touristic Portal | Rome Airports | Car Hire | Train Timetables & Fares | Bus & Metro Timetables & Fares | Hotels in Rome | Tours & Activities in Rome