Overview

A Roman holiday

There are some things you can only do in Rome – and all of them in one morning. Consider this – you can start with a cappuccino in front of the world’s most impressive structure – the Pantheon, browse through centuries-old markets and go meet the Pope and you aren’t even hungry for lunch yet! When in Rome everything is possible.

This venerable city is the cradle of modern culture and has made an indelible impression on nearly everyone of the continent’s major cities. There are Roman footprints on London, Paris, Berlin and Vienna and the city’s eclectic mix of breathtaking art, spectacular history and vibrant street life has colored every city the Romans set foot on ever.

Rome, also called the Eternal City is the capital of Italy and for centuries has been the center of the western civilization. It is the seat of the Catholic Church and proud neighbor of The Vatican. Though an ancient city, Rome today is a modern and cosmopolitan city attracting thousands of tourists every year. People come here to experience the resonance of an ancient civilization, to make the ultimate religious journey to The Vatican, to shop till they drop and to just be able to say they’ve had a Roman holiday.

Blessed with a Mediterranean climate, Rome attracts tourists to its famous architecture, its museums and its shopping areas. It is a stylish city that can make anyone dizzy with its vibrant street culture, its phenomenal food and its entertainment options. If entertainment were a city, it would be called Rome.

If you are packing your bags to go to Rome, get the skinny on what makes it tick, where it all started and what are the things that are sure to make you want to come back.

The Rome Story

There are several theories surrounding the birth of Rome but the one that has the maximum number of votes and a ‘yes’ from recent archeological evidence is that Rome was founded by Romulus – one of the twin sons of Mars, the God of war and Rhea Sylvia, a princess. Romulus and Remus were abandoned on the banks of the river Tiber and were brought up by a She-wolf.

Romulus laid down the foundations of the Eternal City after he killed his brother Remus in a dispute over who should govern the city. The site of this battle is supposed to be Palatine Hill (site of the future Roman Forum) after which Romulus became the first of the Seven Kings of Rome who successively contributed to the strengths of the city that would later make it a power to reckon with throughout the ancient world.

Rome was ruled by Etruscan Kings till 510 BC when the city became a Republic and was then governed by the Senate. The 2nd century Rome was already a powerful state; its success gleaned from military conquest (most notably defeating the empire of Carthage) and commercial predominance. Despite displaying such deep rooted power on most of the Mediterranean region, Rome was beset by several civil wars. The days of the Republic ended with the assassination of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March, 44 BC and a spate of new emperors took over Rome. The most enduring heritage of this era is the various monuments scattered around the city today. The Roman Empire reached its Nadir during the reign of Trajan (98-117 AD) with its boundaries extending from Northern England to Mesopotamia and from the River Danube to Egypt.

Santa Maria Maggiore

Christianity rose as a major religion during the 4th century converting Rome from being secular power to a religious power. The first Pope came to The Vatican and the era saw the construction of some of the largest basilicas – Santa Croce, Santa Maria Maggiore, San Pietro and San Sebastiano. The Barbarian invasions of 410 stripped the city of its beauty and eventually the Western Roman Empire bit the dust when Emperor Romulus Augustulus was defeated in 476 by Odoacer. Power over the Roman Empire became the subject of dispute between Germanic and Byzantine Empires till Pope Stephen II installed the Frankish king Pepin as the emperor on grounds of being God’s chosen one.

  This act of alliance was the start of the Holy Roman Empire in which papal supremacy grew till the 14th century when the Pope was exiled to Avignon on account of factional fighting. But by the next century the papacy had regained its lost power and glory and was investing its wealth heavily in beautifying the city with Renaissance and Baroque piazzas, churches and fountains. Raphael, Bernini and Borromini were some of the artists that helped this drive and the century saw an increase in religious visitors who came to witness the wonders of the Holy See.

(Raphael, Self portrait)

The erosion of papal power came first in the form of the Roman revolution of 1143 and then due to successive events like Charles V’s sack of Rome in 1527, the French Revolution, Napoleon’s gain of power across Europe and the Franco-Prussian War. In 1870, Rome became the capital of the newly united Italy and the Pope moved to The Vatican, being a mere figurehead in the corridors of power.

The 20th century Rome saw a new growth with a new administration focusing more on building residential and commercial blocks rather than churches and piazzas. The city grew exponentially during the 1930s and was bustling outside the city walls by the time Mussolini came to power. Rome suffered the Fascist era with aplomb, coming out on top with a new Republic in place at the end of it all. In the subsequent decades, the city became an important commercial center of Europe.