Rome

Rome (Roma) is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city, with over 2.7 million residents. The city has been one of history's most powerful and important centers, being the home of the emperor during the Roman Empire and the Italian government. The city also has a significant place in Christianity and is the present day home of the Roman Catholic Church and the site of the Vatican City, an independent city-state run by the Catholic Church. Due to this, the city has often been nicknamed "Caput Mundi" (Latin for "Capital of the World") and "The Eternal City". Also, Rome is widely regarded as one of the world's most beautiful ancient cities.

Rome's history as a city spans over 2500 years. It was the center of the Roman Empire, which dominated Europe, North Africa and the Middle East for over four hundred years from the 1st Century BC until the 4th Century AD. During the Ancient Roman era, the city was the most powerful in Europe. In the Middle-Ages, Rome was home to some of the most powerful popes, such as Alexander VI and Leo X, who transformed the city into a modern center of the arts and one of the major centers of the Italian Renaissance along with Florence.

The current-day version of St. Peter's Basilica began construction in 1506 and was dedicated finally in 1626. (Do not mistake St. Peter's for a cathedral. There is no sitting bishop at St.Peter's, therefore it is not a cathedral.) Perhaps the most famous part of the church is the Sistine Chapel ceiling with it's ceiling painted by Michelangelo. Also inside is Michelangel's Pieta, one of the most famous sculptures in the world.

Famous artists and architects, such as Bramante, Leonardo da Vinci, Bernini and Raphael resided for some time in Rome, contributing to its impressive Renaissance and Baroque architecture. As a modern city, it has been capital of the unified Italy since 1870 and grew mainly in two periods on either side of World War II. As it is one of the few major European cities that escaped the war relatively unscathed, central Rome remains essentially Renaissance and Baroque in character. Rome has had an immense historic influence on the world and modern society over the ages, particularly during ancient times, mainly in subjects such as architecture, art, culture, politics, literature, law, philosophy and religion.

Modern Rome is a bustling cosmopolitan metropolis and is Italy's capital of politics, economy, and media. The city is home to the Cinecittà Studios, which are the largest film and television production facilities in continental Europe, and famous classic films, such as "La Dolce Vita" and "Ben Hur" have been filmed in the city. Rome is also Italy's capital of business and finance, along with Milan. The city is the world's 35th richest city by purchasing power and is the world's 18th most expensive city. The city's Fiumicino Airport is the prime entryway into Italy.

Rome is the third-most-visited tourist destination in the Europe and its historic center is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Monuments and museums such as the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum are amongst the world's 50 most visited tourist destinations (the Vatican Museums receiving 4.2 million tourists and the Colosseum receiving 4 million tourists every year).

You absolutely can't travel to Italy without visiting Rome. In fact, you could spend your entire vacation in Italy just in the city of Rome and never see everything there is to see.

8 Must-See Sights In Rome