Situated on the River Tiber, between the Apennine Mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea, the ‘Eternal City’ of Rome (Roma) was once the administrative centre of the mighty Roman Empire, governing a vast region that stretched from Britain to Mesopotamia. Today, Rome remains the seat of the Italian government and home to numerous ministerial offices but is superseded by Milan, in the industrial north, for business and finance. Once the capital of the greatest empire the world has ever seen, Rome’s power stretched far and wide. Today, the influence is still the basis of many of the modern world’s laws, social policies and languages. The proverb “All roads lead to Rome” contains more than an element of truth.

Ancient Rome is believed to have been founded on 21 April 753 BC. According to myth, the city was founded by the twins, Romulus and Remus. Romulus killed his brother in a battle over who should govern, then established the city of Rome on the Palatino. The city was ruled by Etruscan kings until 510 BC, when it became a republic.

Although Rome was once the largest city in the world, now, it is relatively compact by modern standards. For the visitor, this means that the majority of its most famous sights are within easy walking distance of each other. Rome is a city which lives for today with plenty of great cafés, bars and restaurants. Rome has an endless array of things to see including the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps, the catacombs, the ancient Roman Forum, the Colosseum and the Pantheon.

Tourism is a major source of income and visitors come and go throughout the year. The city is blessed with a warm Mediterranean climate, making Rome particularly pleasant to visit in autumn and spring. In August, it is hot and sticky and most of the locals head for the coast, many shops and bars close for the summer break and the streets are strangely empty save for visitors. Today, citizens and visitors alike continue to benefit from the improvements carried out for the Jubilee celebrations, when the Eternal City celebrated the fact that the millennium was 2000 years since the birth of Christ.

There is simply too much to see in Rome, the Vatican City alone can easily swallow up an entire weekend. Most visitors are overwhelmed and remain torn between running from sight to sight in order to ‘do’ everything or lingering over a couple of monuments and museums. The latter option is strongly recommended, even then, it is best to punctuate cultural trips with ice creams, coffees and serene walks in the city’s parks.

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