City Statistics
Location
Lazio region, western central Italy.
Dialing code
39.
Population
2,817,000 (2005).
Time zone
GMT +1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz; round two-pin or three-pin plugs are standard.
Average January temperatures
8°C (46°F).
Average July temperatures
28°C (82°F).
Annual rainfall
760mm (30 inches
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Overview
Situated on the
River Tiber, between the Apennine Mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea, the
‘Eternal City' of Rome (
Roma) was once the administrative center of the mighty
Roman Empire, governing a vast region that stretched from Britain to Mesopotamia. Today, it 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Italian government and home to numerous ministerial offices but is superseded by Milan, in the industrial north, for business and finance.
The legendary beginnings of Rome are related in the tale of
Romulus and
Remus. Princess Rhea Silvia, ravished by Mars (the God of War), gave birth to the twins and abandoned them to fate. The River Tiber carried them to the
Palatine Hill, where a
she-wolf mothered the babes until their discovery by a shepherd. Romulus later killed Remus, before going on to found Rome in the marshy lowlands of seven hills.
The anniversary of Rome's founding (21 April 753BC) is now marked by a public holiday. It traces the rise of the city from unimportant
pastoral settlement (the earliest remains date back to the ninth century BC) to
vast empire, ruled over by a
string of emperors.
Rome saw a second period of development during the 15th-century
Renaissance, when the
Papacy took up permanent residence in the city. Although Rome's power has since waned, the city remains the essence of
European civilization.
Ruins dating from Rome's glory days lie within an area known as
Roma Antica (Ancient Rome) and include the monumental
Colosseum and the
Foro Romano (
Roman Forum) - a crumbling legacy of pagan temples, broken marble and triumphal arches.
Buildings from the
Renaissance period are concentrated within the
centro storico (
historic centre), situated between Via del Corso and the Tevere (River Tiber). Here, a labyrinth of narrow,
winding, cobbled side streets opens out onto
magnificent piazzas presided over by
baroque churches,
regal palaces and
exquisite fountains.
The romantic
Piazza Navona with Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers,
Piazza di Spagna and the sweeping
Spanish Steps, and the
Trevi Fountain immortalized by Fellini's
La Dolce Vita (1959), all lie within walking distance of each other.
Modern life continues amid this theater of breathtaking monuments, as thousands of years of history are animated by
more recent innovations - sophisticated
boutiques, lively
pizzerias and a merry-go-round of
cars, buses and
mopeds.
Across the river, to the west, lies the
Vatican State - home to the
Pope and spiritual center of the
Roman Catholic Church. South of the Vatican, one finds the bohemian quarter of
Trastevere, packed with
trattorie and small
wine bars. Further south still is the
Testaccio district, renowned for
nightclubs and
live music.
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....
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Tourist Information
Walking Tours Roma Antica (website:
http://www.roma-antica.co.uk/) offers a wide variety of tours of Rome's archaeological sites and most attractive or historic areas. Departure points vary, depending on the tour. Tours include The Roman Forum, the Colosseum, the Vatican Museums and a tour entitled ‘From the Jewish Ghetto to Trastevere'.Jennifer Cody is a Rome-based art-lover who offers tours in English and French of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel and the
centro storico (historic centre), and can also put together a private or shopping tour during your stay (website:
http://www.renaissancerome.com/).
Enjoy Rome (tel: (06) 445 1843; website:
http://www.enjoyrome.com/) offers a number of walking tours in and around Rome, including a memorable visit by bus and foot of the Catacombs and the Appian Way, and a food and wine tasting tour. There is a maximum of 25 people per tour.
Bus Tours The
110 Open double-decker roofless bus (tel: (06) 684 0901
or 800 281 281; website: www.trambusopen.com) departs every 10 minutes daily between 0830 and 2030 from Piazza dei Cinquecento in front of Termini Station for a two-hour tour (with commentary in English) around Rome's main sights. The tickets and a leaflet outlining the 11-stop itinerary are available in English at any tourist information office, the kiosk in Piazza dei Cinquecento or on the bus, and passengers can get on and off the bus throughout the day.
Archeobus is a minibus service that departs every 40 minutes from Piazza dei Cinquecento (in front of Termini) between 0900 and 1600 bound for the beautiful and historic Appia Antica park. It makes 16 stops at historic sites and monuments. A joint ticket for the
110 Open and
Archeobus can be purchased from Piazza dei Cinquecento and on the bus itself (tel: 800 281 281; website:
http://www.trambus.com/).
Boat Tours Rome also has a limited public river boat service along the Tiber. The service, run by
Battelli di Roma (tel: (06) 9774 5498; website:
http://www.battellidiroma.it/), makes seven stops between Calata Anguillara (Tiber Island) and the Duca D'Aosta Bridge near the Olympic Stadium in the north of the city. The same company also organizes daily cruises with commentary, wine-tasting evenings, romantic night-time cruises with dinner, and a boat service to the site of Ostia Antica that leaves from Marconi Bridge every morning. It takes just over two hours and there is a two-hour stopover at the ruins before departing again. Tickets can be bought at the hotel reservation point....
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