Photos of Eternal Rome, Italy’s capital

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Eternal Rome, Italy’s capital

Rome, the capital of Italy, is often called the Eternal City because of its long history: it has been an important centre of civilisation for over 2000 years. One of the world’s most beautiful cities, ancient monuments and magnificent churches and palaces are reminders of Rome’s past glory. As the capital of the mighty Roman Empire, Rome was a Superpower in the Western world for centuries; it ruled most of Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. Even today, Rome’s influence can still be seen in architecture, government, language, and law.

Political Demonstration
 
Traditional dance
 
Traditional music
 
Folk dancing
 
Piazza Quirinale
 
Ponte Mazzini
 
Ponte Rotto
 
Porta Portese
 
Trying to beg
 
Looking for a target
 
Children pickpockets
 
Palazzo della Civiltà, EUR
 
Fountain, EUR
 
The Workers' Palace
 
Spanish steps
 
Obelisk and church
 
Small market
 
Sanctuary, Maria Maddalena
 
Altar Maria Maddalena
 
Organ, Maria Maddalena
 
The Pantheon
 
Piazza Navona
 
Victor Emmanuel II monument
 
Basilica interior
 
Column and church
 
Capitoline museum
 
Heracles with snake
 
Capitoline Wolf
 
Campidoglio Square
 
Old Jewish Quarter
 
Turtle Fountain
 
Santa Maria in Trastevere
 
Porta San Giovanni
 
Relics of the Cross
 
Tabernacle St. John Lateran
 
Tabernacle and ceiling
 
San Sebastian
 
Ceiling, San Sebastiano
 
Via Appia
 
Lateran Palace
 
St Paul's Outside the Walls
 
Cloister, San Paolo
 
Gypsy family
 
Entering San Paolo
 
View from Trastevere
 
Trevi Fountain
 
Piazza del Popolo
 
Piazza Barberini
 

After Emperor Constantine’s conversion, Rome also became the centre of the Roman Catholic Church. The popes brought a new splendour to Rome in the 16th and 17th Centuries: Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City is Europe’s largest Christian church. There are many others: the Church of San Giovanni in Laterano has a tabernacle believed to contain the heads of the apostles Peter and Paul. The Church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme claims to contain fragments of the cross on which Christ was crucified.

Rome, on both banks of the Tiber River, is built on about 20 hills, including the seven famous hills on which ancient Rome was created: the Aventine, Caelian, Capitoline, Esquiline, Palatine, Quirinal, and Viminal hills. The Italian presidential palace and some of Rome’s government buildings stand on the Quirinal, the tallest of the seven hills. There are many beautiful squares, parks and gardens and museums with priceless art collections.

According to Roman legend, the twin brothers Romulus and Remus established a settlement in 753 BCE on Palatine Hill, one of Rome’s hills overlooking the Tiber River. The brothers, born in the ancient Italian city of Alba Longa, were the children of Rhea Silvia, the daughter of its King Numitor, who Amulius, his younger brother, had deposed. Amulius had also killed Numitor’s sons to prevent them from challenging him; he had Rhea Silvia executed and ordered the twin babies placed in a basket and thrown into the Tiber River. After floating downstream, they were washed ashore, where a female wolf found the infants and nursed them. A shepherd later discovered the boys and raised them as his own. When the twins became young men and learned of their identity, they killed Amulius and restored Numitor to the throne. They then found their city, but after the brothers quarrelled, Remus was killed. Romulus then became the sole ruler of the town, which he named after himself: Rome.

Romulus, Remus, and the wolf became popular subjects for Roman artists. Several ancient statues show the babies with their animal protector.