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Roma
BanderaEscudo
De arriba a abajo y de izquierda a derecha:el Coliseo, fragmento de la Creación de Adán en la
Capilla Sixtina, la Fontana di Trevi, San Giovanni in Laterano y la cúpula de San Pedro.
RomaLocalización de Roma en Italia
País Italia
• Región Lacio
• Provincia Roma
Ubicación 41°54′″N 12°30′″E Coordenadas:
41°54′″N 12°30′″E (mapa)
• Altitud 37 msnmFracciones Lista de Frazioni
Municipios limítrofes
Albano Laziale, Anguillara Sabazia, Ardea, Campagnano di Roma, Castel Gandolfo, Castel San Pietro Romano, Ciampino, Ciudad del Vaticano, Colonna, Fiumicino, Fonte Nuova, Formello, Frascati, Gallicano nel Lazio, Grottaferrata, Guidonia Montecelio, Marino, Mentana, Monte Porzio Catone, Monte Compatri, Monterotondo, Palestrina, Poli, Pomezia, Riano, Sacrofano, San Gregorio da Sassola, Tivoli, Trevignano Romano, Zagarolo
Población 2.762.469; hab. (31.01.2011
Fuente: ISTAT)• Densidad 2.149,28 hab./km²Gentilicio Romano/a (en italiano, romani)
Código postal00100 (genérico), del 00121 al 00199
Pref. telefónico 06
Alcalde Gianni Alemanno (PdL)Fiestas mayores 29 de junioPatrón San Pedro y San PabloCódigo ISTAT 058091Cód. catastral H501Sitio web Página web oficial
Roma (IPA: ['roːma]) es una ciudad italiana de 2.765.230 habitantes,1 2 capital de la provincia de Roma, de la región del Lazio y capital de Italia.
Es el municipio más poblado de Italia y está entre las más grandes capitales europeas en cuanto a la grandeza de su territorio;3 por antonomasia, se le conoce como la Ciudad Eterna o Città Eterna.
En el transcurso de su historia, que abarca tres milenios, fue la primera gran metrópoli de la Humanidad.4 Fue el corazón de una de las civilizaciones antiguas más importantes, que influenció la sociedad, la cultura, la lengua, la literatura, el arte, la arquitectura, la filosofía, la religión, el derecho y la forma de vestir de los siglos sucesivos; fue capital del Imperio Romano, que extendia sus dominios sobre toda la cuenca del Mediterráneo y gran parte de Europa, y del Estado Pontificio, bajo el mando del poder temporal de los Papas.
Es la ciudad con la más alta concentración de bienes históricos y arquitectónicos del mundo;5 su centro histórico delimitado por el perímetro que marcan las murallas aurelianas, superposición de huellas de tres milenios, es la expresión del patrimonio histórico, artístico y cultural del mundo occidental europeo6 y, en 1980, junto a las propiedades extraterritoriales de la Santa Sede que se encuentran en la ciudad y la Basílica de San Pablo Extramuros, fue incluida en la lista del Patrimonio de la Humanidad de la UNESCO.7 8
Roma, corazón de la Religión Católica, es la única ciudad del mundo que tiene en su interior un Estado extranjero, el enclave de la Ciudad del Vaticano:9 por tal motivo se le ha conocido también como la capital de dos Estados.10 11
Contenido
[ocultar]
1 Geografía o 1.1 Territorio
1.1.1 Orografía 1.1.2 Hidrografía
o 1.2 Clima o 1.3 Altitud
2 Origen del nombre 3 Historia
o 3.1 Antigüedad o 3.2 Edad Media o 3.3 Edad moderna o 3.4 Historia más reciente
4 Símbolos 5 Festividades 6 Monumentos y sitios de interés
o 6.1 Arquitectura religiosa o 6.2 Arquitectura civil o 6.3 Edificios militares o 6.4 Otras edificaciones o 6.5 Sitios arqueológicos o 6.6 Áreas naturales
7 Sociedad o 7.1 Evolución demográfica o 7.2 Composición étnica y minorías extranjeras o 7.3 Lenguas y dialectos o 7.4 Religión o 7.5 Tradiciones y folklore o 7.6 Instituciones, entes y asociaciones o 7.7 Calidad de vida o 7.8 Museos
8 Folklore 9 Deportes 10 Comunicaciones 11 Ciudades hermanadas 12 Véase también 13 Referencias 14 Bibliografía 15 Enlaces externos
[editar] Geografía
El territorio de la ciudad de Roma, dentro de la provincia de Roma
Roma se encuentra en las riberas del río Tíber; la aldea originaria se desarrolló sobre las colinas que están frente a la curva de este río en la cual surge un promontorio de tierra conocido como la Isla Tiberina.
[editar] Territorio
Las siete colinas
El territorio del municipio de Roma es amplio, habiendo absorbido áreas que habían estado abandonas por siglos, en su mayoría plagadas de paludismo y poco aptas para la agricultura, áreas no pertenecientes a ningún municipio: se extiende sobre una superficie de 1.285,31 km² y es el territorio ocupado por una ciudad más grande de Italia12 y uno de los más extensos en contraste con otras capitales de Europa. Roma gobierna un área que por sus dimensiones es tan grande como, aproximadamente, la suma de los territorios de Milán, Nápoles, Turín, Palermo, Génova, Bolonia, Florencia, Bari y Catania, y es superior a la de municipios como el de Nueva York, Moscú, Berlín, Madrid y París.13
La densidad poblacional no es muy elevada, por la notable presencia de áreas verdes dispersas en todo su territorio:14 Roma representa un caso excepcional en el mundo occidental por la vastedad del campo que sirve de corona a la ciudad y la compenetración entre ciudad y campo.5
Roma, además, es la ciudad italiana con el más alto número de municipios vecinos: 29 municipios italianos más el enclave de la Ciudad del Vaticano, sumando un total de 30 territorios limítrofes.
El territorio sobre el cual la ciudad ha surgido y sobre el cual se ha desarrollado tiene una historia geológicamente compleja: el substrato reciente está constituido por material piroclástico producido hace 600 o 300 mil años atrás por los volcanes, hoy en día inactivos, ubicados en el área sudeste de la ciudad, el Volcán Laziale que se encuentra en las actuales Colinas Albanas, y al noreste, los Montes Sabatinos. De estos depósitos se forma gran parte de las colinas que abundan en el territorio romano. Sucesivamente la actividad fluvial del Tíber y del Aniene contribuye a la erosión de los relieves y a la sedimentación, caracterizando aún más al terreno.
Los árboles de piñones o pinos piñoneros, árbol dominante en la ciudad
El territorio de Roma, por lo tanto, presenta diversos paisajes naturales y características ambientales: algunos relieves montañosos y colinas (entre ellas las históricas siete colinas), las zonas forestales, el río Tíber y sus afluentes, las marranas o pequeños riachuelos típicos del paisaje urbano, los lagos como el Lago de Bracciano y el Lago de Martignano así como aquellos artificiales, una isla fluvial (la isla Tiberina), Yla costa arenosa del balneario de Ostia, frente al mar Tirreno.
Sísmicamente, Roma está clasificada como una zona 3 (sísmicamente baja), de acuerdo a la Ordenanza PCM n. 3274 del 20/03/2003.15
[editar] Orografía
El núcleo central y antiguo de la ciudad está constituido por las históricas Siete colinas de Roma: la Colina Palatina, el Aventino, el Campidoglio, el Quirinal, el Viminal, el Esquilino y el Celio.
La ciudad comprende también otros relieves, entre los cuales el monte Mario, el monte Antenne, el monte Brianzo, el monte de las Joyas, el monte Giordano, el Gianicolo, el Pincio, los montes Parioli, el monte Savello, el monte Sacro y el monte Verde.
[editar] Hidrografía
La ciudad, aparte del Tíber, está atravesada también de otro río, el Aniene, que confluye con el Tíber en la zona septentrional del territorio urbano.
El Municipio Roma XIII se encuentra frente al mar Tirreno (Roma es el municipio costero más grande de Europa, con alrededor de 20 km de costa16 ), el Municipio Roma XX sobre los lagos de Bracciano y de Martignano (con su enclave de Polline Martignano, en el Parque natural regional del complejo lacustre Bracciano - Martignano).
[editar] Clima
Monte Mario, sede de una de las estaciones meteorológicas de Roma
De acuerdo a la clasificación climática de Köppen, Roma posee un Clima mediterráneo, o sea un clima templado de las latitudes medias, con veranos calientes,17 particularmente suave en el período de la primavera y en otoño.18
Imagen satelital de Roma
Las estaciones más lluviosas son la primavera y el otoño, prevalentemente en los meses de noviembre y abril. El verano es caliente, húmedo y tendencialmente seco, mientras que el invierno es generalmente suave y lluvioso, pero con notables e improvistas bajas de temperatura, y raros fenómenos nevicosos de una cierta consistencia.19 En general, el clima es frecuentemente ventilado, con una prevalencia de vientos septentrionales, como la tramontana y el grecale, y occidentales, como el maestrale, el libeccio y el ponentino, llamado así porque proviene de la zona ponente de la ciudad.
Temperaturas máximas en grados centígrados (según el Centro meteorológico del Centro de Roma): enero 11.1, febrero 12.5, marzo 15.3, abril 18.6, mayo 23.2, junio 27.5, julio 30.5, agosto 30.1, septiembre 26.6, octubre 21.2, noviembre 15.8 y diciembre 12.2.
Temperaturas mínimas en grados centígrados (según el Centro meteorológico del Centro de Roma): enero 4.0, febrero 4.7, marzo 6.9, abril 9.4, mayo 13.1, junio 16.7, julio 19.2, agosto 19.1, septiembre 16.6, octubre 12.5, noviembre 8.4 y diciembre 5.3.
[editar] Altitud
La altitud de Roma es de 13 msnm (en la Piazza del Popolo) en lo más bajo hasta los 120 msnm en el monte Mario. El municipio de Roma tiene 1.285 km².
[editar] Origen del nombre
Existen varias hipótesis sobre el origen del nombre Roma;20 el nombre podría venir:
de Roma, hija de Italio (o de Telefo, hijo de Hércules), esposa de Eneas o de su hijo Ascanio;21
de Romano, hijo de Odiseo y Circe;21
de Romo, hijo de Emation, al cual Diomedes hace huir de Troya;21
de Romide, tirano de los latinos, que expulsó a los etruscos de la región;21
de Rommylos y Romos (Rómulo y Remo), hijos gemelos de Ascanio que fundaron la ciudad.;22
de Rumon o Rumen, nombre arcáico del Tíber, que tenía raíz etimológica análoga a la del verbo griego ῥέω (rhèo) y del verbo latino ruo, que significan "fluir";23
de la palabra etrusca ruma, que significaba ubre, y podría por tanto hacer referencia al mito de Rómulo y Remo, o también a la conformación de la Colinas del Palatino y del Aventino;24
del griego ῤώμη (rhòme), que significa fuerza25
de Roma, una joven troyana que conocía el arte de la magia, de la cual existen referencias en los escritos del poeta Stesicoro;26
de Amor, es decir, la palabra Roma si se lee de derecha a izquierda: la interpretación es del escritor bizantino Giovanni Lido, que vivió entre los siglos V y VI.27
[editar] Historia
Artículo principal: Historia de Roma
[editar] Antigüedad
David, El juramento de los Horacios
Roma fue fundada, según la tradición, por Rómulo el 21 de abril de 753 a.C.,28
Previo a la fundación de la ciudad, y también en forma contemporánea a ello, Italia estaba habitada por distintos pueblos: los latinos, que ocupaban la llanura entre el río Tíber y los montes Albanos; el Tíber separaba a los umbros al Sur y los etruscos al norte, al este y sureste del Lacio se encontraba la cadena Apenina que sería el dominio de pastores nómadas emparentados entre sí: los sabinos, samnitas, marsos, volscos, campanos en Nápoles, ausones y oscos. Todavía más al sur, los lucanos y bruttios.
Roma tuvo un gobierno monárquico por un período de 244 años, con soberanos inicialmente de origen latino y sabino, y posteriormente etrusco. La tradición cuenta que hubo siete reyes: su fundador Rómulo, Numa Pompilio, Tulio Hostilio, Anco Marcio, Tarquinio Prisco, Servio Tulio y Tarquinio el Soberbio.29
Expulsado de la ciudad el último rey etrusco e instaurada una república oligarquica en el 509 a.C., Roma inicia un periodo que se distingue por las luchas internas entre patricios y plebeyos y continuas guerras contras los otros pueblos de la Italia antigua: etruscos, latinos, volscos y ecuos. Convertida en la población más poderosa del Lazio, Roma lleva a cabo varias guerras (contra los galos, los oscos y la colonia griega de Tarento, aliados de Pirro, rey de Epiro) que le permitieron la conquista de la Península itálica, desde la zona central hasta la Magna Grecia.30
El III y el Siglo II a.C. estuvieron caracterizados por la conquista romana del Mediterráneo y del Oriente, debida a las tres guerras púnicas (264-146 a. C.) combatidas contra la ciudad de Cartago
y a las tres guerras macedónicas (212-168 a. C.) contra el Reino de Macedonia. Fueron instituidas las primeras provincias romanas: Sicilia, Cerdeña, España, Macedonia, Grecia (Acaia), África.31
En la segunda mitad de del siglo II y del Siglo I a. C. se registraron numerosas revueltas, complots, guerras civiles y dictaduras: son los siglos en los que aparece en el panorama político y social Tiberio y Cayo Graco, así como Yugurta, Quinto Lutacio Cátulo, Cayo Mario, Lucio Cornelio Sila, Marco Emilio Lépido, Espartaco, Gneo Pompeyo, Marco Licinio Craso, Lucio Sergio Catilina, Marco Tulio Cicerón, Julio César y Augusto,32 quien, después de haber sido miembro del segundo triunvirato junto con Marco Antonio y Lépido, en 27 a. C. se convierte en princeps civitatis y le fue conferido el título de Augusto o emperador.33
Ricostruzione di Roma imperiale
Instituido de facto el Imperio, que alcanzará su máxima expansión en el Siglo II, bajo el mandato del emperador Trajano, Roma se confirmó como el caput mundi, es decir, la capital del mundo, expresión que se le había atribuido ya en el período republicano. El territorio del imperio, en efecto, se extendía desde el Océano Atlántico hasta el Golfo Pérsico,34 y desde la parte centro-septentrional de la Britannia (actual Gran Bretaña) hasta Egipto.
Los primeros siglos del Imperio, en los cuales gobernaron, además de Octavio Augusto, los emperadores de las dinastías Julio-Claudia,35 Flavia (a los que se debe la construcción del Coliseo, realmente llamado anfiteatro Flavio)36 y los Antoninos,37 estuvieron caracterizados también por la difusión de la religión cristiana, predicada en Judea por Jesucristo en la primera mitad del Siglo I (bajo el mandato de Tiberio) y divulgada por sus apóstoles en gran parte del imperio.38
En el Siglo III, al acabarse la dinastía de los Severos,39 comenzó la crisis del principado, a la cual seguiría un período de anarquía militar.
La Muerte de César de Vincenzo Camuccini
Cuando asciende al poder Diocleciano (284), la situación de Roma era grave: los bárbaros asediaban las fronteras desde décadas atrás, las provincias estaban gobernadas por hombres corruptos, zonas enteras de las capitales habían sido destruidas. Para gestionar mejor el imperio, Diocleziano lo divide en dos partes: éste se convierte en Augusto o emperador de la parte (con residencia en Nicomedia) y nombra Valerio Maximiano Augusto o emperador de la parte occidental, desplazando la residencia imperial a Mediolanum. El imperio se divide aún más con la creación de tetrarquía: los dos Augustos, de hecho, deberán nombrar dos Césares, a quienes confiaban la parte del territorio y que se convertirían, posteriormente, en los nuevos emperadores.40
Un logro decisivo tiene lugar con Constantino, que, luego de numerosas luchas internas, centralizó nuevamente el poder y, con el edicto de Milán del año 313, permitiría la libertad de culto a los cristianos, empeñándose él mismo por darle fortaleza a la nueva religión. Hace construir diversas basílicas, consignó el poder civil sobre Roma al papa Silvestre I y fundó en la parte oriental del Imperio la nueva capital, Costantinopla,41 la actual Estambul
El cristianismo se convierte en la religión oficial del Imperio gracias a un edicto emanado en el año 380 por Teodosio, quien fue el último emperador del imperio unificado: luego de su muerte, de hecho, sus hijos, Arcadio y Honorio, se dividieron el imperio. La capital del imperio romano de Occidente pasa a ser Rávena.42
Roma, que no jugaba ya un rol central en la administración del Imperio, fue saqueada por los Visigodos comandados por Alarico (410); reconstruida y adornada profusamente con edificios sagrados construidos por los papas (con la colaboración de los emperadores), la ciudad sufre un nuevo saqueo en el año 455, por parte de Genserico, rey de los Vandalos. La reconstrucción de Roma fue dirigida por los papas León Magno (defensor Urbis por haber convencido a Atila, en el año 452, de no atacar Roma) y de su sucesor el Hilario, pero en el año 472 la ciudad fue saqueada por tercera vez (por obra de Ricimero y Anicio Olibrio).
La deposición de Rómulo Augústulo del 22 de agosto de 476 significó el final del imperio romano de occidente y, para los historiadores, el comienzo de la Edad media.43
[editar] Edad Media
La coronación de Carlomagno
Con el fin del Imperio Romano de Occidente, en Roma tiene lugar un período marcado por la presencia barbárica en Italia y, sobre todo, por la afirmación de la Iglesia en el poder (con el Papa como jefe), que sustituyó al Imperio y derribó el puente que habría unido a la Antigüedad con el mundo nuevo.44
Muchas luchas en el ámbito romano y europeo no permitieron la instauración de una estructura política constante en Roma, que pasó por tanto a través de distintas formas de gobierno: fue dominada primero por los Godos y sucesivamente por los Bizantinos.45 En este período fue llevada a cabo la creación de un ducado romano, cuyos límites correspondían, a grosso modo, con la ciudad y el territorio que la rodeaba.46
En el año 756, desaparecido definitivamente el rey longobardo Astolfo, Pipino el Breve, rey de los francos, cedió las tierras conquistadas al papa Esteban II, dando nacimiento al Patrimonium Sancti Petri, el Estado Pontificio, del cual Roma se convierte en capital.47
La noche de Navidad del año 800, el papa León III corona emperador a Carlo Magno en la antigua Basílica de San Pedro, instituyéndose así el Imperio carolingio: Roma no fue la capital del mismo (ubicada en Aquisgrán), pero fungió como centro religioso del nuevo estado teocrático.48
Fresco de Rafael representado al Papa León IV
Alrededor de la mitad del siglo IX, el papa León IV, después de la incursión sarracena de 846, hace fortificar la Civitas Leonina (que correspondía con la actual Ciudad del Vaticano), confirmando el poder político asumido por los pontífices, que eran protegidos por las familias nobles.49 Aunque éstas fortificaron sus casas, hasta convertirlas en auténticos castillos: es el período comprendido entre los años 1100 y 1200, período en el cual Roma estrechó sus relaciones con las comunidades asentadas en sus cercanías.50
A mediados del siglo XII los ciudadanos romanos instauraron el Municipio Consular (que se asentó en la cima del Campidoglio), rival de la autoridad papal y de la autonomía de los nobles; en este período Roma se abastece de nuevos y eficientes sistemas de defensa.51
La Edad Media, además, se caracterizó por las luchas entre las familias nobles ligadas a los Papas y aquellas ligadas al extinto imperio, que frenaron el desarrollo del área central de la ciudad hasta el siglo XVI. Roma, centro político del mundo gracias al poderío de los Papas, se confirmó como ciudad pontificia cuando Bonifacio VIII, en 1300, proclamó el primer Jubileo (evento que reunió en la ciudad alrededor de dos millones de peregrinos); el mismo pontífice, tres años después fundó la Universidad de Roma "La Sapienza".52
Pero cuando en 1309 el papa Clemente V se retiró a Aviñón, Roma fue gobernada por las familias nobles en continua lucha recíproca: la ciudad sufre una involución, y en el siglo XV registraba apenas 20.000 habitantes.53
La radical transformación de la Roma medieval fue iniciada por el papa Nicolás V, que decide realizar ex novo el nuevo centro de Roma, el centro de la fe cristiana, distinto del centro pagano de la Roma antigua. Abandonó Letrán y concibió la idea de la construcción de la nueva basílica de San Pedro:54 desde ese momento, por casi cuatro siglos, Roma estuvo bajo el completo dominio de los papas.55
[editar] Edad moderna
Rudolf Wiegmann, San Pedro y Castel Sant'Angelo, 1834
Después de la reforma luterana (1517) y al saqueo de Roma por parte de Carlos V (1527), tuvo lugar el Concilio de Trento, culminado en 1563, que confirmó a Roma como capital del Estado Pontificio, aunque si desde aquel momento la figura del Papa disminuye sus influencias sobre la política europea.56
El período sucesivo al Concilio de Trento estuvo caracterizado por una renovación urbanística de la ciudad: los nobles y las familias cardinalicias poderosas abandonaron sus palacios en el centro para construirse nuevas moradas sobre las colinas; pero el verdadero artífice de la gran obra de modernización arquitectónica, cultural y económica de la ciudad de Roma, fue el papa Sixto V, pontífice solamente por cinco años (1585-1590).57 En 1626 fue inaugurada la nueva basílica de San Pedro, emblema del dominio papal.
Este dominio papal fue interrumpido solamente un siglo y medio después, cuando el 15 de febrero de 1798 fue proclamada la República Romana y fue depuesto el papa Pío VI.58 La nueva forma de gobierno duró solamente un año, entre el descontento general del clero y de los romanos, pero con el ascenso al poder de Napoleón Bonaparte, Roma pasó a formar parte del Primer Imperio francés (1808). El mismo Napoleón encargó al artista Antonio Canova que modernizará a la antigua capital imperial: bajo orden del emperador francés, además, comenzaron las excavaciones arqueológicas (en particular en el Foro Romano) guiadas por el francés Antoine Chrysostome Quatremère de Quincy.59
La era napoleónica se concluyó con una serie de encuentros bélicos decisivos, entre ellos la batalla de Leipzig (1813) y la Batalla de Waterloo (1815): Roma fue tomada por Murat (en noviembre de 1813), pero el 11 de abril de 1814 Napoleón liberó al papa Pio VII, hasta entonces encerrado en prisión por los franceses: el pontífice regresa a Roma, imponiendo de nuevo en la capital el dominio papal y devolviendo el entusiasmo a la gente.60
[editar] Historia más reciente
Monumento nacional a Víctor Manuel II, primer rey de ItaliaRoma es la única ciudad de Italia que no tiene memorias exclusivamente municipales; toda la historia de Roma, desde el tiempo de los Césares hasta la actualidad, es la historia de una ciudad cuya importancia se extiende infitamente más allá de su territorio; de una ciudad destinada a ser la capital de un gran Estado.
Cavour, Discurso al Parlamento de Torino, 25 de marzo de 1861
Luego del Congreso de Viena y del regreso de Pio VII a Roma, la ciudad vivió un periodo turbulento que culminó con la toma de la ciudad y el final del poder temporal de los Papas. En
1849 fue instituida la Segunda República Romana, gobernada por Carlo Armellini, Giuseppe Mazzini y Aurelio Saffi; ésta duró poco menos de cinco meses, a causa de la invasión del ejército francés de Napoleón III comandado por el general Oudinot.61
En 1861, luego de la unificación de Italia dirigida por Cavour, comenzaron las presiones del rey Víctor Manuel II contra el papa Pio IX, invitado repetidamente a dejar el poder temporal.62 Fueron en vano los intentos de numerosos patriotas de anexar Roma al Reino de Italia, y la situación permanece igual hasta el reinado Napoleón III, emperador francés que se oponía a la desaparición del Estado Pontificio. Sin embargo, cuando cae el Segundo Imperio en 1870, Italia no tuvo ya obstáculos y pudo proceder a incorporar al Estado de la Iglesia.
El 20 de septiembre los bersaglieros, dirigidos por el general Raffaele Cadorna, abrieron un boquete en las murallas aurelianas, en los alrededores de Porta Pia, y entraron a Roma: Pio IX fue obligado a retirarse; le fueron concedidos solamente el Vaticano, el Laterano y la villa pontificia de Castel Gandolfo. Roma, por lo tanto, fue incorporada al Reino de Italia, del cual pasa a ser capital.63
Luego de la llamada edad giolittiana, que caracterizó los primeros años del siglo XX (en la cual se alternaron los gobiernos de Giovanni Giolitti), y de la primera guerra mundial, concluida en Roma y en Italia con la victoria mutilada denunciada por Gabriele D'Annunzio,64 la ciudad se encuentra en un clima de desorden e incerteza política que, en 1922, favoreció el ascenso al poder de Benito Mussolini (28 de octubre, a través del golpe de estado conocido como la Marcha sobre Roma).65 Durante el ventenio fascista, Roma fue el centro de una drástica revolución urbanística deseada y ejecutada por el mismo Mussolini: el duque o duce en italiano hizo destruir varias zonas, numerosos edificios medievales y del siglo XVI, y decreto la apertura de grandes avenidas, como la via dei Fori Imperiali (que pasa al lado del Coliseo romano), el viale Regina Margherita y la via della Conciliazione, que une Roma con la Ciudad del Vaticano, estado independiente instituido el 11 de febrero de 1929 con la firma de los pactos de Letrán.66
Nacieron, además, nuevos barrios y nuevos ambientes, como el barrio EUR (construido para albergar la Exposición Universal de Roma de 1942, pero jamás inaugurado a causa de la efervescencia de la Segunda Guerra Mundial), la ciudad-jardín Aniene, la ciudad universitaria de la Sapienza, el foro Mussolini y Cinecittà, un amplia área dedicada a la producción cinematográfica.66
En 1940 Italia entró en la Segunda Guerra Mundial; Roma, escenario de ataques y masacres como la que sucediò en la via Rasella y en las fosas Ardeatinas, después de haber sido declarada por los alemanes como ciudad abierta, fue liberada por los Aliados el 4 de junio de 1944.67
Al terminar la guerra, Roma, después del referendum del 2 y 3 de junio de 1946, pasa a ser de nuevo la capital de la República italiana. En los años cincuenta y sesenta la ciudad se desarrolló urbanística y demográficamente y, a partir del Jubileo de 1950, se convierte en uno de los más anhelados destinos turísticos transformándose, en poco tiempo, en la capital mundial de la diversión y del cine, gracias a las numerosas películas de reconocidos directores cinematográficos, particularmente La Dolce Vita de Federico Fellini.68
En este período la ciudad se expande en modo vertiginoso: se desarrollaron nuevos barrios y las zonas periféricas, hasta ahora en el campo que rodeaba Roma, fueron urbanizadas. Se construyó la estación ferroviaria de Termini y se construyeron nuevas infraestructuras, como el primer tramo del metro y la Autopista Anular A90 así como los complejos deportivos para los juegos olímpicos de los que Roma fue anfitriona en 1960. El 25 de marzo de 1957, además, se firmaron en Roma los dos tratados que diero inicio a la Comunidad Económica Europea y al EURATOM; desde 1962 hasta 1965 se lleva a cabo en la basílica de San Pedro el Concilio Vaticano II.68
Hoy en día, Roma, la ciudad más poblada y grande de Italia, es el centro de la vida política italiana y de la religión católica; en calidad de ciudad capital, goza de especiales poderes administrativos, pasando de ser municipio a ciudad metropolitana.69
[editar] Símbolos
La descripción del Escudo de Roma está contenida en el primer artículo de los estatutos municipales:70
El emblema del Municipio está constituido por un escudo de forma puntiaguda, de color púrpura, con cruz griega de oro, colocada arriba a la derecha, seguida de las letras mayúsculas de oro S. P. Q. R. dispuestas en banda y en escalado, coronado por ocho flores de oro, cinco de las cuales son visibles
Otros símbolos de Roma, aparte del escudo municipal, son la loba capitolina, estatua de bronce que representa a la legendaria loba que amamantó a los dos gemelos Rómulo y Remo; el Coliseo, el más grande anfiteatro del mundo romano, reconocido, en el 2007, como una de las siete maravillas del mundo moderno (la única en Europa);71 la Cupulota, la cúpula de la basílica de San Pedro en el Vaticano, que domina toda la ciudad y simboliza también al mundo cristiano.72
Fue símbolo de la ciudad durante la antigüedad el águila imperial, efigie militar;73 también lo fue durante la Edad Media el león, animal emblemático de la supremacía.74
El lema de la ciudad es SPQR, en latín Senatus PopulusQue Romanus (el Senado y el Pueblo de Roma), que en la antigüedad indicaba las dos clases que constituían a la sociedad romana, la de los patricios y la de los plebeyos.75
[editar] Festividades
El nacimiento de Roma, el 21 de abril; es la fecha en la cual, de acuerdo a la tradición, Rómulo habría fundado la ciudad (753 a.C.).76 El 21 de abril se festeja con representaciónes en disfraces, eventos musicales y manifestaciones lúdicas;
El 1º de mayo, la fiesta de los trabajadores: los sindicatos unidos organizan un concierto gratuito en la plaza Porta San Giovanni in Laterano, al cual asisten centenares de miles de espectadores (alrededor de 1.000.000 en 2008);
La Fiesta de la República, el 2 de junio; se desarrolla el tradicional desfile militar a lo largo de la via dei Fori Imperiali que termina en piazza Venezia, frente al Altar de la Patria;
La Fiesta de Noantri, se lleva a cabo en Trastevere. Se festeja el primer sábado después del 16 de julio con ocasión del culto de la Virgen del Carmelo.
Il centro di Roma
[editar] Monumentos y sitios de interés
¡Roma es la capital del mundo! En este lugar se renueva toda la historia del mundo, y siento haber nacido por segunda vez, y haber verdaderamente resurgido, el día que pusé pie en Roma. Sus bellezas me han alzado poco a poco a lo alto
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Italienische Reise, 1813-1817
Roma se presenta como el resultado del continuo sobreponerse de testimonios arquitectónicos y urbanísticos de diversos siglos, en una compenetración única y sugestiva que muestra la compleja relación que la ciudad ha sostenido con su pasado, en un alternarse de desarrollos caóticos, periodos de decadencia, renacimientos y tentativas, en la edad contemporánea, de
modernización del tejido urbano. Una gran cantidad de los bienes culturales del mundo se encuentra en Roma.77
[editar] Arquitectura religiosa
El Panteón, Iglesia de Santa María de los Mártires
Casa de las Vestales
San Pedro en el Vaticano
Archibasílica de San Juan de Letrán
Los edificios religiosos de Roma constituyen una parte fundamental del patrimonio monumental de la ciudad capitolina: estos son el símbolo de la importancia cultural, social y artística del componente religioso durante todos los periodos de la historia romana.
Los más importantes edificios sagrados de la Antigüedad fueron los templos: no eran lugares de congregación de los fieles, sino que albergaban únicamente la imagen de la divinidad a los que estaban dedicados. Se estima que en la tardía edad repúblicana de Roma habría cerca de un centenar de templos.78
Hay Roma, hay varios centenares de iglesias cristianas y su historia se entrelaza con la historia religiosa, social y artística de la ciudad. La catedral es la basílica de San Giovanni in Laterano, una de las cuatro basílicas patriarcales o papales junto con la basílica de San Pedro en el Vaticano, la basílica de San Paolo fuori le mura y la basílica de Santa Maria Maggiore.
Las cuatro basílicas formaban parte del así llamado "paseo de las siete iglesias" que los peregrinos debían recorrer a pie y un único día. Las otras tres iglesias que formaban parte de ese itinerario son la basílica de San Lorenzo fuori le mura, la basílica de Santa Croce in Gerusalemme y la basílica de San Sebastiano fuori le mura.
Roma es la ciudad con el mayor número de iglesias en el mundo,79 80 considerando también el consistente número de lugares de culto protestantes, ortodoxos y de otras confesiones cristianas.
Entre 1984 y 1992, en el barrio llamado Parioli, se construyó la mezquita más grande de Europa, que ocupa una superficie de 34.000 m²; así mismo, en el barrio judío se encuentra el Templo Mayor de Roma, completado a principios del siglo XX.
También son muy numerosas las construcciones religiosas funerarias: en Roma están presentes alrededor de sesenta catacumbas, los cementerios subterráneos cristianos del primer siglo después de Cristo; los mausoleos, tumbas de excepcional monumentalidad, adornaban las vías consulares (especíalmente la famosa Vía Appia). No faltaban los sepulcros, hipogeos, necrópolis y tumbas en forma de pirámides, basadas en el modelo egipcio.
Los principales cementerios romanos son el cementerio del Verano, el cementerio comunal y monumental de la ciudad; el cementerio Flaminio, el más grande de Italia; y el cementerio
acatólico de Roma (o de los protestantes), establecido en la primera mitad del siglo XVIII para la sepultura de los extranjeros practicantes de otras religiones.
[editar] Arquitectura civil
El Coliseo
El Campidoglio
El Quirinal
Fontana di Trevi
Edificio de la Ciudadanía Italiana
Arco de Costantino
Los edificios civiles de Roma consisten en varios centenares de edificios y otros monumentos que acompañan a la historia de la ciudad a lo largo de sus 28 siglos: de la 'arx Capitolina y las domus (casas) de la antigua Roma a los edificios señoriales de la Edad Media, desde las lujosas villas de la Roma pontificia a las edificaciones modernas que caracterizan la zona EUR y los barrios más recientes.
La Plaza del Campidoglio alberga el edificio Senatorial, sede de representación de la municipalidad de Roma, y el edificio de los Conservadores así como el edificio Nuevo, sede de los museos Capitolinos. Múltiples son los edificios históricos de la ciudad, sede de las familias
nobles, cardinalicias y papales que ejercitaron su poder en Roma: entre estos, el palazzo Venezia, el palazzo Farnese, el palazzo Colonna y el palazzo Barberini.
Después de la anexión de Roma al Reino de Italia, muchos edificios fueron utilizados como sedes de varios órganos del gobierno provincial, regional y nacional, como el palazzo del Quirinale, sede de la Presidencia de la República; el palazzo Madama, sede del Senado de la República; el palazzo Montecitorio, sede de la Cámara de los Diputados; el palazzo Chigi es sede del Gobierno Italiano; el palazzo Valentini, sede de la provincia de Roma; el palazzo Koch, sede del Banco de Italia; el palazzo della Consulta, sede de la Corte Constitucional; el palazzo Spada, sede del Consejo de Estado; el Palazzo de Justicia (conocido como el Palazzaccio), sede de la Corte Suprema de Casación, y los varios palacios ministeriales.
También son numeroas las villas y jardines que formaban parte en el pasado de las moradas de los nobles, construidos u arreglados a partir de los jardines urbanos que pertenecían a los personajes sobresaliente de la Roma antigua (las huertas). Las villas urbanas más grandes son la Villa Doria Pamphilj, y la Villa Borghese, la Villa Ada, la Villa Giulia y la Villa Torlonia.
En el transcurrir de su historia plurisecular, Roma fue sede de centenares de teatros y otros edificios dedicados al entretenimiento, como los circos (el circo más célebre fue el Circo Massimo, capaz de albergar alrededor de 250.000 spettatori, récord aún hoy en día sin ser superado) y los anfiteatros (el mayor de los cuales, el Coliseo, se ha convertido en símbolo de la ciudad y emblema cultural mundial).
Roma, además, es abundante en fuentes y acueductos: entre las fuentes monumentales, la mayor parte de las cuales fueron construidas por orden de los Papas al comienzo de la edad moderna, están la fontana di Trevi, la fontana dell'Acqua Felice (o del Moisés), las Cuatro Fuentes, la fuente de la Barcaccia, la fuente de los Cuatro Ríos, la fuente de Neptuno y la fuente de las Naiades.
Los acueductos se construyeron en la Antigüedad: su longitud llegó a medir alrededor de 350 km; en la modernidad los Papas los hicieron restaurar y construyeron algunos otros; los últimos fueron construidos en el transcurso del siglo XX.
El centro de la ciudad también está caracterizado por algunos arcos triunfales antiguos (el arco de Tito, el arco de Septimio Severo, el arco de Constantino) y los restos de varias termas, uno de los principales lugares de reunión durante la Antigüedad (entre éstas, las principales son las termas de Caracalla, las termas de Diocleziano y las termas de Tito).
El Tíber y el Aniene, los ríos que atraviesan la ciudad, están atravesados por más de una trentena de puentes: en el área urbana, 28 atraviesan el Tíber (entre ellos el puente Milvio, el puente Sant'Angelo y el puente Sisto), mientras que 5 se han construido para atravesar el Aniene, entre los cuales está el puente Nomentano.
[editar] Edificios militares
El puente Sant'Angelo lleva al castillo del mismo nombre
La pirámide Cestia y la puerta San Paolo
Los edificios militares de Roma se remontan a los orígenes míticos de la ciudad, cuando Rómulo habría alzado las murallas de la Roma cuadrada, y han jugado un rol importante en todo el transcurrir de la historia de la ciudad, determinando el desarrollo y la defensa de la misma.
Roma es la única capital europea que ha conservado casi completamente el circuito de sus murallas, que pueden dividirse en seis sistemas defensivos distintos (las murallas romuleanas, las murallas servianas, las murallas aurelianas, las murallas leoninas, las murallas Vaticanas y las murallas gianicolenses).
La principal muralla de la ciudad, construida por orden de Aureliano, presentaba 16 puertas, la mayor parte de las cuales coincidía con una vía consular: entre ellas, la puerta San Sebastiano, la puerta San Paolo, la puerta del Popolo y la puerta Pía.
Otras imágenes características de Roma, sobre todo en la época medieval, eran las torres y los castillos, residencias de las poderosas familias baronales que apadronaron la ciudad entre el siglo X y el XIV: Gregorovius afirmó que, en la Edad Media, Roma contaba con alrededor de 900 torres, la mayor parte de éstas destruidas en la segunda mitad del siglo XIII; numerosos castillos han, en cambio, sobrevivido y caracterizan el paisaje de la campiña romana.
Después de la unificación de Italia, la ciudad pasa a estar protegida por un campo atrincherado compuesto por quince fuertes que formaban un anillo de alrededor de 40 km.
[editar] Otras edificaciones
Piazza Spagna
Piazza Navona
Plaza de San Pedro y la columnata de Bernini
Columna aureliana
Las principales plazas de Roma, nacidas durante el Renacimiento o el periodo barroco, tienden a dar testimonio de la capacidad creativa de un ideal de vida armonioso entre la exaltación humanística y las concesiones sobrenaturales.81 Entre las más célebres plazas romanas, se encuentran la piazza Spagna, la piazza Navona, la Piazza del Popolo, la piazza della Repubblica, la piazza Venezia, la piazza Colonna, la piazza Farnese, el largo di Torre Argentina, el Campo de' Fiori y la Plaza de San Pedro.82
Entre las principales vias del centro de la ciudad, están via del Corso, via del Babuino y via di Ripetta, que forman el llamado Tridente de Roma; la via dei Fori Imperiali, también llamada via del Imperio; la via Veneto, muy célebre en los años sesenta; la via dei Condotti, la principal calle de compras; la via Margutta, la calle de los artistas; la via Nazionale, inaugurada luego de la unificación; la via della Conciliazione, que conecta al Estado italiano con la Ciudad del Vaticano.83
Roma es la ciudad que conserva el mayor número de obeliscos: muchos se remontan a la Edad Imperial, cuando los obeliscos eran transportados directamente de Egipto; otras fueron realizados por los romanos, que usaban el mismo granito de los obeliscos egipcios. La mayor parte de estos fue restaurada por orden del papa Sixto V.84
Desde la Antigüedad, las calles, las plazas y los edificios de Roma se adornan con estatuas de distintos tipos (ecuestres, estatuas en pie, estatuas sentadas o bustos, por ejemplo). Antiguamente se les atribuía un poder casi místico, en grado de proteger al pueblo romano y representar la concesión de los dioses. Particulares y características son las estatuas que hablan (entre ellas Pasquino y la estatua del Babuino), a través de las cuales el pueblo, con sátiras y escritos cínicos que colocaba anónimamente en sus pedestales, expresaba su malestar ante aquel que tenía el poder en la ciudad.85
En Roma, en el transcurso de sus siglos, se han erigido numerosas columnas con intención conmemorativa; entre las 14 que todavía existen se encuentran la columna de Marco Aurelio y la columna de Trajano.86 Entre las principales columnatas de la ciudad, la más conocida es probablemente la que realizó Bernini en el siglo XVII.
[editar] Sitios arqueológicos
Las termas de Caracalla
Por su abundancia de sitios y restos arqueológicos, Roma es un verdadero museo al aire libre.
La cuna de la historia de Roma es el Palatino, debajo del cual se encuentran el Foro Romano, los Foros Imperiales y los Mercados de Trajano, los centros de la vida política, económica, religiosa y social del mundo antiguo.87
A poca distancia se encuentra el Coliseo, el monumento que sirve de símbolo a la Antigua Roma; sobre la cercana colina Oppio se encuentran los restos de la Domus Aurea, la casa de oro de Nerón.88
Caminando de la Piazza Venezia hacia el río Tíber se encuentran la Cripta Balbi (parte del antiguo teatro de Balbo), el Teatro de Marcelo con los templos del área de Sant'Omobono y el área sagrada de Largo di Torre Argentina (donde asesinaron a César).89
Otros sitios arqueológicos presentes en la ciudad son la basílica subterránea de Porta Maggiore, las Termas de Caracalla,,90 los restos de San Clemente, el Audito de Mecenas y la casa romana de Celio, debajo de la Basílica de San Juan y San Pablo.91
Fuera del centro urbano se encuentran las excavaciones de Ostia;92 el mausoleo de Cecilia Metella, el Castrum Caetani, la Tumba de los Escipiones y la villa de los Quintili sobre la via Appia Antica;93 la villa de Livia en Prima Porta;94 el área arqueológica de Veyes, con el santuario etrusco del Apolo 95 y el Parque de las Tumbas de la Via Latina.
[editar] Áreas naturales
El Jardín del Lago y el Templo de Esculapio en Villa Borghese
Con alrededor de 52.000 hectáreas de área agrícola, Roma es la ciudad más verde de Europa.96 Más allá de las villas históricas hay otras muchas áreas verdes, sin contar los terrenos dedicados a la agricultura en las zonas más periféricas. Las áreas protegidas cubren un total de 40.000 hectáreas y son una realidad reciente, comenzada con la institución del Parque regional urbano del Pineto en 1987 y del Parque natural regional Appia Antica el año siguiente; en 1997 nace el ente regional Romanatura, que aumentó notablemente el número de zonas protegidas.
La inmensa área rural, en parte llana y en parte plena de colinas, que se extiende alrededor de la ciudad de Roma se llama agro romano, que se diferencia del campo italiano por cuanto está contenido en el territorio municipal.97
Se hallan en el interior del territorio municipal de Roma algunos parques regionales y reservas naturales, entre las cuales están el Parque natural regional Appia Antica, la Reserva natural de la Marcigliana, la Reserva Natural de Decima-Malafede, la reserva natural del litoral romano y el área marítima protegida de las Secche di Tor Paterno.
Con el nuevo plan regulador, Roma tiende a aumentar el territorio total destinado a las áreas verdes hasta llevarlo a dos tercios de la ciudad.98 Áreas verdes específicas están destinadas al Jardín Botánico de Roma y a la Rosaleda Municipal de Roma.
[editar] Sociedad
[editar] Evolución demográfica
Con sus más de 2.765.000 habitantes, Roma es el municipio más poblado de Italia. En el contexto de la Unión Europea, el municipio de Roma ocupa el cuarto puesto en términos de población, después de Londres, Berlín y Madrid. Incluyendo también a quienes viven en poblaciones limítrofes pero trabajan en Roma, a los militares, estudiantes, residentes del Vaticano y parlamentarios, el total de los habitantes de Roma alcanza la cifra de casi 4.000.000 de personas.2 5 99
[editar] Composición étnica y minorías extranjeras
Roma es el municipio italiano con el mayor número de residentes extranjeros:100 al 31 de diciembre de 2009 eran en total 268.996,101 provenientes de 182 países distintos (entre los cuales 9 de ellos son ciudadanos del Vaticano), casi el 10% del total de la población. Los inmigrantes más numerosos en Roma son: los rumanos (65.099), los filipinos (26.933), los polacos (12.679), quienes provienen de Bangladesh (12.154), los peruanos (10.530), los chinos (10.283), los ucranianos (9.622), los ecuatorianos (7.279), los egipcios (6.679) y quienes provienen de Sri Lanka (5.788).
SENATVS·POPVLVSQUE·ROMANVS, en el arco de Tito
[editar] Lenguas y dialectos
El latín fue la primera lengua de Roma; sufrió la misma evolución y trasformación que la ciudad: primero sólo era hablado en la Urbe (con pocas variedades dialectales, por ejemplo, en Falerii y Palestrina), sufrió una influencia del etrusco y sobre todo del griego. Sucesivamente el latín siguió la expansión de Roma por la península italiana y en todo el Imperio, hasta sufrir, junto con
la institución política, una fase de decadencia. En la época medieval se confirmó como lengua oficial de la Iglesia de Roma y como la lengua culta e internacional de la Europa occidental.102
Archivo:Un americano a Roma - maccheroni.jpg Alberto Sordi, uno de los más famosos representates de la romanidad
El idioma utilizado comúnmente por la población, además del italiano que es la lengua oficial de Italia, es el romanesco, considerado un dialecto en la tradición filológica italiana, que, como la mayor parte de los dialectos italianos, no tiene ningún carácter oficial. Se formó en la Edad Media, originalmente era afín a los dialectos meridionales, para luego sufrir una influencia del florentino durante el Renacimiento, que lo hizo más similar al modo de hablar propio de la Toscana.
El romanesco, como todas las lenguas, ha evolucionado con el tiempo (Giuseppe Gioachino Belli, en la primera mitad del siglo XIX, usa formas lingüísticas que no eran utilizadas por Trilussa a principios del siglo XX), y desde comienzo del siglo XX se ha difundido también en otras zonas de Lazio, como consecuencia del crecimiento demográfico.
Entre las mayores creaciones literarias en dialecto romanesco son notables los poetas ya citados Gioachino Belli y Trilussa, aunque también Cesare Pascarella. Muchos actores han contribuido y contribuyen a la expresión teatral y cinematográfica del romanesco moderno: entre estos, Aldo Fabrizi, Alberto Sordi, Nino Manfredi, Gina Lollobrigida, Anna Magnani, Gigi Proietti, Gabriella Ferri, Enrico Montesano y Carlo Verdone.
[editar] Religión
Virgilio deja [aquí] entrever una percepción de Roma como espacio eternamente sagrado, elegido ya por los dioses en aquella era mítica casi impensable, antes de que Roma fuese Roma.
Mary Beard, Los espacios de los dioses, las fiestas en Roma antigua103
No obstante los orígenes indoeuropeos, la religión romana, ligada a la historia y a las tradiciones de la ciudad desde sus orígenes, presenta características propias, debidas a la mentalidad histórica, jurídica y política típica de la sociedad romana.
Las divinidades, a diferencia de las griegas, no tenían una existencia autónoma; la religio no estaba circunscrita a los mitos o las reflexiones teológicas, sino que era un instrumentum regni: ya desde la fase arcáica de la historia romana, de hecho, las instituciones religiosas no eran distintas de las políticas.
La estatua de San Paolo, copatrono de Roma, de frente a la basílica de San Pedro en el Vaticano
Al lado de las divinidades principales (Júpiter, Juno, Minerva, Vesta, Marte), había algunos espíritus proctectores antropomorfizados. La religión romana se caracterizaba también por un ciclo de fiestas anuales, ligado exclusivamente a la ciudad de Roma; sin embargo, con la expansión del Imperio, se difundieron en Roma numerosas nuevas religiones y cultos mistéricos, provenientes sobre todo de Oriente.
En el siglo I, como sucede en los centros más importantes del Imperio, se difunde rápidamente también el cristianismo: inicialmente considerado una secta judáica, los cristianos, pertenecientes a todos los estratos de la sociedad, tenían su propia organización (la Iglesia, asamblea de Dios104 ), con un obispo como jefe (posteriormente llamado Papa), de los cuales se considera fue el primero el apóstol Pedro.
Luego del Edicto de Milán del año 313 y del edicto de Tesalónica del año 380, el cristianismo se confirmó como la religión del estado y la Iglesia de Roma estableció una relación con las instituciones políticas que caracterizó a los siglos sucesivos.
Roma, durante siglos destino de peregrinaje de numerosos fieles, es sede de la diócesis homónima y alberga en su interior al estado de la Ciudad del Vaticano, gobernado por el obispo de Roma, que por tradiciones de la misma iglesia es siempre el obispo reinante. Más allá del catolicismo, en Roma están difundidas el islamismo y algunos otros cultos cristinaos; en la ciudad, además, desde la tardía edad republicana se halla una abundante comunidad ebráica.105
Trastevere, subida de Sant'Onofrio
[editar] Tradiciones y folklore
Una de las principales celebraciones de la tradición popular romanesca fue, del siglo XV al XIX, el carneval, reinsertado por la municipalidad de Roma, si bien en forma muy distinta, en el 2010. Sus orígenes se remonta a los Saturnales de la Antigua Roma, caracterizados por divertimientos públicos, bailes y el uso de máscaras.106 Los juegos carnavalescos se desarrollaron a partir del siglo X sobre el monte Testaccio; un siglo después, el papa Paulo III decidió que el carnaval se desarrollara en via Lata, que hoy en día es la actual Via del Corso. Entre las máscaras típicas del carnaval romano se encuentran la de Rugantino, Meo Patacca y el General Mannaggia La Rocca.107
Roma es una ciudad rica en tradiciones, mitos, leyendas, disfraces y folklore, ya desde la Antigüedad y a lo largo de toda la Edad Media, edad en la cual florecieron múltiples relatos populares, en los que la esfera religiosa se unía al mundo mágico, lo sagrado se combinaba con lo profano.
Por sus características peculiares, una de las zonas de Roma en la que todavía es posible rastrear fragmentos y estímulos de la cultura popular es el pintoresco barrio de Trastevere, con sus caminos estrechos, sus trattorias, sus iglesias medievales y su colina llamada Gianicolo;108 es justamente en Trastevere que surge el Museo del Folklore y de los Poetas Romanescos, que alberga documentos de la vida cotidiana y de las tradiciones romanas, entre las cuales están las acuarelas de Ettore Roesler Franz sobre la Roma desaparecida.109
En el barrio Europa, además, se encuentra el Museo Nacional de las Artes y las Tradiciones Populares, que recoge material tradicional y folclorístico-popular proveniente de toda Italia.
La sede de la FAO en viale delle Terme di Caracalla
[editar] Instituciones, entes y asociaciones
La ciudad es el centro de muchas instituciones financieras (bancos y aseguradoras), de centros de producción televisiva, de empresas de moda y de publicidad pero sobre todo de la industria cinematográfica.
Roma es también la sede de algunas agencias internacionales de las Naciones Unidas, como el Programa Alimentario Mundial (PAM), la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura (FAO), y el Fondo Internacional del Desarrollo Agrícola (IFAD); en la ciudad tiene sede el colegio de defensa de la OTAN. La capital italiana, además de los tratados que en 1957 han establecido la CEE y la Euratom, ha albergado también la firma oficial del tratado para la constitución europea (29 de octubre de 2004) y la estipulación de los estatutos de la Corte Penal Internacional.
Siendo capital de la provincia de Roma, de la región de Lazio y capital de la República Italiana, Roma alberga, más allá de las sedes comunales, las varias sedes del gobierno provincial, regional y nacional, sin contar con el Estado Mayor del Ejército, el Estado Mayor de la Marina, el Estado Mayor de la Aeronaútica Militar y el Estado Mayor de la Defensa.
En el barrio llamado Tiburtino tiene su sede el Instituto Superior de Sanidad, que opera al servicio del Ministerio de la Salud; entre los principales hospitales romanos se encuentran el archihospital del Santo Espíritu en Saxia, el hospital pediátrico Bambino Gesù (perteneciente al Vaticano), el hospital San Filippo Neri, el hospital San Gallicano, el policlínico Agostino Gemelli (de la Universidad Católica) y el policlínico Umberto I, el hospital público más grande de Italia.110
[editar] Calidad de vida
Villa De Sanctis en el Casilino
De acuerdo a una encuesta realizada por el Departamento de Estadística de la municipalidad de Roma en el 2007, la calidad de vida de los ciudadanos romanos en general es buena:111 no obstante, la capital muestra varios puntos débiles. Entre ellos, emergen los problemas de tráfico, de contaminación ambiental y acústica, causados por el creciente uso de medios de transporte privados; el entorno urbano padece la presencia de la colocación abusiva de carteles publicitarios112 además de la presencia de graffitis vandálicos.113 114 Otro problema está relacionado con los servicios municipales, a veces dificilimente accesibles, sobre todo para los ancianos.111 Entre los aspectos positivos, emergen la satisfacción de los ciudadanos de vivir en Roma, gozando cotidianamente del patrimonio histórico y arqueológico de la ciudad, de su belleza monumental, artística y cultural, del clima agradable, de la cercanía con el mar y con el centro de la cristiandad, de las muchas oportunidades de estudio y formación, de los varios complejos deportivos y de los grandes espacios verdes.111
De acuerdo a un estudio sobre la calidad de vida realizado en el 2010 por la sociedad de consejería Mercer, Roma ocupa el puesto 54; en la clasificación de las ciudades más ecológicas juzgada en base a la disponibilidad y potabilidad del agua, al manejo de los residuos, a la calidad de la red de cañerías, a la contaminación atmosférica y al tráfico.
De acuerdo a un estudio sobre la Inseguridad y degradación de las periferias urbanas realizada en el 2009 por el departamento de innovación y sociedad de la Sapienza para el Observatorio Regional para la Seguridad y la Legalidad, un romano de cada dos considera que la periferia es peligrosa, preocupados sobre todo por la criminalidad y los accidentes de tránsito. La mayoría de los romanos entrevistados, además, resalta que en la ciudad hay zonas inseguras, a las que es mejor no ir.115
Centro histórico de Roma, los bienes de la Santa Sede
situados en la ciudad que se benefician de los derechos
de extraterritorialidad y San Pablo Extramuros1
Patrimonio de la Humanidad — Unesco
San Pablo Extramuros
Coordenadas41°53′24.8″N
12°29′32.3″E 41.890222, 12.492306
País Italia
Ciudad del Vaticano
Tipo Cultural
Criterios I, II, III, IV, VI
N.° identificación 91
Región2Europa y
América del Norte
Año de inscripción 1980 (IV sesión)
Año de extensión 1990
1 Nombre descrito en la Lista del Patrimonio de la Humanidad .
2 Clasificación según la Unesco.
Bienes inscritos por la UNESCO
Código
Nombre País Año Coordenadas
91-001Centro histórico de Roma
Italia1980
41°53′24.8″N 12°29′32.3″E 41.890222, 12.492306
91-002
Complejo de San Juan de Letrán (Basílica, Palacio Apostólico, edificios anejos, Escalera Santa)
Italia1990
41°53′9.4″N 12°30′24.1″E 41.885944, 12.506694
91-003
Complejo de Santa María la Mayor (Basílica y edificios anejos)
Italia1990
41°53′50.2″N 12°29′56.7″E 41.897278, 12.499083
91-004
Palacio de San Calixto, en el Trastevere
Italia1990
41°53′22.5″N 12°28′12.7″E 41.889583, 12.470194
91-005Palacio de la Cancillería
Italia1990
41°53′48.4″N 12°28′18.5″E 41.896778, 12.471806
91-006 Palazzo di Propaganda Fide, en la Plaza de
Italia 1990
41°54′14.6″N 12°29′1.6″E 41.904056, 12.483778
España
91-007
Palazzo Maffei (Palacio de la Piña)
Italia1990
41°53′49″N 12°28′39.9″E 41.89694, 12.47775
91-008Palazzo dei Convertendi
Italia1990
41°54′10.7″N 12°27′38.5″E 41.902972, 12.460694
91-009Palazzo detto dei Propilei
Italia1990
41°54′9.7″N 12°27′32.5″E 41.902694, 12.459028
91-010 Palacio Pío Italia1990
41°54′10.4″N 12°27′49.8″E 41.902889, 12.463833
91-011Edificios en el Janículo
Italia1990
41°54′53.1″N 12°27′29.6″E 41.91475, 12.458222
91-012Palacio del Santo Oficio
Vaticano
1990
41°54′3.7″N 12°27′21.9″E 41.901028, 12.456083
91-013Basílica de San Pablo Extramuros
Italia1990
41°51′31.6″N 12°28′34.6″E 41.858778, 12.476278
[editar] Museos
Entre los museos romanos hay que citar:
Museos Vaticanos , que incluyen los famosos frescos de la Capilla Sixtina. Galería Nacional de Arte Antiguo , con obras de Piero della Francesca, Fra Angelico y
Rafael, entre otros. Galería Borghese , dentro de la Villa Borghese (edificio del siglo XVII) con gran
colección de pintura y escultura. Palazzo Doria-Pamphili , de cuya colección destaca el retrato de Inocencio X de
Velázquez. Museos Capitolinos , que conserva la colección de arte más antigua de Europa. En él se
encuentra, entre otras notables piezas, la loba capitolina. Museo Nacional Etrusco , en Villa Giulia, en el que destaca los sarcófagos etruscos. Galería Nacional de Arte Moderno , donde se conserva una importantísima colección de
arte contemporáneo. Museo Nacional de las Termas , donde se conserva una importantísima colección de
antigüedades romanas. Museo Nacional Romano , con las colecciones nacionales de arte romano, famosas en el
mundo entero. Museo Nacional del Palacio Venezia , con piezas desde la época paleocristiana hasta el
gótico final.
[editar] Folklore
Una costumbre folklórica romana actual son las inmersiones en el Tíber durante las celebraciones de Año Nuevo. Osados clavadistas se sumergen en sus frías aguas, costumbre publicitada internacionalmente por los medios de comunicación. Vestimentas para el Folklore una falda hawaiana y cocos
[editar] Deportes
En el siglo XX Roma fue la sede de los Juegos Olímpicos de 1960 y la sede de los Campeonatos Mundiales de Fútbol de 1934 y 1990 organizados por la FIFA.
Destacan en lo futbolístico, tanto a nivel nacional como internacional: AS Roma, Club de fútbol de la ciudad de Roma. Società Sportiva Lazio, Club de fútbol de la ciudad de Roma.
También es un importante torneo de Tenis el Masters de Roma al que suelen acudir los mejores jugadores del mundo.
RomeFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search For the civilization of classical antiquity, see Ancient Rome. For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation).
Rome
Roma
— Comune —
Roma Capitale
A view of Rome: the top left picture to the is the Colosseum, followed (left to right)
by the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II , the Piazza della Repubblica, the Castel
Sant'Angelo, the Trevi Fountain, the dome of St. Peter's Basilica and finally an aerial
view of the city's historic centre
Flag
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): The Eternal City
Rome
Location of Rome in Italy
Coordinates: 41°54′N 12°30′E 41.9°N 12.5°E Coordinates :
41°54′N 12°30′E 41.9°N 12.5°E
Country Italy
Region Lazio
Province Rome (RM)
Government
- Mayor Gianni Alemanno (PDL)
Area
- Total 1,285.31 km2 (496.3 sq mi)
Elevation 20 m (66 ft)
Population (December 2010)[1]
- Total 2,761,477
- Density 2,148.5/km2 (5,564.6/sq mi)
Demonym Roman
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 00100; 00121 to 00199
Dialing code 06
Patron saint Saint Peter and Saint Paul
Saint day 29 June
Website Official website
Rome (English pronunciation: /ˈroʊm/; Italian: Roma pronounced [ˈroːma] ( listen); Latin: Rōma) is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in 1,285.3 km2 (496.3 sq mi). The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.
Rome's history spans two and a half thousand years. It was the capital city of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, which was the dominant power in Western Europe and the lands bordering the Mediterranean for over seven hundred years from the 1st century BC until the 7th century AD. Since the 1st century AD Rome has been the seat of the Papacy and, after the end of Byzantine domination, in the 8th century it became the capital of the Papal States, which lasted until 1870. In 1871 Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, and in 1946 that of the Italian Republic.
After the Middle Ages, Rome was ruled by popes such as Alexander VI and Leo X, who transformed the city into one of the major centers of the Italian Renaissance, along with Florence.[2] The current version of St Peter's Basilica was built and the Sistine Chapel was painted by Michelangelo. Famous artists and architects, such as Bramante, Bernini and Raphael resided for some time in Rome, contributing to its Renaissance and Baroque architecture.
Rome has been ranked by GaWC in 2010 as a beta+ world city,[3] as well as the 28th most important global city.[4] In 2007, Rome was the 11th-most-visited city in the world, 3rd most visited in the European Union, and the most popular tourist attraction in Italy.[5] The city is one
of Europe's and the world's most successful city "brands", both in terms of reputation and assets.[6] Its historic centre is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.[7] 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).[8] Rome hosted the 1960 Summer Olympics and is currently bidding to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.[9][10]
Contents
1 Etymology 2 History
o 2.1 Earliest history o 2.2 Monarchy, republic, empire o 2.3 Middle Ages o 2.4 Early modern o 2.5 Late modern and contemporary
3 Government o 3.1 Local government o 3.2 National government
4 Geography o 4.1 Location o 4.2 Topography o 4.3 Climate
5 Demographics o 5.1 Ethnic groups o 5.2 Religion
6 Cityscape o 6.1 Architecture
6.1.1 Ancient Rome 6.1.2 Medieval 6.1.3 Renaissance and Baroque 6.1.4 Neoclassicism 6.1.5 Fascist architecture
o 6.2 Parks and gardens o 6.3 Fountains and aqueducts o 6.4 Statues o 6.5 Obelisks and columns o 6.6 Bridges o 6.7 Catacombs
7 Economy 8 Education 9 Culture
o 9.1 Entertainment and performing arts o 9.2 Tourism o 9.3 Cuisine
o 9.4 Cinema o 9.5 Language o 9.6 Sports
10 Transportation 11 International entities, organisations and involvement 12 Twin towns, sister cities and partner cities 13 See also 14 References 15 Bibliography 16 Documentaries 17 External links
Etymology
About the origin of the name Roma several hypotheses have been advanced.[11] The most important are the following:
from Rommylos (Romulus), son of Ascanius and founder of the city; from Rumon or Rumen, archaic name of Tiber. It has the same root of the Greek verb ῥέω
(rhèo) and of the Latin verb ruo, which both mean "flow";[12]
from the Etruscan word ruma, whose root is *rum-, "teat", with possible reference either to the totem wolf that adopted and suckled the cognately named twins Romulus and Remus, or to the shape of Palatine and Aventine Hills;
from the Greek word ῤώμη (rhòme), which means strength;[13]
History
Main articles: History of Rome and Timeline of Rome history
Earliest history
Main article: Founding of Rome
There is archaeological evidence of human occupation of the Rome area from at least 14,000 years, but the dense layer of much younger debris obscures Palaeolithic and Neolithic sites.[14] Evidence of stone tools, pottery and stone weapons attest to at least 10,000 years of human presence. The power of the well known tale of Rome's legendary foundation tends also to deflect attention from its actual, and much more ancient, origins.
Monarchy, republic, empire
Main articles: Ancient Rome, Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic, and Roman Empire
Capitoline Wolf suckles the infant twins Romulus and Remus.
Rome's early history is shrouded in legend.[15] According to Roman tradition, the city was founded by Romulus [16] on 21 April 753 BC.[17] The legendary origin of the city tells that Romulus and Remus decided to build a city. After an argument, Romulus killed his brother Remus. Archaeological evidence supports the view that Rome grew from pastoral settlements on the Palatine Hill built in the area of the future Roman Forum. While some archaeologists argue that Rome was indeed founded in the middle of the 8th century BC, the date is subject to controversy.[18] The original settlement developed into the capital of the Roman Kingdom (ruled by a succession of seven kings, according to tradition), and then the Roman Republic (from 510 BC, governed by the Senate), and finally the Roman Empire (from 27 BC, ruled by an Emperor). This success depended on military conquest, commercial predominance, as well as selective assimilation of neighbouring civilisations, most notably the Etruscans and Greeks. From its foundation Rome, although losing occasional battles, had been undefeated in war until 386 BC, when it was briefly occupied by the Gauls.[19] According to the legend, the Gauls offered to deliver Rome back to its people for a thousand pounds of gold, but the Romans refused, preferring to take back their city by force of arms rather than ever admitting defeat, after which the Romans recovered the city in the same year.
Map depicting late ancient Rome.
The Republic was wealthy, powerful and stable before it became an empire. According to tradition, Rome became a republic in 509 BC. However, it took a few centuries for Rome to become the great city of popular imagination, and it only became a great empire after the rule of Augustus (Octavian). By the 3rd century BC, Rome had become the pre-eminent city of the Italian peninsula, having conquered and defeated the Sabines, the Etruscans, the Samnites and
most of the Greek colonies in Sicily, Campania and Southern Italy in general. During the Punic Wars between Rome and the great Mediterranean empire of Carthage, Rome's stature increased further as it became the capital of an overseas empire for the first time. Beginning in the 2nd century BC, Rome went through a significant population expansion as Italian farmers, driven from their ancestral farmlands by the advent of massive, slave-operated farms called latifundia, flocked to the city in great numbers. The victory over Carthage in the First Punic War brought the first two provinces outside the Italian peninsula, Sicily and Corsica et Sardinia. Parts of Spain (Hispania) followed, and in the beginning of the 2nd century the Romans got involved in the affairs of the Greek world. By then all Hellenistic kingdoms and the Greek city-states were in decline, exhausted from endless civil wars and relying on mercenary troops. This saw the fall of Greece after the Battle of Corinth (146 BC) and the establishment of Roman control over Greece.[20]
The Roman Empire at its greatest extent controlled approximately 6.5 million km2[21] of land surface.
The Roman Empire had begun more formally when Emperor Augustus (63 BC–AD 14; known as Octavian before his throne accession) founded the Principate in 27 BC.[22] This was a monarchy system which was headed by an emperor holding power for life, rather than making himself dictator like Julius Caesar had done, which had resulted in his assassination on 15 March, 44 BC.[23] At home, Emperor Augustus started off a great programme of social, political and economic reform and grand-scale reconstruction of the city of Rome. The city became dotted with impressive and magnificent new buildings, palaces, fora and basilicae. Augustus became a great and enlightened patron of the arts, and his court was attended by such poets as Virgil, Horace and Propertius.[22] His rule also established the Pax Romana, a long period of relative peace which lasted approximately 200 years.[24] Following his rule were emperors such as Caligula, Nero, Trajan, and Hadrian, to name a few. Roman emperor Nero was well known for his extravagance, cruelty, tyranny, and the myth that he was the emperor who "fiddled while Rome burned" during the night of 18 to 19 July 64 AD.[25] The Antonine Plague of 165–180 is believed to have killed as much as one-third of the population.[26]
Roman dominance expanded over most of Western Europe and the shores of the Mediterranean, though its influence through client states and the sheer power of its presence was wider than its formal borders. Its population surpassed one million inhabitants.[27] For almost a thousand years, Rome was the most politically important, richest, and largest city in the Western world. After the Empire started to decline and was split, it lost its capital status to Milan and then to Ravenna, and
was surpassed in prestige by the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, Constantinople, whose Greek inhabitants continued through the centuries to call themselves Roman.
Middle Ages
15th century miniature depicting the Sack of Rome (410)
The Bishop of Rome became the Pope due to his increased political and religious importance under Emperor Constantine I. The Pope set Rome as the centre of the Catholic Church. After the Sack of Rome in 410 AD by Alaric I and the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD, Rome alternated between Byzantine and Germanic control. Its population declined from more than a million in 210 AD to a mere 35,000 during the Early Middle Ages,[28] reducing the sprawling city to groups of inhabited buildings interspersed among large areas of ruins and vegetation. Rome remained nominally part of the Byzantine Empire until 751 AD, when the Lombards finally extinguished the Exarchate of Ravenna which was the last holdout of the Byzantines in northern Italy. In 756, Pepin the Short gave the Pope temporal jurisdiction over Rome and surrounding areas, thus creating the Papal States. In 846, Muslim Arabs invaded Rome and looted St. Peter's Basilica.[29]
Rome remained the capital of the Papal States until its annexation by the Kingdom of Italy in 1870; the city became a major pilgrimage site during the Middle Ages and the focus of struggles between the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire starting with Charlemagne, who was crowned its first emperor in Rome in 800 by Pope Leo III. Apart from brief periods as an independent city during the Middle Ages, Rome kept its status as Papal capital and "holy city" for centuries, even when the Papacy briefly relocated to Avignon (1309–1377).
Early modern
Main article: Roman Renaissance
The latter half of the 15th century saw the seat of the Italian Renaissance move to Rome from Florence. The Papacy wanted to equal and surpass the grandeur of other Italian cities and to this end created ever more extravagant churches, bridges, town squares and public spaces, including a new Saint Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, Ponte Sisto (the first bridge to be built across the
Tiber since antiquity), and Piazza Navona. The Popes were also patrons of the arts engaging such artists as Michelangelo, Perugino, Raphael, Ghirlandaio, Luca Signorelli, Botticelli, and Cosimo Rosselli.
The Tempietto (San Pietro in Montorio), which is an excellent example of Italian Renaissance architecture
The period was also infamous for papal corruption, with many Popes fathering children, and engaging in nepotism and simony. The corruption of the Popes and the extravagance of their building projects led, in part, to the Reformation and, in turn, the Counter-Reformation. Popes, such as Alexander VI, were well known for their decadence, wild parties, extravagance and immoral lives.[30] However, under these extravagant and rich popes, Rome was transformed into a centre of art, poetry, music, literature, education and culture. Rome became able to compete with other major European cities of the time in terms of wealth, grandeur, the arts, learning and architecture.
Michelangelo's ceiling in the Sistine Chapel.
Rome in 1642
The Renaissance period changed Rome's face dramatically, with works like the Pietà by Michelangelo and the frescoes of the Borgia Apartment, all made during Innocent's reign. Rome reached the highest point of splendour under Pope Julius II (1503–1513) and his successors Leo X and Clement VII, both members of the Medici family. In this twenty-year period Rome became one of the greatest centres of art in the world. The old St. Peter's Basilica built by Emperor Constantine the Great [31] (which by then was in a terrible state) was demolished and a new one begun. The city hosted artists like Ghirlandaio, Perugino, Botticelli and Bramante, who built the temple of San Pietro in Montorio and planned a great project to renovate the Vatican. Raphael, who in Rome became one the most famous painters of Italy creating frescos in the Cappella Niccolina, the Villa Farnesina, the Raphael's Rooms, plus many other famous paintings. Michelangelo started the decoration of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and executed the famous statue of the Moses for the tomb of Julius. Rome lost in part its religious character, becoming increasingly a true Renaissance city, with a great number of popular feasts, horse races, parties, intrigues and licentious episodes. Its economy was rich, with the presence of several Tuscan bankers, including Agostino Chigi, who was a friend of Raphael and a patron of arts. Before his early death, Raphael also promoted for the first time the preservation of the ancient ruins. The fight between France and Spain in Europe caused the first plunder of the City in more than one thousand years. In 1527 the Landsknechts of Emperor Charles V sacked the city, putting to an abrupt end the golden age of the Renaissance in Rome.[32]
Beginning with the Council of Trent in 1545, the Church began the Counter-Reformation as an answer to the Reformation, a large-scale questioning of the Church's authority on spiritual matters and governmental affairs. (This loss of confidence then lead to major shifts of power away from the Church.) [32] Under the popes from Pius IV to Sixtus V, Rome became the center of the reformed Catholicism and saw the installment of new monuments which celebrated the papacy's restored greatness.[33] The popes and cardinals of the 17th and early 18th centuries continued the movement by having city's landscape enriched with baroque buildings. During the Age of Enlightenment, new ideas reached also the Eternal City, where the papacy supported archeological studies and improved the people's welfare.[32] But not everything went well for the Church during the Counter-Reformation.
There were setbacks in the attempts to restrain the anti-Church policies of European powers of the time. The most notable setback perhaps being in 1773 when Pope Clement XIV was forced by secular powers to have the Jesuit order suppressed.[32]
Late modern and contemporary
The rule of the Popes was interrupted by the short-lived Roman Republic (1798), which was built under the influence of the French Revolution. During Napoleon's reign, Rome was annexed into the French Empire. After the fall of Napoleon, the Church State under the pope was reinstated through the Congress of Vienna of 1814. In 1849, another Roman Republic arose within the framework of revolutions of 1848. Two of the most influential figures of the Italian unification, Giuseppe Mazzini and Giuseppe Garibaldi, fought for the short-lived republic.
Italian soldiers enter Rome in 1870.
Rome became the focus of hopes of Italian reunification when the rest of Italy was reunited under the Kingdom of Italy with a temporary capital at Florence. In 1861, Rome was declared the capital of Italy even though it was still under the control of the Pope. During the 1860s, the last vestiges of the Papal States were under the French protection, thanks to the foreign policy of Napoleon III. And it was only when this was lifted in 1870, owing to the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, that Italian troops were able to capture Rome entering the city through a breach near Porta Pia. Afterwards, Pope Pius IX declared himself as prisoner in the Vatican, and in 1871 the capital of Italy was moved from Florence to Rome.[34]
Soon after World War I, Rome witnessed the rise to power of Italian Fascism guided by Benito Mussolini, who marched on the city in 1922, eventually declaring a new Empire and allying Italy with Nazi Germany. The interwar period saw a rapid growth in the city's population, that surpassed 1,000,000 inhabitants. In World War II, due to its status of an open city, Rome largely escaped the tragic destiny of other European cities, but was occupied by the Germans from the Italian Armistice until its liberation on 4 June 1944. However, on 19 June 1943 Rome was bombed by Anglo-American forces, being one of the hardest hit areas in the San Lorenzo district, resulting in about 3,000 deaths and 11,000 wounded.
Rome grew momentously after the war, as one of the driving forces behind the "Italian economic miracle" of post-war reconstruction and modernisation. It became a fashionable city in the 1950s and early 1960s, the years of "la dolce vita" ("the sweet life"), with popular classic fims such as Ben Hur, Quo Vadis, Roman Holiday and La Dolce Vita [35] being filmed in the city's iconic Cinecittà Studios. A new rising trend in population continued until the mid-1980s, when the commune had more than 2,800,000 residents; after that, population started to slowly decline as more residents moved to nearby suburbs.
Government
See also: List of mayors of Rome and Administrative subdivision of Rome
Local government
Composition of the City Council
Party Members
PDL 35
PD 17
Left 2
Palazzo Senatorio, Rome City Hall
The 19 municipi of Rome.
Rome constitutes one of Italy's 8,101 communes, and is the largest both in terms of land area and population. It is governed by a mayor, currently Gianni Alemanno, and a city council. The seat of the commune is the Palazzo Senatorio on the Capitoline Hill, the historic seat of the city government. The local administration in Rome is commonly referred to as "Campidoglio", the Italian name of the hill.
The city is divided into 20 administrative areas, called municipi or municipalities. They were created in 1972 for administrative reasons to increase decentralisation in the city.[36] Each municipality is governed by a president and a council of four members who are elected by the residents of the municipality every five years. The municipalities frequently cross the boundaries of the traditional, non-administrative divisions of the city.
Rome is also divided into differing types of non-administrative divisions. The historic centre is divided into 22 rioni, all of which are located within the Aurelian Walls except Prati and Borgo.
The Rioni have changed in number throughout history, from ancient Rome, the medieval period,[37] to the Renaissance. They were later organized in a more precise way by Pope Benedict XIV in 1743.
Even after Napoleon lost his power in the city, there were no sensible changes in the organisation of the city, until Rome became the capital of the new born Italy. The needs of the new capital caused a great urbanisation and an increase of the population, both within the Aurelian walls and outside them. In 1874 the rioni became 15 adding Esquilino, obtained taking a part from Monti. At the beginning of the 20th century some rioni started being split up and the first parts outside the Aurelian walls started being considered part of the city. In 1921 the number of the rioni increased to 22. Prati was the last rione to be established. and the only one outside the City Walls. With the creation of the circoscrizioni (later renamed municipi) in 1972, all the rioni, except Borgo and Prati, have been placed in the first one, Municipio I, which so contains almost completely the Centro Storico.
National government
Rome is the national capital of Italy and is the seat of the Italian Government. The official residences of the President of the Italian Republic and the Italian Prime Minister, the seats of both houses of the Italian Parliament and that of the Italian Constitutional Court are located in the historic centre. The state ministries are spread out around the city; these include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is located in Palazzo della Farnesina near the Olympic stadium.
Geography
Location
Rome is in the Lazio region of central Italy on the Tiber river (Italian: Tevere). The original settlement developed on hills that faced onto a ford beside the Tiber island, the only natural ford of the river in this area. The Rome of the Kings was built on seven hills: the Aventine Hill, the Caelian Hill, the Capitoline Hill, the Esquiline Hill, the Palatine Hill, the Quirinal Hill, and the Viminal Hill. Modern Rome is also crossed by another river the Aniene which joins the Tiber north of the historic centre.
Although the city center is about 24 kilometres (15 mi) inland from the Tyrrhenian Sea, the city territory extends to the shore, where the south-western district of Ostia is located. The altitude of the central part of Rome ranges from 13 metres (43 ft) above sea level (at the base of the Pantheon) to 139 metres (456 ft) above sea level (the peak of Monte Mario).[38] The Commune of Rome covers an overall area of about 1,285 square kilometres (496 sq mi), including many green areas.
Topography
Rome seen from satellite.
Throughout the history of Rome, the urban limits of the city were considered to be the area within the city walls. Originally, these consisted of the Servian Wall, which was built twelve years after the Gaulish sack of the city in 390 BC. This contained most of the Esquiline and Caelian hills, as well as the whole of the other five. Rome outgrew the Servian Wall, but no more walls were constructed until almost 700 years later, when, in 270 AD, Emperor Aurelian began building the Aurelian Walls. These were almost 19 kilometres (12 mi) long, and were still the walls the troops of the Kingdom of Italy had to breach to enter the city in 1870. Modern Romans frequently consider the city's urban area to be delimited by its ring-road, the Grande Raccordo Anulare, which circles the city centre at a distance of about 10 km.
The Commune of Rome, however, covers considerably more territory and extends to the sea at Ostia, the largest town in Italy that is not a commune in its own right. The Commune covers an area roughly three times the total area within the Raccordo and is comparable in area to the entire provinces of Milan and Naples, and to an area six times the size of the territory of these cities. It also includes considerable areas of abandoned marsh land which is suitable neither for agriculture nor for urban development.
As a consequence, the density of the Commune is not that high, the communal territory being divided between highly urbanised areas and areas designated as parks, nature reserves, and for agricultural use. The Province of Rome is the largest by area in Italy. At 5,352 square kilometres (2,066 sq mi), its dimensions are comparable to the region of Liguria.
Climate
Rome enjoys a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa),[39] typical of the Mediterranean coasts of Italy. Spring and autumn are mild to warm, and the Romans ottobrate ("beautiful October days") are known as being sunny and warm. By August, the maximum diurnal temperature often exceeds 30 °C (86 °F). Traditionally, many businesses were accustomed to closing during August, while Romans visited holiday resorts. In more recent years, however, in response to growing tourism and changing work habits, the city has been staying open for the whole summer. The average high temperature in January is about 12.9 °C
(55.2 °F), but in hot periods it can be higher, while subzero lows are not uncommon. Snowfalls can occur in December, January and February. Within the last four decades they have been rare in Rome: the most recent snowfall with accumulation was in February 2010,[40] the first since 1986 (in some peripheral areas since 1991); between 1986 and 2010 snow fell four times, without significant traces on the ground.
Generally – summer's season lasts about 6 months, from May to October. Two months (April and November) are transitional, sometimes there are temperature above 20 °C (68 °F). December, January, February and March are the coldest months, with average temperatures (of these four months) over 13.1 °C (55.6 °F) near the city centre (13.9 °C (57.0 °F) near sea) during the day and 3.7 °C (38.7 °F) near the city centre (4.7 °C (40.5 °F) near sea) at night. The average relative humidity is 74.8%, varying from 72% in July to 77% in November and December.
[hide]Climate data for Rome-Ciampino airport, near city centre (1961–1990)Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F)
11.8
(53.2)
13.0
(55.4)
15.2
(59.4)
18.1
(64.6)
22.9
(73.2)
27.0
(80.6)
30.4
(86.7)
30.3
(86.5)
26.8
(80.2)
21.8
(71.2)
16.3
(61.3)
12.6
(54.7
)
20.5
(68.9)
Daily mean °C (°F)
7.3
(45.1)
8.3
(46.9)
10.1
(50.2)
12.8
(55)
17.0
(62.6)
20.9
(69.6)
23.9
(75)
23.9
(75)
20.8
(69.4)
16.3
(61.3)
11.6
(52.9)
8.3
(46.9
)
15.3
(59.5)
Average low °C (°F)
2.7
(36.9)
3.5
(38.3)
5.0
(41)
7.5
(45.5)
11.1
(52)
14.7
(58.5)
17.4
(63.3)
17.5
(63.5)
14.8
(58.6)
10.8
(51.4)
6.8
(44.2)
3.9
(39)
10.0
(50)
Precipitation mm
(inches)
102.6
(4.039
)
98.5
(3.878
)
67.5
(2.657
)
65.4
(2.575
)
48.2
(1.898
)
34.4
(1.354
)
22.9
(0.902
)
32.8
(1.291
)
68.1
(2.681
)
93.7
(3.689
)
129.6
(5.102
)
111.0
(4.37
)
874.7
(34.437
)
Avg. precipitation
days9.0 8.8 8.7 8.7 5.8 4.4 2.2 3.2 5.6 7.6 10.9 9.6 84.5
Sunshine hours
120.9 132.8 167.4 201.0 263.5 285.0 331.7 297.6 237.0 195.3 129.0 111.6 2,472.8
Source: Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare[41]
[show]Climate data for Rome-Fiumicino airport, near sea (1961–1990)
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Italy
Historical populations
Year Pop. ±%
1861 194,500 —
1871 212,432 +9.2%
1881 273,952 +29.0%
1901 422,411 +54.2%
1911 518,917 +22.8%
1921 660,235 +27.2%
1931 930,926 +41.0%
1936 1,150,589 +23.6%
1951 1,651,754 +43.6%
1961 2,188,160 +32.5%
1971 2,781,993 +27.1%
1981 2,840,259 +2.1%
1991 2,775,250 −2.3%
2001 2,663,182 −4.0%
2010 (Est.)
2,754,440 +3.4%
Source: ISTAT 2001
At the time of the Emperor Augustus, Rome was the largest city in the world: with a population of about one million people (about the size of London in the early 19th century, when London was the largest city in the world).[43][44][45][46]
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the city's population fell dramatically to less than 50,000 people, and continued to either stagnate or shrink until the Renaissance.[47] When the Kingdom of Italy annexed Rome in 1870, the city had a population of about 200,000, which rapidly increased to 600,000 by the eve of World War I. The Fascist regime of Mussolini tried to block an excessive demographic rise of the city, but failed to prevent it from reaching one million people by early 1930s. After the Second World War, growth continued, helped by a post-war economic boom. A construction boom also created a large number of suburbs during the 1950s and 1960s.
In mid-2010, there were 2,754,440 residents in the city proper, while some 4.2 million people lived in the greater Rome area (which can be approximately identified with its administrative province, with a population density of about 800inhab./km2 stretching over more than 5,000 km2). Minors (children ages 18 and younger) totalled 17.00 percent of the population compared to pensioners who number 20.76 percent. This compares with the Italian average of 18.06 percent (minors) and 19.94 percent (pensioners). The average age of a Roman resident is 43 compared to the Italian average of 42. In the five years between 2002 and 2007, the population of Rome grew by 6.54 percent, while Italy as a whole grew by 3.56 percent.[48] The current birth rate of Rome is 9.10 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 9.45 births.
Ethnic groups
According to the latest statistics conducted by ISTAT,[49] approximately 9.5% of the population consists of non-Italians. The bulk of immigrants are those of various other European origins (chiefly Romanians, Polish, Ukrainians, and Albanians) numbering a combined total of 131,118 or 4.7 percent of the population and almost one half of the total immigrant population. The remaining 4.8 percent are those with non-European origins chiefly Filipinos: 26,933, Bangladeshis: 12,154, Peruvians: 10,530, Chinese: 10,283, and other nationalities.
The Esquilino district, off Termini Railway Station, has evolved into a largely immigrant neighbourhood, it is now seen as Rome's Chinatown, but in fact immigrants from more than a hundred different countries crowd its busy streets and piazzas. A thriving commercial district, Esquilino boasts dozens of restaurants featuring every kind of international cuisine. There are innumerable wholesale clothes shops: of the 1,300 or so commercial premises operating in the district 800 are Chinese-owned, around 300 are run by immigrants from other countries around the world and some 200 are owned by Italians.[50]
In order to serve the growing number Muslims community, in 1995 the first Mosque in Rome was inaugurated, the largest mosque in Europe.
Hundreds of Romani gypsies live in illegal trailer camps on the city's outskirts. There is a growing population of homeless people in Rome, mostly not Italian and estimated at 7000.
Religion
Main article: Religion in Rome
St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.
Much like the rest of Italy, Rome is predominantly Roman Catholic, and the city has been an important centre of religion and pilgrimage for centuries, the base of the ancient Roman Religion with the pontifex maximus and later the seat of the Vatican City and the pope. Before the arrival of the Christians in Rome, the Religio Romana (literally, the "Roman Religion") was the major religion of the city in classical antiquity. The first gods held sacred by the Romans were Jupiter, the most high, and Mars, god of war, and father of Rome's twin founders, Romulus and Remus, according to tradition. Other gods and goddesses such as Vesta and Minerva were honoured. Rome was also the base of several mystery cults, such as Mithraism. Later, after St Peter and St Paul were martyred in the city, and the first Christians began to arrive, Rome became Christian, and the St. Peter's Basilica was first constructed in 313 AD. Despite some interruptions (such as the Avignon papacy), Rome has for centuries been the home of the Roman Catholic Church and the bishop of Rome, otherwise known as the pope.
Basilica of St. John Lateran, Rome's Cathedral.
Despite the fact that Rome is home to the Vatican City and St. Peter's Basilica, Rome's cathedral is the Basilica of St. John Lateran, located to the south-east of the city-centre. There are around 900 churches in Rome in total, aside from the cathedral itself, some others of note include: the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, the Basilica di San Clemente, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane and the Church of the Gesu. There are also the ancient Catacombs of Rome underneath the city. Numerous highly important religious educational institutions are also in Rome, such as the Pontifical Lateran University, Pontifical Biblical Institute, Pontifical Gregorian University, and Pontifical Oriental Institute.
The territory of Vatican City is part of the Mons Vaticanus, and of the adjacent former Vatican Fields, where St. Peter's Basilica, the Apostolic Palace, the Sistine Chapel, and museums were built, along with various other buildings. The area was part of the Roman rione of Borgo until 1929. Being separated from the city on the west bank of the Tiber river, the area was an outcrop of the city that was protected by being included within the walls of Leo IV, later expanded by the current fortification walls of Paul III/Pius IV/Urban VIII.
The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore is one of the largest churches in the city.
When the Lateran Treaty of 1929 that gave the state its present form was being prepared, the boundaries of the proposed territory was influenced by the fact that much of it was all but enclosed by this loop. For some tracts of the frontier, there was no wall, but the line of certain buildings supplied part of the boundary, and for a small part of the frontier a modern wall was constructed. The territory includes Saint Peter's Square, separated from the territory of Italy only by a white line along the limit of the square, where it touches Piazza Pio XII. St. Peter's Square is reached through the Via della Conciliazione, which runs from the Tiber River to St. Peter's. This grand approach was constructed by Benito Mussolini after the conclusion of the Lateran Treaty. According to the Lateran Treaty, certain properties of the Holy See that are located in Italian territory, most notably Castel Gandolfo and the major basilicas, enjoy extraterritorial status similar to that of foreign embassies.
In recent years, there has been a significant growth in Rome's Muslim community, mainly due to immigration from North African and Middle Eastern countries into the city. As a consequence of this increase of the local practitioners of the Islamic faith, the commune promoted the building of the largest mosque in Europe, which was designed by architect Paolo Portoghesi and inaugurated on 21 June 1995. Since the end of the Roman Republic Rome is also the center of an important Jewish community,[51] which was once based in Trastevere, and later in the Roman Ghetto. There lies also the major synagogue in Rome, the Tempio Maggiore.
Cityscape
See also: List of tourist attractions in Rome and List of streets in Rome
The Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine.
Architecture
Main article: Architecture of Rome
The Pantheon.
Rome's architecture over the centuries has greatly developed, especially from the Classical and Imperial Roman styles to modern Fascist architecture. Rome was for a period one of the world's main epicentres of classical architecture, developing new forms such as the arch, the dome and the vault.[52] The Romanesque style in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries was also widely used in Roman architecture, and later the city became one of the main centres of Renaissance and Baroque architecture.[52]
Ancient Rome
Castel Sant'Angelo.
The Basilica of San Paolo fuori le Mura.
Main articles: List of ancient monuments in Rome and Ancient Roman architecture
One of the symbols of Rome is the Colosseum (70–80 AD), the largest amphitheatre ever built in the Roman Empire. Originally capable of seating 60,000 spectators, it was used for gladiatorial combat. A list of important monuments and sites of ancient Rome includes the Roman Forum, the Domus Aurea, the Pantheon, Trajan's Column, Trajan's Market, the Catacombs, the Circus Maximus, the Baths of Caracalla, Castel Sant'Angelo, the Mausoleum of Augustus, the Ara Pacis, the Arch of Constantine, the Pyramid of Cestius, and the Bocca della Verità.
Medieval
Often overlooked, Rome's medieval heritage is one of the largest in Italian cities. Basilicas dating from the Paleochristian age include Santa Maria Maggiore and San Paolo Fuori le Mura (the latter largely rebuilt in the 19th century), both housing precious 4th century AD mosaics. Later notable medieval mosaic and fresco art can be also found in the churches of Santa Maria in Trastevere, Santi Quattro Coronati, and Santa Prassede. Lay buildings include a number of towers, the largest being the Torre delle Milizie and the Torre dei Conti, both next the Roman Forum, and the huge staircase leading to the basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli.
Renaissance and Baroque
Rome was a major world centre of the Renaissance, second only to Florence, and was profoundly affected by the movement. Among others, a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture in Rome is the Piazza del Campidoglio by Michelangelo. During this period, the great aristocratic families of Rome used to build opulent dwellings as the Palazzo del Quirinale (now seat of the President of the Italian Republic), the Palazzo Venezia, the Palazzo Farnese, the Palazzo Barberini, the Palazzo Chigi (now seat of the Italian Prime Minister), the Palazzo Spada, the Palazzo della Cancelleria, and the Villa Farnesina.
Panoramic view of Piazza del Campidoglio, with the Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius.
Many of the famous city's squares – some huge, majestic and often adorned with obelisks, some small and pictoresque – got their present shape during the Renaissance and Baroque. The principal ones are Piazza Navona, Piazza di Spagna, Campo de' Fiori, Piazza Venezia, Piazza Farnese, Piazza della Rotonda and Piazza della Minerva. One of the most emblematic examples
of Baroque art is the Fontana di Trevi by Nicola Salvi. Other notable 17th-century baroque palaces are the Palazzo Madama, now the seat of the Italian Senate and the Palazzo Montecitorio, now the seat of the Chamber of Deputies of Italy.
Neoclassicism
The Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II.
Piazza del Popolo.
Palazzo della Farnesina, seat of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In 1870, Rome became the capital city of the new Kingdom of Italy. During this time, neoclassicism, a building style influenced by the architecture of antiquity, became a predominant influence in Roman architecture. During this period, many great palaces in neoclassical styles were built to host ministries, embassies, and other governing agencies. One of the best-known symbols of Roman neoclassicism is the Monument of Vittorio Emanuele II or "Altar of the Fatherland", where the Grave of the Unknown Soldier, that represents the 650,000 Italians that fell in World War I, is located.
Fascist architecture
See also: Fascist architecture
The Fascist regime that ruled in Italy between 1922 and 1943 developed an architectural style that was characterised by its links with ancient Roman architecture. The most important Fascist site in Rome is the E.U.R district, designed in 1938 by Marcello Piacentini. It was originally conceived for the 1942 world exhibition, and was called "E.42" ("Esposizione 42"). The world exhibition, however, never took place because Italy entered the Second World War in 1940. The most representative building of the Fascist style at E.U.R. is the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (1938–1943), the iconic design of which has been labelled the cubic of Square Colosseum. After World War II, the Roman authorities found that they already had the seed of an off-centre business district of the type that other capitals were still planning (London Docklands and La Défense in Paris). Also the Palazzo della Farnesina, the current seat of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was designed in 1935 in pure Fascist style.
Parks and gardens
Main article: List of parks and gardens in Rome
The Villa Borghese gardens.
Public parks and nature reserves cover a large area in Rome, and the city has one of the largest areas of green space amongst European capitals.[53] The most notable part of this green space is represented by the large number of villas and landscaped gardens created by the Italian aristocracy. While many villas were destroyed during the building boom of the late 19th century, a great many remain. The most notable of these are Villa Borghese, Villa Ada, and Villa Doria Pamphili. Villa Doria Pamphili is west of the Gianicolo hill comprising some 1.8 km2. Also on the Gianicolo hill there is Villa Sciarra, with playgrounds for children and shaded walking areas. In the nearby area of Trastevere the Orto Botanico (Botanical Garden) is a cool and shady green space. The old Roman hippodrome (Circus Maximus) is another large green space but the main attraction is the ancient site of the chariot racing and it has few trees. Nearby is the lush Villa Celimontana, close to the gardens surrounding the Baths of Caracalla and Rose Garden (‘roseto comunale’). The Villa Borghese garden is the best known large green space in Rome, with famous art galleries among its shaded walks. It is close to the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo. Rome also has a number of regional parks of much more recent origin including the Pineto Regional Park and the Appian Way Regional Park. There are also nature reserves at Marcigliana and at Tenuta di Castelporziano.
Fountains and aqueducts
Main articles: List of fountains in Rome and List of aqueducts in the city of Rome
The Trevi Fountain, one of the most famous in the world.
Fontana della Barcaccia in Piazza di Spagna.
Rome is a city famous for its numerous fountains, built in all different styles, from Classical and Medieval, to Baroque and Neoclassical. The city has had fountains for more than two thousand years, and they have provided drinking water and decorated the piazzas of Rome. During the Roman Empire, in 98 AD, according to Sextus Julius Frontinus, the Roman consul who was named curator aquarum or guardian of the water of the city, Rome had nine aqueducts which fed 39 monumental fountains and 591 public basins, not counting the water supplied to the Imperial household, baths and owners of private villas. Each of the major fountains was connected to two different aqueducts, in case one was shut down for service.[54] During the 17th and 18th century the Roman popes reconstructed other ruined Roman acqueducts and built new display fountains to mark their termini, launching the golden age of the Roman fountain. The fountains of Rome, like the paintings of Rubens, were expressions of the new style of Baroque art. They were crowded with allegorical figures, and filled with emotion and movement. In these fountains, sculpture became the principal element, and the water was used simply to animate and decorate
the sculptures. They, like baroque gardens, were "a visual representation of confidence and power."[55]
Statues
Main article: Talking statues of Rome
The 39.7 m tall.[56] Column of Marcus Aurelius
Rome is well known for its statues but, in particular, the talking statues of Rome. These are usually ancient statues which have become popular soapboxes for political and social discussion, and places for people to (often satirically) voice their opinions. There are two main talking statues: the Pasquino and the Marforio, yet there are four other noted ones: il Babuino, Madama Lucrezia, il Facchino and Abbot Luigi. Most of these statues are ancient Roman or classical, and most of them also depict mythical gods, ancient people or legendary figures; il Pasquino represents Menelaus, Abbot Luigi is an unknown Roman magistrate, il Babuino is supposed to be Silenus, Marforio represents Oceanus, Madama Lucrezia is a bust of Isis, and il Facchino is the only non-Roman statue, created in 1580, and not representing anyone in particular. They are often, due to their status, covered with placards or graffiti expressing political ideas and points of view. Other statues in the city, which are not related to the talking statues, include those of the Ponte Sant'Angelo, or several monuments scattered across the city, such as that to Giordano Bruno in the Campo de'Fiori.
Obelisks and columns
Main article: List of obelisks in Rome
The city contains eight ancient Egyptian and five ancient Roman obelisks, together with a number of more modern obelisks; there was also formerly (until 2005) an ancient Ethiopian obelisk in Rome.[57] The city contains some of obelisks in piazzas, such as in Piazza Navona, St
Peter's Square, Piazza Montecitorio, and Piazza del Popolo, and others in villas, thermae parks and gardens, such as in Villa Celimontana, the Baths of Diocletian, and the Pincian Hill. Moreover, the centre of Rome hosts also Trajan's and Antonine Column, two ancient Roman columns with spiral relief.
Bridges
Main article: List of bridges in Rome
Bridge of Angels which leads to Castel Sant'Angelo.
The city of Rome contains numerous famous bridges which cross the Tiber. Famous ones include the Ponte Cestio, the Ponte Milvio, the Ponte Nomentano, the Ponte Sant'Angelo, the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II, the Ponte Sisto and the Ponte dei Quattro Capi. Currently there are five ancient Roman bridges still remaining in the city.[58] Most of the city's public bridges were built in Classical or Renaissance style, but also in Baroque, Neoclassical and Modern styles. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, the finest ancient bridge remaining in Rome is the Ponte Sant'Angelo, which was completed in 135AD, and was decorated with 10 statues of the angels, designed by Bernini in 1688.[59]
Catacombs
Main article: Catacombs of Rome
Rome has extensive amount of ancient catacombs, or underground burial places under or near the city, of which there are at least forty, some discovered only in recent decades. Though most famous for Christian burials, they include pagan and Jewish burials, either in separate catacombs or mixed together. The first large-scale catacombs were excavated from the 2nd century onwards. Originally they were carved through tuff, a soft volcanic rock, outside the boundaries of the city, because Roman law forbade burial places within city limits. Currently maintenance of the catacombs is in the hands of the Papacy which has invested in the Salesians of Don Bosco the supervision of the Catacombs of St. Callixtus on the outskirts of Rome.
Economy
Panoramic view of EUR business district.
Being the capital city of Italy, Rome hosts all the principal institutions of the nation, like the Presidency of the Republic, the government (and its single Ministeri), the Parliament, the main judicial Courts, and the diplomatic representatives of all the countries for the states of Italy and the Vatican City (curiously, Rome also hosts, in the Italian part of its territory, the Embassy of Italy for the Vatican City, a unique case of an Embassy within the boundaries of its own country). Many international institutions are located in Rome, notably cultural and scientific ones – such as the American Institute, the British School, the French Academy, the Scandinavian Institutes, the German Archaeological Institute – for the honour of scholarship in the Eternal City, and humanitarian ones, such as the FAO. Rome, also hosts major international and worldwide political and cultural organisations, such as the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Food Programme (WFP), the NATO Defence College and ICCROM, the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property [1]. Rome is currently an beta+ world city, falling down from its alpha- status in 2008, along with Berlin, Stockholm, Athens, Prague, Montreal and Vancouver, to name a few.[3] With a score of 2.56, Rome was also ranked in 2010 as 28th in the Global Cities Index (moving up two places from its 2008 position), being the highest-ranking city in Italy (Milan comes second at 42nd).[4] Furthermore, Rome was in 2008, also ranked 15th out of all the cities of the world for global importance, mainly for cultural experience.[60]
With a 2005 GDP of €94.376 billion (US$121.5 billion),[61] the city produces 6.7% of the national GDP (more than any other single city in Italy), and its unemployment rate, lowered from 11.1% to 6.5% between 2001 and 2005, is now one of the lowest rates of all the European Union capital cities.[61] Rome grows +4.4% annually and continues to grow at a higher rate in comparison to any other city in the rest of the country.[61] This means that were Rome a country, it would be the world's 52nd richest country by GDP, near to the size to that of Egypt. Rome also had a 2003 GDP per capita of €29,153 (US$ 37,412), which was second in Italy, (after Milan), and is more than 134.1% of the EU average GDP per capita.[62] Rome, on the whole, has the highest total earnings in Italy, reaching €47,076,890,463 in 2008,[63] yet, in terms of average workers' incomes, the city places itself 9th in Italy, with €24,509[63] On a global level, Rome's workers receive the 30th highest wages in 2009, coming three places higher than in 2008, in which the city ranked 33rd.[64]
Although the economy of Rome is characterised by the absence of heavy industry and it is largely dominated by services, high-technology companies (IT, aerospace, defence, telecommunications), research, construction and commercial activities (especially banking), and the huge development of tourism are very dynamic and extremely important to its economy. Rome's international airport, Fiumicino, is the largest in Italy, and the city hosts the head offices of the vast majority of the major Italian companies, as well as the headquarters of three of the world's 100 largest companies: Enel, Eni, and Telecom Italia.[65]
Universities, national radio and television and the movie industry in Rome are also important parts of the economy: Rome is also the hub of the Italian film industry, thanks to the Cinecittà studios, working since the 1930s. The city is also a centre for banking and insurance as well as electronics, energy, transport, and aerospace industries. Numerous international companies and agencies headquarters, government ministries, conference centres, sports venues, and museums are located in Rome's principal business districts: the Esposizione Universale Roma (EUR); the Torrino (further south from the EUR); the Magliana; the Parco de' Medici-Laurentina and the so-called Tiburtina-valley along the ancient Via Tiburtina.
Education
Rome is a nation-wide and major international centre for higher education, containing numerous academies, colleges and universities. According to the City Brands Index, Rome is considered the world's second most historically, educationally and culturally interesting and beautiful city.[66]
It boasts a large variety of academies and colleges, and has always been a major worldwide intellectual and educational centre, especially during Ancient Rome and the Renaissance, along with Florence.[67]
La Sapienza University in Rome is Europe's largest, with 140,000 students.[68]
Rome has a large number of universities and colleges. Its first university, La Sapienza (founded in 1303), is the largest in Europe and the second-largest in the world, with more than 140,000 students attending; in 2005 it ranked as Europe's 33rd best university[69] and currently ranks amongst Europe's 50 and the world's 150 best colleges.[70] In order to decrease the overcrowding of La Sapienza, two new public universities were founded during the last decades: Tor Vergata in 1982, and Roma Tre in 1992.
Rome contains also a large number of pontifical universities and other institutes, including the British School at Rome, the French School in Rome, the Pontifical Gregorian University (The oldest Jesuit university in the world, founded in 1551), Istituto Europeo di Design, the St. John's University, the American University of Rome, the Scuola Lorenzo de' Medici, the Link Campus of Malta, and the Università Campus Bio-Medico. Rome is also the location of the John Felice Rome Center, a campus of Loyola University Chicago. The Roman Colleges are several seminaries for students from foreign countries studying for the priesthood at the Pontifical Universities.[71] Examples include the Venerable English College, the Pontifical North American College, the Scots College, and the Pontifical Croatian College of St. Jerome.
Rome's major libraries include: the Biblioteca Angelica, opened in 1604, making it Italy's first public library; the Biblioteca Casanatense, opened in 1701; the Biblioteca Vallicelliana; Bibliotheca Hertziana – Max Planck Institute of Art History, a German library located in Rome, often noted for excellence in the arts and sciences;[72] the National Central Library, one of the two national libraries in Italy, which contains 4,126,002 volumes; The Biblioteca del Ministero degli Affari Esteri, specialised in diplomacy, foreign affairs and modern history; the Biblioteca dell'Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana; the Biblioteca Don Bosco, one of the largest and most modern of all Salesian libraries; the Biblioteca e Museo teatrale del Burcardo, a museum-library specialised in history of drama and theatre; the Biblioteca della Società Geografica Italiana, which is based in the Villa Celimontana and is the most important geographical library in Italy, and one of Europe's most important;[73] and the Vatican Library, one of the oldest and most important libraries in the world, which was formally established in 1475, though in fact much older and has 75,000 codices from throughout history.[74]
Culture
Main article: Culture in Rome
Entertainment and performing arts
Main articles: Music of Rome and Events in Rome
Renzo Piano's Parco della Musica Auditorium
Rome is an important centre for music, and it has an intense musical scene, including several prestigious music conservatories and theatres. It hosts the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (founded in 1585), for which new concert halls have been built in the new Parco della Musica, one of the largest musical venues in the world. Rome also has an opera house, the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, as well as several minor musical institutions. The city also played host to the Eurovision Song Contest in 1991 and the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2004.
Rome has also had a major impact in music history. The Roman School was a group of composers of predominantly church music, which were active in the city during the 16th and 17th centuries, therefore spanning the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. The term also refers to the music they produced. Many of the composers had a direct connection to the Vatican and the papal chapel, though they worked at several churches; stylistically they are often contrasted with the Venetian School of composers, a concurrent movement which was much more progressive. By far the most famous composer of the Roman School is Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, whose name has been associated for four hundred years with smooth, clear, polyphonic perfection. However, there were other composers working in Rome, and in a variety of styles and forms.
Tourism
Historic Centre of Rome, the
Properties of the Holy See in that
City Enjoying Extraterritorial
Rights and San Paolo Fuori le
Mura *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
CountryItaly and
Holy See
Type Cultural
Criteria i, ii, iii, iv, vi
Reference 91
Region **Europe and North
America
Inscription history
Inscription 1980 (4th Session)
Extensions 1990
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List
** Region as classified by UNESCO
Rome today is one of the most important tourist destinations of the world, due to the incalculable immensity of its archaeological and artistic treasures, as well as for the charm of its unique traditions, the beauty of its panoramic views, and the majesty of its magnificent "villas" (parks). Among the most significant resources are the many museums – (Musei Capitolini, the Vatican Museums, Galleria Borghese, including those dedicated to modern and contemporary art and great many others) – aqueducts, fountains, churches, palaces, historical buildings, the monuments and ruins of the Roman Forum, and the Catacombs. Rome is the 3rd most visited city in the EU, after London and Paris, and receives an average of 7–10 million tourists a year, which sometimes doubles on holy years. The Colosseum (4 million tourists) and the Vatican Museums (4.2 million tourists) are the 39th and 37th (respectively) most visited places in the world, according to a recent study.[75]
Rome is a major archaeological hub, and one of the world's main centres of archaeological research. There are numerous cultural and research institutes located in the city, such as the American Academy in Rome,[76] and The Swedish Institute at Rome,[77] to name a few. Rome contains numerous ancient sites, including the Forum Romanum, Trajan's Market, Trajan's Forum,[78] the Colosseum, and the Pantheon, to name but a few. The Colosseum, arguably one of Rome's most iconic archaeological sites, is regarded as a wonder of the world.[79][80]
Rome contains a vast and impressive collection of art, sculpture, fountains, mosaics, frescos, and paintings, from all different periods. Rome first became a major artistic centre during ancient Rome, with forms of important Roman art such as architecture, painting, sculpture and mosaic work. Metal-work, coin die and gem engraving, ivory carvings, figurine glass, pottery, and book illustrations are considered to be 'minor' forms of Roman artwork.[81] Rome later became a major centre of Renaissance art, since the popes spent vast sums of money for the constructions of grandiose basilicas, palaces, piazzas and public buildings in general. Rome became one of Europe's major centres of Renaissance artwork, second only to Florence, and able to compare to other major cities and cultural centres, such as Paris and Venice. The city was affected greatly by the baroque, and Rome became the home of numerous artists and architects, such as Bernini, Caravaggio, Carracci, Borromini and Cortona, to name a few.[82] In the late 18th century and early 19th century, the city was one of the centres of the Grand Tour,[83] when wealthy, young English and other European aristocrats visited the city to learn about ancient Roman culture, art, philosophy and architecture. Rome hosted a great number of neoclassical and rococo artists, such
as Pannini and Bernardo Bellotto. Today, the city is a major artistic centre, with numerous art institutes[84] and museums.
Rome has a growing stock of contemporary and modern art and architecture. The National Gallery of Modern Art has works by Balla, Morandi, Pirandello, Carrà, De Chirico, De Pisis, Guttuso, Fontana, Burri, Mastroianni, Turcato, Kandisky, Cézanne on permanent exhibition. 2010 sees the opening of Rome's newest arts foundation, a contemporary art and architecture gallery designed by acclaimed Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. Known as Maxxi National Museum of XXIst century Art and Architecture it restores a dilapidated area with striking modern architecture. Maxxi[85] features a campus dedicated to culture, experimental research laboratories, international exchange and study and research. It is one of Rome's most ambitious modern architecture projects alongside Renzo Piano's Auditorium Parco della Musica[86] and Massimiliano Fuksas' Rome Convention Center, Centro Congressi Italia EUR, in the EUR district, due to open in 2011.[87] The Convention Center features a huge translucent container inside which is suspended a steel and teflon structure resembling a cloud and which contains meeting rooms and an auditorium with two piazzas open to the neighbourhood on either side.
Rome is also widely recognised as a world fashion capital. Although not as important as Milan, Rome is the world's 4th most important center for fashion in the world, according to the 2009 Global Language Monitor after Milan, New York and Paris, and beating London.[88] Major luxury fashion houses and jewellery chains, such as Bulgari, Fendi,[89] Laura Biagiotti and Brioni (fashion), just to name a few, are headquartered or were founded in the city. Also, other major labels, such as Chanel, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani and Versace have luxury boutiques in Rome, primarily along its prestigious and upscale Via dei Condotti.
Cuisine
Spaghetti alla Carbonara, a typical Roman dishMain articles: Roman Cuisine and Drink in Rome
Rome's cuisine has evolved through centuries and periods of social, cultural, and political changes. Rome became a major gastronomical centre during Ancient Rome. Ancient Roman Cuisine was highly influenced by Ancient Greek culture, and after, the empire's enormous expansion exposed Romans to many new, provincial culinary habits and cooking techniques. In the beginning, the differences between social classes were not very great, but disparities developed with the empire's growth. Later, during the Renaissance, Rome became well known as a centre of high-cuisine, since some of the best chefs of the time, worked for the popes. An example of this could be Bartolomeo Scappi, who was a chef, working for Pius IV in the Vatican kitchen, and he acquired fame in 1570 when his cookbook Opera dell'arte del cucinare was
published. In the book he lists approximately 1000 recipes of the Renaissance cuisine and describes cooking techniques and tools, giving the first known picture of a fork.[90] Today, the city is home to numerous formidable and traditional Italian dishes. A Jewish influence can be seen, as Jews have lived in Rome since the 1st century BCE. Vegetables, especially globe artichokes, are common.[91] Examples of these include "Saltimbocca alla Romana" – a veal cutlet, Roman-style; topped with raw ham and sage and simmered with white wine and butter; "Carciofi alla giudia" – artichokes fried in olive oil, typical of Roman Jewish cooking; "Carciofi alla romana" – artichokes Roman-style; outer leaves removed, stuffed with mint, garlic, breadcrumbs and braised; "Spaghetti alla carbonara" – spaghetti with bacon, eggs and pecorino, and "Gnocchi di semolino alla romana" – semolina dumpling, Roman-style, to name but a few.
Cinema
Set of Gangs of New York in Cinecittà studios, RomeMain articles: List of films set in Rome and List of films set in ancient Rome
Rome hosts the Cinecittà Studios,[92] the largest film and television production facility in continental Europe and the centre of the Italian cinema, where a large number of today's biggest box office hits are filmed. The 99-acre (40 ha) studio complex is 5.6 miles (9.0 km) from the centre of Rome and is part of one of the biggest production communities in the world, second only to Hollywood, with well over 5,000 professionals – from period costume makers to visual effects specialists. More than 3,000 productions have been made on its lot, from recent features like The Passion of the Christ, Gangs of New York, HBO's Rome, The Life Aquatic and Dino De Laurentiis’ Decameron, to such cinema classics as Ben-Hur, Cleopatra, and the films of Federico Fellini.
Founded in 1937 by Benito Mussolini, the studios were bombed by the Western Allies during the Second World War. In the 1950s, Cinecittà was the filming location for several large American film productions, and subsequently became the studio most closely associated with Federico Fellini. Today Cinecittà is the only studio in the world with pre-production, production, and full post-production facilities on one lot, allowing directors and producers to walk in with their script and "walk out" with a completed film.
Language
Main articles: Roman dialect and Latin
The original language of Rome was Latin, which evolved during the Middle Ages into Italian. The latter emerged as the confluence of various regional dialects, among which the Tuscan dialect predominated, but the population of Rome also developed its own dialect, the Romanesco. The ancient Romanesco, used during the Middle Ages, was a southern Italian dialect, very close to the Neapolitan. The influence of the Florentine culture during the renaissance, and, above all, the immigration to Rome of many Florentines, amongst them the two Medici Popes (Leo X and Clement VII) and their suite, caused a major shift in the dialect, which began to resemble more the Tuscan varieties. This remained largely confined to Rome until the 19th century, but then expanded to other zones of Lazio (Civitavecchia, Latina), from the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to the rising population of Rome and to better transportation systems. As a consequence, Romanesco abandoned its traditional forms to mutate into the dialect spoken within the city, which is more like standard Italian, although it remains distinct from the other Romanesco-influenced local dialects of Lazio. Dialectal literature in the traditional form Romanesco includes the works of such authors as Giuseppe Gioachino Belli, Trilussa, and Cesare Pascarella. Contemporary Romanesco is mainly represented by popular actors such as Aldo Fabrizi, Alberto Sordi, Nino Manfredi, Anna Magnani, Gigi Proietti, Enrico Montesano, and Carlo Verdone.
Rome's historic contribution to language in a worldwide sense is much more extensive however. Through the process of Romanisation, the peoples of Gallia, the Iberian Peninsula, Italy and Dacia developed languages which derive directly from Latin and were adopted in large areas of the world both through colonization and cultural influence. Moreover, also modern English, because of the Norman Conquest, borrowed a large percentage of its vocabulary from the Latin Language. The Roman or Latin alphabet is the most widely used writing system in the world used by the greatest number of languages.[93]
Sports
Stadio Olimpico, one of the largest in Europe, with a capacity of over 70,000.[94]
Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Rome, as in the rest of the country. The city hosted the final games of the 1934 and 1990 FIFA World Cup. The latter took place in the Olympic Stadium, which is also the home stadium for local Serie A clubs A.S. Roma and S.S. Lazio, whose rivalry has become a staple of Roman sports culture. Footballers who play for these teams and are also born in the city tend to become especially popular, as has been the case with players
such as Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi (both for A.S. Roma). Atletico Roma is a minor team that plays in First Division; its home stadium is Stadio Flaminio.
Rome hosted the 1960 Summer Olympics, with great success, using many ancient sites such as the Villa Borghese and the Thermae of Caracalla as venues. For the Olympic Games many new structures were created, notably the new large Olympic Stadium (which was also enlarged and renewed to host qualification and the final match of the 1990 FIFA World Cup), the Villaggio Olimpico (Olympic Village, created to host the athletes and redeveloped after the games as a residential district), etc. Rome is currently bidding to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.[10][95]
Rugby union is gaining wider acceptance. The Stadio Flaminio is the home stadium for the Italy national rugby union team, which has been playing in the Six Nations Championship since 2000, albeit with less than satisfactory performances, as they have never won the championship. Rome is home to local rugby teams, such as Unione Rugby Capitolina, Rugby Roma, and S.S. Lazio.
Every May, Rome hosts the ATP Masters Series tennis tournament on the clay courts of the Foro Italico. Cycling was popular in the post-World War II period, although its popularity has faded. Rome has hosted the final portion of the Giro d'Italia twice, in 1989 and 2000. Rome is also home to other sports teams, including basketball (Virtus Roma), volleyball (M. Roma Volley), handball or waterpolo.
Transportation
Main article: Transport in Rome
Rome-Fiumicino Airport in 2008 was the sixth busiest airport in Europe.
Rome is at the centre of the radial network of roads that roughly follow the lines of the ancient Roman roads that began at the Capitoline Hill and connected Rome with its empire. Today Rome is circled, at a distance of about 10 km (6 mi), by the ring-road (the Grande Raccordo Anulare or GRA).
Due to its location in the centre of the Italian peninsula, Rome is a principal railway node for central Italy. Rome's main train station, Termini, is one of the biggest train stations in Europe and the most heavily used in Italy, with around 400 thousand travellers passing through every day. The second-largest station in the city, Roma Tiburtina, is currently being redeveloped as a high-speed rail terminus.[96]
Rome is served by three airports. The intercontinental Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport is Italy's chief airport and is commonly known as "Fiumicino Airport", as it is located within the nearby Comune of Fiumicino, south-west of Rome. The older Rome Ciampino Airport is a joint
civilian and military airport. It is commonly referred to as "Ciampino Airport", as it is located beside Ciampino, south-east of Rome. A third airport, the Roma-Urbe Airport, is a small, low-traffic airport located about 6 km north of the city centre, which handles most helicopter and private flights.
The city suffers from traffic problems largely due to this radial street pattern, making it difficult for Romans to move easily from the vicinity of one of the radial roads to another without going into the historic centre or using the ring-road. These problems are not helped by the limited size of Rome's metro system when compared to other cities of similar size. In addition, Rome has only 21 taxis for every 10,000 inhabitants, far below other major European cities.[97] Chronic congestion caused by cars during the 1970s and 1980s led to restrictions being placed on vehicle access to the inner city-centre during the hours of daylight. Areas where these restriction apply are known as Limited Traffic Zones (Zona a Traffico Limitato (ZTL) in Italian). More recently, heavy night-time traffic in Trastevere and San Lorenzo has led to the creation of night-time ZTLs in those districts, and there are also plans to create another night-time ZTL in Testaccio.
Overview map of Rome Underground and Rail in 2011
A 2-line metro system called the Metropolitana operates in Rome. Construction on the first branch started in the 1930s. The line had been planned to quickly connect the main train station with the newly planned E42 area in the southern suburbs, where the 1942 World Fair was supposed to be held. The event never took place because of war. The area was later partly redesigned and renamed EUR (Esposizione Universale di Roma: Rome Universal Exhibition) in the 1950s to serve as a modern business district. The line was finally opened in 1955, and it is now part of the B Line.
The A line opened in 1980 from Ottaviano to Anagnina stations, later extended in stages (1999–2000) to Battistini. In the 1990s, an extension of the B line was opened from Termini to Rebibbia. This underground network is generally reliable (although it may become very congested at peak times and during events, especially the A line) as it is relatively short. As of 2005, its total length is 38 km (24 mi).
The two existing lines, A and B, intersect at Roma Termini station. A new branch of the B line (B1) is under construction with an estimated cost of €500 million. It is scheduled to open in 2012. B1 will connect to line B at Piazza Bologna and will have four stations over a distance of 3.9 km (2 mi). A third line, line C, is under construction with an estimated cost of €3 billion and
will have 30 stations over a distance of 25.5 km (16 mi). It will partly replace the existing Rail Road line, Termini-Pantano. It will feature full automated, driverless trains.[98] The first section is due to open in 2011 and the final sections in 2015, but archaeological findings often delay underground construction work. A fourth line, D line, is also planned. It will have 22 stations over a distance of 20 km (12 mi). The first section is projected to open in 2015 and the final sections before 2035.
Above-ground public transport in Rome is made up of a bus, tram and urban train network (FR lines). The bus and tram network is run by Trambus S.p.A. under the auspices of Atac S.p.A. (which originally stood for the Municipal Bus and Tramways Company, Azienda Tramvie e Autobus del Comune in Italian). The bus network has in excess of 350 bus lines and over 8 thousand bus stops, whereas the more-limited tram system has 39 km of track and 192 stops.[99] There is also one trolleybus line, opened in 2005, and additional trolleybus lines are planned.[100]
International entities, organisations and involvement
FAO headquarters in Rome
Rome is unique in having a sovereign state located entirely within its city limits, the Vatican City. The Vatican is a enclave of Rome and a sovereign possession of the Holy See, the supreme government of the Roman Catholic Church. Rome hosts foreign embassies to both Italy and the Holy See, although frequently the same ambassador is accredited to both.
Another body, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), took refuge in Rome in 1834, due to the conquest of Malta by Napoleon in 1798. It is sometimes classified as having sovereignty but does not claim any territory in Rome or anywhere else, hence leading to dispute over its actual sovereign status.
Rome is also the seat of international agencies of the United Nations, such as the World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Rome has traditionally been involved in the process of European political integration. In 1957, the city hosted the signing of the Treaty of Rome, which established the European Economic Community (predecessor to the European Union), and also played host to the official signing of the proposed European Constitution in July 2004.
Rome is the seat of the NATO Defense College and is the place where the Statute of the International Criminal Court was formulated.
Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren, a beautiful Italian film actress, still active in her way over seventies, was born in Rome in 1934. She made her way into the world of the famous by enrolling in acting class where she was selected as an extra in the Mervyn LeRoy's "Quo Vadis". Sophia met her husband Carlo Ponti, film director, when she took part in a beauty contest where he was in a jury. From there she started to getting to know the important figures in Hollywood and co-starred with Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra. Alongside with her acting career she also recorded over two dozen songs.
In 1961 Sophia Loren won an Academy Award for Best Actress for "Two Women", becoming the first actor to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance. Then followed
the 1995's Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award. In 1991 she received the Academy Honorary Award for her contributions to world cinema. It's interesting that there's a street in Etobicoke, near Toronto named after her. Some of her work to remember is:
Boy on a Dolphin The pride and the passion 2 nights with Cleopatra Heller in pink tights Two Women The voyage Lives of the Saints
Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone was an Italian film director, producer and screen writer. He was born in Rome in 1929, in a marriage of known film artists, Vincenzo Leone, a.k.a. Roberto Roberti and silent film actress Bice Waleran. Naturally he showed his interest for filmmaking very early. He started with historical epics, popular at the time. He also worked as an assistant director on some very famous films shot at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome like "Quo Vadis" and "Ben Hur". Leone is mostly associated with the "Spaghetti Western" genre which started with his well known triology "A Fistful of Dollars", "For a Few Dollars More" and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". One after another they were becoming a huge success. The first film of this triology actually established Clint Eastwood as a star, who had been until then an American TV actor. Since then Sergio Leone started collaborating with his classmate, music composer Ennio Morricone. After these successful films, Leone finally could afford to work with some famous actors like Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda on a film "Once Upon a Time in the West", made for Paramount Pictures. His last film, and maybe his best is "Once Upon a Time in America", an almost 4 hours long masterpiece featuring Robert De Nero and James Woods. Sergio Leone died in 1989 of a heart attack.
Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, well known Italian composer and conductor was born in Rome in 1928. He was educated at the National academy of Santa Cecilia in the trumpet, composition, choral music and choral direction under Goffredo Petrassi. After he graduated he continued working in classical composition and arrangement, and in the early '50s he begun writing his first background music for radio dramas. His career as film music composer started in 1961 with the film "Il Federale" directed by Luciano Salce, but Morricone became famous together with his classmate Sergio Leone working on his westerns. Ennio
Morricone has composed and arranged scores for more than 500 film and TV productions. He collaborated with a lot of famous directors living his recognizable trace in their movies. Some of them are before mentioned Sergio Leone, then Brian De Palma, Giuseppe Tornatore, Oliver Stone, Pedro Almodovar, Roman Polanski, Bernardo Bertolucci, ..etc.He also conducted the Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala Theatre, the Rome Opera House Orchestra, the Budapest Opera House Orchestra, the Orquesta Nacionales de España (ONE) and the National Brazilian Orchestra.
His work has been greatly awarded with: 1 Grammy Award, 3 Golden Globes and 5 Anthony Asquith Awards for Film Music by BAFTA. Morricone has been nominated for 5 Academy Awards
for Best Music. He received the Honorary Academy Award in 2007 for "his magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music". He was the second composer to receive this award after its introduction in 1928.
In the recording field, Morricone has received 27 Golden Records, 7 Platinum Records, 3 Golden Plates and the “Critica discografica” award for the music of the film “Il Prato”. The soundtrack from the film "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" has been included in the list of inductees for the Grammy Hall of Fame 2009.In the 2009 the President of the French Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, has signed a decree appointing Ennio Morricone to the rank of Knight in the Order of the Legion of Honor.
Eros Ramazzotti
Eros Ramazzotti is famous Italian singer and songwriter from Rome. He is very well known all around the Europe and especially in Spain and Latin America, due to his songs sang in Spanish. His first steps towards the fame are made in a music contest called Voci Nuove di Castrocaro. He didn't wit it, but had an opportunity to meet the owners of the label DDD who were very interested in his singing and called him to come to Milan, where his career started.In 1984 he took part in a famous Sanremo Music Festival with his song "Terra Promessa", and won the competition for the category "Newcomers". That was his first brake through and the song was released world wide. Ramazzotti took part in the Sanremo Festival another two times in a row and his third time was the lucky one when he won the overall competition with his memorable song "Adesso Tu".Ramazzotti started traveling all around the world, from North to South America, and throughout the whole Europe making successes one after another. He played and made singles with many world wide famous people like Cher, Tina Turner, Patsy Kensit, Luciano Pavarotti, Ricky Martin.In the summer of 1995 Ramazzotti participated in the European Summer festival beside Rod Stewart, Elton John and Joe Cocker. Passionate autobiographical ballads, easy going melody, soft-rock influence are characteristic for
this singer. Ramazzotti also gained reputation of a recognized producer when he produced the album "Come fa bene l'amore" for Gianni Morandi in 2000. Beside a couple of live albums and compilations, Eros published 10 studio albums:
Cuori agitati (Troubled Hearts) (1985) Nuovi eroi (New Heroes) (1986) In certi momenti (Sometimes) (1987) In ogni senso (In Every Sense) (1990) Tutte storie (All Stories) (1993) Dove c'è musica (Where There is Music) (1996) Stilelibero (Freestyle) (2000) 9 (2003) Calma apparente (Apparent Calm) (2005) Ali e radici (Wings and roots) (2009)
Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti, born in Rome, lives in Rome and plays for Roma all of his life. A.S.Roma's captain since 1997, Francesco Totti is considered the club's symbol. His position is a striker or an attacking midfielder. Totti is the number-one goalscorer and is considered to be Roma's greatest player of all time. He has won a record five times Italian Footballer of the Year and two times Serie A Footballer of the year. This World-Cup winning footballer, club's famous n°10, besides football is an ambassador for UNICEF since 2003 and the FIFA/SOS Children's Villages. Totti also runs a football school, "Number Ten," and owns a motorcycle racing team called "Totti Top Sport."
Giancarlo Fisichella
Giancarlo Fisichella is a famous Italian racing driver. He was born in Rome in 1973. Fisichella has driven in Formuna One for Minardi, Jordan, Benetton, Sauber, Renault, Force India and is currently driving for Ferrari replacing injured Felipe Massa. It is planed for him to be Ferrari's reserve driver also for 2010. As it usually begins, Fisichella started with kart racing and had some success. His first Formula One race was 1996 Australian Grand Prix. Until 2003 Fisichella had some success but his first win was at the chaotic 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix. This race was abandoned for the safety reasons. Then followed another two wins in his career: the 2005 Australia Grand Prix and the 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix.Outside of driving Giancarlo Fisichella has backed his own GP2 team, FMS International.