(ITALY) Roma

Open City ... tourism! With its exceptional heritage, mild and sunny climate, the capital of Italy won every year millions of travelers.
Rome, a city that has long dominated the "civilized world", contains a thousand and one testimonies to its rich past. 400 churches, 300 fountains and countless ruins are the footprints left by every age since the Etruscans.
But Rome can not be locked into this website image "museum". Rome is alive and vibrant capital of Italy. The Romans are there to remind him. Lifestyle Dolce Vita, their Mediterranean temperament, neat and slicked look to perfection, their culinary specialties are just some of the wealth today that the city invites you to discover more quickly ...

The history of Rome :

Legend has it that the city was founded by Romulus and Remus in 753 BC The twins, thrown into the turbulent waters of the Tiber, would have failed on the Palatine Hill. A wolf would have fed them and raised. As an adult, Romulus decided to create this same hill a new city.

From a more practical point of view, the traces of homes in this area date back to about the eighth century BC The Etruscans were living in small villages. This civilization flourished from the seventh century to the late sixth century BC and founded on Capitol Hill a real city.

The Roman Republic was proclaimed in -509. It extended his power throughout the territory of the peninsula through many wars. The general gained influence at the same time. This is how the first mythical figure appeared in the city: Julius Caesar. Refusing to yield to the Senate, he marched on Rome, crossed the Rubicon River - 49 and took power. He proclaimed himself dictator for life of the Republic. At his death (in - 44 BC), his nephew Octavian and his former lieutenant Mark Antony disputed the throne.

They end up agreeing with Lepidus and form a second triumvirate. In -31 after beating Marc Antony, Octavian prevailed as the head of the empire. The Senate recognizes him all authority and awarded him the title of Augustus (meaning "sacred"). Octave worked to unify the provinces which constituted a vast empire around the Mediterranean. His contribution was very important: it ended the civil wars, organized the administration of the Roman provinces and promoted artistic development in Rome.

Followed dozens of more or less authoritarian emperors, tyrannical Caligula, Nero and Domitian, the doers Vespasian, Titus, Trajan, Hadrian.

With the decline experienced by Rome from the third century AD, Christianity grows. Two facts will sit this religion in the peninsula: the Edict of Milan in 313, which allows the building of churches and religious practice, and the conversion of Emperor Constantine. From there, Christian worship is spreading and the church structure. The Bishop of Rome, the most important city of the Empire, by force of the highest things in the hierarchy. He was given the name of pope, Latin father.

The Popes have strongly contributed to the development and artistic enrichment of Rome. During the Renaissance, they entrusted the construction and decoration of churches to great artists. This is Sixtus IV that one must create the Sistine Chapel. Then Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to decorate the ceilings. Other influential popes, history remembers Pope Pius II, Clement, Sixtus V and Paul III.



10 years after the unification of Italy in 1861, Rome officially became the capital in 1871. In 1929, the Lateran agreements give the pope an independent state: the Vatican.

source : www.linternaute.com