Welcome to Rome

Geography of Rome Rome is the capital city of Italy and Lazio with about 3 million residents. It is located in the central-western portion of the Italian peninsula on the Tiber river. River Tiber

The Seven Hills Traditionally Rome is said to be founded on seven hills. Rome’s seven hills are Aventinus Caelius Capitolium Esquiliae Palatium Quirinalis Viminalis Palatine Hill Capitoline Hill Of the seven hills of current Rome, five (Aventine, Caelian, Esquiline, Quirinal and Viminal hills) are populated with monuments, buildings, and parks.

Romulus and Remus Rome’s most important symbol is the Capitoline Wolf. A replica of the famous Etruscan statue stands before city hall in Rome. The statue portrays Romulus and Remus, the mythical founders of Rome, who, according to legend, were cast away as infants and raised by a wolf.

A Modern City Today, Rome is a modern, cosmopolitan city, and the third most-visited tourist destination in the European Union. 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.

World Heritage Site As one of the few major European cities that escaped World War II relatively unscathed, central Rome remains essentially Renaissance and Baroque in character. All the historical centre of Rome is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Are you ready to take a walk among history, art, glamour of our wonderful city?

The Colosseum The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome. Here very many of the early Christians were martyred.

Saint Peter’s Square St. Peter's Square (Italian: Piazza San Pietro) is a massive square located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City.

Trevi Fountain The Trevi Fountain in Rome is the largest fountain in the city and the most beautiful in the world. A traditional legend says that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome.

The Spanish steps The Spanish Steps are a set of steps in Rome climbing a steep slope between the Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, dominated by the Trinità dei Monti church at the top. It is a favourite spot for students and young people.

Via Veneto Via Vittorio Veneto, colloquially called Via Veneto, is one of the most famous, elegant and expensive streets of Rome.

City Motto: SPQR SPQR is taken from a Latin phrase, Senatus Populusque Romani ("The Senate and People of Rome“)referring to the government of ancient Roman. It is used as an official emblem of the modern-day city of Rome. It appears on coins, at the end of official documents, on monuments and even on street pavements! It was emblazoned on the standards of the Roman legions.

Patron Saints, Peter and Paul The Feast of St Peter and St Paul is an annual public holiday in Rome on the 29 th June. What do people do? Every year, Rome celebrates its patron saints Peter and Paul with various religious rituals led by the Pope. Other events include music entertainment, fireworks, and fairs. It is a public holiday in Rome so many businesses and public offices are closed. Background St Peter was one of Jesus Christ’s 12 apostles and spent most of his life preaching the Christian gospel after Jesus’ death. He died by crucifixion around 67 CE and is regarded as the first Pope. St Paul, formerly known as Saul of Tarsus, was converted to Christianity on the road to Damascus shortly after Jesus Christ’s death. He became an influential leader in the Christian church. He was beheaded around the year 67 CE during the Roman Emperor Nero’s persecution of the Christians.

Vatican City The Vatican City is a separate country that is inside the city of Rome. There is a wall around the city and it is very small for a country - only 110 acres! It is owned and governed by the Catholic Church. The Pope has supreme power over all aspects of the government.

Pope Francis Pope Francis is the current Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in 1936 and he comes from Argentina. In March 2013 he was elected Pope and chose the name Francis in honour of Saint Francis of Assissi. Pope Francis is the 266th pope but the first Francis. He is also the first pope to come from the Americas. He speaks Spanish, Italian and German.

Over to you…(Activity 1) You have been asked to produce an article on Rome for your school magazine. Use as much information as you can from this presentation for your article. You should include:- Some facts about the geography of Rome Some facts about the history of Rome Places to visit People to see

Test your friends… (Activity 2) Make up a class quiz entitled “All about Rome”. Your quiz should include twenty questions about different aspects of Rome. For each question, give a multiple choice of four possible answers. Only one is correct, of course!

Research …(Activity 3) Do some research on your own city, or a city close to where you live. Find out as much as you can about the city’s history, geography and places of interest. Does the city have a motto? Does the city have a patron saint?