Top 20 Facts about the city of Rome

By Dhermreck – wikimedia

Top 20 Facts about the city of Rome

The adage goes that Rome was not built in a day. This great Italian city was indeed built for over 1000 years. It was ruled by at least seven kings.

Rome became the capital city of Italy in 1870, long after the fall of the Roman Empire. It also serves as the capital of the Lazio region.

Early this year, the city of Rome was ranked as a global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. 

In 2019, Rome was the leading tourist destination in Italy, 3rd most visited city in the Europe Union and the 11th most visited city in the world.

Here are 20 facts about the eternal city.

1. The city of Rome is named after Romulus, he was adopted by a she-wolf

By Rabax63 -wikimedia

Legend has it that twin brothers Romulus and Remus were abandoned at birth. They were allegedly descendants of the god Mars.

A she-wolf adopted the two brothers and fed, they were later taken in by a shepherd until they were grown. 

The brothers decided to build a city and a fight ensued after they could not agree on who the leader would be. Romulus killed his brother and named the city Rome, after himself in 753 B.C.

2. Known for its prehistoric architecture

The city of Rome is known the world over for its prehistoric architecture. Tourists throng the city to marvel at over century-old buildings still standing and still well-kept. 

From ginormous cathedrals to vast ancient open-air theaters, the city of Rome remains to be among the best example of a seamless interaction of ancient and modern culture. 

Some main attractions in the city are the Colosseum, Roman Forum, the mausoleum of Augustus and the catacombs.

3. Home to leading designer trends and the nerve center of European culture

Fendi, Bulgari, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, just a mention of some top fashion giants that are headquartered here. 

Rome is that friend that sets the trend when it comes to fashion and culture and takes you with them. 

Trend-setting at the city goes way back to Roman times when it greatly influenced European culture. 

4. Home of past and present famous people

There are great men and women, both living and dead, that call Rome home.  

Julius Caesar, Giorgio Armani, Silvio Berlusconi, Livia Drusilla, Fulvi, these are some notable names in fashion and politics of Rome.

5. Among the oldest cities in  the world 

Believe it or not, the city of Rome has been standing for the last 2,800 years. 

This is only as far back as archeologists could go, but it is believed that human existence goes beyond 753 B.C.

It is the third most populous city in Europe with 2.8 million people.

6. Rome is home to over 900 Catholic churches

There are more than 1000 churches in Rome, 900 of them being Catholic. The Vatican is enclaved in Rome, it’s a pilgrim city.

7. Football club AC Roma Serie A

This is the city’s football club. It was founded in 1927 and has been in the top tier of Italian football.

Its colors are red and gold with the image of the she-wolf with two little boys reaching for her teats. 

This emblem has not been changed since Rome was founded, an illustration of the genesis of the city. They play at Stadio Olimpico.

8. Rome’s Trevi Fountain of charity

The fountain is an attraction to millions of tourists annually. When at the fountain, tourists throw coins over their shoulders, the tradition is done so that one will return to Rome.

This tradition leaves the fountain with coins worth over 3000 euros. The money is always donated to charity. It is illegal to steal coins from the fountain.

The fountain was named in honor of a young girl that led a group of perched soldiers to quench their thirst at the fountain.

9. The city of Fountains

Apart from the Trevi fountain, Rome has more than 2000 fountains both big and small. No other city in the world can match this.

There are fifty monumental fountains and hundreds of smaller fountains. These fountains have not only provided drinking water but also beautified the city of Rome.

10. Rome has one of the oldest bridges still standing today

Pon Fabricius is Rome’s oldest bridge built in 62 B.C and it’s 61 M long, 5.5 M wide.

It is a  clear testament of the ancient Roman creative engineering still in its original state. It connects Tiber island from the banks of the Tiber river. 

It is a pedestrian bridge since it’s too small for cars, still serving its purpose to date.

11. The genius behind the Roman  aqueducts 

By I, Lalupa, wikimedia

The Romans are known for their architecture and engineering that incorporated concrete in their construction. Did you know that it is the Romans who first invented the use of aqueducts? 

They used them to bring water into the city with the simple mechanics of gravity to pull water downwards.  The last standing aqueduct is Aqua Virgo in Rome although it is not in use.

12. Rome The eternal city

Rome is referred to as the eternal city because of its longevity. The ancient Romans believed that their city would still stand after all the rest have fallen. 

 Albius Tibullus was the first to refer to Rome as the eternal city in a poem from the 1st century.

13. The genesis of Rome were seven villages that were built on seven hills

Rome is built on seven hills, with five of them currently being sites for historical buildings and ruins of the ancient Rome. 

14. Get served a glass Fracasti wine in Rome

This wine is as old as the city of Rome. The ancient Romans called it the golden wine. In 1450, this wine was served in the 1,022 taverns in Rome owned by the winemakers.

It is mostly a great accompaniment for light pasta dishes and vegetables. Ancient Romans would mix their wine with some little water to purify it for drinking.

15. The most convenient way to get around Rome is public transport

By Tiia Monto [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

The buses are available 24hrs and the tickets are quite affordable.

16. The Jazz capital of Italy

There are at least 350 jazz concerts held in Rome every month. There are other jazz festivals held in Rome annually drawing many jazz fans 

It also plays host to some classical operas too.

17. Thirsty? Quench your thirst at the nearest fountain near you

Aix-en-Provence- by Daniel Arnold- Wikimedia Commons

Most people would be cautious of the water they drink especially when they are new in the country and do not know the source of the water.

Well, worry not, when in Rome, do as the Romans do, quench your thirst from any of the 2,500 fountains in the city.

There is an app that can help you locate a watering while walking in the city.

18. Rome’s Spanish steps

The Roman steps were built in 1723  by Francesco de Sanctis.

These steps were built to join the Trinità dei Monti church under the leadership of the king of France with the Spanish square. 

It was named after the Spanish embassy to the Holy See. It is used as a meeting point for people to relax.

19. Wild cats of Rome

There is an estimate of about 30,000 feral cats in the city of Rome. These cats call the Colosseum their home. In ancient Rome,  the cats were used as pest control for the rat nuisance in the city.

The city of Rome has a policy of not killing animals, they, therefore, consider them as part of the city. There is a cat sanctuary where volunteers take care and feed the cats.

20. A city within a City

By Johann Kleindl-wikimedia

Within the city of Rome is another city,  the Vatican holy see. This is the smallest independent state in the world. While in Rome, you can get to the Vatican, 4 km away.