9781422283653

MA J O R World Cities

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Bridgeman Art Library London & New York /British Library, London 8r, /Guildhall Library, Corporation of London 10b, 24b, /Private Collection 9b, 9t, 40t, /Private Collection /Stapleton Collection 41t, /Victoria and Albert Museum, London 40b; Colorsport 35b; Robert Harding Picture Library 4, 31t, 36t, 39t; Hayes Davidson/Nick Wood 42t; Hulton Getty 11t, 27br: © Museum of London 81; Courtesy CoStar 43t; Chino/Wiki 33b; Rex Features 11b, 38b, 39b; © Tate Gallery, London 1999 37b; Weidenfeld Archives 10t; /Lloyds of London 24t. Dreamstime: Dennis Kelly 4t, Yolfran 15r, Lornet 14; Virz87 15; Tomas1111 17t; Tupungato 21; Kcho 26b; Raluca Tudor 26t; Bokstaz 28t; Miluxian 30; Adrian Laurentiu Romaniuc 32b; Nito100 34; Pcyber 35b; Steve Vas/Featureflash 35t, 38r, Chris Harvey 41b, Rinofelino 42t; Darios44 42b; Evem8b 43.

Words in bold are explained in the glossary on pages 46 and 47.

MA J O R World Cities BEIJING BERLIN

LONDON MOSCOW NEW YORK

PARIS ROME SYDNEY

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5 Map of the city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 Ancient Rome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9 After the Roman Empire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 The Vatican City State. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13 The people of Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15 Architecture.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17 Open spaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19 Homes and housing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21 Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23 Religion.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-25 Industry and finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27 Getting around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-29 Shops and markets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-31 Food and drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-33 Entertainment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-35 Museums and galleries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-37 Special events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38-39 City characters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40-41 The future of Rome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42-43 Timeline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44-45 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46-47 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Rome is the capital city of Italy. It is also the capital

of the region of Lazio. Rome lies in central Italy, on the River Tiber. In

ancient times Rome was the center of a powerful empire. It is still a great historic and cultural capital, visited every year by millions of tourists from all over the world. The modern city covers almost 500 square miles (1,285 square kilometers) and is home to more than 2.6 million people. The Vatican, an independent state , lies within the city of Rome.

Seven Hills Ancient Rome was founded alongside the River Tiber near a small island called Tiber Island. The city grew up on seven hills on the east bank of the Tiber—the Aventine, Capitoline, Celian, Esquiline, Palatine, Quirinal and Viminal. Today, the city extends far beyond these original seven hills. The Vatican City State is on the west bank of the Tiber on another small hill called Monte Vaticano.

⌂ People enjoy a warm

evening by Neptune’s Fountain in the Piazza Navona. The square has three fountains. The largest is the Fountain of the Four Rivers (see page 17).

⌂ Tiber Island, in the River Tiber. The island is linked with the north bank by the oldest bridge in Rome, built in 62 BC.

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FAST FACTS ROME STATUS Capital of Italy and of the region of Lazio AREA 496.3 square miles (1,285 square kilometers) POPULATION 2,627,000 (2012) GOVERNING BODY Council (Commune di Roma) led by a mayor CLIMATE Temperatures average 68 to 86°F (20 to 30°C) in summer and 50°F (I0°C) in winter TIME ZONE Greenwich Mean Time plus 1 hour (2 hours in summer) CURRENCY Euro OFFICIAL LANGUAGE Italian

The Palazzo Senatorio is in the Piazza del Campidoglio. It houses the offices of the mayor of Rome. ⌂

Capital city Rome became the capital of Italy in 1870. The population of Rome at that time was only 200,000, but 30 years later it had more than doubled. It has continued to grow ever since as more and more people have moved to Rome from the surrounding areas. Pilgrims and visitors Rome has been a magnet for pilgrims and tourists for centuries. More than 13 million visitors traveled to Rome during the year 2014. The city has many attractions—the ruined remains of Ancient Rome, beautiful Renaissance palaces and fine museums and galleries. People also come to visit the Vatican, the center of the Roman Catholic Church.

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MAP OF THE CITY

This map shows central Rome as it is today. Many of the buildings, parks and other places mentioned in the book are marked.

Vatican City St. Peter’s Vatican Museums Sistine Chapel St. Peter’s Square Villa Doria Pamphilj Janiculum Hill Botanical Gardens Trastevere

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10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

Castle St Angelo St. Angelo Bridge Piazza Navona Pantheon Ghetto Tiber Island Aventine Hill Piazza Venezia Victor Emmanuel Monument Capitoline Museums Capitoline Hill Forum Farnese Gardens

Palatine Hill Colosseum Celian Hill Spanish Steps Villa Medici Villa Borghese Temple of Diana Trevi Fountain

Quirinal Hill Viminal Hill National Museum of Rome Church of Santa Maria Maggiore Esquiline Hill

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ANCIENT ROME

According to the Ancient Roman historian, Livy, Rome was founded

in 753 bce by Romulus. Livy’s account of early Rome is based on legend, although we know that there was a real settlement on the site of present-day Rome by the 8th century bce. As this settlement grew it came under the rule of the Etruscans . It was probably Etruscans who drained marshes between the seven hills (see page 4) to create the Forum (see page 16).

ROMULUS AND REMUS According to legend, twin brothers Romulus and Remus were abandoned at birth on the banks of the River Tiber. A she-wolf found the twins and cared for them (above) until they were rescued by a shepherd. When they grew up, the brothers decided to start a settlement on the hills above the river. They quarrelled about who should be king. Romulus climbed to the top of the Palatine, while Remus ran up the Aventine. Six vultures flew over the Aventine, which Remus thought was a sign that he would be king—but then 12 vultures flew over Romulus’ hill. Romulus later murdered Remus and became the first king of Rome.

The Republic of Rome In 509 bce Livy states that the Romans overthrew the Etruscan rulers and set up a Republic . This was run by officials called consuls , who were elected every year. Over the following centuries the Republic became more and more powerful as the Romans took over other tribes, including the Etruscans. The power of the Roman Republic brought it into conflict with the Carthaginians, who controlled much of North Africa and Spain. The wars between Rome and Carthage, known as the Punic Wars , lasted for 120 years.

This painting shows the Carthaginian leader, Hannibal, leading his troops across the Alps to attack the Romans. ⌂

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Imperial Rome Republican Rome came to an end in 27 bce , and the Roman Empire began. The first emperor was Augustus, who greatly improved the city. He divided it into 14 areas, each one run by officials. He set up a fire brigade and a police force. He constructed many buildings, boasting that he transformed a city made of brick into one made of marble. Later emperors continued to build in These powerful people were called patricians. The ordinary people of Rome were known as plebeians. In 494 bce the plebeians rebelled against patrician rule. The result was the election of two plebeian representatives, called tribunes, and a written code of law called the Twelve Tables, displayed in the Forum. Patricians and Plebeians The elected consuls in the Roman Republic were guided by a council called the Senate. Only the richest people in Rome could vote for the consuls, or be in the Senate.

Julius Caesar was one of Ancient Rome’s greatest leaders. He came to power in 49 bce. Five years later he was murdered on his way to a meeting in the Senate.

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Rome and to expand the Empire. During the 1st and early 2nd century ad Rome was a magnificent city, with a population of more than one million.

The fall of the Empire In the 3rd century ad the Romans found it increasingly hard to control their huge empire. Foreign tribes were threatening to invade and there was a risk of civil war . To try to protect the city, Emperor Aurelius built a huge wall, the Aurelian Wall, around Rome. Nevertheless the city was raided and looted in 410 by the Visigoths and in 455 by the Vandals . In 476 the western half of the Roman Empire collapsed, completely overrun by foreign tribes.

A maid brushes her mistress’ hair. This stone sculpture is from Tunisia in North Africa, part of the Roman Empire. ⌂

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AFTER THE ROMAN EMPIRE After the collapse of the Roman Empire, Rome fell into decline. There were many invasions, and the population of the city fell. At the same time Rome became a center of the Christian Church, headed by the pope .

This view of Rome was drawn in 1493. On the right is Castle St. Angelo (see page 13) and on the far left is the edge of

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the Colosseum (see page 16).

Families at war Rome was a lawless and derelict city in the 14th century. The city’s water supply was cut off, its buildings were ravaged by fire, earthquake and war, and its population was reduced to less than 20,000 by the Black Death . Rome’s noble families (see page 14) waged war against each other, their followers running riot through the ruined buildings and streets of the city. Renaissance Rome The reign of Pope Martin V (1417-31) marked the start of a new era in Rome’s history. Pope Martin began to clean up and restore the crumbling, filthy city. His reign was also the start of papal rule in Rome, which lasted until 1870. It was Pope Nicholas V (1447-55) who brought the Renaissance to Rome. He founded the Vatican Library (see page 37) and planned the rebuilding of St. Peter’s (see page 12). Later popes continued to bring scholars and artists from all over Italy, turning Rome once again into a magnificent city.

Sixtus IV was pope from 1471-84. He founded the Sistine Chapel (see page 37).

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Invasions and independence In 1798 French troops commanded by Napoleon marched into Rome and took control of the city. Rome became a Republic once again, but papal rule was restored in the city in 1814. In 1861 the many small Italian states were combined to make one country. Rome became the capital of the unified Italy in 1870. The pope at that time, Pius XI, did not want to be part of this country, so he shut himself inside the Vatican. Later popes did the same until, nearly 60 years later, the Vatican became an independent state (sec page 12).

In 1527 the armies of Charles V of Spain attacked Rome and sacked the city. They burned and destroyed buildings and stole many precious works of art. The pope fled to Castle St. Angelo (see page 13). ⌂

Benito Mussolini marching at the head of his troops. This photograph was taken in 1935 outside the Venezia Palace in Rome. ⌂

Fascism and beyond After 1870 the government of the newly unified Italy made its home in Rome. Then in 1922 the Fascists , led by Benito Mussolini , marched on the city and gained power. Mussolini took Italy into World War II in 1940 on the side of the Germans. After several Italian defeats the German leader, Adolf Hitler, sent German troops to occupy Rome. Mussolini was finally captured and killed in 1945. After the end of the war, the Italian people voted for their country to become a Republic.

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THE VATICAN CITY STATE The Vatican is the world’s smallest nation. It has an area of 0.27 square miles (0.44 square kilometers) and a population of fewer than 500. It lies within the

city of Rome, but is an independent state, with its own post office, telephone network, currency and banking system. The head of state is the pope . Early history In 67 AD St. Peter (see page 24) was executed on a spot west of the Tiber. In 90 AD a small shrine was built there, and in the 320s, a basilica was erected on the site of the shrine. This was the first St. Peter’s. In the 9th century Pope Leo IV built a high wall that went around the Vatican and Castle St. Angelo to protect St. Peter’s from attack. After the sack of Rome in 1527 (see page 11), the pope moved to the east side of the river. Later popes also lived here until 1870, when Rome became capital of a united Italy and the pope once more retreated behind the safety of the walls of the Vatican (see page 11).

St. Peter’s Basilica is the center of the Roman Catholic Church, visited by thousands of pilgrims every year. ⌂

The Lateran Treaty In 1929 the Lateran Treaty was agreed

between Pope Pius XI and the Fascist leader, Benito Mussolini (see page 11). This treaty made the Vatican an independent state with the pope as its head. The government also paid the Vatican compensation for the loss of papal lands in 1870 and ruled that its people did not have to pay taxes.

The Vatican has its own special stamps. These stamps show famous popes from the past as well as details from St. Peter’s. ⌂

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The impressive view across the square in front of St. Peter’s. The obelisk in the center was brought to Rome from Egypt in 37 AD. ⌂

Choosing a pope When the pope dies, a new pope is chosen as quickly as possible. This is done in secret inside the Vatican. People outside watch the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. If white smoke comes out of the chimney, a new pope has been chosen.

The Swiss Guards The Vatican has its own private army to protect its inhabitants. The members of this force are all male, between 19 and 30 years of age, Catholic and Swiss. They are called the Swiss Guards and they wear bright red, yellow and blue uniforms, said to have been designed by Michelangelo . The Swiss Guards were brought to the Vatican by Pope Julius II in 1506 after the pope had been impressed by their skill in battle. They were used as a fighting force until 1825, after which they became the pope’s force of bodyguards. THE SECRET PASSAGE When Pope Leo IV built the wall around the Vatican, he also created a small corridor, the passetto , between the Vatican buildings and Castle St. Angelo. This corridor provided a useful means of escape to the castle if the Vatican buildings were under attack. It was used by Pope Alexander VI in 1494 to flee the invading French, and again by Pope Clement VII in 1527, when the Vatican was besieged by the armies of Charles V.

⌂ A Swiss Guard on duty at one of the entrances to St. Peter’s. Guards also watch over the priceless contents of the Vatican Museums.

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ROME

ΤΗΕ THE PEOPLE OF ROME When Rome became the capital of the newly united Italy in 1870, its population was 200,000. It was only the third largest Italian city after

Milan in the north and Naples in the south. The population soon increased, and by 1936 Rome was the largest city in Italy.

Noble families Some Roman families have existed for many generations. The Colonna dynasty claims to go back as far as the Etruscan s . Others, such as the Corsini, Orsini and Aldobrandini families, became powerful during the Renaissance . These families kept private armies, and they often fought each other. Many popes came from these mighty dynasties.

Everyday life on the Via del Corso. Many Romans get around the city on motorbikes and mopeds (see page 28). ⌂

Keeping up appearances Visitors to Italy are often amazed at how stylish the Italian people are. Most Romans take great pride in their appearance, and try to look their best at all times. This is known in Italy as la bella figura (“keeping up appearances”). Appearance is so important that in 1989 the city of Rome introduced a law allowing the police to fine anyone in a public place who is not properly dressed— for example a man without a shirt.

Shoppers and diners on Via Della Vite, one of the many busy and fashionable streets of Rome. ⌂

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