UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST

GEOGRAPHY
HIDROLOGY-METEOROLOGY
120

Interesting Cities
ROME
Students:
Popescu Emanuela Georgiana
Stoica Stefan Bogdan
Vasile Ana Teodora
BUCHAREST 2016
BUCURESTI 2016

Rome is the capital ofItalyand of theLazioregion. With 2.9million residents

in 1,285km2, it is also the country's largest and most
populatedcomuneandfourth-most populous cityin the European Union by
population within city limits.
The city is located in the central-western portion of theItalian Peninsula,
within Lazio (Latium), along the shores ofTiberriver. TheVatican Cityis an
independent country geographically located within the city boundaries of Rome,
the only existing example of a country within a city: for this reason Rome has
been often defined as capital of two states.

Thefounding ofRomecan be investigated througharchaeology, but traditional

stories handed down by theancient Romansthemselves explain the earliesthistory of
their cityin terms oflegendandmyth. The most familiar of these myths, and perhaps
the most famous of allRoman myths, is the story ofRomulus and Remus, the twins who
were suckled by ashe-wolf.This story had to be reconciled with a dual tradition, set
earlier in time, the one that had theTrojan refugeeAeneasescape to Italy and found
the line of Romans through his son Iulus, the namesake of theJulio-Claudian dynasty.

TheRoman Empirewas the post-Roman Republicperiod of theancient Roman

civilization, characterized by government headed byemperorsand large territorial holdings
around theMediterranean Seain Europe, Africa and Asia. The city ofRomewas thelargest
cit in the worldc.100BCc.400AD, withConstantinople(New Rome) becoming the
largest around 500 AD,and the Empire's populace grew to an estimated 50 to 90million
inhabitants (roughly 20% of the world's population at the time). The 500-yearoldrepublicwhich preceded it was severely destabilized in a series ofcivil warsand
political conflict, during whichJulius Caesarwas appointed as perpetualdictatorand then
assassinated in 44 BC.

Romeis regarded as one of the world's most beautiful ancient cities,and

contains vast amounts of priceless works
ofart,palaces,museums,parks,churches,gardens,basilicas,temples,villas,piazzas,
theatres, and othervenuesin general. As one of the world's most important and
visited cities, there are numerous popular tourist attractions. In 2005, the city received
19.5 million global visitors, up of 22.1% from 2001.
The 5 most visited places in Rome are:
1. The Colosseum (4 million tourists a year)
2. Pantheon (3.75 million tourists a year)
3. Trevi Fountain (3.5 million tourists a year)
4. Sistine Chapel (3 million tourists a year)
5. The Roman Forum (2.5 million tourists a year).
The study was conducted by the Italian Tourism Bureau. Rome is the city with the
most monuments in the world.

Major tourist attractions

1. The Colosseum
The Colosseum is the largest and most famous amphitheater in the Roman world. Its
construction was started by emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty in 72 AD and was finished by his
son Titus in 80 AD. The Colosseum was capable of holding some 50,000 spectators who could enter the
building through no less than 80 entrances. The Colosseum today is a major tourist attraction in Rome
with thousands of tourists paying to view, what is left of, the interior arena.

2. St. Peter's Basilica

The center of the Catholic world and a major tourist attraction, the Basilica of St. Peter is a huge
church: with an interior height of 120m, the space shuttle, together with its booster rockets, could fit inside, as
could the Statue of Liberty. The basilica stands on the traditional site where Peter, the apostle who is
considered the first pope, was crucified and buried. Construction on the current building began in 1506 and
was completed in 1615. Many famous artists worked on the complex and its surroundings: Michelangelo
designed the dome while Bernini designed the great St. Peters Square.

3. Pantheon
It is a classical building in the city, originally built byMarcus Agrippaas
atempleto all the gods of Ancient Rome, and rebuilt in the early 2nd century AD. A
near-contemporary writer,Cassius Dio, speculates that the name comes from the
statues of many gods placed around the building, or from the resemblance of the
dome to the heavens.

4. Trevi Fountain
One of the most recognizable and iconic monuments in the city, the Trevi
Fountain was designed and completed in the 18th century. Tourists come to the
fountain in order to throw a coin, which is, according to a local legend, supposed to
bring good luck. It was also famous for having featured in a major scene ofFederico
Fellini's 1960La Dolce Vita.

5. Sistine Chapel
Found too in theVatican City, it contains a huge collection of paintings from
all periods, and is Rome's leading and most visited chapel. In 2007, the chapel received
3 million visitors, making it Rome's most popular chapel.

6. Roman Forum
The Forum of ancient Rome and the centre of the city's
politics and business at the time.

Bibliography
www.Wikipedia.com
http://www.touropia.com/tourist-attractions-in-rome/

Tha
you!