Travel guide to Rome by Europe-Cities

The name of the town is generally considered to refer to Romulus, one of the two twin brothers (the other one named Remus) that are believed to have founded Rome in 753 BC. However, recent studies seem to prefer a provenance from an Indo-European root meaning ?river? - Rome would then mean ?the town on the river?.
Etruscans are said to have been the first tribe that ruled the Apennine Peninsula until 509 BC, when it became the seat of the Roman Kingdom inhabited by people of Ital origins, later turned into the Roman Republic. It gradually extended its territory and influence, and officially became an Empire during the rule of Julius Caesar's nephew Octavian, who renamed himself Augustus in 31 BC. The country?s dominium included not only the majority of Europe, but also North Africa, Asia Minor and Near East.
The expansion was spreading out rapidly and throughout the next centuries the Roman Empire reached its greatest success both at home and abroad, and this glory prompted an obsession of building in Rome, with each successive emperors leaving his mark on the city. Nero built the Domus Aurea, Vespasian the Colosseum, Trajan the famous column, and Hadrian's bullish mausoleum (which later became the St. Angel Castle).
When the Christian emperor Constantine transferred most of his court to Byzantium early in the 4th century AD, Rome's status started to decline. The country struggled with bigger and bigger invasions of barbarians. Despite heroic battles and great resistance of Romans, the Great Empire officially broke up in 476 AD being conquered by the Germanic emperor Odoacer. The last blow dealt to the Western Roman Empire was the attack of Lombards in 568 AD who flooded the whole Apennine Peninsula and destroyed most of the towns.
In the mediaeval times the city revived in fits and became the capital of the Papal State - the only centre of Christianity and the seat of the popes who, by the mid-15th century, tended at making a good impression on others surrounding themselves with outstanding Italian artists including Raphael, Bernini, Borromini and many others. Their work added splendour to the Roman architecture.
However, the rise of the Protestant church, the Counter-Reformation, the French Revolution and Napoleonic invasion greatly reduced significance of Rome.
During the mid-19th century Rome was held at various times by the French until it finally became the capital of a unified Italy in 1870 and has this status till present day.
Today, Rome remains an administrative and tourist centre with the Vatican City as an independent enclave within the city zone.
The Roman greatness and magnificence irreversibly collapsed but its civilisation developed the Latin language that has survived the ages and nowadays it is one of the fundamental elements in contemporary linguistics, and the source of the Romance languages. It is to this day the official language of the Catholic Church and the Vatican

Rome tourist information