Rome

Rome holidays are relatively easy to find and can be arranged on the high street or online. A trip to this beautiful metropolis is not worth missing either if you are looking for a break dripping in cultural heritage. The city accommodates over 2.7 million residents over an area of over 490 square miles, built by the River Tiber within the Lazio region of Italy.  The history of the city spans over a staggering 2,500 years and was once the capital of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. The historic Roman Empire dominated European territories for over 700 years until the seventh century AD. The city has since gone through several different states of existence and eventually settled as the capital of the Italian Republic in 1946 following the conclusion of the Second World War. The origins of Rome are unclear. The popular myth relating to the foundations of the city revolve around Romulus and Remus, two brothers raised by a she-wolf. As the two children grew into adults, they began building the historic city, but upon completion, an argument broke out over who should become ruler. The rift eventually led to the death of Remus, and Romulus named the new city after himself. Many historians have debated over this story for years, with many insisting that the tale is nothing more than a myth. However, most people do agree that the foundation of Rome occurred in the eighth century BC, although there is still some debate over the exact date.
Following the decline of the Roman Empire, the city spent many hundreds of years as the official home of the Pope until the foundation of the Vatican City (built within an enclave of Rome itself) in 1929. After the Middle Ages, the city was ruled by popes who transformed Rome into one of the major centres for renaissance art. Around Rome you can see many examples of such architecture and as a result, the city was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

About Rome

During the renaissance era, wealthy Popes funded large projects of grandeur and extravagance. The changes transformed Rome into one of the world’s centres for art, literature, music, education and culture.  Rome could now compete with any city in the world and artists such as Michelangelo and Pieta decorated its beautiful buildings and statues. The Napoleonic annex of the city eventually led to the fall of papal rule and the future of the city had changed forever. The eventual death of Napoleon led to the end of the French Empire’s hold on the city and in 1870, Italian soldiers recaptured Rome and it became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy in 1871. Given the city has such a rich history; you don’t have to go too far to experience a wealth of culture. Most tourists begin their trip by visiting the world famous Colosseum, a battle ground for slaves of the Roman Empire during its peak. The attraction is certainly a sight to behold and it has been exceptionally well looked after. The amphitheatre was build around 70 AD and is now regarded as a ‘wonder of the world’. As you might expect, Rome has a large collection of art galleries and museums to visit. Collections from famed artists such as Pannini and Bellotto can be found in its galleries as well as modern artists such as Balla or Morandi. Rome is also famed for its fabulous cuisine. Italian food is known across the world as one of the finest and the city does not disappoint. Classic dishes such as spaghetti carbonara and pizza are of the best you will find and you may want to try out dishes you may not find outside of Italy such as ‘saltimbocca alla romana’ – a veal cutlet cooked in the classic Roman style. Sport in the city is rife with football as the game of choice for most of the population. Teams such as Roma and Lazio both hail from this wonderful city as well as the country’s national rugby and soccer stadiums. The city is also in the running to host the 2020 Olympic Games too with Toronto, Brisbane, Montreal and Italian neighbours Milan as its rivals. Rome’s summer seasons are quite long and usually last between May and October, giving you plenty of time to get the best deal and enjoy the sun. During the height of the season around July, the precipitation levels are exceptionally low and you are sure to catch the sun with average temperatures of around 24 degree C. However, should you be browsing Rome city breaks in the winter, the temperatures are not too low with an average of around seven degrees C between December and January. To get the best temperatures and little less congestion at the main exhibitions, try visiting in late September just after the mad rush of the school summer holidays.