Rome, Italy

Painting in the Vatican Museum











Trevi Fountain






Rome (Italian and Latin: Roma) is the capital city of Italy. It is located on the Tiber and Aniene rivers, near the Mediterranean Sea. The Vatican City, a sovereign enclave within Rome, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church and the home of the Pope.
Rome is the largest city in Italy and its municipality is one of the largest in Europe with an area of 1290 square kilometers. It has a population of 2,546,807 (2004) with almost 4 million living in the metropolitan area.
Rome today is one of the most important tourist destinations of the world, due to its immense heritage of archaeological and artistic treasures, as well as for its unique traditions and the beauty of its views and its "villas" (parks). Among the most interesting resources, plenty of museums (Musei Capitolini, the Vatican Museums, Galleria Borghese, and a great many others), churches, historical buildings, the monuments and ruins such as the Roman Forum or the Catacombs.