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Rome is the capital of Italy. This sprawling
modern city has many ancient monuments. Rome’s history goes back more than
2,500 years. Because of its age, Rome is often called the Eternal City. Rome’s
many art treasures and historic buildings make the city an important center of
European culture.
ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME
In ancient times, Rome was the center of a mighty
Roman empire. The empire lasted nearly 500 years, into the ad 400s. Roman armies conquered the
lands that are now Italy, Greece, Great Britain, France, and Egypt. The Romans
built many roads from Rome to distant parts of their empire. This network of
roads led to a saying that “All roads lead to Rome.”
The Roman Empire’s influence is still present. The
Romans spread their language, Latin, throughout Europe. Latin is the basis for
Italian, French, Spanish, and other European languages.
AWESOME ARCHITECTURE
The ancient Romans were great builders. Several of
their buildings still stand today. They are among Rome’s famous landmarks.
The Pantheon is a temple dedicated to the many
Roman gods of mythology. The Roman Colosseum is a four-story amphitheater. An
amphitheater is like a football stadium. The Colosseum is where Roman citizens
once watched gladiators fight to the death. The Roman Forum was the political
center of ancient Rome. The senate building and law courts were there, along
with shops and religious buildings.
GREAT ART
Many artists painted in Rome. The most famous of
them is Michelangelo. He lived 500 years ago. Thousands of people visit Rome
each year to see his art.
Visitors to the Vatican stare in wonder at the
beautiful murals that Michelangelo painted on the ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel. The murals show scenes from the first book of the Bible, the Book of
Genesis.
VATICAN CITY
Vatican City is the headquarters of the Roman
Catholic Church. The pope lives at the Vatican. He is the head of the Catholic
Church. There are more than a billion Catholics worldwide, making Roman
Catholicism the largest Christian religion.
Vatican City is an independent country within
Rome. It is the smallest country in the world.
LEGENDARY BEGINNING
Did you know that a wolf is the official
symbol for the city of Rome?
Legend says that an evil king tried to kill
twin baby boys called Romulus and Remus by throwing them into the Tiber River.
A female wolf found the boys washed ashore. She raised the twins. When the boys
grew to be young men, they overthrew the evil king.
Romulus then founded the city of Rome on the banks
of the Tiber. That was over 2,500 years ago.
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