Rome

About

Rome is the capital city and most populated comune (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special comune named Roma Capitale with a population of 2.7 million in an area of 1,287.36 km2 (497.1 mi2), Rome is the third most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. The Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, with a population of 4.2 million, is the most populous metropolitan city in Italy. Its metropolitan area is the third-most populous within Italy. Rome is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, within Lazio (Latium), along the shores of the Tiber Valley. Vatican City is an independent country inside the city boundaries of Rome, the only existing example of a c

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Why visit

Visit Rome for ancient ruins, churches, painting, sculpture, archives, food culture, and the rare density of historical layers still visible in ordinary streets. The Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon, Vatican, Trastevere, Galleria Borghese, Capitoline Museums, and neighborhood churches should not be treated as one list. They belong to different Romes: ancient, papal, Renaissance, Baroque, national, and contemporary. A first visit works best by area. Pair one major ancient site with nearby churches and streets, or one museum with a walk that explains its setting. With more time, add Ostia Antica, Tivoli, Appian Way walks, and smaller churches where the city is easier to read.

When to avoid

Rome can be exhausting if you plan it as a sequence of famous sights. Heat, queues, uneven pavements, traffic, church hours, museum reservations, and distance between sites all matter. Book the Vatican, Colosseum area, and Galleria Borghese in advance. Avoid high summer if you dislike heat and crowds. Pickpocketing is common around transport and tourist routes, and restaurants near the main monuments can be poor value. Rome rewards patience more than speed.