Rome

Rome is a town of 2,617,175 inhabitants in the province of Rome, in Lazio, Italy. It is the capital of Lazio.

The municipality covers 1307.71 km², with a density of 2,001 inhabitants per km².

The nearest airport is Rome Ciampino (CIA), about 14 km away as the crow flies. Read our guide to the airport.

The Eternal City

Rome has been the centre of an empire, of the Catholic Church and of modern Italy, and it shows its three thousand years of history at every corner. Ancient ruins, Renaissance palaces, Baroque fountains and lively neighbourhoods sit side by side, and the best way to discover them is on foot.

What to see

The heart of ancient Rome is the area of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, where the city was born. A short walk leads to the Capitoline Hill, designed by Michelangelo, and to the Pantheon, the best preserved temple of antiquity, with its open dome. The Baroque city spreads around Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps.

Across the Tiber lies the Vatican, an independent state, with St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums, home of the Sistine Chapel. Nearby, Trastevere is the place for an evening walk among cobbled lanes and trattorias. Don't miss the Borghese Gallery, the Baths of Caracalla and the Appian Way, lined with tombs and catacombs.

Food

Roman cooking is simple and strong: carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana, artichokes alla giudia in the old Jewish quarter, supplì and pizza by the slice. In the morning do as the Romans do: a cappuccino and a cornetto at the bar.

Around Rome

In an hour you can reach the villas of Tivoli, the ruins of Ostia Antica, the Castelli Romani wine towns and the beaches of the Lazio coast. Rome has two airports, Fiumicino and Ciampino, and its main station, Termini, links it to every Italian city.

Rome on the map

Nearby towns

All towns in the province of Rome →