# data[].attributes.body
Romulus was the legendary founder and first king of Rome. Various traditions attribute the establishment of many of Rome's oldest legal, political, religious, and social institutions to Romulus and his contemporaries.

# data[].attributes.body
According to tradition, on April 21, 753 B.C., Romulus and his twin brother, Remus, found Rome on the site where they were suckled by a she-wolf as orphaned infants.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Rome, Italian Roma, historic city and capital of Roma provincia (province), of Lazio regione (region), and of the country of Italy. Rome is located in the central portion of the Italian peninsula, on the Tiber River about 15 miles (24 km) inland from the Tyrrhenian Sea. Once the capital of an ancient republic and empire whose armies and polity defined the Western world in antiquity and left seemingly indelible imprints thereafter, the spiritual and physical seat of the Roman Catholic Church, and the site of major pinnacles of artistic and intellectual achievement, Rome is the Eternal City, remaining today a political capital, a religious centre, and a memorial to the creative imagination of the past. Area city, 496 square miles (1,285 square km); province, 2,066 square miles (5,352 square km). Pop. (2011) city, 2,617,175; province, 3,997,465; (2022 est.) city, 2,761,632; province, 4,222,631.

Character of the city

For well over a millennium, Rome controlled the destiny of all civilization known to Europe, but then it fell into dissolution and disrepair. Physically mutilated, economically paralyzed, politically senile, and militarily impotent by the late Middle Ages, Rome nevertheless remained a world power-as an idea. The force of Rome the lawgiver, teacher, and builder continued to radiate throughout Europe. Although the situation of the popes from the 6th to the 15th century was often precarious, Rome knew glory as the fountainhead of Christianity and eventually won back its power and wealth and reestablished itself as a place of beauty, a source of learning, and a capital of the arts.

Rome's contemporary history reflects the long-standing tension between the spiritual power of the papacy and the political power of the Italian state capital. Rome was the last city-state to become part of a unified Italy, and it did so only under duress, after the invasion of Italian troops in 1870. The pope took refuge in the Vatican thereafter. Rome was made the capital of Italy (not without protests from Florence, which had been the capital since 1865), and the new state filled the city with ministries and barracks. Yet the Catholic church continued to reject Italian authority until a compromise was reached with Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini in 1929, when both Italy and Vatican City recognized the sovereignty of the other. Mussolini, meanwhile, created a cult of personality that challenged that of the pope himself, and his Fascist Party tried to re-create the glories of Rome's imperial past through a massive public works program.

Since Mussolini's fall and the traumas of World War II, when the city was occupied by Germans, politics have continued to dominate Rome's agenda-although regionalism began, in the 1980s, to devolve some political power away from the capital. Lagging behind Milan and Turin economically, Rome has maintained a peripheral place within the Italian and European economies. It also has been plagued with perennial housing shortages and traffic congestion. However, the late 20th and early 21st centuries brought increased efforts to resolve Rome's infrastructural problems and to foster a Roman cultural revival.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rome | Italy, History, Map, Population, Climate, & Facts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Rome, historic city and the capital of Italy. It is in the central part of the Italian peninsula, on the Tiber River. Once capital of an ancient republic and empire and seat of the Roman Catholic Church, it became the site of major pinnacles of artistic and intellectual development and is called the Eternal City.

# data[].attributes.body
Rome has more fountains than any other city on the planet.

The Pantheon is the only ancient building in pristine condition.

A heavenly lightshow takes place at the Pantheon on Rome's birthday.

Cats have special rights.

It's technically the capital of 2 countries.

The Spanish Steps aren't Spanish.

# data[].attributes.body
Construction lasted from 1732 to 1762. The fountain's fame is in part the result of the many films that featured the Trevi Fountain, including La Dolce Vita, Angels and Demons, The Lizzie McGuire Movie and Roman Holiday. The almost 30-metre high Trevi Fountain was built against the back of the Palazzo Poli building.

# data[].attributes.body
The Trevi Fountain is one of the oldest water sources in Rome.

Salvi was not the original architect.

You can thank gambling for the fountain's existence.

It's made from the same material as the Colosseum.

And it uses a lot of water.

# data[].attributes.body
Roman animals were the elephant which became a symbol of Roman power and the success of its Emperors.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This is a word search about Italy. A fun bit of trivia to challenge your mind.

# data[].attributes.headline
12 things that an American girl sees in Rome 

# data[].attributes.subject
12 things that an American girl sees in Rome 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I spent last fall traveling around Europe and got to visit Rome for the first time.

The pizza is square, there are plenty of clean drinking fountains, and gelato shops are open late.

I also surprisingly liked my hop-on/hop-off tour, but I wish I had more time in the city.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Rome for the first time.

Last fall, I worked remotely and traveled across Europe, visiting friends and exploring some of the big cities I'd heard so much about.

I went to a few places in Italy during my childhood, but I'd never been to the capital, so I was excited to see Rome.

I spent two days and three nights sightseeing, eating, and trying to soak in the Eternal City. But there were plenty of surprises along the way.

Water fountains are everywhere, and they're safe to drink from.

Around Rome, there are hundreds of free water fountains or " nasonis."

The water in most of the decorative fountains around the city is recycled. But when you see a thin hooked spout on a cylindrical fountain, that's potable water. Nasoni means "big nose," and that's kind of what the spout looks like.

It was very refreshing to be able to just carry a bottle around and know I'd be able to find a good water source wherever I want, especially because some restaurants charge for water.

Pizza can come in square slices.

I was really excited to grab a slice of pizza and stroll around the streets of Rome.

I'm used to seeing triangular slices cut out of circular pies. But I was surprised to see that many of the grab-and-go places bake pizzas in large rectangular trays and sell square slices by weight.

Called "pizza al taglio," this variety was supposedly invented in Rome, but it's also found around the country.

It's a pretty quick and cheap lunch. One sizable rectangle cost me about 3 euros, or $3.25.

The Vatican really isn't hard to get to.

I knew Vatican City was close, but I didn't realize just how accessible it was from Rome.

It's just across the river - a few stops on the Line A metro.

If you're into walking, you can cross the picturesque St. Angelo bridge and stop by the Castel Sant'Angelo before making your way to the Vatican.

And there's more to see there than the Sistine Chapel.

Although the Sistine Chapel was what I'd heard about most, it's not the only thing the Vatican has to offer.

Before entering the sacred room, I weaved through countless others adorned with stunning statues and ornate frescoes.

I also wasn't aware that you can't take pictures in the chapel, so some of these other rooms are great places to snap pics.

Gelato shops are open late.

On the first night, I went to Rome's popular gelato shop, Giolitti, around 10:30 p.m.

But I was surprised to see the place is open until midnight.

Perusing other shops, I noticed that many of them are also open into the wee hours of the morning if you're looking for a late-night snack.

Although coffee may be abundant, chai lattes seem to be nonexistent.

I'm not a huge coffee drinker, but I like to drink chai lattes on occasion. I'll even make them "dirty" with a shot of espresso if I'm about to embark on a day of sightseeing.

But all the coffee shops I walked into informed me that they didn't have them, and a quick Google search affirmed that the drink isn't very common in Rome.

I did see a lot of "American coffee," though, which I was disappointed to learn was just black coffee.

Most pedestrians boldly cross the street without a light.

I'd heard a bit about the chaotic roads of Rome, but nothing compared to experiencing them for myself.

Despite the turbulent drivers, I learned that cars will often stop for pedestrians, even if there's no light.

It took a bit to get used to, and I definitely had a few standoffs where I made some drivers mad. But by the end of the trip, I found myself instructing other tourists on the street-crossing norms.

Black Friday has found its way to Rome.

I'd always thought Black Friday was a solely American phenomenon, especially since it's tied to Thanksgiving.

But during my November trip, I was surprised to see that various shops in Rome seemed to capitalize on the holiday, boasting all sorts of Black Friday sales.

The Colosseum is next to some other equally cool sites.

As the largest ancient amphitheater, the Colosseum is, understandably, one of Rome's main attractions. But it's right next to some other must-see sites.

Right across are the temples and still-surviving structures of the Roman Forum, which was the center of life in ancient Rome. There's also Palatine Hill, the most central of the city's seven famous hills.

A few blocks away is the Circus Maximus, where ancient Romans used to participate in chariot races.

Hop-on/hop-off tours are actually a good time.

I saw hop-on/hop-off double-decker tour buses in many different European cities throughout my travels, and I always kind of sneered at them. But because I only had two full days in Rome, I decided it would be the best way to maximize my time.

I got a 48-hour pass for about 26 euros, which meant I could get on and off as much as I wanted in that time period.

On the first day, the bus' cover protected me from what was unfortunately a rainy afternoon in Rome. On the second day, a blistered foot was bothering me on my trek to Circus Maximus from the Colosseum, and the bus almost magically appeared ahead of me.

One thing that disappointed me was that the various stops weren't as close to the landmarks as purported. But it still sped things up.

Rome has a rich Jewish quarter.

Throughout my European travels, I've made a point to visit each city's Jewish quarters to connect with my heritage.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Roman Ghetto, which has a beautiful synagogue and ample kosher food options.

I couldn't get everything done in two days.

As soon as I got to Rome, I realized I'd made a mistake by only allowing myself two full days in the city.

Because my first day was rainy, I ended up jam-packing way too much into the second.

I think I really maximized my time - thanks to the hop-on/hop-off tour bus. But I definitely didn't get to see all that I wanted to.

Read the original article on Insider

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
I'm an American who went to Rome for the first time. Here are 12 things that surprised me.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I spent last fall traveling around Europe and got to visit Rome for the first time. The pizza is square, there are plenty of clean drinking fountains, and gelato shops are open late. I also surprisingly liked my hop-on/hop-off tour, but I wish I had more time in the city.