Rome is a must-visit destination of thousands of people, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s perfect for a bustling city break and if you have the time to stay for a little longer, it can be combined with a visit to nearby Tuscany or Umbria.
Here for your perusal are just a few of our favourite facts about the eternal city:
- The population of the city of Rome is around 2.7 million. The entire metropolitan area of Rome has an estimated 3.7 million people
- The official language in Rome is Italian, and they use the Euro.
- Every night at the Trevi Fountain about 3,000 Euros are swept up from the bottom of the basin. The money is donated to Caritas, a catholic charity, who uses the money to provide services for needy families in Rome.
- Modern Rome has 280 fountains and more than 900 churches.
- Rome’s mascot is a she-wolf that cared for the brothers Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome.
- There is a law in Rome that allows cats to live without disruption in the place where they were born; there are hundreds of wild cats climbing the walls of the Colosseum, and sleeping among the ruins of the Forum.
- The Roman Emperor Trajan built the first-ever shopping mall between 107 and 110 AD!
- Rome attracted 12.6 million tourists in 2013 with the Vatican Museums welcoming 5.5 million and the Colosseum 5.1 million visitors.
- Rome has a sovereign state located entirely in its city limits, the Vatican City. Vatican is the world’s smallest state and ruled by the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.
- Rome’s first university, La Sapienza (est. A.D. 1303), is the largest in Europe and the second largest in the world.
If you are dying to visit Italy take a look at some of our holidays in Italy, from ski holidays to cookery classes and horse riding to spa breaks.