About Rome
Rome is the capital city of Italy and it is located in the region of Lazio, halfway down Italy's western coast. It is Italy's largest and most populous city, with more than 2.7 million residents.
It is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River.
The original settlement developed on hills that faced onto a ford beside the Tiber Island, the only natural ford of the river. The historic centre of Rome was built on seven hills: the Aventine Hill, the Caelian Hill, the Capitoline Hill, the Esquiline Hill, the Palatine Hill, the Quirinal Hill, and the Viminal Hill. The city is also crossed by another river the Aniene which joins the Tiber north of the historic centre.
As one of the few major European cities that escaped World War II relatively unscathed, central Rome remains essentially Renaissance and Baroque in character. Rome is the third-most-visited tourist destination in the European Union, and its historic centre of Rome is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Climate
Rome enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate.It is at its most comfortable from April through June, and from mid-September to October; in particular, the Roman ottobrate (which can be roughly translated as the "beautiful October days") are famously known as sunny and warm days. By August, the temperature during the heat of the day often exceeds 32 °C (90 °F). The average high temperature in December is about 13 °C (55 °F), but subzero lows are not uncommon.
Life in Rome
Rome offers a wide range of interesting possibilities, thanks to its unique richness of history, culture and art. Visitors will have the amazing opportunity to travel through history while walking on its streets.
Day life doesn't only offer breathtaking views of the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Roman Forum, Piazza di Spagna with the Spanish Steps, or the Pantheon, but also surprises with ancient secrets and modern beauties in the narrow streets of the city center.
The Roman night is also full of places to go, from the old Trastevere neighborhood, to the very popular Campo de' Fiori, Piazza Navona and Testaccio, just to mention a few.
Art is everywhere in Rome. From the obvious choices of the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica, collections are also found in the Borghese Gallery, in the National Museum of Modern Art and in the Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia, near to Valle Giulia. Many churches and cathedrals hide precious masterpieces.
Borghese Gallery
www.galleriaborghese.it
National Gallery of Modern Art
www.gnam.beniculturali.it
Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia
www.villaborghese.it/musei_e_accademie/museo_nazionale_di_villa_giulia
Higher Education
The city is a nation-wide centre for higher education. Its first university, La Sapienza (founded in 1303), is the largest in Europe and the second-largest in the world, with more than 150,000 students attending. Two new public universities were founded: Tor Vergata in 1982, and Roma Tre in 1992, although the latter has now become larger than the former. Rome also contains a large number of pontifical universities and institutes.
Useful links:
http://www.rome.info/
http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/travel_guides/travel_tips.htm
http://www.enjoyrome.com/
http://www.livinginrome.com/info/rome-map-english.php
http://www.rome-tours.org/english/good-to-know.html
http://www.rome-guide.it/english/
