The history of Rome
There is almost nobody who never heard the legend about Romulus and Remus. They were born to Princess Rhea Silvia who did not want them to be killed by their uncle Amulio. Therefore they were laid in wicker basket which was put into the Tiber River where they were found by the wolf who raised them well. After Romulus killed Remus, Rome was founded by him in 753 BC by combining several settlements. The name was given to the city after its founder, so Rome means “Romulus city”. In 6th century AD Rome was commanded by Etruscan kings. Later they were forced to leave and Rome became a republic which meant it started to be governed by the senate, not the King. The real power was in the hands of a few rich people – patricians. Consequently, Rome grew steadily until it conquered the whole Middle East countries and North Africa, including Spain. During the times of expansion, the Roman Empire stretched over the length of 4 thousands kilometres from the Red Sea to Scotland. Rome was the most politically important, richest and largest city in the Western World. Within 284-286 the empire was split into east and west. Under the rule of Emperor Constantine in 306-337, Rome was united again on the ground of the legalization of Christianity. The last Emperor of Rome was Romulus Augustus.
In 1527 Rome was plundered by the German and Spanish military units of the Emperor Charles V and later in 1797 it was occupied by Napoleon until 1814 when the religious state was restored again. The following years include unsuccessful attempt to create the Roman republic again. However, Italia became united in 1861 and in 1870 Rome was joined. Early after World War I., Rome was a witness of Italian Fascism which was guided by Benito Mussolini. In World War II, due to its status of an open city, Rome escaped the tragic destiny of other cities, but it was occupied until 1944 by the Germans.
After those wars, the city grew momentously during the post-war reconstruction and modernisation. It became a fashionable city in 1950s and 1960s which were the years of “the sweet life”. Due to its rich history Rome is a unique city where over 16% of the world´s cultural treasures are located.