Rome

Rome (Roma) is the capital city of Italy. It is located on the Tiber river, in the central part of the country near the [Tyrrhenian Sea]?. Vatican City, most of which is located in an enclave within Rome, is the seat of the Pope of the Roman Catholic church (see under Catholicism).

Rome was the seat of the Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire.

By tradition, Rome was founded on 21 April 753 BC by Romulus, who killed in the process his twin brother named Remus.

Romulus and Remus were allegedly sons of the god Mars and the priestess Rhea Silvia, daughter of Numitore, king of Alba Longa. The boys were abandoned to save them from the hate of Amulio, a pretender to Alba Longa's throne, and taken care of by a she-wolf, even today one of the symbols of Rome.

Rome was built on the Sun hill, which was later named Palatine, and extended to include the seven hills (sette colli): Palatine, and Aventine, Capitoline, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline and Caelian, after the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.