Capital of Italy, called the Eternal City, it is one of the world's richest cities in history and art and one of its great cultural, religious, and intellectual centres.
It is Italy's largest and most populous city, with more than 2,7 million residents. Although the city centre is about 24 kilometres (14.9 mi) inland from the Tyrrhenian Sea, the city territory extends to the coast. The altitude of the central part of Rome ranges from 13 m (43 ft) above sea level (at the base of the Pantheon) to 139 m (456 ft) above sea level (the peak of Monte Mario). The Municipality of Rome covers an overall area of about 1,285 km2 (496 sq mi), including many green areas.

Rome's early history is shrouded in legend. According to Roman tradition, the city was founded by the twins Romulus and Remus on April 21, 753 BC. The original settlement developed on hills which faced onto a ford beside the Tiber island, the only natural ford on the river. The historic centre of Rome was built on seven hills: the Aventine, the Caelian, the Capitoline, the Esquiline, the Palatine, the Quirinal, and the Viminal.

The city is also crossed by another river the Aniene with joins the Tiber north of the historic centre.

Today, Rome is a modern, cosmopolitan city; due to its influence in politics, media, the arts and culture, Rome has been described as a global city.

As one of the few major European cities that escaped World War II relatively unscathed, central Rome remains essentially Renaissance and Baroque in character.
The historic centre of Rome is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
The city, which is globally perceived as the second most exciting and attractive city in the world (according to City Brands Index) attracts over 26 million tourists per year.

Rome is the seat of the Italian Government. The official residences of the President of the Italian Republic and the Italian Prime Minister, the seats of both houses of the Italian Parliament and that of the Italian Constitutional Court are located in the historic centre.
It is governed by a Mayor, currently Giovanni Alemanno, and a city council. The seat of the municipal council is on the Capitoline Hill, the historic seat of government in Rome.

Rome is also the seat of major international organisations under the aegis of the United Nations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Program (WFP), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Rome has traditionally been heavily involved in the process of European political integration.
In 1957 the city hosted the signing of the Treaty of Rome, which established the European Economic Community (predecessor to the European Union), and also played host to the official signing of the proposed European constitution in July 2004.

Rome is unique in having a sovereign state located entirely within its city limits, the Vatican City.
The Vatican is an enclave of Rome and a sovereign possession of the Holy See, the supreme government of the Roman Catholic Church.

From the point of view of tourism, Rome offers a wide cultural heritage to visit and enjoy: monuments, squares, churches, museums, landscapes, walks and other marvels that are impossible to summarize in few lines.