DESTINATION ROME

Facts at a Glance

The non-mythical city was ruled by Etruscan kings until 510 BC, when it became a republic. By the 2nd century BC the city controlled central and southern Italy, had defeated the rival empire of Carthage in three Punic wars and was poised to take over the whole Mediterranean. But as Rome became more powerful abroad, its citizens got more uppity at home - the city suffered several civil wars, with the last wrapping up in 44BC, when Brutus backstabbed Julius Caesar on the Ides of March.

The Republic ended and the Emperors took over, ushering in a frenzy of civic and monumental building. Each Emperor wanted to leave his mark on the city - Nero built the Domus Aurea, Vespasian the Colosseum, Trajan his eponymous column, Hadrian Castel Sant'Angelo - and in their eagerness to outdo one another, they sprinkled Rome with many of the famous buildings which still stand today. The Empire reached its greatest extent under Trajan (who ruled from 98-117 AD), spanning the area from northern England to Mesopotamia, north to the River Danube and south down the Nile.

With the rise of Christianity in the 4th century, Rome lost much of its secular power but became the centre of a new empire, Christendom. The Bishop of Rome was named successor to Saint Peter (or, in other words, Pope), which made him the big guy of Western Europe. Many of the city's large basilicas - such as Santa Croce, Santa Maria Maggiore, San Pietro and San Sebastiano - were built around this time.

When, in 410, the Barbarian invasions began, Rome waved goodbye to the last of its salad days. Although the Vandals are often blamed for the sack of Rome, the citizens themselves did more damage, stripping many of the city's fine buildings for their marble. The Western Roman Empire bit the dust in 476 when Odoacer deposed Emperor Romulus Augustulus - from this time on power moved east, and Germanic and Byzantine leaders bickered over who was the real emperor. Things looked grim for the Eternal City until the late 8th century, when Pope Stephen II backed up the claims of Frankish king Pepin the Short that he was the chosen of God, and in return received a parcel of land around Rome. The alliance became known as the Holy Roman Empire - combining the power of church and state - and on Christmas day 800 the Frankish king, Charlemagne, was crowned Holy Roman Emperor.

From the 9th to the 12th centuries the power of the Popes grew, although it was under constant attack from the city's various aristocratic houses. The Papacy splurged its wealth on several new churches dedicated to the Virgin - the Santa Marias of Cosmedin, Trastevere (with its spectacular mosaic), Aracoeli and sopra Minerva. Although things hit the skids a bit in the 14th century, when the Pope was exiled to Avingon due to factional fighting and the city's population and infrastructure took a plummet, the Papacy had reestablished its firm grip on the reigns by the 15th century. Things got lavish. In cahoots with some of Italy's greatest artists - Raphael, Bernini, Borromini - and their cash-stacked patrons - the Medicis, Farneses and Borgheses - the Papacy transformed Rome into a wonderland of Renaissance and Baroque piazzas, churches and fountains. Money poured in as pilgrims came from all over Europe to see the wonders of the holy city. The only real interruption to Papal power came in the form of the Roman Commune, whose republican constitution and classical-style Senate were instituted during the Roman revolution of 1143.

But as some guy once said, pride comes before a fall: Charles V's sack of Rome in 1527, the French Revolution, Napoleon's march across Europe and the Franco-Prussian war pulled the rug out from under Papal power. In 1870 Rome became capital of the newly-united Italy, leaving the Pope with mere figurehead status and causing him to abandon the city for the home fires of the Vatican (the Pope was made sovereign of Vatican City in 1929). The new administration was more interested in offices and housing blocks than churches, and during the 1930s the city expanded beyond the city walls. During Mussolini's rule, in the 1920s and '30s, Rome took on Fascist airs, puffing out its chest with wide boulevards and overblown architecture. Modern Rome remains, as it has always been, an administrative and tourist centre, without much sign of industry or trade.

The Palatine Hill and the Forum are the centre of ancient Rome. Via del Corso runs north from the Forum to Piazza del Popolo, with the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain just to its east. The Vatican is northwest of the Forum, across the River Tiber.

Most of the budget places to stay are clustered around Stazione Termini; this area is rife with pickpockets and gangs of thieving children, so beware - do your best to look like you know where you're going (pretend you're John Travolta strutting along with `Staying Alive' playing in your head). If you've got a suitcase of lire, Rome teems with fabulous and famous hotels. It is only slightly more expensive and definitely more enjoyable to stay closer to the city centre. Good-quality, reasonably priced meals can be found in the trattorie around Piazza Navona and in Trastevere.

Fiumicino airport is about 26km (16mi) southwest of the city. Stazione Termini is just northeast of the Palatine Hill and the Forum. The main bus station is just outside Termini.

The Forum is entered from the piazza leading from the colosseum - that house of horrors cum marble quarry, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre. You immediately enter another world: the past. Columns rise from grassy hillocks and repositioned pediments and columns aid the work of the imagination. Just some of the many must-sees include the Arch of Septimus Severus, the Temple of Saturn, the House of the Vestals, the Temple of Antoninus & Faustina and the Arch of Titus.

Christian Rome

Piazzas & Hang-Outs

Activities

Events

Testaccio is the place to be in summer, when one of Rome's best-preserved areas becomes a stomping ground for the young and hip. A festival of nightclubbery and general coolness goes down every evening from 10pm. Other summer festivals include Jazz at the Villa Celimontana and tropical music at the Foro Italico. Along the River is held on the north bank of the Tiber throughout July - Rome turns into Los Angeles with beach volleyball, in-line skating and art shows. Trastevere is filled with street theatre, craft stalls and food booths during the Festa di Noantri, from 20-28 July.

Buses run from Termini to cities throughout Italy. You can pick up a bus for towns in Lazio from various bus stops in the city: these buses run on the same tickets as city buses. There are regular train connections to all the major cities in Italy and Europe from Termini station - trains are comfortable and fast.

The main road connecting Rome to the north and south of Italy is the Autostrada del Sole, which connects with the ring road circling the city. The ring road and all arterial roads tend to be clogged with traffic on weekday evenings and Sunday evenings, as Romans return home from weekends away, but otherwise driving is not too stressful once you leave the city.

The city bus company is ATAC and most of the main buses terminate at the bus station outside Stazione Termini (where you can get a map of the bus routes). Buses run from around 6am to midnight, with some services running throughout the night. The city's Metro service (which is convenient for many of Rome's sights) has two lines, both of which go through Termini. A bus ticket is also valid for the city's subway and train services. You need to buy your ticket from a tobacconist, newsstand or vending machine before you get on the train or bus - there are hefty fines for travelling without a ticket, even if you are a dumb foreigner.

Driving in Rome is the next best thing to suicide - especially on a motorbike. Most of the historic centre of Rome is closed to normal traffic, although you will be allowed to drive to your hotel. You'll need to get a parking permit from the traffic police if you wish to park anywhere in the centre, or you'll risk being towed. To rent a car you'll need to be at least 21 years old. If you organise your car in advance it will cost you less. There are several rental agencies for cars, motorbikes, mopeds and bicycles. If you'd rather leave the driving to someone else, you can pick up a cab from one of the city's many taxi ranks or phone one any time of day. If you call a cab, the driver will turn the meter on as soon as he is rung, rather than when he picks you up.

• There's no shortage of books about what life was like in the old days: Gibbon's History and Decline of the Roman Empire is the absolute classic, but Daily Life in Ancient Rome by Jerome Carcopino is worth a look, and Robert Graves' historofictional I, Claudius is a real page-turner packed with deceit, poisoning, incest and otters' noses. If you want the word from someone who was there, try Virgil's Aeneid.
• Rome: Biography of a City, by Christopher Hibbert, will give you all the background info you need.
• Want to know what all those pictures are about? Pick up a copy of A Handbook of Roman Art, by Martin Henig, and get even cleverer by reading Roman Architecture by Frank Sear.
• If words bore you, try Anne Pearson's Rome: an Interactive Guide to Ancient Rome, which includes models and games about the classical city.