Roma Capitale. Rome is the capital of the Lazio region. With 2,876,051 residents across 1,285 km2 (496.1 square miles), it is also the most populous municipality in the country. It is the fourth most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. It is the center of the Metropolitan City of Rome, which has a population of 4.3 million inhabitants. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Rome is located in the central-western part of the Italian peninsula, in Lazio, along the banks of the Tiber. The Vatican City is an independent state within the borders of the city of Rome, the only existing example of a state within a city: for this reason Rome has often been defined as the capital of two states. The history of Rome spans 28 centuries. Although Roman mythology dates the founding of Rome to around 753 BC, the site has been inhabited for much longer, making it one of the oldest continuously occupied sites in Europe. The city's first population came from a mix of Latins, Etruscans and Sabines. Ultimately, the city successively became the capital of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire, and is considered the birthplace of Western civilization and by some the first ever metropolis. It was first called The Eternal City (Latin: Urbs Aeterna; Italian: La Città Eterna) by the Roman poet Tibullus in the 1st century BC, and the expression was also taken up by Ovid, Virgil and Titus Livy. Rome is also called the Eternal City “Caput Mundi” (Capital of the World). After the fall of the Western Empire, which marked the beginning of the Middle Ages, Rome slowly fell under the political control of the Papacy, which settled in the city starting from the 1st century AD, until in the 8th century it became the capital of the Roman Empire. 'West. the Papal State, which lasted until 1870. Starting from the Renaissance, almost all the popes starting from Nicholas V (1447–1455) pursued for over four hundred years a coherent architectural and urban planning program aimed at making the city the artistic and cultural center of the world. In this way Rome first became one of the major centers of the Italian Renaissance, and then the cradle of both Baroque and Neoclassicism. Famous artists, painters, sculptors and architects made Rome the center of their activity, creating masterpieces throughout the city. In 1871 Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, which in 1946 became the Italian Republic. Rome has the status of a global city. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Rome was ranked in 2016 as the 14th most visited city in the world, the 3rd most visited in the European Union, and the most popular tourist attraction in Italy. Its historic center is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Monuments and museums such as the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum are among the most visited tourist destinations in the world with both locations receiving millions of tourists per year. Rome hosted the 1960 Summer Olympics and is the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The city hosts the headquarters of many international commercial companies, such as Eni, Enel, TIM and national and international banks such as Unaccredited and BNL. Its business district, called EUR, is the base of many companies involved in the oil industry, pharmaceutical industry and financial services. Rome is also an important center of fashion and design thanks to international brands such as Fendi, Bulgari, Renato Balestra, Valentino, Laura Biagiotti. Rome's Cinecittà Studios has been the set for many Oscar-winning films.