Rome 101: Fascinating Facts About the City and Its History for Your Pilgrimage

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1. Rome is One of the Oldest Continuously Inhabited Cities in Europe

Rome’s history stretches back to at least the 8th century BCE. From its beginnings as a small settlement on the Palatine Hill, the city grew into the heart of one of the most influential civilizations in history. For more than 2,700 years, it has been continuously inhabited, making it not only one of Europe’s oldest cities but also one of its most enduring urban centers.

Ancient landmarks such as the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Pantheon still stand as reminders of Rome’s grandeur during the height of the Roman Empire. At the same time, medieval churches, Renaissance palaces, and Baroque fountains showcase the city’s later cultural and artistic flourishing.

2. The Latin Language Legacy

Latin first emerged as the spoken language of the early Romans in the region of central-western Italy, where the city of Rome is located. As the Roman Empire expanded, Latin became the dominant language across Europe, parts of Africa, and the Middle East. Over time, the language adapted to various local dialects, giving rise to what are now known as the Romance languages—Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Romanian.

Classical Latin continued to be the language of intellectual, religious, and legal matters long after the fall of the Roman Empire. Many Latin phrases, such as et cetera, status quo, pro bono, and in vitro, have become commonplace in everyday English. Many scientific fields like biology, medicine, and law, still use Latin as the basis for naming. For example, the system for naming species of plants and animals is based on Latin, as seen in the scientific name for humans, Homo sapiens.

One of the most enduring legacies of Latin is its deep connection to Christianity. When the Roman Empire adopted Christianity in the 4th century AD, Latin became the language of the Church. St. Jerome’s Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible played a pivotal role in spreading Christianity throughout the empire. The Catholic Church maintained Latin as its official language for liturgy, doctrine, and communication for over a millennium. Even today, the Vatican continues to use Latin in its official documents.

3. A Center of Political Innovation

The first Western republic was the Roman Republic, established in 509 BCE on the banks of the Tiber River in the city of Rome, after the Romans overthrew their last king, Tarquin the Proud. Dissatisfied with monarchical rule, they replaced the monarchy with a republic, a political system that balanced power among several institutions. At its core were elected magistrates, such as consuls, who served as chief executives, and a powerful Senate, which advised and influenced policy. Popular assemblies allowed Roman citizens to participate directly in decision-making. This republican structure not only shaped the governance of Rome for nearly five centuries but also became a foundational model for later political thought in Europe and beyond.

4. Rome is Built on Seven Hills

“I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns […] The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.” (Revelation 17:3, 9.)

In the Book of Revelation, Rome is believed to be symbolically referenced through its distinct geographical feature: the fact that it is built on seven hills: Palatine, Capitoline, Aventine, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, and Caelian.

The Palatine Hill is traditionally considered the birthplace of Rome, where Romulus and Remus are said to have founded the city. Today, the Palatine is home to the Palatine Hill Archaeological Park, where visitors can explore the ruins of imperial palaces.
The Capitoline Hill became Rome’s political and religious center, housing the Temple of Jupiter and the Roman Senate.
The Aventine Hill was historically a site of political struggles. Today, the famous Keyhole of the Aventine offers a stunning view of St. Peter’s Basilica through a keyhole in the door of the Priory of the Knights of Malta.
The Quirinal Hill now hosts the Quirinal Palace, the official residence of the President of Italy.
The Viminal Hill, located near Termini Station, is the site of important ancient temples.
The Esquiline Hill, once a residential area for wealthy Romans, is now home to the Colosseum, one of the most famous tourist sites in the world.
The Caelian Hill, historically associated with the Roman aristocracy, features several important churches, such as San Stefano Rotondo and Santa Maria in Domnica.

Though not counted among the traditional seven hills, Janiculum Hill holds great historical and spiritual significance for Rome. Overlooking the city from the west, it is home to important Vatican institutions such as the Pontifical North American College and Propaganda Fide Archives.

Image credit: Seven Hills of Rome by Renata3, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and GFDL 1.2. Wikimedia Commons.

5. One of the earliest examples of a major sewer network and aqueducts

Ancient Rome’s water drainage system was an impressive engineering achievement that played a key role in the city’s growth. It included sewers, like the famous Cloaca Maxima, and aqueducts, which brought fresh water to the city and removed waste. What makes Rome’s system special is its size, durability, and the way it was integrated into a large, growing urban center. The Cloaca Maxima is one of the earliest examples of a major sewer network serving an entire city for centuries, and parts of it still exist today.

Built from stone and concrete, the sewers efficiently carried wastewater away, while aqueducts ensured a constant flow of water to prevent stagnation. These aqueducts have supplied water to many public fountains since ancient Rome. While the ancient fountains have long since disappeared or transformed, their legacy lives on in later masterpieces like the Trevi Fountain and the Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona, which continue to draw millions of visitors today.

However, during the decline of the Roman Empire, barbarian invasions often led to the destruction or cutting off of aqueducts, disrupting the city’s water supply and contributing to its deterioration. In later centuries, the popes took on the responsibility of restoring and maintaining Rome’s ancient water systems. They commissioned the repair of aqueducts and the construction of new fountains to ensure clean water reached the city’s residents.

The drainage system had several important purposes. It prevented flooding in the city, which was located near the Tiber River, improved public health by reducing the spread of disease, and allowed the city to expand safely. Public baths, toilets, and some homes were connected to the sewers, showing how closely the system was linked to daily life.

6. The Egyptian Obelisks in Rome

When walking through the streets of Rome, one might be surprised to encounter Egyptian monuments—tall granite obelisks inscribed with hieroglyphs that once praised pharaohs. After Egypt fell under Roman rule in 30 BCE, it remained a province of the empire for over 500 years. During this time, Roman emperors began transporting these iconic obelisks from Egypt to the heart of the empire. Today, eight of the obelisks in Rome are believed to have been brought directly from Egypt.

Among the most famous is the Flaminio Obelisk, which now stands in Piazza del Popolo. As the Roman Empire transitioned into a Christian state, many popes, such as Pope Sixtus V, made a concerted effort to christianize these monuments by crowning them with crosses and positioning them in front of major basilicas and pilgrimage routes.

7. The Influence of Roman Law

Roman law is one of the most lasting legacies of the Roman Empire. The foundation of Roman law was The Laws of the Twelve Tables (451–450 BCE), the first written code in Rome. They gave citizens clear rights and duties, ensuring that the law was not just in the hands of powerful elites. Over time, Roman jurists expanded these laws, developing principles such as equality before the law, contracts, property rights, and legal representation.

Roman law also shaped the Catholic Church’s canon law, which guided church courts and influenced moral and legal thought in Europe. In modern times, the principles of Roman law—fair trials, contracts, legal precedent, and the idea that law should be written and accessible—remain cornerstones of justice.

8. Rome as Battleground

The history of Rome is also bloody. In 390 BC, one of the most traumatic and humiliating events in Roman history occurred. Known as the Battle of the Allia, the Gauls decisively defeated the Roman army near the Allia River, just outside the city, and went on to sack Rome — a devastating blow that left a lasting mark on Roman memory for centuries to come.

During the Punic Wars (264–146 BC), Rome fought Carthage and faced great danger, especially when Hannibal marched through Italy and nearly threatened the city in 211 BC. This time however, Rome’s strong walls and alliances kept the city safe.

In 312, an important battle took place near the Milvian Bridge, just north of Rome, across the Tiber River. The Roman emperors Constantine I and Maxentius fought for control of the Western Roman Empire. According to tradition, before the battle, Constantine saw a vision of a Christian symbol in the sky along with the words, "In this sign, you will conquer." He took this as a sign of divine support and went on to win the battle. The next year, in 313 CE, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, which allowed people in the empire to freely follow Christianity. This moment helped Christianity grow and eventually become the main religion of the Roman Empire.

In 410, Rome was sacked by the Visigoths, an event that inspired Saint Augustine to write his famous work, City of God, as many Romans blamed Christianity for the empire’s misfortunes. Augustine argued that human history is shaped by the struggle between two cities: the City of God and the City of Man. The City of God consists of people who live according to God’s will, guided by love for God and eternal truths. The City of Man is driven by selfish desires and worldly power and is destined to decay. Augustine used the sack of Rome as an example, showing that disasters do not prove the failure of Christianity; rather, they highlight the fragile and temporary nature of human societies compared with the eternal City of God.

In 455, the Vandals looted the city. In the 6th century, Rome changed hands multiple times during the Gothic Wars, with the Ostrogoths and Byzantines capturing it on several occasions. These repeated invasions and battles weakened Rome’s political stability and marked the decline of its power, signaling the end of its era as the dominant center of the ancient world.

During the Renaissance, Rome was devastated in 1527 by the troops of Charles V, who killed thousands and plundered churches and palaces. Pope Clement VII narrowly escaped through a secure elevated passage to Castel Sant’Angelo, protected by the outnumbered Swiss Guard, most of whom were brutally killed while defending him.

In the modern era, Rome was occupied by the French in 1798 and later controlled by Napoleon in 1808. Finally, in 1870, Italian troops captured the city, making it the capital of a unified Italy.

The long history of conflict and battles finally came to an end in 1929 with the signing of the Lateran Treaty between the Kingdom of Italy and the Catholic Church, in which Vatican City was officially recognized as an independent country. To celebrate this reconciliation, a new street called Via della Conciliazione (“Road of the Reconciliation”) was built to connect St. Peter’s Basilica with central Rome, which today guides millions of visitors and pilgrims to the Vatican each year.

9. Famous Philosophers from Rome

Though often remembered for its military might and political power, Rome also gave rise to some of the most influential philosophers of the ancient world, including Cicero, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius. Drawing heavily from Greek traditions, Roman thinkers adapted and reshaped philosophical ideas to address questions of duty, virtue, and the role of the individual in society and governance.

Cicero (106–43 BCE) was not only a philosopher but also a statesman, lawyer, and skilled orator. He served as a bridge between Greek philosophy and Roman intellectual life, translating complex ideas into Latin and making them accessible to his contemporaries. His works explored themes of justice, moral responsibility, and the natural law that underpins human society.

Seneca (c. 4 BCE–65 CE), one of the foremost Roman Stoics, lived a life marked by both political engagement and personal challenge. As tutor and later advisor to Emperor Nero, he navigated the dangers of imperial politics while articulating a Stoic philosophy centered on resilience, virtue, and the acceptance of fate.

Marcus Aurelius (121–180 CE), often called the “philosopher-king,” embodied the rare union of political power and philosophical reflection. As Roman emperor, he bore immense responsibility for the empire during a turbulent period of wars and plague, yet he consistently turned to philosophy for guidance. His personal journal, later compiled as Meditations, offers a vivid look at Stoic thought in practice, reflecting on the nature of duty, the inevitability of death, and the importance of virtue over external success.

St. Augustine, Boethius, and St. Thomas Aquinas each engaged with the Roman philosophical tradition:

St. Augustine (354–430 CE) explicitly credits Cicero’s Hortensius in his Confessions as the text that first awakened his desire for philosophical truth.

Boethius (c. 480–524 CE), a Roman philosopher and statesman writing after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, is often seen as a bridge between classical Roman thought and medieval Christian philosophy. In The Consolation of Philosophy, he draws heavily from Cicero, Seneca, and Stoic thought.

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274 CE) also engages with Cicero, particularly in his development of natural law theory, which reflects Cicero’s idea of a universal moral order grounded in reason. Aquinas spent part of his career in Rome, where he wrote portions of the Summa Theologiae.

10. The Final Resting Place of Apostles Peter and Paul

Saints Peter and Paul are two of the most important figures in the history of Christianity. They are considered the founders of the Church in Rome. Both lived in the city and were martyred there during the reign of Emperor Nero.

Saint Peter

Peter, originally a fisherman from Galilee, was one of Jesus' closest disciples. After Jesus' death and resurrection, Peter became a leading figure in the early Christian community. He is traditionally regarded as the first bishop of Rome, and thus the first pope, laying the foundations of papal authority. According to tradition, Peter was crucified in Rome around 64 CE. The most commonly accepted account is that he was crucified upside down at his own request, feeling unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus.

Saint Paul

Paul, originally known as Saul, was a Roman citizen and a former persecutor of Christians. After a dramatic conversion, he became one of Christianity's key missionaries, spreading the faith across the Roman Empire and writing numerous letters that form a significant part of the New Testament. Paul was arrested and brought to Rome as a prisoner. Tradition holds that he was beheaded there around 67 CE, a method of execution befitting his status as a Roman citizen.

Rome 101: Fascinating Facts About the City and Its History for Your Pilgrimage

Become a quick "Expert" on Rome

Rome is One of the Oldest Continuously Inhabited Cities in Europe

The Latin Language Legacy

A Center of Political Innovation

Rome is Built on Seven Hills

One of the earliest examples of a major sewer network and aqueducts

The Egyptian Obelisks in Rome

The Influence of Roman Law

Rome as Battleground

Famous Philosophers from Rome

The Final Resting Place of Apostles Peter and Paul