Rome

VIDEO: John Julius Norwich on the Great Cities in History

Archaeological evidence suggests that Rome grew up from rural settlements on the site where the Roman Forum would be built. It became the capital of the Roman Kingdom, which became the Roman Republic in 510 BC and the Roman Empire in 27 BC.  With a population of over 1 million people, the city was the largest and most influential in the west. Following the Sack of Rome in 410 AD and the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476, the city came under Byzantine control and was subject to the occasional barbarian raid. The Pope, whose position had been elevated during Constantine I's reign, was given jurisdiction over the city.

The city retains many significant ancient landmarks, among them is the Colosseum, which was built in the first century AD and was the Roman Empire's largest ever amphitheatre with a capacity of 60,000. Other highlights include the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, the Mausoleum of Augustus, the Baths of Caracalla, the Arch of Constantine and the Bocca della Verita.

The city also has a wealth of medieval buildings including Paleochristian churches like the Santa Maria Maggiore, housing priceless fourth century mosaics. A range of Renaissance and Baroque buildings can also be visited, along with world-class museums such as the National Museum of Rome and the National Gallery of Modern Art. Today the Roman Catholic Church is run from the Vatican City in Rome by the Holy See, the world's smallest sovereign state.

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