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Roma
Facts About Rome
The capital city of Italy is Rome - Roma, situated in the region of Lazio. Its nickname is la Città Eterna, meaning 'the eternal city.' Rome is considered 'eternal' because it is so ancient and seems to live forever.
Saint Lawrence - San Lorenzo is the patron saint of Rome.
There is a saying: Tutte le strade portano a Roma, meaning 'All roads lead to Rome.' This is because the main roads of the ancient Roman Empire all led to Rome. A famous and very long Roman road that runs between Rome and Brindisi (south east Italy) is called la Via Appia Antica. In English, it is known as the Appian Way. (Images below)


The emblem of Rome (la stemma di Roma) is a red shield with a golden crown on top. On the shield there is a golden cross and the letters SPQR which stand for the Latin words: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus. In Italian these words mean: il Senato e il Popolo Romano (Senate and People of Rome).

THE FOUNDATION OF ROME:
The story of Rome begins with the birth of twin brothers called Romulus and Remus (born in 771 B.C.) In Italian they are known as Romolo e Remo.
Their great-uncle, King Amulius, feared that the baby boys would grow up and seize power. In order to avoid any future threat, he ordered that they should be killed. The babies were taken from their mother and abandoned in a basket on the banks of the River Tiber - il Tevere.
However, the baby boys were very lucky and survived because a she-wolf found them and looked after them as if she was their real mother. She took the twins to a cave called la Grotta del Lupercale and fed them with her milk. Eventually, a shepherd and his wife found the baby boys and raised them in their home.
