In800CharlemagneKingoftheFranks,conquersItalyandiscrownedHolyRomanEmperorbyPopeLeo.

SantaMariainTrasteverehasamedievalfaçade&belltower.NearbyisLaBoccadellaVerita-ifyoutellaliewithyourhandinthemouthitwillbiteitoff!(probablyjustadraincover).

880-932Romeisgovernedbywomen!TheodoraandthenherdaughterMarozia.

ThismedievalmapwasprobablydesignedforpilgrimstoRome.

GioWopaintedtheTriptychforthealtaratStPeter’schurch.

SantaMariasopraMinerva,supposedlybuiltaboveatempleofMinerva,isarareexampleofGothicarchitectureinRome.

ROME FROM THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD TO THE MODERN DAY

TheRenaissance(Rebirth)wasaculturalawakeninginEurope,whenClassicalphilosophy,sculptureandarchitecturewererediscoveredandappreciated.Towardstheendofthisperiod,astyleofarchitectureandartcalledBaroquedeveloped.Michelangelo,Bramante,RaphaelandCelliniaresomeofthemostfamousRenaissancear[stsandarchitects.InSchoolofAthensRaphaeliscomplimen[ngfellowar[stsbyrepresen[ngthemasancientGreekphilosophers.Michelangelo’sPieta:MarycradlingthedeadChrist,balancesRenaissanceClassicalformswithnaturalism.

Bythe16thCenturytheCatholicchurchhadbecomeextremelyrich,andar[stssuchasBerniniandBorrominicreatedsculptures,buildingsandpiazzas.BasicClassicalformswereembellishedtoglorifythePapacy:Baroquestyle.Bernini’sFountainoftheFourRiverswasdesignedasabaseforanancientobelisk.

By1815,despitebriefunityunderNapoleonBonaparteItalywasagainfragmentedandthePoperuledRome.

Overthenext60yearsRisorgimentopatriotsstruggledtocreateaunifiedItaly.

In1870ItalycapturedRomeandRomebecamethecapitalofItaly.

TheVictorEmmanuelMonumentwascompletedin1911tohonourthefirstkingofaunitedItaly.

Buildingitdestroyedalargesec[onoftheCapitolineHill.

Itsnicknameis“TheWeddingCake”.

TheFascistdictatorBenitoMussolinidreamedofrecrea[ngtheRomanEmpire,butagerWWIIana[onalreferendumestablishedItalyasaRepublic.

Inthe1950’sand60’sRomewasEurope’sHollywood,withfilmssuchasBenHurandCleopatra.

CombiningItaly’sloveforfootballandmusic,theThreeTenorsbroadcastfromtheBathsofCaracalladuringthe1990WorldCup.

PopeFrancis,the266thPope,livesintheVa[canandregularlyspeakstoaudiencesinStPeter’sSquare.