History History

Royal Rome, this long period of almost 250 years, commonly called "royalty", is marked by seven reigns.

After its foundation, Rome became a monarchy and its first king was of course Romulus. However, in order for it to become a city worthy of its Etruscan or Sabine rivals, a demographic problem had to be solved and women had to be found who were willing to marry the Romans! Romulus would therefore not have hesitated to go and get them directly from the Sabines, during the legendary episode of the abduction of the Sabines in 749 BC. This abduction, which took place a few years after the creation of the city, was brilliantly told by Plutarch or Titus Livius in his History of Rome. This episode was followed by a war between the Romans and the Sabines, which concluded with a reconciliation of the two peoples.

Birth of a two-headed government between Romulus and Sabin Titus Tatius.

Sabine dynasty. When Romulus and Titus Tatius died, Numa Pompilius, a Sabine, became king of Rome. The dynasty continued with the reigns of Tullus Hostilius and Ancus Martius.

Etruscan dynasty with the reigns of Tarquin the Elder, Servius Tullius and Tarquin the Superb.

Fall of royalty, particularly due to the mythical suicide of Lucretia, Roman woman and wife of Tarquin Collatin, who was raped by the son of Tarquin the Superbe. Outraged by this incident, the people of Rome led by Junius Brutus rose up and drove out the royal family. The Republic was born in Rome.

It was during this long period that the Roman territory expanded during the various wars of conquest.

The Sack of Rome. The Gallic hordes invade Rome before setting it on fire. This devastating expedition for Rome, which had gained a certain supremacy by developing its territory, was led by Brennus. Apart from the destruction of buildings, a lot of archives went up in smoke, which is why we have little information on the early years of the Republic.

The conquest of Italy. Rome was reborn from its ashes and set out to conquer the peninsula by conquering Lazio and southern Italy, Magna Grecia.

Rome is seeking Sicily, which is controlled by the Greeks and Carthaginians, leading to the first Punic War against Carthage.

Second Punic War to conquer the Iberian Peninsula. The Punic troops, with Hannibal at their head, take the road to Rome from Spain and multiply the victories against the Roman troops.

Victory of Rome against Carthage thanks to Scipio the African during the battle of Zama.

First triumivirate - an alliance of three people in power - between Crassus, Caesar and Pompey. But the Republic is weakened, Rome is on its way to the Empire.

A civil war broke out between Caesar and Pompey to obtain absolute power. Caesar came out victorious, but he was murdered in 44 BC.

Second triumvirate between Octavian, Caesar's great-nephew, Mark Antony and Lepidus.

Octavian, henceforth named Augustus - the Consecrated One - reigns alone and establishes the bases of a new government: the principate, constituting the first phase of the Roman Empire. He is therefore the first Roman Emperor and with him begins a long period of stability called Pax Romana. Octavian Augustus is particularly attached to the security of the Empire and thus consolidates its borders. He completes the pacification of Spain, annexes Judea and several regions close to the Danube which become Roman provinces. However, he is confronted with a failure: Germania, which will never submit. In addition to these conquests, Octavian Augustus tends to a reorganization of the Roman society by basing his regime on a conservative policy, condemning in particular bachelors. The power of Octavian Augustus is almost absolute, it is based on the accumulation of several civil magistrates, on the support of the army and on the direction of the state religion by the great pontificate.

The Julio-Claudian dynasty begins to rule the Roman Empire. Tiberius, son of Octavian Augustus, becomes emperor of Rome.

Reign of Caligula. Violent, eccentric, he will indulge in excesses that will go down in history

Claude, Caligula's uncle, succeeds him. He adopts the son of his companion Agrippina, the famous Nero, at the expense of his own son Britannicus, who is murdered. This is the story Racine tells in his famous tragedy Britannicus: a classic to reread to immerse oneself in Roman history!

Nero is in power, his suicide in 68 marks the end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

Rome is ravaged by a great fire that completely destroys three of its fourteen districts. Christians are accused of starting the fire and are persecuted.

The Flavian dynasty reigned for nearly thirty years. During this period the flavian amphitheatre, better known as the Colosseum, was completed in 80, during the reign of Titus.

The Antonine dynasty reigns over Rome.

The Severe Dynasty was in power when the Empire was going through a period of military anarchy and border unrest, especially under the reign of the brutal and cruel Caracalla.

Construction of the Aurelian Wall that encircles Rome to protect it from attack. A large part of this wall still remains, constituting the limit of the historic centre.

Diocletian's reign, which carries out military, fiscal, economic and social reforms, but Rome is losing ever more importance to the detriment of the East: from now on, it is no longer at the centre of the world! In 286, he reorganized the government of the Empire, with a two-headed leadership: Diocletian governed the East and added a co-regnant for the West in the person of Maximin.

Reign of Constantine I, during which he founded the city of Constantinople in 330 and moved its capital there. The Empire then began to split in two, running to its ruin.

The end of the Western Roman Empire during the reign of Romulus Augustus historically marks the beginning of the Middle Ages, a much less flourishing period in Roman history during which invasions, looting and power struggles alternated. The greatness of the Empire is no more.

Charlemagne was crowned emperor in Rome, in the continuity of the Western Roman Empire. However, after his death in 814, the city was once again in the grip of quarrels: the Pope, who crowned the emperor, claimed his power over him.

Clement V was elected Pope. He then decided to settle in Avignon. For 70 years, Rome was no longer the papal seat.

The great schism of the West. Two popes reign: one in Rome, the other in Avignon.

Election of Martin V, Rome again becomes the papal seat. It is also the beginning of the Renaissance - or Rinascimento - a golden period for Italy, which welcomes some of the greatest artists of the time. In Rome, the popes had a real influence on Renaissance architecture: Nicholas V decided, for example, to replace the old St. Peter's Basilica with a more up-to-date building. The work lasted until 1626, continued by his successors and supported by Bramante's project.

During the pontificate of Sixtus IV, the Sistine Chapel was built, which bears his name. For the occasion, the pope chose his craftsmen well since he had them decorated by Perugino, Signorelli, the Pinturicchio, Ghirlandaio and Botticelli! For Michelangelo's well-known ceiling, it was not until 1512, under the will of Pope Julius II della Rovere.

The Sack of Rome. The construction of St. Peter's has left the Papal See with few resources and the economy is very fragile. Luther commits his Reformation against the pomp of the Church. He lets his Protestant mercenaries sack Rome. Pope Clement VII fled to Orvieto before returning to Rome in 1528, when peace was made.

The fresco of Michelangelo's Last Judgment is completed for the Sistine Chapel, it is one of the masterpieces of Mannerism, in the service of the Counter-Reformation in progress.

The Council of Trent opened the way for Baroque architecture in Rome, clearly contrasting with the sobriety of Lutherans and Calvinists. Navona Square is a perfect example of this movement.

Napoleon Bonaparte's French armies invaded the Papal States.

Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti became Pope Pius IX in 1846. His pontificate lasted 31 years and remains the longest in history, after St. Peter. Pius IX is also the last sovereign of the Papal States. His role was of paramount importance during Italian unification. For the politicians of the time, led by Vittorio Emanuele II, it was self-evident that Rome, then capital of the Papal States, should be annexed to the Kingdom of Italy and become its capital. Nine years of unrest followed, until Rome was taken by Italian troops in 1870. Pius IX, refusing to admit this unified Italy, took refuge in the Vatican. He considered himself a prisoner of the state and forbade Italian Catholics to participate in political life. From then on, a controversy broke out over the status of Rome, the capital of Italy and the seat of the Pope's power. Known as the questione romana, it was not settled until 1929 with the Lateran Accords. Until his death in 1878, Pius IX considered himself a political prisoner.

Italian Unity is proclaimed, Vittorio Emanuele II is the first king of Italy and Turin is the first capital. Until then, the territory was still divided into different kingdoms.

Italian troops led by General Cadorna entered Rome through the Porta Pia. On October 2, the annexation of the Pontifical States was confirmed and Rome became the capital of Italy.

Nearly 25,000 supporters of the National Fascist Party - called camicie nere, invaded the city during the "March on Rome". They wanted to take power and threatened to do so by force.

King Vittorio Emanuele II gave in to their demands and instructed their leader, Benito Mussolini, to form a government. A dark period of more than twenty years begins, better known as the ventennio fascista. These years leave their traces in Roman architecture (see the dossier on fascist architecture).

Rome has a million inhabitants.

Rome was liberated from German occupation by the Anglo-American allies.

The monarchy is abolished.

A new constitution was adopted, establishing a parliamentary democracy that is still in force today. The most important places of power are: the Quirinal where the President of the Republic sits, Palazzo Chigi which houses the Council of Ministers, Palazzo Madama houses the Senate and Palazzo Montecitorio, the Chamber of Deputies.

These prosperous years were marked by Rome's economic development, with the opening of the first metro line, the current B line.

The Treaty of Rome creating the European Economic Community is signed.

Rome is hosting the Olympic Games and for the occasion is equipping itself with new infrastructures such as the Flaminio stadium.

The "lead years". Rome is hit by a wave of terrorism. It was at the same time, in 1981, that Pope John Paul II was the victim of an attack.

Aldo Moro was born in Puglia, southern Italy, in 1916. He is considered one of the founders of the Democrazia Cristiana, a political party that was clandestinely founded in 1943 in reaction to fascism and inspired by certain doctrines of the Catholic Church. Until 1994, Democrazia Cristiana was an integral part of all the governments in the country. In 1978, the Aldo Moro affair shook Italy. The politician was kidnapped on 16 March while on his way to the Chamber of Deputies to discuss the new government of Giulio Andreotti. He was kidnapped by a commando of the Red Brigades, a terrorist association that fought with arms in favour of communism. For 55 days, the country was held in suspense until Aldo Moro was shot in the trunk of a car. His body was found in Via Caetani, halfway between the headquarters of the Democrazia Cristiana and that of the Communist Party. We recommend Marco Bellocchio's film Buongiorno, notte.

Rome has a population of 3,500,000 and hosts the World Cup.

Discovery of the cave on the Palatine where Romulus and Remus were allegedly breastfed by the wolf.

Inauguration of MAXXI, the first contemporary art museum dedicated to the arts of the 21st century.

The economic crisis as well as the various scandals in which he is involved (the famous Rubygate) led Berlusconi, elected during the 2008 legislative elections, to interrupt his mandate before the end in 2011. Italy then sees four successive presidents of the Council: Mario Monti (2011), Enrico Letta (2012), Matteo Renzi (2014) and Paolo Gentiloni (2017).

Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis.

The "Capital Mafia" scandal erupts, revealing Rome's corrupt management over more than ten years.

Virginia Raggi is elected mayor of Rome. She is part of the 5 Star Movement, an innovative party created by Italian comedian Beppe Grillo in 2009. The movement's five stars, or five priorities, are: water, environment, transport, connectivity and development.

Italy is facing a political tidal wave. An unprecedented coalition is formed between the winners of the elections: the 5 Star Movement led by Luigi di Maio and the League led by Matteo Salvini are forced to join forces.

Virginia Raggi's tenure continues, but her popularity is waning among Romans. From a national perspective, Italy is still in the grip of a strong economic crisis. In 2018, its deficit reached 132.2% of GDP, it is the second largest after Greece in the Eurozone.

On March 10, 2020, Italy became the first European country to impose strict containment throughout its territory to combat Covid-19.

2021

Since October 21, 2021, Roberto Gualtieri (center-left) is the mayor of Rome. Minister of Economy and Finance (2019-2021) during the government Conte II, he acceded to the mayor of Rome with 60.15% of the votes in the second round.

2022

Giorgia Meloni, president of the far-right Fratelli d'Italia party, becomes president of the Council after the centre-right coalition wins the parliamentary elections on September 25, 2022.

On December 24, 2024, the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter's Basilica marked the start of the Jubilee Year. This event of the Catholic Church, which takes place every 25 years, offers pilgrims the opportunity to obtain a plenary indulgence, i.e. absolution for sins confessed. Numerous works (tourist sites, means of transport, etc.) have been carried out throughout the city in preparation for this year, when over 30 million tourists are expected.