We always say that Rome is one of our favorite cities: for us it has something special, which makes us return whenever we can. We have visited it on many occasions, and on each new visit we discover something new that hooks us more. In this post we will share with you 35 curiosities of Rome.
1. If the Coliseum, one of the 7 wonders of the world, will be built today, It would cost more than € 380 million. ¡AUCH!
2. Rome is built on 7 hills: Aventine, Capitoline, Celio, Esquino, Palatino, Quirinal and Viminal.
3. The Romans used to clean your clothes with urine, as it contains ammonia! They even used it as a teeth whitener.
4. An ancient Roman would tell you that the gladiatorial shows were fine ... but what the corduroy split were the 'Naumachie'. They were representations of naval battles, for which places and even the Colosseum flooded with water (a few were made in Navona Square).
5. The Fabricio Bridge It is the oldest in Rome: it is over 2,000 years old!
6. To exorcise the fear of fires, outside the doors it was written 'Ass See'(Keep the fire).
7. Rome was not the first capital of the Kingdom of Italy, but before it were Turin and Florence. It is the year 1871 when it is established there.
8. If you want to look like a Roman instead of a tourist when you drink from nasonis (water sources scattered throughout the city) do not bend over: the correct way is plug the pipe so that the water rises upwards through a hole.
9. One of the drinks most beloved in ancient Rome was the Condoxum Paradoxum, prepared with wine, honey and spices. The spritz is in fashion today.
10. The Romans were the first to invent the profession of hairdresser: It is said that Adriano never left home without his curls well placed. By the way ... wearing a wig!
11. The Life expectancy in ancient Rome it was about 30-35 years.
12. The girlfriends, in ancient Rome, dressed in white suit and red veil.
13. The emperor Caligula made his horse was declared senator.
14. The Field of 'Fiori, which today is one of the most cheerful and colorful spots in Rome, has a dark past: in 1,600 it was the center of public executions.
15. One of the most famous executions was that of the philosopher Giordano Bruno, considered a heretic, among other things because affirmed that the sun was a star. (Today you can see his statue in the square of Campo de 'Fiori).
16. In Ancient Rome if you left home and ran into a White horse or with a hunchback you were super happy: they were supposed to bring luck.
17. In Italy the number 17 brings bad luck. You know why? Because in Roman numerals XVII it corresponded to the anagram of the word VIXI (I have lived).
18. The oldest public museum in the world is in Rome: it is about Capitoline Museums, after the Vatican Museums, the most visited in the city.
19. The most dishonorable thing for the Roman army was that the banner It will fall into the hands of the enemy.
20. In Rome, Italian is spoken ... but the roman dialect It is one of the most fun and beautiful there is (in Italy each region has a dialect with different accents, sayings and words).
21. The Spain Square It's called that because that's where the Spanish embassy is located before the Holy See ... it's not a bad place, huh!
22. Rome is known as'Caput Mundi' (the capital of the world).
23. The Vatican It is the smallest country in the world (and the one that consumes the most wine!), although officially it is an independent country only since 1929.
24. And did you know that your official language is Latin?
25. The uniform of the 'Pontifical Swiss Guard'has been designed by Michelangelo, who used the colors of the family of Pope Julius II (purple, red and yellow). By the way, if you want to run as a Swiss guard you have to be Catholic, be between 19 and 30 years old and be single.
26. In the Piazza del Popolo are the two twin churches from Rome: Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto, although if you look they are not equal (the bell towers are different for example).
27. The statues of Ancient Rome, originally, were from colors.
28. The Pantheon It is one of the most fascinating buildings in the world: its dome is over 2,000 years old and they say that when it rains the water does not seep through its oculus. We would say it's a lie ...
29. In Rome there are more than 900 churches!
30. In Rome the Christmas twice: December 25 and April 20-23, when the foundation of the city is remembered (April 21). During these days entire legions of 'gladiators' parade through the streets of Rome.
31. Rome has a population of 2.7 million people and a few thousand and thousands and thousands of motorcycles, scooters and scooters: Rome's traffic is the second worst in Italy. The first is from Naples!
32. The money that is collected from the Fontana di Trevi (Every day thousands of tourists throw their coins in their waters) is delivered to Caritas.
33. And why tourists throw coins? Because according to popular legend, if you throw a coin to the Trevi Fountain, sooner or later you will be lucky enough to return to Rome.
34. The word candidate it comes from Latin (candidus = white) because it referred to the white robes who wore aspiring senators and to the purity of political intentions. How things have changed!
35. Rome is full of egyptian monuments: Cestio, for example, rests in a 27-meter pyramid covered in marble.
We are sure there are many more curiosities of Rome. Do you know any?
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