Top 12 Fun Rome Facts

Everyone knows that Rome has more fun factoids than London, New York and Paris. We’ve condensed them into 12.

1. Interesting Fact: SPQR, Rome’s nearly 2500 year-old motto Senatus Populus Romanus (aka the Senate and the People of Rome) is also  presently the motto of Rome’s waste removal organization.
2. Fun Fact: Rome is a capital city which contains the world’s smallest country, Vatican City, of 108 acres, within the boundaries of the Eternal City’s original urban sprawl.
3. Weird Fact: Visitors have the opportunity for a sneak peak at purgatory.  The Museum of the Souls in Purgatory sits in side room of the Church of Sacred Heart of Suffering, just across the river from Piazza Navona.  The museum showcases artefacts that have traces from souls suffering in purgatory.  Not limbo, but purgatory, the 8000 year waiting room between heaven and hell.
   
4. Random Fact: the majority of all souvenir sellers are named either Marco or Massimo/Massimiliano.
5. University Fact: Rome’s first university, La Sapienza (est. A.D. 1303), is the largest in Europe with over 100,000 enrolled students and the second largest in the world.
6. Soccer Fact: Most Romans love calcio (soccer), and Rome sports two teams: Roma, the traditional anti-establishment, working class team and Lazio, the slightly more staid club.   Make sure you know which colors to wear (red/yellow or light blue/white) and how to identify team symbols– very useful when arguing with a taxi driver.
7. Museum Fact: Rome’s museum traverse ancient to contemporary art, but there are several offbeat culture caches as well including: a Pasta museum, Horror museum (by director Dario Argento), a Purgatory museum, Carabinieri museum (military police), and the museum of police cars and uniforms.
8. Ancient History Fact: Rome celebrates its 753 BC foundation every April 21st.  Everybody regales in celebration of Romulus’ foundation of the city.
9. Fake Fact: Most Romans can trace their lineage back to Julius Caesar and his merry men.  More likely, the true Roman is someone who can trace his family heritage in Rome only back seven generations.
10. Bridge Fact: The Ponte Rotto is one of Rome’s oldest bridges, from the first century BC.  It has been damaged and repaired several times, but to no success.  Even Michelangelo Buonarotti could not keep that bridge from falling down.
11. Food Fact: Rome has an ice cream shop, gelateria, on ever corner which feature flavors from traditional cioccolato to more fanciful tomato and basil.  Everyone has a favorite gelateria and everyone has an opinion.  Here are some great suggestions.
12. Tanning Fact:  Rome is approximately 13 miles from the beach- Ostia- an easy and inexpensive train trip for a quick tan-  20-minute and 1 euro via ATAC, Rome’s public transport

Photos by Gattospino/Flickr, Chicche, Il Mediano