The modern city
Today’s Rome reflects the stratification of the epochs of its long history, but it also is a huge contemporary metropolis. Its wide historical center contains many areas from Ancient Rome, fewer areas from medieval times, a lot of palaces and artistic treasure from the Renaissance era, many churches and palaces from baroque times as well as many exaples of the Art Nouveau, Neoclassic, Modernism, Rationalism and any other artistic styles of the XIX and XX centuries (the city is in fact considered a sort of living encyclopedia of the last 3000 years of western art). The historical center is identified as within the limits of the ancient imperial walls. Some central areas were reorganised after the unification (18801910 – Roma Umbertina), and some important additions and adaptations made during the Fascist period, with the discussed creation of the Via dei Fori Imperiali, of theVia della Conciliazione in front of the Vatican (for the construction of which a large part of the old Borgo neighborhood was destroyed) and the founding of new quartieri (among which Eur, San Basilio, Garbatella, Cinecitt, Trullo, Quarticciolo and, on the coast, the restructuring of Ostia) and the inclusion of bordering villages (Labaro, Osteria del Curato, Quarto Miglio, Capannelle, Pisana, Torrevecchia, Ottavia, Casalotti). These expansions were needed to face the huge increase of population due to the centralisation of the Italian state.
During the Second World War Rome suffered some heavy bombings (notably at San Lorenzo) and battles (Porta San Paolo, La Storta) and was considered an “open town” (as in the film by Roberto Rossellini). However, Rome was spared the wholesale destruction of cities such as Berlin or Warsaw. Rome fell to the Allies on June 4, 1944. It was the first capital of an Axis nation to fall.
After the war Rome continued to expand due to Italy’s growing state administration and industry, with the creation of new quartieri and suburbs. The current official population stands at 2.5 million; during the business day workers increase this figure to over 3.5 million. This is a dramatic increase from previous figures, which were 138,000 in 1825, 244,000 in 1871, 692,000 in 1921, 1,600,000 in 1961.
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