New York City Global Partners


	History of the Relationship Current Initiatives Past Activities

	Rome is the capital of Italy and lies on the Tiber River in the center region of the country. Also called the "Eternal City," Rome was the capital of the Roman Empire and is one of the great cities of Western civilization. Rome’s economy operates around the government and tourism, though, more recently, it has become home to many multinational corporations and agencies. Archeologists date human settlement in Rome to the year 1000 BC, though tradition sets the date at 753 BC on one of the Seven Hills surrounding the area. Rome today is divided into two regions: the inner city within the Aurelian Wall (built in the late 3rd century to enclose the area around the Seven Hills), and the outer city and suburbs. The historic center on the east side of the Tiber is home to most of the city’s historical monuments. Many of these monuments are remarkably well-preserved, including the Pantheon, an antique temple rebuilt in 118-128 AD, and the Colosseum, amphitheater for gladiator combat that opened in 80 AD. The Piazza del Campidoglio with its statue of Marcus Aurelius, and the 18th century Baroque-style Trevi Fountain, are just two of the many other popular historical sites within Rome. Rome’s extensive history and status as an urban center for thousands of years has naturally led to some wear-and-tear on the city’s infrastructure. Most notably, pollution from the many cars and trucks that congest the center of the city has resulted in recent traffic restrictions in a citywide attempt to clean the air and water. Years of heavy industry along the Tiber River have also done ecological damage to the area, but that too is now being remedied and has caught the interest of many local activists and artists, including Kristin Jones and her TEVERETERNO project. Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2003

	Marcus Aurelius, seen here in a statue on the Piazza Campidoglio, was the Roman Emperor from 161-181 AD. His philosophical works on Stoicism were recorded in Meditations, a 12 book collection revealing his belief that the moral life leads to tranquillity, and stresses the virtues of wisdom, justice, fortitude, and moderation. Source: Microsoft Encarta Online.

	Roman engineers completed the Pantheon, a temple to all the gods, in a.d. 128. Its interior was conceived as a single immense space illuminated by a single round opening, called an oculus, at the highest point in the dome. The interior is decorated with colored marble, and lined with pairs of columns and carved figures set into niches in the wall.