Is Rome The Capital Of Italy? What Is Italy’s Capital City?
The answer to “Is Rome the capital of Italy?” is yes. Rome is Italy’s capital.
Rome is a city on the bucket list of millions of travellers, and for good reason. Having visited Rome, I know first-hand how beautiful Rome really is.
Whether or not it is the capital is a common question people have before travelling to the Italian city.
The answer is yes, and I’ll go into more detail throughout this blog post.
Is Rome The Capital Of Italy?
To summarise this article into one sentence: Yes, Rome is the capital of Italy.
The capital city of a country is the city in which the parliament or main government residence is found. In Italy’s case, this is Rome, as the Italian Parliament is in the heart of Rome.
Italy has a President, Prime Minister and government with 600 elected members, making it one of the largest governments in the world.
They used to have nearly 1000 elected members but elected to cut it down.
As well as being the capital city, Rome is also the largest city in Italy. Rome is home to 4.4 million people. When visiting Rome, you can really sense the size of the city. That being said, most of the main tourist attractions are close together and the best way to get around Rome is actually by walking.
Rome is a city filled with rich history, and throughout its history, Rome has consistently been a dominant city, which means it only makes sense for Rome to be the capital of Italy.
What makes Rome unique, as a capital city, is the Vatican City. Not many cities, let alone capital cities, have an independent state within the city’s boundaries.
Of course, Rome is also unique due to the incredible culture in the city. I hate the cliche but photos don’t do Rome justice. It’s one of the few cities I would encourage anyone and everyone to visit. You need to see Rome at least once in your life, it’s a magnificent place.
But to answer the question “Is Rome the capital of Italy?“, the answer is yes, yes Rome is the capital of Italy.
Is Rome The Capital of Lazio?
On top of being the capital city of all of Italy, Rome is also the capital city of Lazio.
Like the US, Italy is divided into state-like areas known as regions. There are 20 regions and Rome is found in the region of Lazio, of which it is the capital city.
If you are a sports fan, you might know that AS Roma and Lazio share the same stadium, the Stadio Olimpico. While in Rome, you can do a tour of the stadium. I did it during my 4 days in Rome and I would highly recommend it.
Rome has been the capital of Lazio since 1947 when the region was established. Some other cities in the Lazio region include Latina and Viterbo. Most of the cities are small, Rome is the largest by far.
Does Italy Have 2 Capitals?
No, Italy only has one capital city and that is Rome.
I suppose you could say that Lazio is the capital region, as that is where Rome is found.
And of course, as we have learnt, Rome is the capital of Lazio too.
So Italy does not have two capitals, it has one which is Rome, which is the capital of both the Lazio region and Italy itself.
Was Rome Always The Capital Of Italy?
Yes, Rome has always been the capital of Italy.
As I said earlier, throughout its history, Rome has always been a powerful city and one of the most influential in the world.
Rome was the capital of the Papal States which lasted until 1870, having been around since the 8th century. From 1871 until 1946, Rome was the capital city of the Kingdom of Italy. And from 1946 until the present day, Rome has been the capital city of the Italian Republic.
So yes, Rome has always been and most likely will always be the capital of Italy.
What Is The Vatican City?
The Vatican City is an independent state found within Rome. It is the home of the Pope and the Catholic religion.
Of course, who could forget St. Peter’s Basilica or the Sistine Chapel?
Vatican City is independent of Italy. It’s a new country altogether. It has its own laws, economy and government.
Fun Fact: It’s the smallest country in the world!
It can get confusing as Rome is a city and the Vatican is a state, yet the Vatican is inside Rome’s boundaries. Confusing, right?
Despite being in Rome, as a state within a city, the Vatican has nothing to do with Italy and Rome when it comes to politics.
Is Vatican City The Capital Of Rome?
No, as I said, the Vatican is completely independent of Italy, so it cannot be the capital of Rome.
The Vatican is an independent sovereign state which rules itself but has no influence over Rome or Italy as they are two different countries.
FAQs
Below are a number of questions related to “Is Rome the capital of Italy?” along with my answers.
No, Italy has one capital and it is Rome. Rome is the capital city of both the Lazio region and the whole of the country.
Rome is the capital city of Italy. Rome has always been the capital city of Italy and there is no higher-up city in Italy than Rome, it’s top of the chain and the most powerful city.
Rome has been the capital of Italy since the 8th century as the Papal States. Also, Rome was the capital of the Kingdom of Italy from 1871 until 1946 and the capital of the Republic of Italy since then.
Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy in 1871 as it had been acting as the capital of the Papal States since the 8th century. Rome is also the largest city in the country.
Conclusion
And there you have it, a complete guide to “Is Rome the capital of Italy?“. Remember, the answer is yes. Rome is the capital of Italy.
Rome is the largest and most powerful city, and is home to the Italian Parliament, making it the capital city.
Whether you are just interested in Italy or are planning to visit Rome, I hope you have learnt everything you sought to do 🙂
