Rome, Italian capital view. Great 4k uhd timelapse footage, daytime and night time, time lapse footages are available. Rome (Italian: Roma), Latin: R?ma) is a city and special comune (named Roma Capitale) in Italy. Rome is the capital of Italy and of the Lazio region. With 2.9 million residents in 1,285 km2 (496.1 sq mi), it is also the country’s largest and most populated comune and fourth-most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. The Metropolitan City of Rome has a population of 4.3 million residents. The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, within Lazio (Latium), along the shores of Tiber river. Vatican City is an independent country within the city boundaries of Rome, the only existing example of a country within a city: for this reason Rome has been often defined as capital of two states. Rome’s history spans more than two and a half thousand years. While Roman mythology dates the founding of Rome at only around 753 BC, the site has been inhabited for much longer, making it one of the oldest continuously occupied sites in Europe. The city’s early population originated from a mix of Latins, Etruscans and Sabines. Eventually, the city successively became the capital of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, and is regarded as one of the birthplaces of Western civilization and by some as the first ever metropolis. colosseum rome italy coliseum roman roma architecture europe landmark ancient amphitheater italian old arena colosseo monument historical building sky travel blue history stone culture historic ruin european forum timelapse hyperlapse gladiator summer stadium city empire tourism theater night moon light bright brick arc exterior interior inside arch archeology colloseum view altare della patria piazza national vittorio statue sculpture marble white flag facade column king urban memorial tomb vittoriano symbol attraction victor emmanuel ii altare-della-patria pantheon church temple famous dome antique religion square basilica religious panteon vacation vatican st saint peter’s square peters san pietro peter catholic cathedral pope christian catholicism panorama christianity people apartment cloud passing residential structure house style street vintage real estate downtown flat sightseeing district home detail apartments neighborhood window cityscape background scene lifestyle wall day silhouette sunset tiber river bridge dusk landscape illuminated reflection evening twilight skyline outdoor backlit sun red orange. It is referred to as “Roma Aeterna” (The Eternal City) and “Caput Mundi” (Capital of the World), two central notions in ancient Roman culture. After the fall of the Western Empire, which marked the beginning of the Middle Ages, Rome slowly fell under the political control of the Papacy, which had settled in the city since the 1st century AD, until in the 8th century it became the capital of the Papal States, which lasted until 1870. Beginning with the Renaissance, almost all the popes since Nicholas V (1422–55) pursued coherently along four hundred years an architectonic and urbanistic program aimed to make of the city the world’s artistic and cultural center. Due to that, Rome became first one of the major centers of the Italian Renaissance, and then the birthplace of both the Baroque style and Neoclassicism. Famous artists, painters, sculptors and architects made Rome the center of their activity, creating masterpieces throughout the city. In 1871 Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, and in 1946 that of the Italian Republic. Rome has the status of a global city. Monuments and museums such as the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum are among the world’s most visited tourist destinations with both locations receiving millions of tourists a year. Rome hosted the 1960 Summer Olympics and is the seat of United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Rome ranked in 2014 as the 14th-most-visited city in the world, 3rd most visited in the European Union, and the most popular tourist attraction in Italy. Its historic centre is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.