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At the confluence of the Aniene and Tiber Rivers, in the Lazio region of central Italy, lies the City of Rome. Although current archaeological evidence attests the theory that Rome grew from early pastoral settlements on Palatine Hill (the centermost of the seven great hills of Rome), the true founding of the city remains steeped in mystery, often lending to the legend of Rome's establishing by twin brothers, Romulus and Remus in 753 B.C. Some modern-day historians believe nothing of the legend, while others stand by it wholeheartedly, banking on the most recent excavations yielding a series of fortified walls on the north slope of Palatine Hill—walls which date to the time when legend claims Romulus plowed a furrow around the Hill. And though the exact date of Rome's founding receives equal criticism, there is no debating the pivotal events that would soon mark one of the greatest imperial reigns of human history.
In the 8th century B.C., Rome quickly evolved into the capital of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic three centuries later, and finally, the Roman Empire in 31 B.C. In its territorial peak, the Roman Empire was the most dominate, largest, and longest-lasting empire of the Western world. Charged by successful military conquests, commercial superiority, and the selective assimilation of neighboring civilizations, Roman dominance spread across much of Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, with its population eventually surpassing one million inhabitants. Rome continued to rise in importance, and soon became the largest, wealthiest, and most politically crowned cities of the ancient world. But the Roman Empire, in all its beauty and prosperous glory, would too play a role in some of history's most horrific political crimes; more specifically, the persecutions of Christians, as they humbly “defied” the chiefly pagan Religio Romana.
When the Christian religion was first brought to Rome after the crucifixion of Christ, Roman authorities were impartial to its beliefs. Serving as a central source of love and hope for a better life in the afterworld, Christianity gained considerable interest by the poor and servant class. The Roman authorities became increasingly disgusted with Christian followers, seeing them as a threat to the power of the state and senate. In 35 A.D., Senate decrees were passed, edicts which would last until the early 4th century, outlawing the belief and open practice of Christianity. In spiteful terms, Christians were then accused of atheism and hatred towards mankind; and as if being blamed for natural catastrophes such as floods, plague and famine was not enough, it was in 64 A.D. that Emperor Nero incriminated Christians for the great Fire of Rome. Able to do little more than pray for forgiveness for the countless atrocities and martyrdoms of their people, Christians sought salvation in the catacombs—the underground burial chambers that line what is today known as the Ancient Appian Way. It was in the catacombs that Christians could provide proper burials for their dead, honoring them as such, and supporting one another in deep prayer midst the trials and persecutions of the day.
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Despite intense victimizations, Christianity continued to spread, receiving more and more conversions over the course of the succeeding centuries. By the early 4th century, the Christian religion had become an established belief, and was soon made legal in 313 A.D. by Emperor Constantine I. Sixty-seven years later, in 380 A.D., Emperor Theodosius I declared Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, effectively enabling the Christian faith to holistically spread, and eventually replace the declining Religio Romana. It was Emperor Constantine who recognized Christianity as a religion, and it was he who initiated the mass construction of basilicas and churches throughout Rome. In 330 A.D., Emperor Constantine ordered the construction of St. Peter's Basilica over the oratory of St. Peter's tomb on Vatican Hill (the site where he was crucified upside down), and almost immediately, Rome became a major pilgrimage site for the faithful. People from all social levels saw freedom to practice their faith openly without fear of persecution, and began making their way to Rome to pray before the tombs of Sts. Peter (the first Bishop of Rome) and Paul, who were martyred in the city during the 1st century. On the basis of his succeeding St. Peter, the Bishop of Rome (who would later become known as the Pope) gained political and religious importance, claiming primacy over all Bishops and the failing imperial authority.
Following the sack of 410, the Western Roman Empire collapsed and eventually fell in 476, although the exact date of the fall remains today one of the greatest historical questions among scholars. And though the decline of the Western Roman Empire oscillated between Byzantine rule and plundering Germanic tribes, the roots of the Papacy took hold of the civil authority in Rome. In the Early Middle Ages, Rome became the center of the Catholic Church and the capital of the Papal States. A great number of churches and other religious buildings were erected. Rome flourished as a “holy city,” even when the Pope relocated to Avignon, France for a period of time, and eventually became the cultural and artistic hub of Italy at the height of the Italian Renaissance. The Popes would rule Rome with varying levels of success for nearly ten centuries until 1870, when the city was forcefully annexed to form the unified Kingdom of Italy. Pope Pius IX, the governing Pope at the time, retreated to the Vatican, proclaiming himself “a prisoner of the Savoy monarchy.” In 1929, after nearly five decades of conflict between the newfound state and the Catholic Church, the Lateran Treaties were signed, awarding the Holy See the right to govern the Vatican City as a sovereign city-state, thus, making it the smallest independent nation in the world.
Today, the Vatican City is considered the governmental and spiritual capital of the Catholic Church. Standing as a city of great cultural significance, its current territory includes St. Peter's Square, a vast open space fronted by St. Peter's Basilica, and other historical buildings such as the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Library and Vatican Museums. Founded by Pope Julius II in the 16th century, the museums are home to some of the most historically famous works of art by some of the world's greatest masters, including, Rafael, Michelangelo, Bernini, Botticelli, and Leonardo da Vinci. Today, the Vatican Museums have received more than 3,800,000 visitors; and as of October, 2006, the Museums celebrated their 500th anniversary by opening the excavations of the Vatican Hill necropolis to the public.
Rome is currently home to more than 50 major basilicas and churches, with many of them housing ancient relics and important religious edifices. Of the many religious sites and churches worth mention, the four major basilicas prided by Rome are St. Peter's Basilica (home of the tomb of St. Peter and the oldest church in the world), the Basilica of St. John Lateran (see of the Archdiocese of Rome), the Basilica of St. Mary Major (wherein lies the reliquary containing wood pieces from baby Jesus' manger), and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls (home of the tomb of St. Paul). For centuries, St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican City have been the pinnacle point of all European pilgrimages. Whether a true pilgrim traveling to pray before the church's main altar or a wandering tourist, St. Peter's basilica offers many religious relics and some of the world's most precious works of art—which is not to mention the sheer beauty of the building itself. For the past 1,800 years, the basilica's interior has seen the likes of popes, kings, queens, saints, soldiers, Catholics, non-Catholics, priests, peasants, pilgrims, and sightseers. It has been the site of more than 20 ecumenical councils, hundreds of important papal events, and a great many canonization ceremonies. Since its completion in 337, St. Peter's Basilica, coupled with the Vatican City, has easily been the world's most significant pilgrimage site.