Rome: City overview

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From imperial capital to religious crucible, Rome has worn many outfits, but none more fitting than the irrepressible cool captured in Fellini's classic move La Dolce Vita. The image of stylish youth cavorting against a backdrop of classical buildings, brooding with history, continues to resonate today. Despite retaining global importance as home of the Pope, Rome's impact on the political and cultural face of Europe has waned. The city has also suffered under the blights of the modern age, with traffic snarling its narrow streets and pollution weathering its architectural heritage. Nevertheless, hundreds of thousands of visitors continue to flock to Rome to gaze into the past and, as the warm Italian sun sinks over the piazzas, simply enjoy the moment.

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