21st April: The Founding of Rome

According to legend, the city of Rome was founded on this date in 753 BC. Here are 10 things you might not know about Rome.

1. According to legend, Rome was founded by Romulus. He and his Twin brother Remus were abandoned by their mother and raised by a she-wolf, until a shepherd adopted them. Romulus eventually killed his brother to become Rome's first ruler. The mascot of the city is the she-wolf. The twins were actually princes from a nearby city called Alba Longa, which was destroyed by Rome in the seventh century BC.
2. Rome has been the capital of Italy since 1870. Before that, the capital was Florence.
3. There are 900 churches and 280 fountains in Rome. One of these is the Trevi Fountain. Around 3,000 euros are thrown into this fountain by tourists every day. The idea is that if you toss a coin into the fountain over your left shoulder using your right hand, you will return to Rome. The money is collected up at night and given to a Catholic charity which helps needy families. However, it should be noted that anyone who tries to gather up some of the coins for themselves will find themselves in trouble as it is illegal to do so.
4. Another popular sight to see when in Rome, is the Spanish Steps. They're not actually Spanish. They were paid for by a Frenchman and built by Italian architects. They're called the Spanish Steps because at one time, the Spanish Embassy was based at the bottom of the steps.
5. Traditionally, Rome has seven hills. Actually, it has rather more than that, since the city has grown somewhat. The seven original hills are Aventine, Caelian, Capitoline, Esquiline, Palatine, Quirinal and Viminal. However, the highest point in Rome, despite being fairly central, isn't one of them. It's Monte Mario at 139m (456ft), north of Vatican City.
6. The Colosseum was called the Amphitheatrium Flavium when it was first built. The Flavian emperors who built it wanted their names attached to it rather than simply calling it “The Big Thing” which is what the word Colosseum meant. The original Colosseum was a huge statue, or colossus, of one of the emperors which used to stand outside.
7. The Pantheon was built in about 126 AD, commissioned by the Emperor Hadrian, and still has the world's largest dome made from unreinforced concrete.
8. Stray Cats have rights in Rome. About 300,000 of them are allowed to roam free, even in some of the ancient ruins.
9. Only about 10% of the Eternal City has ever been excavated. 90% of the ancient city remains buried under homes and businesses, which means most of it may never be uncovered and studied.
10. At the Knight of Malta gate on Aventine Hill there is a green wooden door with a tiny keyhole. If you look through it, you get a perfect view of the Vatican. No-one knows if it was designed to be this way or if it's merely coincidence.

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Sebastian Garrett is an assassin. It wasn’t his first choice of vocation, but nonetheless, he’s good at it, and can be relied upon to get the job done. He’s on top of his game.

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