Lazio Roma, or Latium as the Region is also known, is on the west coast of Italy in the center of the country. For centuries, Lazio Roma has been the predominant region in Italy, the City of Rome serving both as the capital of the region, and the capital of the country. Adding to its significance, Rome itself, encompasses the Vatican, an independent state, which is the capital of world-wide Roman Catholicism.
The area was originally occupied by the Latins who organized various settlements that opposed the Etruscans and Samnites, two other powerful tribal groups in Central Italy. By 338 BC, the Latins came under the domination of those who settled in Rome. After the Social War, in 90 BC, the Romans granted Roman citizenship to all Latins.
The City of Rome, built on seven hills on the banks of the Tiber River, is what the majority of tourists know about the Region. Rome, of course, is dense with history, steeped in art and culture, and possessed of mind-bogglingly beautiful monuments and architectural gems. It has flair, and exuberance, and, even now, a sense of importance in the world.
However, Rome is not all of Lazio Roma, which is a large Regione extending north and south along the Tyrrhenian Coast, and east into rolling countryside and eventually the high hills and mountains of the Appenines.
The treasures and bounty of pre-Roman, Roman and post-Roman times, from the pre-gothic to the gothic, to the renaissance and to the later baroque period are found in the hundreds of towns and villages that lie within the area. If you wonder "what man hath wrought" in over 3000 years of history, you will see it all in Lazio Roma.
Rome - by all means - but rent a car and take time to explore Lazio Roma in greater depth...taking time to meet its people, taste its wines, and savor its hearty cuisine. Believe us when we tell you, you won't get very far into your journey before you start planning your next visit.
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