The Three Romes
The history of Rome can be divided into three periods, known as the “Three Romes.” The first phase was the Holy Roman Empire, when the ancient Romans called the city their home base and their empire expanded across Europe and down to Africa. During this time, famous structures such as the Colosseum and Forum were built and were used by the Romans. The city featured a grid plan, with the main streets intersecting at the Forum and main marketplace. During this time, many artifacts from across the empire were brought to Rome, including obelisks from Egypt that are still standing in places like Piazza Navona and St. Peter’s Square today. This was a time of great prosperity for Rome and the population was quite large for a city of its time. The empire did not last forever though, and once it fell, many left the city as the aqueducts began to dry out. In 479AD the dark ages began, a period of time where not much happened at all in the city. Not much evidence of this period remains and it did not have a strong influence on the future of the city since nothing of large significance really occurred.
What is left of dense, narrow medieval streets in Rome
The second Rome was the Rome of the popes, which began in the 1500s. Many popes reigned during this time, and each came up with their own plan as to how to revitalize the city. It is because of the popes that Rome has a Baroque street plan. New wide, direct streets were needed to bring the pilgrims in to the city, so much of the old Rome in the Medieval core was plowed down to build roads. A trivium plan was made, with three main streets and a central node. This plan still exists today. The street pattern is centered around these three main streets and provide access to the center of the city. Straight, linear streets made it easier for carriages to travel through the city. A main road was constructed connecting Capitaline hill to Piazza del Popolo, two important locations at opposite ends of the city. This street pattern was the first of its kind and has had great influence on urban planning, including the street patterns of Washington D.C. and Annapolis, Maryland.
The third Rome is the modern Rome, which began after the unification of Italy. Rome became the capital of the Republic of Italy in 1861 and gained more significance as a city. It was no longer just the city of the popes. Everything that has happened from 1861 to now is included in this period, from the time of Fascism and WWII, to the reign of Berlusconi. The city avoided much damage during WWII, and experienced great growth post-war in size and in population. Rome became a desirable city and a tourist destination, known for its rich history, monuments, and political influence.
Egyptian obelisk in Piazza Navona
It is important to understand the concept of Three Romes so one can comprehend the sequence of occupancy and why the city is the way it is today. History provides context and cultural background, and explains why the city is built in a certain way. Rome has been a city for over 2000 years and includes a large number of past inhabitants that have all had their own impact on the city. It is interesting to study this concept in order to gain a larger understanding of Rome because cities in the US do not have such a great magnitude of history and it is hard to wrap my head around these concepts sometimes. Breaking up the history of Rome shows the importance of each group and each time period, and explains the differences in each era and its inhabitants. The evolution of a city overtime is a fascinating concept, and the lengthy history of Rome is a great topic to study as it not only tells how the city came to be the way it is today, but reveals some about Italy as well. I can now understand how certain planning methods came to be, and can relate parts of the US to Rome.
Italian Landscapes and the Built Environment 