The 5 Ages of Rome

An intro to the eternal city

Rome is not one city. It is at least five.

To walk its streets is to pass through shifting centuries, where ruins of the Caesars stand beside medieval bell towers, where Baroque domes rise above Renaissance palaces, and where Fascist boulevards cut through the remnants of an ancient empire.

Few places on earth have been reborn so many times — and yet, Rome has never ceased to be itself. Its history is divided into five main ages, with each one leaving its own mark on the city and its people.

Today, we explore those five ages, and look at what each one reveals about the magical città eterna…