Rome (Italy), capital city of Italy and of Latium Region and Rome Province, on the Tiber River, in the central part of the country near the Tyrrhenian Sea. Vatican City, most of which is located in an enclave within Rome, is the seat of the papacy of the Roman Catholic church and has been recognized as an independent state by the Italian government since 1929. The majestic dome of Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City dominates the Roman skyline.

For centuries, Rome has been called the Eternal City, a title earned through its importance as one of the great cities of Western civilization, as the capital of the Roman Empire, and as the world center of the Roman Catholic church. Since 1871 it has been the capital of united Italy.

Rome is in the Lazio region of central Italy, at the confluence of the Aniene and Tiber (Italian: Tevere) rivers. Although the city centre is about 24 kilometres inland from the Tyrrhenian Sea, the city territory extends to the very shore, where the south-western Ostia district is located. The altitude of Rome ranges from 13 metres above sea level (in Piazza del Popolo) to 120 metres above sea level (the peak of Monte Mario) The comune of Rome is one of the largest European capital cities, covering an overall area of about 1,285 square kilometers.