Rome

This collection traces Rome's extraordinary historical trajectory from its legendary founding in 753 BC through to its role as the capital of modern Italy in 1870. The documents reveal Rome's evolution through distinct phases: the Roman Kingdom (753-509 BC) with its seven legendary kings who established foundational governance structures; the expansive periods of the Roman Republic and Empire that dominated European civilization for over a millennium; and finally the 1870 Capture of Rome that completed Italian unification and ended papal temporal power. Together, these sources illustrate Rome's unique position as both an ancient civilization that profoundly shaped Western law, politics, architecture, and culture, and a modern capital that continues to serve as a major cultural and economic hub. The collection demonstrates how Rome's political innovations—from monarchical structures to republican institutions—created lasting legacies that influenced governance systems across Europe and beyond.