Why was the Roman Empire important?

Many of the things we do and have originated from the Romans:

Language. The language we use today was developed from the Romans. The Romans wrote and spoke in Latin and many of our words are based on Latin.

The Calendar. Started by Julius Caesar it is based on the Eaths movement around the sun. The names of the months where taken from the names of Roman Gods and rulers. July is named after Julius Caesar himself.

The Romans also gave us:
A legal system and laws
The Census
Straight roads
Central heating
concrete
Aqueducts (bridges for water).

8:48 PM Share:

When in Rome

Rome is an amazing city. Whether your into the churches, the art, the gorgeous food and wine or the handsome Italian's, this city has it all.
What to do depends on 1) if it's your first trip 2) your interests 3) how long you go for.
1) If it's your first time in Rome there are certain "must sees". The vatican, the colosseum, trevi fountain, Piazza Navona, Piazza di Spagna etc... Rome is actually very easy to get around and you should be able to cover all the big sites in one or two days. Make sure you get to the vatican early or you could find yourself in line for hours.
2) A lot depends on your interests too. There are churches everywhere which are worth a visit both for religous reasons and for the art. Monuments are everywhere too and you'll find you see a lot of art and history just walking around the city. If you're more into nature and relaxing, there are numerous parks (Villa Borghese is right in the centre and great for a picnic. From the Pincio you get a great view over Rome too).
3) How long you stay for will also effect how much you see. As the famous saying goes "A lifetime is not enough". If you have a couple of weeks check out the big sites in the centre and some of the lesser visited ones like St. Petro in vincoli (up the hill in front of the Colosseum which has in my opinion one of Michelangelo's best pieces), take one of the boat trips down the tevere river to Ostia (the beach), get a bus to Tivoli and go to Villa D'este (a beautiful villa with gorgeous gardens full of statues, fountains, and view of Rome from a distance)
make sure you eat at restaurants where Italians eat and not at the tourist restaurants in the centre. Although some tourist menus are ok they are nothing compared the Italian food prepared for Italians. Think about it, tourists menus are created for people who won't be coming back, proper Italian restaurant what the people to come back and therefore have better quality of food and service...and price!

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Football banned for 2 weeks

All football matches have been banned for a 2 week period following the death of an Italian police officer. The Police officer was killed during the violence between fans and the police force that followed a match in Catania. This is not the first time a person has been killed under a similar situation. Unfortunately violence has been part of the history of football for many years however in the past it was fans vs fans. Now it's police vs fans and the attacks are becoming more and more violent. No one seems to know how to resolve the situation here in Italy but there has been a lot of talk about following the UK example of no tolerance to any form of violence. General public opinion here is that a 2 week ban will make no difference to the situation. There is talk that some matches will take place on Sunday 11th but this will only be valid for stadiums that meet certain levels of security.

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Reminders

1) Don't forget there's still time to leave comments and and take part in the blog commetns competition. For every comment you leave on this blog before february 10th, your name will be entered into the prize draw (*up to 3 times).

2) Remember that every Saturday at 6pm CET there is a chat in my chatroom at http://jolinsdell.tripod.com with different guest speakers dropping by every week to share their knowlegde and answers your questions. Don't miss out, join the chat!

3) If you want to be kept up to date on my latest projects, articles in press, interviews and other general news sign up for the free monthly newsletter at http://jolinsdell.tripod.com

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St. Valentines day is fast approaching and if you're looking for an original gift check out my latest ebook 'The Patron Saint of Lovers' which is out now and available to download from www.lulu.com/ jolinsdell. It's cheap and easy to send to whoever is in your soft spot this year. More original than chocolates or flowers and will last a lot longer than both.

Ever wondered who St. Valentine really was? or How the Italians celebrate Valentines day? 'The Patron Saint of Lovers' has the answers to these and other questions.

Share the love, get your copy today!

http://www.lulu.com/jolinsdell

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