Viewing Rome
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753 BC Rome founded by Romulus, the first of seven kings. 616-576 BC Under Tarquin the Elder the Forum and Circo Massimo are established. 509 BC Tarquin the Proud, last of the kings, expelled and Brutus establishes the Republic. 312 BC Via Appia Antica started and Aqua Appia, the first aqueduct. 168 BC Rome conquers Greece. 149-146 BC Carthage destroyed in third Punic war. 60 BC Julius Caesar, Crassus and Pompey form the Triumvirate. 51 BC Conquest of Gaul. 44 BC Murder of Julius Caesar. 27 BC Augustus becomes the first emperor. AD 64 Fire destroys much of the city (Emperor Nero plays his fiddle). AD 67 Crucifixion of St Peter and execution of St Paul during first persecution of Christians. 312 Battle of Milvian bridge, Constantine wins control of the Empire. 380 Christianity becomes the Roman Empire's official religion. 395 Empire divided into two parts, Eastern and Western. 410 Rome sacked by Goths. 455 Rome sacked by Vandals. 475 Fall of Western Roman Empire. 778 Charlemagne conquers Italy. 961 King Otto of the Saxons becomes first Holy Roman Emperor. 1300 First Holy Year proclaimed by Pope Boniface VIII. 1309 Pope Clement V moves papacy to Avignon 1347 Cola di Rienzo tries to establish a new Roman Republic. 1377 Papacy returns from Avignon. 1378 Great Schism in papacy, a second 'pope' is established in Avignon. 1409 A third papacy established in Pisa. 1417 Pope Martin V ends the Great Schism. 1453 Fall of Constantinople to the Turks, marking end of Eastern Empire. 1498-1502 Papacy at war with Italian states. 1506 Work starts on new St Peter's. 1508-1512 Papacy at war with Romagna. 1520 Martin Luther's reforming thesis starts the Reformation. 1527 Rome sacked by Charles V and German and Spanish troops. 1545-63 Council of Trent leads to the Counter Reformation to strengthen the Catholic church against reforming Protestants. 1585 Pope Sixtus V plans new city with many new streets and buildings. 1600 Giordano Bruno burned at the stake in Campo de' Fiori. 1626 New St Peter's consecrated. 1797 Napoleon captures Rome. 1801 Concordat between Napoleon and Pope Pius VII. 1806 Holy Roman Empire ends. 1808 Rome occupied by French; Pius VII sent to France in captivity. 1814 Pius VII returns to Rome. 1820 Wars for Italian Unification begin. 1849-66 French troops in Rome protect the Pope from the armies of Unification. 1861 Kingdom of Italy formed under King Vittorio Emanuele. 1870 Rome captured by General Garibaldi's troops; Italian Unification complete. 1922 Mussolini marches on Rome, becomes Prime Minister. 1929 Lateran Treaty between Mussolini and the papacy creates Vatican state. 1940 Italy enters World War II. 1943 Mussolini resigns and Germans take over. 1944 Allies liberate Rome from Germans. 1946 Republic established, King Umberto II exiled. 1957 Treaty of Rome establishes Common Market (now European Union). 1960 Olympic games held in Rome. 1978 Prime Minister Aldo Moro assassinated. 1981 Pope John Paul II shot in St Peter's square. 1993 Anti-corruption movement starts in Italy; two bombs explode - at San Giovanni in Laterano and at San Giorgio in Velabro. Mafia blamed. 2000 Many millions of pilgrims descend on Rome for the Holy Year.
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