The official founding of Rome goes back into reality and according to historical sources, for a period between the eighth and nineth century BC, when, following the increasing union of these villages on seven hills that even now surround the urban area of Rome , the city was slowly forming.

Rome's history can be summarized in three major historical periods, each characterized by a different political form:

Monarchical Age

The world famous seven kings of Rome succeeded in leading the city for a total of more than two centuries, a period during which the city's life was marked by numerous conflicts with neighboring territorial realities.

For each of the seven kings that characterized the life of Rome is usually given a special merit in characterizing the social and political life of Rome.

Republican Age

These are the centuries of the expansion of Rome on the Italian peninsula before and throughout the Mediterranean area then.

The date that marks the most progressive Roman conquests is the fall of Carthage (146 BC) which has always been a fierce opponent of the city and whose conquest by the troops led by Scipio Africanus finally marks the transition of Rome from a dominator of the Western Mediterranean to an unchallenged power of the whole area.

Republican Rome expands so much as to require special forms of control closer to the provinces, increasingly remote from the central political system and therefore difficult to control.

The Republican era is characterized, in addition to the flourishing of particularly high forms art and culture, by the extraordinary territorial expansion of Rome and by the early onset of problems: in fact these are the ages between the II and the I century BC, when the conquests of Julius Caesar in Gaul and Britain and the slave revolt led by Spartacus, the expansion up to Syria and Armenia and the cultural circle of Scipio happened.

Imperial Age

The Imperial Age in Rome begins with a strong political will to bring power into the hands of a few. Therefore a series of civil wars and internal strife start that, as a result, brought to power Gaius Marius first and, to the dictatorships of Sulla and Julius Caesar onwards.

Between 44 and 30 BC makes its way to Rome the idea that in order to govern effectively, a leading figure is needed than that of the dictator, figure embodied by Octavian, who is credited with the title of Augustus and opens the political season of the so-called “Principato” (principality).

Throughout the first century BC, continues the gradual and steady expansion of what has now become a real "empire": the Dacia and new territories in the East are subjected to the dominion of Rome and the successive leadership of the principality Gens Claudia Julius first and the Flavian Gens then.

After this last period of expansion of the Roman Empire will begin a long period of stalemate and crisis first then that will develop parallel with the affirmation of Christianity.

At the head of the Empire succede among others over the centuries Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, Diocletian, Constantine, and Rome loses its role as the headquarters of the empire in favor of metropolis born near borders, easier to defend.

The Empire, to ease the administrative divisions of power, was divided in 395 AD by Roman Emperor Theodosius in the Western and Eastern Roman Empire (with its capital in Constantinople, founded on the ruins of ancient Byzantium).

In the fifth century AD, the two empires are permanently divided and more easily attacked by the barbarian peoples of northern Europe, starting to descend easily throughout the Italian peninsula. Just in 476 AD, the barbarian king Odoacer, who came to Rome, deposes the emperor Romulus Augustus and sent the insignia of the empire to the emperor of the East, signals the end of Roman rule.