Stairs exiting the Vatican museum

Michelangelo in Rome

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July 27th 2009
Hi Everyone! Today is my birthday, and I get to spend it in Rome! My hostel here used to be a convent, and in the courtyard I can hear an Italian diva giving a concert. Rome is a fascinating city on many levels. There is an unbelievable amount of history here. Rome is at the heart of the birth of western civilization as we know it. It is like one giant open air museum that people just happen ... read more

Europe » Italy » Lazio » Rome

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Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI establis... ... read more