The first time I visited Rome, I was nine years old. Throughout the year, my mother would save enough money to take my brother and me to Italy. We would visit family in Rome before heading south to Calabria. I still remember sitting at a trattoria near Piazza Venezia eating a plate of pasta aglio e olio while cars zipped around the piazza at dizzying speeds, a police officer directing traffic like a conductor leading an orchestra. I fell in love with Rome’s history, chaos, and beauty.
At the height of Ancient Rome’s power and influence, around the second century AD, the city was a bustling metropolis with a population of 1.5 million people. The Roman Empire, at that time, encompassed between 50 and 90 million inhabitants, representing about 20 percent of the world’s population. After the fall of Rome in 476 AD, the city became largely deserted, the population shrinking to 30,000. Europe would not see a city as populous as Rome again until Victorian London in the nineteenth century.
American essayist and historian Gore Vidal lived in Rome for many decades, considering it the backdrop for the end of the world. “The last illusion is at hand, and what better place than in this city, which has died so many times and was resurrected so many times,” he proclaimed. Throughout its history, Rome has been sacked eight times, from 390 BCE to 1527 AD. The most notable of these occurred in 410 AD when the Visigoths breached the city’s gates, looting public buildings and unleashing days of plunder. However, the Goths, who were mostly Christian, showed restraint and did not destroy the city’s churches or St Peter’s. Saint Jerome famously cried, “The city which has taken the whole world was itself taken.” The sack marked the beginning of the end for the Western Roman Empire, as it was the first time in 800 years that the city had fallen to a foreign enemy.
Trevi Fountain, Rome (Photo: F Crescia)
Today, Rome is suffering from another type of invasion: over-tourism. In 2024 alone, the city experienced a record-breaking 22 million visitors; and in 2025, the year of the Catholic Jubilee, this number exceeded 30 million. Tourism presents the ancient city with an economic bonanza of $15 billion in tourist spending, boosting an otherwise stagnant economy, but it also comes at a price. The massive crowds are overwhelming historic sites, local businesses are being pushed out, the cost of living continues to increase, and many Romans are feeling like strangers in their own city. In an attempt to control the huge crowds, the city now charges a fee to see some of its great monuments. Even the famed Trevi Fountain will cost two euros to visit. Rome’s Mayor Roberto Gualtieri stated,” Two euros isn’t much and will lead to less chaotic tourist flows.”
There is no better backdrop to Gore Vidal’s analogy of the end of times than visiting the Roman Forum. The Forum was the heart of ancient Rome, where the senate, assemblies, and legal trials took place. It was also a hub for commercial activities, a place of worship, where people from all social classes mingled. Julius Caesar utilized the forum for political and judicial events, expanded it with several new buildings, and was assassinated nearby.
The Colosseum, Rome (Photo: F Crescia)
From the Forum, one can walk the ancient Via Sacra (Sacred Way) through the heart of ancient Rome to the Colosseum, a vast amphitheatre built between 70 and 72 CE during the reign of Vespasian, which could accommodate 50,000 spectators. It hosted gladiator fights and contests between men and animals. Roman rulers employed the strategy of “bread and circuses” to prevent political unrest. The provision of free grain and public spectacles demonstrated the state’s generosity to the people; however, over time, this largesse contributed to depleting the treasury.
These great historical landmarks and ancient treasures are under threat not only from over tourism, as millions visit the Forum and Colosseum annually, but by the city’s continuous struggle to update and modernize its infrastructure. While I was visiting in November, the 800-year-old Torre dei Conti, which was the tallest structure in medieval Rome, reaching 60 meters in height, partially collapsed, killing one worker and injuring another. The tower, located near the Colosseum, was under restoration where a new subway line is being constructed. Archaeologists are expressing concern about the impact of deep drilling and vibrations on the city’s ancient historical structures. Art historian Ludovico Pratesi thinks that restoration has overtaken conservation in Italy and believes, “the country needs a new strategy to preserve its increasingly fragile historic structures.”
Front view of Rome’s Pantheon (Photo: F Crescia)
Rome’s ancient city centre sprawled in all directions, reaching to what can be described as the eighth wonder of the world, the Pantheon. It is an architectural marvel featuring monolithic Corinthian columns constructed from Egyptian granite. When walking past its enormous bronze doors, one’s eyes are swept upward toward its massive dome. The Pantheon originally served as a temple for pagan gods, but later became a Christian church. Saturday evening mass at the church is a magical experience, featuring stunning 2000-year-old architecture and dramatic lighting that fosters a spiritual connection to the heavens. The Pantheon is remarkably well preserved, allowing visitors to feel as though they are stepping back into ancient times, when emperors held court and citizens gathered, making it one of the most influential buildings in history.
My favourite street is Via del Corso, located right in the heart of historic Rome. It acts as the main artery, connecting Piazza Venezia at one end to Piazza del Popolo at the other. The street was built in 220 BC and in the fifteenth century served as a racetrack during the Roman Carnival – an annual event featuring riderless horses known as the “Corsa dei Barberi.” This event led to the name Via del Corso.
Inside view of the dome of Rome’s Pantheon (Photo: F Crescia)
Today, the street is renowned for shopping, its historic buildings, and churches, including the Basilica di Santi Ambrogio e Carlo, a stunning Baroque church adorned with marble. Its nave has a fresco depicting the Fall of the Rebel Angels painted in the seventeen century by Giacinto Brandi. The Basilica di Santa Maria del Popolo, which was consecrated in 1099 and rebuilt in its current Renaissance style in the fifteenth century, houses two major Caravaggio paintings in the Cerasi Chapel: The Conversion of Saint Paul and The Crucifixion of Saint Peter, both painted in 1601. The paintings showcase Caravaggio’s genius for realism and his use of chiaroscuro. One could walk up and down Via del Corso all day long, enjoying its beautiful churches, cafés, restaurants, and ice cream parlours, and never get bored.
The ancient Romans believed that, regardless of what happens in the world – wars, plagues, or the rise and fall of kingdoms – Rome will exist forever. The Eternal City has been around for nearly three thousand years, its history characterized by the blending of past and present. Modern Romans honour this history while adapting to life among the ruins, living each day with passion centred on family, friends, and food. That is why Rome beckons me back each summer.
Based in Toronto, Francis Crescia writes about political, economic, and cultural issues.
