Encyclopedia of Christianity Online

Get access

Rome
(2,832 words)

1. Concept

Situated on the Tiber, Rome (Lat. and It. Roma) is the capital of Italy and the seat of the papacy. On the basis of its history it is not just the name of a city but also, like Jerusalem, a religious concept. It is a holy city, even eschatologically, as the eternal city, Roma aeterna, and so forth. This meaning goes back to antiquity, when Rome was the origin and center of the empire that its citizens seized and founded (Roman Empire).

2. History

In the following centuries romanitas, the culture or aura of the Roman Empire, be…

Cite this page
Strohmaier-Wiederanders, Gerlinde, “Rome”, in: Encyclopedia of Christianity Online. Consulted online on 03 June 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2211-2685_eco_R.82>
First published online: 2011
First print edition: ISBN: 9789004169678, 20080512



▲   Back to top   ▲