Rome's [[history]] as a city spans over two and a half thousand years, as one of the founding cities of [[Western Civilisation]]. It was the centre of the [[Roman Empire]], which dominated Europe, North Africa and the Middle East for four hundred years from the 1st Century BC till the 4th Century AD. Rome has a significant place in [[Christianity]] and is the present day home of the [[Roman Catholic Church]] and the site of the [[Vatican City]], an independent city-state run by the Catholic Church. | Rome's [[history]] as a city spans over two and a half thousand years, as one of the founding cities of [[Western Civilisation]]. It was the centre of the [[Roman Empire]], which dominated Europe, North Africa and the Middle East for four hundred years from the 1st Century BC till the 4th Century AD. Rome has a significant place in [[Christianity]] and is the present day home of the [[Roman Catholic Church]] and the site of the [[Vatican City]], an independent city-state run by the Catholic Church. |