Rome

===Religion===
{{Main|Religion in Rome}}
{{See also|Vatican City}}
[[File:San Giovanni in Laterano 2021.jpg|thumb|right|[[Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran]], Rome's Cathedral, built in 324, and partly rebuilt between 1660 and 1734]]
[[File:Santa Maria Maggiore Front.JPG|thumb|One of the [[Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome]], [[Santa Maria Maggiore]] is the city's largest [[Roman Catholic Marian church|Catholic Marian church]].]]

Much like the rest of Italy, Rome is predominantly [[Christianity|Christian]], and the city has been an important centre of religion and [[Christian pilgrimage|pilgrimage]] for centuries, the base of the ancient Roman religion with the [[Pontifex Maximus|pontifex maximus]] and later the seat of the [[Holy See|Vatican]] and the pope. Before the arrival of the Christians in Rome, the [[Religion in ancient Rome|Religio Romana]] (literally, the "Roman Religion") was the major religion of the city in classical antiquity. The first gods held sacred by the Romans were [[Jupiter (mythology)|Jupiter]], the Most High, and [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]], the god of war, and father of Rome's twin founders, [[Romulus and Remus]], according to tradition. Other deities such as [[Vesta (mythology)|Vesta]] and [[Minerva]] were honoured. Rome was also the base of several mystery cults, such as [[Mithraic Mysteries|Mithraism]]. Later, after [[Saint Peter|St Peter]] and [[Paul the Apostle|St Paul]] were martyred in the city, and the first Christians began to arrive, Rome became Christian, and the [[Old St. Peter's Basilica]] was constructed in 313 AD. Despite some interruptions (such as the [[Avignon Papacy|Avignon papacy]]), Rome has for centuries been the home of the [[Roman Catholic Church]] and the [[Pope|Bishop of Rome]], otherwise known as the Pope.

Despite the fact that Rome is home to the [[Vatican City]] and St. Peter's Basilica, Rome's cathedral is the [[Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran]], in the south-east of the city centre. There are around 900 churches in Rome in total. Aside from the cathedral itself, some others of note include the [[Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore]], the [[Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls]], the [[Basilica di San Clemente]], [[San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane]] and the [[Church of the Gesu|Church of the Gesù]]. There are also the ancient [[Catacombs of Rome]] underneath the city. Numerous highly important religious educational institutions are also in Rome, such as the [[Pontifical Lateran University]], [[Pontifical Biblical Institute]], [[Pontifical Gregorian University]], and [[Pontifical Oriental Institute]].

Since the end of the [[Roman Republic]], Rome is also the centre of an important [[Jewish]] community,<ref>Coarelli, p. 308.</ref> which was once based in [[Trastevere]], and later in the [[Roman Ghetto]]. There lies also the major synagogue in Rome, the ''[[Great Synagogue of Rome|Tempio Maggiore]]''.

The territory of [[Vatican City]] is part of the ''Mons Vaticanus'' ([[Vatican Hill]]), and of the adjacent former Vatican Fields, where [[St. Peter's Basilica]], the [[Apostolic Palace]], the [[Sistine Chapel]], and museums were built, along with various other buildings. The area was part of the Roman [[rione]] of [[Borgo (rione of Rome)|Borgo]] until 1929. Being separated from the city on the west bank of the [[Tiber]], the area was a suburb that was protected by being included within the walls of [[Pope Leo IV|Leo IV]], later expanded by the current fortification walls of [[Pope Paul III|Paul III]], [[Pope Pius IV|Pius IV]], and [[Pope Urban VIII|Urban VIII]]. When the [[Lateran Treaty]] of 1929 that created the Vatican state was being prepared, the boundaries of the proposed territory were influenced by the fact that much of it was all but enclosed by this loop.

Rome has been a major [[Christian pilgrimage]] site since the [[Middle Ages]]. People from all over the [[Christian world]] visit Vatican City, within the city of Rome, the seat of the papacy. The city became a major [[pilgrimage]] site during the Middle Ages. Apart from brief periods as an independent city during the [[Middle Ages]], Rome kept its status as Papal capital and holy city for centuries, even when the Papacy [[Avignon papacy|briefly relocated]] to [[Avignon]] (1309–1377). Catholics believe that the Vatican is the last resting place of St. Peter. Pilgrimages to Rome can involve visits to many sites, both within Vatican City and in Italian territory. A popular stopping point is the [[scala sancta|Pilate's stairs]]: these are, according to the Christian tradition, the steps that led up to the [[praetorium]] of [[Pontius Pilate]] in [[Jerusalem]], which [[Jesus Christ]] stood on during his [[Passion (Christianity)|Passion]] on his way to trial.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1554541/Steps-Jesus-walked-to-trial-restored-to-glory.html |title=Steps Jesus walked to trial restored to glory |last=Moore |first=Malcolm |date=13 June 2007 |work=The Telegraph |access-date=22 August 2019 |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235 |archive-date=30 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430054419/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1554541/Steps-Jesus-walked-to-trial-restored-to-glory.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

{{wide image|Plac_św._Piotra_(St._Peter's_Basilica).jpg|1000px|alt=Panorama of St. Peter's Square|[[St. Peter's Square]] in [[Vatican City]]}}