Things are beginning to change in both domestic and international travel. Soon, your clients will want to return to a very popular destination: Italy. Therefore, it is beneficial to learn as much about that destination as you can as soon as you can. Here are some fun facts about Rome:
1. Rome, supposedly founded by brothers Romulus and Remus (twins raised by a she-wolf), was the center of the greatest power in the classical world. Its riches led to decadence, then invasion by the Huns and Goths. It was reborn as the center of the Holy Roman Empire, the home of the popes.
2. After World War I, Rome saw Mussolini’s rise to power. He pulled down parts of the city to build avenues and squares that were to be celebrations of his rule. In World War II, Rome squeaked by most, but not all, devastation. Today, Rome receives visitors because of its position as one of the great centers of human history.
3. The Bocca della Verita (Mouth of Truth) is an image carved from marble of a man-like face. The sculpture is thought to be part of a Roman fountain of a pagan god. The legend is that if one tells a lie with one’s hand in the sculpture’s mouth, it will be bitten off.
4. Gregory Peck fooled Audrey Hepburn with the idea in the 1953 film Roman Holiday.
5. Rome has countless tourist itineraries: tours for those who want to see every last piece of marble, participate in religious pilgrimages, and even go on Gucci shopping excursions. Touring Rome needs planning. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and it cannot be seen in one either. Security concerns produce lines and personal searches before entrance is allowed to such sites as the Vatican. Indoors and outdoors and even underground, Rome has much to see.
Bonus: Weather can be a deciding variable. Choosing the wrong time of year can easily turn a dream trip into a nightmare. Rome has mild humid winters and hot dry summers. Snowfall is rare but not unheard of, with flurries occurring almost every winter and major snowfalls once every 20 or so years.
