Did You Know? Italy

For more than a thousand years, Rome grew from a small settlement on the Tiber River into one of the most powerful civilizations the world had ever known.

But perhaps Rome’s greatest achievement wasn’t its armies or its enormous territory—it was its legacy.

Roman law influenced modern legal systems. It established principles such as trial by jury, the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, and habeas corpus. The Roman Republic used a system of checks and balances and a written constitution that has shaped modern Western democracies.

Roman roads spanned over 50,000 miles, shaping transportation networks. The construction of aqueducts that carried fresh water into the city, along with one of the earliest major sewer systems, revolutionized urban water and sewer management.

Latin gave birth to several modern languages, including Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian. Even English contains thousands of Latin-derived words, especially in science, law, medicine, and government. Julius Caesar’s introduction of the Julian calendar established the 365-day year, including a leap year. This became the baseline for today’s Gregorian calendar.

Roman architecture inspired generations of builders. An example is the arch. A seemingly simple concept made it possible to construct larger bridges, aqueducts, amphitheaters, tunnels, and monumental buildings. Roman engineers didn’t stop there, taking that concept and developing domes and vaults covering enormous areas. Roman concrete’s durability and strength led to structures such as the Pantheon and the Colosseum. Their engineering continues to amaze us.

And perhaps most remarkably, you can still walk through the streets of Rome today and see the remains of a civilization that began more than 2,700 years ago.

Ancient Rome may be gone, but its influence is very much alive.

After 31 days exploring Ancient Italy and Rome, what Roman fact surprised you the most?

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Join us every day as we explore a fascinating fact, untold story, or remarkable piece of Italy’s history and culture. Whether your family came from Italy, you’ve traveled there, or you dream of visiting one day, this year-long journey is your daily passport to the heart of Italy. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter). You can subscribe for free by filling out the form below to get it sent to your email.

Did You Know? Italy

Imagine returning to Rome after conquering a foreign kingdom—and being given an enormous parade through the streets celebrating your victory.

Roman triumphs were among the most spectacular ceremonies in the ancient world. A victorious general could enter Rome in a grand procession featuring soldiers, musicians, captured treasures, prisoners, and displays of the conquered territories.

The celebration wasn’t just about honoring the general. It was also powerful political theater, reminding the Roman people of the strength and reach of their empire.

According to tradition, an enslaved person stood behind the victorious commander during the ceremony, reminding him that despite his glory, he was still mortal.

Rome celebrated victory—but it also understood the dangers of pride.

If you could witness one event from Ancient Rome, would a Roman triumph make your list?

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Join us every day as we explore a fascinating fact, untold story, or remarkable piece of Italy’s history and culture. Whether your family came from Italy, you’ve traveled there, or you dream of visiting one day, this year-long journey is your daily passport to the heart of Italy. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter). You can subscribe for free by filling out the form below to get it sent to your email.

Did You Know? Italy

One of Rome’s greatest contributions wasn’t a single building—it was an architectural technique that changed the way humans built.

The arch allowed Roman engineers to distribute weight outward and downward rather than placing all the pressure directly on supporting columns.

This seemingly simple idea made it possible to construct larger bridges, aqueducts, amphitheaters, tunnels, and monumental buildings.

Roman builders took the arch even further by developing vaults and domes, allowing them to cover enormous spaces.

Look around the modern world today and you’ll still find arches everywhere—from bridges and train stations to stadiums and government buildings.

The Romans didn’t invent every form of the arch, but they mastered it on an unprecedented scale.

Which Roman structure do you think best demonstrates their architectural genius?

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Join us every day as we explore a fascinating fact, untold story, or remarkable piece of Italy’s history and culture. Whether your family came from Italy, you’ve traveled there, or you dream of visiting one day, this year-long journey is your daily passport to the heart of Italy. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter). You can subscribe for free by filling out the form below to get it sent to your email.

Did You Know? Italy

Today, when someone makes a decision that cannot be undone, we often say they’ve “crossed the Rubicon.”

The phrase comes from Julius Caesar.

Caesar was a successful and very popular general whose time as proconsul over the Cisalpine Gaul, an area outside of Rome, was set to expire. There was much turmoil within the Roman Republic, and in 49 BC the Senate ordered Caesar to disband his army and return to Rome as a private citizen. It would be considered an act of treason punishable by death if Caesar returned with his army. He was faced with a difficult decision. Return to Rome and be ruined politically, or rebel. In 49 BC, he crossed the Rubicon River, which marked the boundary between Cisalpine Gaul to the north and the Roman-controlled area to the south, with his troops, effectively declaring war on the Roman political establishment.

According to the famous tradition, Caesar recognized the seriousness of the decision by declaring, “The die is cast” (Latin: alea iacta est).

There was no turning back.

Caesar’s decision triggered a civil war that eventually brought down the Roman Republic and paved the way for the rise of the Roman Empire.

Today, “crossing the Rubicon” means making an irreversible decision.

What’s a decision you’ve made that felt like your own “crossing the Rubicon”?

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Join us every day as we explore a fascinating fact, untold story, or remarkable piece of Italy’s history and culture. Whether your family came from Italy, you’ve traveled there, or you dream of visiting one day, this year-long journey is your daily passport to the heart of Italy. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter). You can subscribe for free by filling out the form below to get it sent to your email.

Did You Know? Italy

Long before email, text messages, or even the modern postal service, the Romans developed an impressive system for moving messages across their enormous empire.

Under Emperor Augustus, Rome established the cursus publicus (public way), a state-sponsored network of couriers, horses, and stations designed primarily to transport official government messages.

The cursus publicus consisted of a network of relay stations placed along major roads. Riders could travel from one station to another. They could change horses and continue along the way, lodging if they needed to rest, and accessing other essential services. Along Rome’s extensive road network, these couriers could carry important messages across hundreds of miles.

While ordinary Romans didn’t simply drop a letter into a mailbox, the system allowed information to travel across the empire far faster than it otherwise could. The government and elite members of society primarily used the system. Permission from the government was needed for ordinary Romans to use this service.

For an empire stretching across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, communication was essential.

Imagine having to send a message from Rome to another part of the empire. How long do you think it would take?

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Join us every day as we explore a fascinating fact, untold story, or remarkable piece of Italy’s history and culture. Whether your family came from Italy, you’ve traveled there, or you dream of visiting one day, this year-long journey is your daily passport to the heart of Italy. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter). You can subscribe for free by filling out the form below to get it sent to your email.

Did You Know? Italy

Have you ever wondered why our calendar feels so familiar? You can thank the Romans.

When Romulus founded Rome, he instituted the first calendar. This was designed primarily for farming and military life. It consisted of 10 months and 304 days, starting in March and ending in December. Winter months were excluded because no farming or military campaigns would take place during that period.

Numa Pompilius, Rome’s second king, added January and February to the calendar. He still based the calendar on lunar cycles. This calendar still only had 355 days. Romans considered even numbers unlucky and odd numbers lucky so all the months had either 29 or 31 days, excluding February, which had 28 days except in a leap year. February was considered unlucky and dedicated to the rites of the dead and to purification.

In 46 BC, Julius Caesar introduced the Julian Calendar, replacing older systems with a more accurate solar calendar consisting of 365 days and a leap year every four years. Caesar needed to correct the misalignment between the lunar and solar calendars. 46 BC became known as the “Year of Confusion,” and it is the longest recorded year in history, consisting of 445 days. These extra days allowed for the Julian calendar to sync with the solar year.

The Julian calendar was used for over 1600 years until Pope Gregory III introduced minor adjustments and replaced it with the Gregorian Calendar, but the Roman influence remains. Even the names of many months have Roman origins, including January (Janus), March (Mars), and July, which was renamed to honor Julius Caesar himself.

Every time we check the date, we’re using a system rooted in Ancient Rome.

Did you know our modern calendar traces its roots back to Julius Caesar?

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Join us every day as we explore a fascinating fact, untold story, or remarkable piece of Italy’s history and culture. Whether your family came from Italy, you’ve traveled there, or you dream of visiting one day, this year-long journey is your daily passport to the heart of Italy. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter). You can subscribe for free by filling out the form below to get it sent to your email.

Did You Know? Italy

In Ancient Rome, the color purple wasn’t simply fashionable—it represented power.

The richest shade, known as Tyrian Purple (Royal purple or Imperial purple), was created from tiny Mediterranean sea snails. Its name comes from the Phoenician city of Tyre where it was manufactured. Producing just a small amount of dye required thousands of shells, making it one of the most expensive substances in the ancient world.

Because of its incredible cost, purple clothing became associated with the elite: the imperial family, senators, and magistrates could wear the toga praetexta, a white toga with a broad purple border. Roman generals, after a triumphant victory, could wear the toga picta, a purple toga with a gold border, on their day of celebration. In some periods of Roman history, only the emperor could wear the toga purpurea, a garment made entirely of this prized color. It is believed Julius Caesar was the first to don an all-purple toga.

The next time you see royal purple, remember that it once symbolized the highest authority in the Roman world.

Question: If you lived in Ancient Rome, what color do you think would represent status today?

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Join us every day as we explore a fascinating fact, untold story, or remarkable piece of Italy’s history and culture. Whether your family came from Italy, you’ve traveled there, or you dream of visiting one day, this year-long journey is your daily passport to the heart of Italy. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter). You can subscribe for free by filling out the form below to get it sent to your email.

Did You Know? Italy

Busy Romans often grabbed a quick meal instead of cooking at home.

Throughout Ancient Rome, there were thousands of thermopolia, small street-side shops where people could purchase ready-to-eat meals. In Day 21 of Did You Know? Italy, we learned Rome had insulae (apartment buildings). Not all rooms in the insulae were equipped with kitchens or water, so making food at home was not easy. Thermopolia’s were created out of necessity for Romans to grab something to eat. Large clay pots (called dolia) built into stone counters held hot foods, grains, nuts, vegetables, beans, fish, bread, and wine. Some were more elaborate than others because they had a place for you to sit.

Archaeologists have uncovered remarkably preserved thermopolia in Pompeii, complete with painted menus and serving counters.

Long before drive-thrus and takeout, Romans were already enjoying fast, convenient meals while going about their daily lives.

Question: If you could order lunch from an ancient Roman food stall, what would you want to try?

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Join us every day as we explore a fascinating fact, untold story, or remarkable piece of Italy’s history and culture. Whether your family came from Italy, you’ve traveled there, or you dream of visiting one day, this year-long journey is your daily passport to the heart of Italy. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter). You can subscribe for free by filling out the form below to get it sent to your email.

Did You Know? Italy

Roman soldiers weren’t just expert fighters. They were engineers, builders, craftsmen, and police. The Roman state realized that having a large group of soldiers sitting around was a recipe for disaster. They would keep them busy constructing the infrastructure of the Roman Empire.

Whenever a Roman legion stopped for the night, soldiers constructed a fortified camp complete with defensive walls, roads, gates, and drainage systems. They also built bridges, roads, aqueducts, and forts throughout the empire. This ability to build wherever they traveled allowed Rome to move armies efficiently while establishing permanent settlements that eventually grew into many of Europe’s modern cities.

They would also patrol trade routes, shipping lanes, and roads to combat pirates and bandits. They would collect tolls along borders and crossings. Act as armed escorts for tax collectors, shipments of goods, and important dignitaries.

The Roman army conquered with both the sword and the shovel.

Question: Which Roman achievement impresses you more—their military skill or their engineering?

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Join us every day as we explore a fascinating fact, untold story, or remarkable piece of Italy’s history and culture. Whether your family came from Italy, you’ve traveled there, or you dream of visiting one day, this year-long journey is your daily passport to the heart of Italy. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter). You can subscribe for free by filling out the form below to get it sent to your email.