Romula, officially Romula Capitale and also known previously as Colsamia, is the capital and largest city of Istalia. It also serves as regional capital of Fidelia. With more than 13,000,000 residents it is the country's largest and most populated city. It is located in the central-southern portion of the Sarrentina Peninsula, in the north of the otherwise rural Fidelian region, along the shores of the Sala river, in the middle of the great Sala's river valley where the Ariene river flows into the Sala, at the foot of the northern slopes of the Southern Plateau, in the site where once stood the ancient mighty city of Qolshamih.
Romula history spans over 7000 years, one of the most ancient cities of Terra and hearth of one of the so called "craddles of civilizations". During such a long history it has colleced a great amount of archeological, artistic and architectural testimoniances making it one of the most important artistic and cultural cities worldwide.
For most part of modern times it has been hosting the highest institutions of Istalia. And it is the most important economic center of the country together with Magliano, hosting the headquarters of many national and international businesses and national and international banks and financial Institutions. Its business district is the home of many kind of industries, from high-tech to enegy and heavy industries (although most of pruduction facilies are located elsewhere), industries active in the services sector, the entertainment, pharmaceutical and defense.
Etymology[]
The name Romula was taken after the Fidelian general and then Duke of Colsamia Giuliano Barbato Romul, a great general of the southern kingdom of Fidelia and who is known for its great victories on behalf of its Kings. He was declared Duke of Colsamia and was tasked by the Kings of Fidelia to rebuild the walls and the fortress of Colsamia, which was rising once again after the dark centuries following the sake of Colsamia. Barbato Romul restored and rebuild the Colsamian and Augustan walls and totally rebuilt the fortress defending the strategic ford of the city. The fortress, who raised few kilometers upstream the Sala compared the ancient city center, and which was probably the larger of Istalia at the time, became known as Fortezza di Romul (Fortress of Romul), connected to the bundary walls system who at the time enclosed an area enormously larger than the actual size of the medieval city, the rest in fact, where once extended the mighty Colsamia, had turned in cultivated fields and grassland. Quickly the populace began to call the fortress as La Romulana (The Romulan), a name that in the following years began to identify ever more the city which was re-expanding around the fortress and within the walls. As time goes by, the expanding urban area swallowed the old remains of Colsamia and the name Romula began progressively to identify the site. Romula, thanks to this impressive defensive system, became one of the most important bastions of the resistance against the Ahmadi Caliphate which authorities always faced great difficulties to control the city which name Romula, however, for centuries remained only an informal name until 16th century when, after the retirement of the Caliphate armies, finally the Kingdom of Fidelia fully recognized the new name which began to be permanently written on documents and maps. After the Quanzar invasion in 18th century, the older name Colsamia was recovered, considering the name of Romula to linked to the resistance to the former Ahmadi empire and too linked to the Istalian culture and identity. Only after an agreement with the Hosian Patriarchy of Quanzar the name was authorized and officialized, a gesture also aimed to defuse high tensions with the Istalian population at the beginning of 19th century. Since then the official name of the city remained Romula for almost five millennia. Around the first half of 51st century, however, under the Union of Quanzar and Alaria, the city name was reverted to its earlier name Colsamia, within the efforts of the Union's authorities to undermine the Istalian identity of the country. This attempt, however, lasted just few decades and finally the name Romula returned to be the official name of the city.
Colsamia is the Fidelian form of selucian origin of the ancient name "Qolshamih". Qolshamih, in turn, derived from the Therakan qōl šamħī, meaning "voice of the heavens," qōl being a singular masculine noun in the construct state and šamħī being a plural masculine in the genitive case. The original compound, Qōl-šamħī, which is attested in Old and Middle Therakan texts, was modified as Therakan fell out of use in favor of selucian and selucian derived dialect during the Post-Classical period, and centuries later the pharyngeal fricative and /i/ underwent metathesis under Majatran influence too.
Geography[]
Romula rises on the Sala river, in the middle of the Sala Valley, in the north of Fidelia region, southermost region on the Sarrentine peninsula, not far from the peninsula's geographical center. The original settlement of Qolshamih was at the confluence of the Ariene river with the Sala, on some hills rising on the tongue of land bounded by the two rivers, near the island today known as Antariena, at the time the most easily traversable natural ford of the river in this area. During the centuries the first settlement expanded on both side of the Ariene to the west and north, where the ground was flatter, and then towards west over along the the Sala reaching the larger but much more rocky island today known as Salerina. In the following centuries both sides of the Sala were settled and the city continued to expand, although the marchland surrounding the hills carved by the Sala limited the expansion in the areas free from the swamps, dangerous also because the risk of malaria. Despite then the capital was moved to the north in the city of Tuffad, Qolshamih kept its status of largest city of the Kingdom and as its economic center, continuing to expand along the healthy banks of the river and up the surrounding hills.. Its growth recovered faster when the Alsemite Kings returned with the Court in Qolshamih and the expansion continued north of the Sala river on the hilly countryside. With the decline of the Kingdom and its fall under the pression of the barbaric nomad tribes of the deserts, the city suffered great devastation and the competition then with the colonies established by the Selucian-Alarian people on the peninsula progressively depopulated the city which was finally reduced to a small settlement among the imposing ruins of the past. Its location, however, continued to make it a strategically important area disputed by the warlords and the potentates that developed in the following centuries.
Having become over the centuries the Salerina island the main ford along the Sala, also because the only two bridges still in place of those many built by the Qolshamits survived there and because the expansion of the marshland in the ruined old city center of Qolshamih, the center of the surviving settlement moved westwards close to the Salerina island and it was here that the development of the city in the Middle Ages was concentrated, especially following the foundation of the first church in the Istalian territory, Saint Matthias near the Walls, and therefore of the Romul Fortress. From that moment on, the city began to expand in all directions inside the walls (built so to incorporate large agricultural areas in order to provide self-sufficiency to the city), gradually arriving to incorporate the ruins of the ancient center of Qolshamih, developing along the course of the Sala and then up the hills that surround that part of the Valley encircled by the great walls complex. During the contemporary era, development was concentrated north of the Sala and to the east of the Ariene, where the hills were gentler and the flat areas much more extensive than the area south of the Sala where the offshoots of the city reached the steepest slops of the Southern plateau.
Today the city municipality covers an area comparable to the one of the entire metropolitan cities of Magliano and Neapulia, and to an area six times the size of the territory of these cities. Due to the environment of the areas of the Sala Valley surrounding the hilly area carved by the Sala river, which for centuries was charaterized by considerable areas occupied by marshland suitable neither for agriculture nor for urban development, for centuries the city developed around these marshland at least until they were successfully drained, leaving thus large areas between the several part of the urban settlement relatively untouched. For this reason today, outside the historical city center, the density of the city is not that high, its territory being divided between highly urbanised areas and areas reclaimed from swamps and designated as parks, nature reserves, and for agricultural use.
History[]
See also: History of Istalia
Ancient and early medieval history[]
Romula is the modern-day city occupying the site of the ancient city of Qolshamih, according to the mythical tradition founded in 1832 BCE. As center of the homonymous ancient civilization, the city became the largest of the Sarrentina Peninsula and among the largest of Majatra and during its long millennia of history it was enriched with numerous artistic and architectural testimoniances of the civilizations that were to come. While the selucization of the Qolshamin civilization proceeded, the city became known as Colsamia and when it became the center of the Colsamian Empire, it became also a multi-ethnic city and a pole of the Selucid-Kalopian culture too.
Under the Augustan domination the city became known as the last bastion of the ancient culture while all over the continent the new Hosian faith was spreading. When in 509 Hosianism became the state religion of the Augustan Empire, in east Majatra many of the most phanatical hosians began to complain about the existence within their hosian empire of such a city where the old false gods were still worshiped and where the old pagan culture, equally desised by the hosian phanaticals, was still teached. The contrasts within the city quickly turned in daily clashes and street fights which often had to be sedated by the Augustan authorities. The hosians, however, were now becoming the majority and only the protection of the local elites, although by now largely hosianized, still protected the pagans who until 509 enjoyed the full protection of the Imperial laws. This changed however when the Augustan Empire adopted Hosianism as the state religion. Colsamia still remained a bulwark of paganism, like the Selucian cities on the eastern coast of Alaria and from 509 onwards this fact really became something unacceptable for those fanatical groups who by now had reached the top of the Church. In 521 Cyril of Helios was appointed Patriarch of Colsamia, one of the leaders of the most fanatical and by now most powerful groups of Hosianity, who was said to have uprooted Kalopian paganism from Kalopia by going to convert, the critics said to hunt, the pagans until the most remote villages of the Kalopian mountains. Cyril unleashed the adepts of his order through the city, raising tensions to cause an incident that would justify a severe condemnation of the church and finally authorize a real persecution against the pagans. In 530 the pagan population of Colsamia turned against the abuses of the Hosians and the fanatics in the service of the Patriarch: hundreds of Hosians were massacred in the streets and Cyril himself was sought everywhere in the city to lynch him. The Patriarch had already fled to Milona, then the Augustan center of power in the Peninsula and its largest Hosian center, where supported by the Hosian crowd he incited the Augustan authorities to punish the city while at the same time the pagans of Colsamia revolted against the Augustan dominion perceiving it as having become an arm of the Hosians and the fate of the city was sealed: the pagans resisted the Augustan siege for almost a month, but in the end it fell and it was a massacre. Only thanks to intervention of the local noble Theofylact and of Mercutio of Taranda avoided the total extermination of the survivors. It was the end for the mighty Colsamia, reduced to a small town of a few thousand souls crowded around an Augustan fortress to watch over the ford on the Sala amidst imposing ruins that stretched all around as far as the eye could see. The rebirth of the city was promoted in the following years also by the extablishment of a hosian shrine in the site, the Shrine of St. John of Victoria, annexed to theArchbasilica of St. Matthias the Baptist to the Walls, which was founded by Mercution of Taranda after the sake. It's around the Church and the main fortress of the city that Colsamia will rise again in the future.
Following the retirement of the Augustan armies the city was contested by the several potentates rising in the area due to its strategic position on the main ford on the river Sala. Initially it fell under the control of the rising Kingdom of Accaria, then it passed under the control of the Kingdom of Fidelia.
Late medieval period and modern era[]
Under Fidelia control, the city kept its status of important strategic center, and it was under Fidelia that the General Giuliano Barbato Romul was tasked to rebuild the walls and the fortress of the city. Barbato Romul was created also Duke of Colsamia whose population, as mentioned, impressed by the new defensive structures and by the efforts of the Duke to revive the fortunes of the city, began to call the little town who was rising once again few chilometres upstream the Sala as la Romulana and then Romula. With the increasing power of Fidelia in 11st century, the city became again an important trade center while the Basilica of St. Matthias housed a monastic orders which make the city a medieval cultural center, where the authorities of the Church were also recovering part of the ancient knowledge searching around the ruins for decades. With the arrivals of the Majatran armies of the Ahmadi Caliphate in 13rd century the city, like the rest of the Peninsula passed under the control of Ahmadi Bramenians and Majatrans vassals of the Caliph. The local Ahmadi rulers, impressed by the monumental remains of the city, began to use the site as their burial place, enriching the outskirt and the countryside with many mausoleum. When the Caliphate began to fall and the istalians principalities start the rebelion against the local Ahmadi vassal, they immediately retook the control of the city due its strategic role as well as important center for the istalian hosiansim. During this period the southerner Kingdom of Fidelia once again emerged as leading power in Istalia taking control of the city which began once again to grow more quickly.
Under Fidelia's control the city experienced its veritable rebirth from the late Middle ages and through the Modern era. The Kings of Fidelia fully understood the symbolic importance of the city apart its strategic placement, as well as its role as the heart of Istalian hosianism and invested many resources and efforts to make it a prominent city and while continuing their efforts to unify the peninsula they developed the will to make Romula the capital of a future unified mailand's Istalian kingdom, which could rival the Kingdom of Alaria and the other Majatran potentates. The Kings of Fidelia became great patrons of the arts and sponsored architects, sculptors and painters to embellish the city with the most recent and sophisticated forms of art. From Selucia, through Alaria who had always maintained close ties with Selucia, the peninsula was also affected by the Renascentia and sovereigns, nobles and princes enriched the cities and the territory with great works inspired by the new artistic current (like for example the pleasure estate of Villa Colonnati made built by the homonymous noble romulan family) and the Kings of Fidelia for Romula were not less. Among the most imporant artists called by the Fidelia which embelished the city there was the well knwon Antonangelo (his Square of Communal Palaces remained until today a veritable masterpiece of Renascentian architecture). It was precisely in Romula that the Renascentia art, far from the purism advocated by the resurgent Pagans in Selucia, was free to evolve, influenced by an Aurorian Church which, far from the conflicts and strong pressure of the Pagans against its central authority in Selucia, could freely reassert its prestige and primacy, especially on the wave of the enthusiasm of the liberation of the homeland by the former Ahamdi conquerors who never managed to convert the Estalian lands, and by the will of the Kings of Fidelia aimed to consolidate their primacy and their prestige over all the other lords of the peninsula. Thus it was that the Baroque evolved in Romula in its flomboyant and majestic forms and for the whole city new buildings, cities, squares, parks and scenographies inspired by the new artistic current multiplied influencing art throughout Istalia and therefore beyond its borders. The city became a veritable experiment bench for Baroque urban planning under the Kings of Fidelia who wanted to make the city their future majestic capital.
The Quanzar Empire[]
The arrival of the invasors of the Empire of Quanzar put an end to the dream of Fidelia to unify the peninsula, if not the whole Istalian lands looking at their marriage politics and agreements with the Kingdom of Alaria. Despite the strong resistance which lasted until the second half of 18th century, the peninsula finally fell under the Quanzars which conquered also the city despite its strenous resistance.
The Quanzar, in order to break the spirit of the city populace, reprimed the use of the name "Romula", promoting the resume of the ancient name Colsamia, and indeed they transfered many institutions housed in Romula in other cities. The city however remained one of the most turbolent for the Quanzar Emirs which during the decades were forced to grant many concesions to the citizenships, finally also the authorization to officialy call the city with its veritable name.
When the Emirs moved in Istalia their court after the fall of their multicultural Empire in the first half of 20th century, the Romulans suffered a severe punishment for their attempt to unleash a revolution, like in the cities in Solentia and Kalopia. The city and their leaders, however, indeed increased their role of main anti-quanzari center of the Peninsula. Among the most notable events the uprising in the aftermath of the great naval defeat of the Quanzars by part of the Kingdom of Istalia: Romula rise up led by the Istalian Arch-Bishop but the peace agreement established by the Emirate and the Kingdom of Istalia, unable to further support the war efforts, marked the end of the rebellion, hardly crushed by the Emirate. The Emirate imposed to the Arch-Bishop, local representative of the Patriarch of Istalia and Solentia, to left the Arch-Basilica of Saint Matthias and to move in Verunia where he would have been highly controled by the Emir. After few years, however, thanks to intervention of the Theognosian Church, the Arch-Bishop returned in Romula while the Emirate agreed with the Patriarchate to recognize to the Patriarch the religion authority also on the quanzarian hosians, assuring to the city the status of religious protected site.
Contemporary and recent history[]
After the fall of the Emirate caused by the socialist revolution of 2110, the new state, the Union of Quanzari Soviets, decided to move the capital from the political center of the Emirate, which was Verunnìa.
Romula for the Union leadership was too much "istalian" to be chosen as capital and aimed to overcome the ethnic divisions with the unifing socialist ideology, they decide to left in the city just the seat of the Supreme Soviet, the Union's Parliament, while as official capital and seat of the Head of the State and of the diplomatic representatives was chosen the at the time second largest city of the country, Nicomopolis, as it was known Całeon at the time, the only other city where to adeguately host the national authorities and also because there were the will to undermine the memory of the city as capital of the late Kingdom of Istalia with the idea of the capital of the new Soviet Union.
After the definitive seize of the power by part of the Istalians and the foundation of the Quanzarian Republic, finally Romula arose to the role that for centuries the istalians tried to give it: the definitive capital of Istalia, becoming under the next millennia the largest and most populed city of the Country, its political as well as cultural and spiritual center. Romula was also the seat of the three Hessexian Monarchies although it was all the three time named with the luthorian foreign name of Haxons, derived by the House of Hessex.
Since the end of 41th century, Romula increased its role as global metropoly becoming one of the most important financial and political capitals of Terra. After the establishment of the Union of Quanzar and Alaria the separatist and anti-Istalian forces leading the new nation, in an attemt to undermine the Istalian identity and promote the regional languages and identity, opted for a return to the ancient name of the city, Colsamia, which became official in February 5037. This decision however lasted for few decades and soon after the name Romula was once again re-adopted.
Administration[]
Government[]
Main article: Mayor of Romula
The Civic Palace, seat of the municipal authorities of Romula
The local form of government of the city follow the model of the mayor–council government system, with a mayor (Istalian: Sindaco) elected by voters, and a unicameral council as the legislative branch (Istalian: Consiglio). To the mayor is given almost total administrative authority and a clear, wide range of political independence, with the power to appoint and dismiss department heads and furthermore he prepares and administers the city budget, although most part of the decisions must be approved by the council. From the modern era until the foundation of the First Istalian Republic the Communal Palaces on the homonimous square have been the seat of the city authorities but then not far a new larger bouiding in eclecting style was built to house the municipal government, the Civic Palace, and the Communal Palaces became the seat of the City of Rumula Museum, although some solemn city's celebrations are still organized in the Square and the surrounding buildings.
Administrative Divisions[]
The municipality of Romula occupies an area of 1.292 km² while the quite diffused and low density metropolitan area covers 2.321 km². The municipality's territory is divided in 43 districts of which 26 are called Rioni while the rest are called Municipi. The first term derives from the ancient Selucian Regio (Luthorian: Region) and is an ancient term used often for the administrative divisions of many medieval Istalian cities. The term Municipio instead, is the Istalian translation of the Luthorian term municipality. A Municipio usually is used to indicate the territory of every city or town in Istalia (and is colloquially used to refer to the city hall), but in Romula they indicate the sub-divisions of the city area.
Sub-divisions Government[]
Each Rione and Municipio have its sub-government which manage the affairs of each sub-division of Romula. These sub-government are organized almost like the city government but each sub-head of executive has less powers while the district council is the veritable decision-maker.
Rioni[]
There are 26 Rioni in Romula, indicated with the Selucian numerals (I, II, III, IV...) and a traditional name (not reported on the map) and actually they cover all the historical city center. The Rioni are:
Administrative divisions of Romula
| Rione | Name | Rione | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Quadrato | XIV | Collegiardino |
| II | San Mattia | XV | Vecchiemura |
| III | Portonuovo | XVI | Dei Guardiani |
| IV | Oltresala | XVII | Porta Santa |
| V | Guadonuovo | XVIII | Lungosala |
| VI | Oltreguado | XIX | Angelicano |
| VII | Ponterotto | XX | San Callisto |
| VIII | Campo d'Armi | XXI | Pretorio |
| IX | Montevista | XXII | Santa Babila |
| X | Mercati | XXIII | Sepolcri |
| XI | L'Angolo | XXIV | Colsamia |
| XII | Quirino | XXV | Vecchiepietre |
| XIII | Oltrequirino | XXVI | Muraglioni |
Municipi[]
The Municipi, instead, are 17 and unlike the Rioni, they have not a name but they are identified with an alphanumeric code formed by an "M" (M from "Municipio") and by a number, this form: M1, M2, M3.... They are the districts which arose beyond the historical city center in the modern era and recent times.
Despite officially they are officially refered as Municipio 1, Municipio 2 and so on, the city population has given unofficial names to each one.
City Holiday[]
The official city holiday of Romula is 8 August, date adopted in 2251 by the at the time city council and chosen because it's the traditional date of foundation of the Romulan Fortress by Giuliano Barbato Romul.
Notable places[]
Romula is probably the Istalia city which can boast the most important artistic, cultural and architectural testimoniances of the long history of the peninsula. This make Romula one of the most visited sites of Istalia.
Among the most relevant and interesting places there are the ruins of the ancient Qolshamih, the numberous religious architectures, the forts and walls surrounding the city (Fortress of Romula), artistic and architectural testimoniances from the several foreign dominations, among which the legacy of the ancient Augustan and Ahmadi conquerors, and therefore istalian palaces and artistic testimonies covering a time span of thousands of years, expression of all the most important artistic movements.
Archeological site of Ancient Colsamia[]
The Port of the Gods, in the Palace of the Kings with the sculptures of ancient Qolshamin gods
The Museum Park of Ancient Colsamia is a large archeological park in the historical center of Romula, placed in the hilly corner formed by the Ariene river which flows into the Sala, some kilometers east to the modern city center. The park offers countless remains of building and different structures of the ancient civilization of Qolshamih, later known as Colsamia, which are the testimoniancies of the progressive selucization of the Colsamian arts and society during the centuries. Among the most interesting remains there are the Old Palace of the Kings, in pure Qolshamin style and under the Alsamite Era used as administrative building, the New Palace of the Kings, used since the first century BCE as actual residence of the monarch, the Divine Citadel, an acropolis dedicated to the major gods on top of the highest hill of the ancient city, once a complex of pyramidal temples which later became the veritable base of an acropolis in selucian style which arise above the ancient one, and then the impressive remains in pure selucian style which have nothing to envy to the remains on the island of Alaria or in Selucia itself.
Amphitheater of Alsemet the Great, exquisite example of classical selucian architecture, heavily adopted by the late Qolshamin rulers
Among the most notable remains in pure selucian style there are the four temple of gods of the Harvest, the commercial colonnaded avenues, the Basilicae, the Thermae and, of course, the great amphitheater of Alsemet the Great, considered the largest of all Majatra. Some elements of the archeological site can boast a good degree of conservations thanks to later reutilization of the structures, but others have been heavily damaged by the violence of the sake of Colsamia, although mostly preserved after being flooded by sediments from the Sala and the Ariene, nomore controlled and canalized in the centuries after the sake. The sparse remaining population, as mentioned, moved few kilometers upriver to settle close to the Augustan fortress and the Church of St. Matthias. Since the years following the sake, furthermore, the vast ruins of the city have been used as a quarry of building materials but some of the most valuable artistic and architectural elements have been preserved or reused to decorate new estates, mausoleums, churches, etc....
Archbasilica of St. Matthias[]
Archbasilica of St. Matthias the Baptist to the Walls, Aurorian Cathedral of the Istalian Patriarchate
is the Aurorian Cathedral of Romula's diocese and of the Patriarchate of Istalia, Solentia, and Quanzar . It is the seat of the Biship of Romula, Primate of Istalia, and of the ordinary of the Patriarchate, known as bishop of Istalia, Solentia and Quanzar, when he came from Istalia It's considered the heart of the Istalian hosianism and hosts among the most important istalian hosian relics, like the remain of St. John of Victoria preserved into the annexed shrine, and boast the artistic testimoniancies dating back of centuries. The current church, with its very impressive baroque facade and internal naves, is a reconstruction of 17th century orderd by the powerful Deodato II, ruler of the Kingdom of Fidelia which at the time controlled the city.
The Archbasilica rises close to Quattroregni Palace, both of them, in fact, facing the large twin squares of St. Matthias Square and Palace Square, divided by a central road, a public garden and several sculptural groups with fountains and obelisks.
Quattroregni Palace[]
Quattroregni Palace, seat of the Imperial Throne of Istalia
It's one of the best known buildings in Istalia and abroad and since long time it's the residence of the Heads of State of Istalia, currently official residence and workplace of the Emperor of the Istalians.
The Palace was commissioned by the King of Fidelia Deodato II, foreseeing a future transfer of the Royal court to Romula after the finalizing of the planned conquest of the peninsula. Deodato demanded to his architects and artists to create a sumptuous palace that was supposed to do envy to the other istalian lords and monarchs but also the rest of Majatra.
Considered a great masterpiece of the the charateristic martial Fidelian Baroque, the Palace never became the hearth of a unified peninsula due to the fact that the conquering plans of Deodato never came true, and in the following centuries the Palace was used as seat of the lords and the controlling authorities of the city. The name "Quattroregni" ("Four Kingdoms" in luthorian) derives by the fact that in the decades before the fall of the peninsula under the domination of the Empire of Quanzar, it was used by the Kings of Fidelia, the King of Alaria and the other two fomer monarchs of the peninsula to gather and organize the defense of their land.
Royal Palace of Haxons[]
It's the former official residence of the Kings of the House of Hessex. The Palace reflects the ambition of the Hessexian Dynasty which as its own Royal Residence demanded not only an impressive but also a monumental masterpiece. It is one of the largest royal palaces built all over the world by floor area. The interior of the palace is notable for its wealth of art and the use of many types of fine materials in the construction and the decoration of its rooms. These include paintings and frescoes wich are among the best example of late baroque revival.
Since 4325, after centuries of abandonment and degradation, it hosts the National Museum of Istalian History, the largest istalian museum which attracts each year millions of visitors.
Culture[]
Arts[]
Romula is now considered one of the most important cities of art in the world; in its territory there are works testimony of all the civilizations that have inhabited it in the various eras, from the Qolshamite works to the medieval ones, which include those of the Augustan and of the Ahmadi Caliphate periods, Renaissance, Baroque, Quanzar and contemporary heritage: for this reason it turns out to be one of the cities which has more monuments in the world.
Qolshamite art can be fundamentally divided into two phases, the definitive original or autochthonous one typical of the civilizations of the Quedarite influenced by the Therakan pre-quedarite ethnic group, and the one then strongly influenced by the Selucian culture which led to the adoption in full of the style of the colonizers from Selucia but also to very interesting forms of eclecticism that blend the style of Qolshamih art with that of Selucian art (although the best evidence of this kind is found in the archaeological area of Tuffad).
The augustan Holy Church of Saint Sarah Mater Dei
After a few centuries of decadence, due to the invasions of the nomads of the deserts, in Romula art experienced a new phase following the arrival of Hosianism and the Augustan conquest which imported the style and art typical of that great medieval empire into the peninsula, which had strongly influenced the first hosian sacred art, and which influenced then the art and architecture of the post-augustan estalian kingdoms. It was thanks to the Augustan authorities that the city began to rebirth after having being almost abandoned. Augustan testimoniances are represented mainly by defensive and religious architectures.
The arrival of the Ahmadi culture with the Caliphate represented a new phase for the artistic history of the country and Romula and despite the Ahmadi influences caratherized mostly the north of Peninsula, the monumental remains and ruins of Romula, or Colsamia as it was still known at the time, impressed a lot the Ahmadi conquers and the Ahmdai lords which ruled in Istalia elected the city as their preferencial place of burial. The at the time countryside, and especially along the road between Colsamia and Padura-Burìa, was quindi puntellato da numerosi mausolei Ahamdi, most of them today within the large Archeologic Park of the Ancient Ahamdi Road.
The renascentian Square of the Communal Palaces
Following the retire of the Ahmadi Caliphate, the Estalian kingdoms, cities and principalities, thanks to the always strong contacts between the ancient colonies and subsequent Estalian heirs with the Selucian motherland, around 16th century also Istalia and thus Romula began to be influenced by the influx of the Renascentia which in Istalia, however, unlike in Selucia, blended with the hosian artistic influences which in the following centuries developed in the Baroque style. Among the most impressive architectural testimoniances of this period there is the Square of the Communal Palace, which since centuries is the seat of the city administration.
Being the reborn city, now called Romula, the veritable center of the hosianism in Istalia, the city was highly charaterized by this new artistic movement which in turn was adopted by the Selucian Aurorian Patriarchal authorities in contrast with the pagan rebirth which adopted the Renascentia arts which had remained very linked to the pure forms of the classical selucian arts. The Baroque style became then style adopted by the Kings of Fidelia to assert their authority and power all over the country, trying to impress the other courts and the populace with the monumental and flamboyant forms of the Baroque which then turned to rococo and then neo-classical style thanks to the contacts with the selucian colonized countries of south Seleya.
The baroque Square of the Ships
The Quanzar conquest, despite the attempts of the new rulers to suppress the Istalian identity and culture and to convert the peninsula to the new faith, never achieved to reach their goals and Quanzar art did not succeed in influencing the Istalian one and indeed, and especially in the artistically sophisticated Romula, the occupying authorities adopted styles and forms of local art which in turn influenced the style of the Quanzar court itself, which adopted Istalian artistic styles especially during the years of the attempted modernizing reforms which saw the birth of interesting experiments in artistic eclecticism. In the 19th century, Romula became an important center of this eclectic artistic trend and of numerous examples of artistic revival of ancient and previous styles. Eclectic art was then adopted in most part of the country spreading from Romula as veritable style of the nationalistic hopes of the subjugated Istalians, proud of the fact that their art had even influenced that of the conquerors perceiving it as enormously more advanced and sophisticated. Per questo motivo l'Emirato di Quanzar che si installò nel paese, adottando politiche molto più incisive di majatranization, promoted arts and styles inspired to the ones of the ancient Ahmadi Caliphate but in Romula such attempts never set foot and the few testimonies related to this style, especially architectural ones, disappeared very quickly but above all thanks to the authorities of the following Union of Quanzari Soviets.
The today demolished Palace of Quanzari Soviets
The Union of Quanzari Soviets adopted the monumental but austere styles of the international communism which, like in other communist-influenced nations, deveoped in the modernist industrialist style which in Romula, chosen as capital of the Union, left several testimoniances highly criticized by the city populace because seen as terrible ugliness of concrete and steel that does not blend well with the rest of the urban fabric of the city.
The destroyed old Palace of Parliament
Despite such testimoniances survived for several centuries, progressively with the passing of centuries and millennia under the Istalian artistic culture they actually desappeared leaving room for artistic and architectural forms, as mentioned, inspired by the eclecticism of the 19th century which took up, as mentioned, those styles considered to be more linked to the history of Istalia and among the most iconic examples of this style there was the Old Palace of Parliament, destroyed in 4042 by the bombing attack of the Istalian People's Brigades.
Museum[]
The National Gallery of Modern Art
With all the historical and artistic testimoniances which Romula can boast, the city is without doubt one of the cultural centers of Istalia and hosts numerous artistic and cultural institutions as well as the largest concentration of museums in all of Istalia. In addition to the aforementioned National Museum of Istalian History, in Romula there are, citing the most important, the Museum of Qolshamite Civilization, the Museum Park of the Archaeological Complex of Qolshamih, the National Gallery of Ancient Selucian Art, the Istalian Museum of Middle Ages, the Fidelian National Museum, the Istalian Museum of the Aurorian Faith, the National Gallery of Modern Art, the Art Gallery of Palace Doria della Rovere, the Museum of Istalian Baroque, the National Picture Gallery, the Historical Museum of the Liberation of Istalia, the Museum of Istalian Civilization, the Museum of Majatran Culture of Romula, the Istalian National Museum of Prehistory and Ethnography, the Museum of the Memory of the Hessexian Occupations, the Museum of Contempornean Art of Romula and the Museum of New Millennia Arts and finally the Museum of the Empire hosted in the facilities around the Imperial Mausoleum.
Theater[]
The San Luigi Theater of Romula is today probably the most famous Opera Theater of the World
Thanks to the Selucian traditions, theater tradition in Romula dates back to the golden age of the Kingdom of Qolshamih, when it was known as Kerronite Kingdom. However, after the fall of the Qolshamite civilizations, the barbarian nomadic invasions and the decline of the city, we have to wait the Renascentia period and the refundation of the city as Romula to find once again the rebirth of a local theatrical tradition although represented just by itinerant cantor, bards and little companies hosted into the courts of the princes and nobles of the fragmented peninsula. The Caliphate's conquest undermined further developement due to the restrictive moral laws of the Ahmadism but when the Estalian lands were free once again, finally the theatrical tradition was able to florish and Romula, like Fidelia, Villaneddìa and Magliano, became an important center especially for the spreading of the Opera genre, birth in Selucia under the later phases of the Renascentia. During 17th and 18th centuries Romula became the hearth of Opera and other theatrical genres in Istalia with the construction of a great numbers of stable theaters dedicated both to the Opera, the Melodrama and to Popular Commendy. Among the most famous of the period we can mention the Theater of San Callisto, the Theater Caracciolo and the Theater of the Four Winds, in activity still today although the current buildings date back to more recent reconstructions.
In 1682, when the city was since long time under the Kingdom of Fidelia, the at the time King of Fidelia Luigi I ordered the construction of the Royal Theater of Saint Luigi, the first veritable theater dedicated to the Opera genre in Istalia and inspired by the Theatrum Nauticum of Assedo, built few years before. Unlike the Theatrum Nauticom, Theater Saint Luigi was never closed or suffered destruction or reconstruction, making it today the oldest continuously active venue for opera in the world and keeping the reputation of the most renowned opera house in the world. Given its size, structure and antiquity, thanks also to the great influence and contribution of Istalia to the baroque music, classical music and opera itself, so much that the Istalian bacame the veritable "language of Opera", the Saint Luigi Theater became the model for theaters that were later built in the rest of the world, probably much more than the Theatrum Nauticum. In fact, despite Selucia established a large empire in many continents between 18th and 19th century, it was greatly charaterized by centrifugal cultural evolutionary trends in the various colonized land, in turn influenced by the fact that since recently Selucia has always been itself charaterized by a great degree of cultural diversity between the several islands and city-states that charaterized its history, and which very soon led to the developement of indipendent cultural traditions in these lands, also quite distant from the ones of the selucian motherland.
The Romula's Imperial Opera House
With the foundation of the First Istalian Republic and the fully revitalization of the Istalian culture and identity, it was decided to build a new national museum for contemporary theater productions. Built in rationalist modern style, the Romula's Theater of Performing Arts which became the second theatrical and musical pole of the city. With the foundation of the First Empire the theater changed its name in Imperial Theater of Romula and then in 4681, after the high patronage granted by the Crown it was named Romula's Imperial Opera House.[1] The Romula's Imperial Opera Company, alongside with the Romula's Imperial Ballet Company, took responsabilities of the performances in both the Saint Luis Theater and the Romula's Opera House.
Music[]
As already mentioned, Istalian influence on 17th, 18th and 19th centuries was really consistent and being Romula the artistic center of the most powerful Kingdom of the Estalian lands at the time, the city gave birth and was the destination of many great musicians and composers. In 1671 King Deodato II founded the Royal Music Accademy, today known as National Accademy of Saint Virginia's Cloister (named after the first historical seats chosen by King Deodato II), the most ancient music accademy in the world and which symphonic orchestra (konw as Saint Virginia Symphonic Orchestra) is the most ancient of Istalia. Later, however, the Romula Symphony Orchestra of the Romula's Theater of Performing Arts assumed progressively a prominent role and that in conjunction with the high patronage granted by the Crown to its housing theater became in 4681 the Romula's Imperial Symphony Orchestra. Both the Saint Virginia's and the Romula's Imperial Symphonic Orchestras are recognized as the most prestigious orchestras of their kind in Istalia.
Education[]
The main building of the Enrico Bergson State University
Romula is a nationwide and major international centre for higher education, containing numerous academies, colleges and universities. It boasts a large variety of academies and colleges, and since at least 16th century it has been an important worldwide intellectual and educational centre. Romula has many universities and colleges. Its first and largest university is the Enrico Bergson State University, founded in 1522 as Universitas Studii Romulanensis Omnium Scientiarum, for many centuries then simply called University of All Sciences of Romula until 3522 when, on the occasion of its two thousandth anniversary, it was ranamed after Enrico Bergosn, first President of the Fourth Istalian Republic. It is the largest in Istalia and one of the largest in the world, with more than 170,000 students attending. Initially housed in the Palace of All Sciences, a large renascentian palace in Rione Santa Babila, under the Empire of Quanzar it was moved outside the city walls and its activity was highly hindered by the Quanzar authorities aimed to decrease its role as one of the most important cultural center of Istalia. The Union of Quanzari Soviets founded a new university to be housed in the same Palace of All Sciences, the People's University of Quanzar, which however was incorporated by the still far more prestigious University of All Sciences under the Quanzarian Republic and then the First Istalian Republic. The new Istalian authorities judging the Palace of All Sciences and surrounding scattered buildings no more suitable to host the whole university, in order to create a larger, better and more functional university campus, financed the construction of the University Citadel, built in the typical modern rationalist style adopted by the First Republic, which until today remained the seats of the University.
In order to decrease the overcrowding of the first city university, two new public universities were founded during the centuries: the Romula's University of Valle dell'Ariene (today in the middle of the Municipio M17) in 2882 the and Romula's University of Mezzodiurno (between Rione Collegiardino and Municipio M7) in 3438.
Romula hosts also the High Accademy of Social and Internaltion Sciences "Carlo Aurelio Gianti", the most prestigious private university of Romula and Istalia's most important graduate university in the areas of international affairs and political studies which later expanded with the the High Accademy of Business and Economy, Istalia's second most important business school after the Magliano's High School of Economics.
Another important university founded in 4117, in the middle of the Istalian resurgence of the "New Fourth Republic" is the Advanced Medical and Biotechnology University, became a prestigious medical research center, which was built within the former largest military barrack in Romula, closed at the end of the Istalian Civil War because it became sadly famous under the regime of Antonio Battisti as a political prison where the regime perpetuated torture and murder of political opponents.
Romula since Middle ages hosted also several church-run religious study institutes which however were never recognized as universities. Only in 1682 it was recognized the creation of the first relgious-run university, the Holy Apostolic Hosian University of Romula, which activity lasted until 1868 when the Quanzar authorities forced the Istalian Bishop to move in Neapulia where, however, its activity was hindered so much that the University was forced to close in 1902. For a new religious-run university in Romula the city had to wait until 5112 when the Eliasit Order founded with the support of the Holy See of the Aurorian Church the Romulan Eliasite Apostolic University which alongside the most traditional religious-oriented courses, like Canon Law, Philosophy, Theology and Spirituality, was provided with important funds dedicated to the scientific departments of Astrophysics, Astronomy and Particle Physics[2]. The Eliasit Apostolic University became at the beginning of 53th century one of the most prestigious university of Istalia.
Sports[]
Like for the rest of Istalia, football is the most popular sport in Romula. The Romula's Stadio Nazionale Istaliano (Istalian National Statium) is the home stadium for local Serie A club F.C. Romula, the team of the capital since 1927, the first football association founded in the Sarrentina Peninsula (where football became popular later than in Alaria, where the first football championship was held already in 1892),
The National Stadium was renovated[3] to host several matches of the 4235 World Football Championship, among which the inaugural and final ones, hosted in Istalia and won by the national Istalian team[4][5].
Society[]
Demography[]
With more than 13 millions of residents Romula is the largest and most populous city of Istalia and a veritable megalopolis. Istalia has always been a country of cities and large urban centers in general since ancient times, especially in light of the large population that the good climatic conditions of the country have always allowed to maintain. From the late Middle Ages onwards, Romula, like cities like Caleon, Neapulia, Castiell'e Sciorenza and Torre d''u Suliento first and Magliano then, saw its population expanding attracting people from the countryside enticed by the opportunities offered by the city environment and already since the end of the 19th century it had become the most populous city on the peninsula. But the real demographic boom that led the city to be the megalopolis it is today began in the 41th century, when whole of Istalia began to become a great economic and geopolitical power, becoming a land of immigration for migrants from all over the world. Between 43th and 49th centuries Romula, like most of the other cities of Istalia, became a multicultural city characterized by the presence of communities from many different nations. Among the most significant communities that characterized the city there were the Solentian one, especially those of Luthorian-Dundorfian ethnics, the Zardic one and also the Baltusian one as well as a small but cohesive Kalopian community.
Language and dialects[]
The idiom commonly used by the population, in addition to the official Istalian language, is the so called Romulan dialect, which, like most Istalian dialects, has no official status, unlike the five regional languages (called collectively Estalian languages) officially recognized starting from the 51th century. Formed in the Middle Ages, it was originally akin to northern dialects, especially Feranese one (being below the dividing line between Feranese and Trivenditan represented by the Merevino river). Later, however, in the Modern ages, when the city was firmly under the control of Fidelia and was chosen by their Kings as their future capital, it began to undergo the cultural influence of the Fidelian which made it more similar to the speech of the southern Kingdom.
Romulan, like all the various Istalian dialects, then evolved over the years and from the beginning of the twentieth century it also spread to other areas of the north of the Fidelia region as a result of demographic growth, although, especially in contemporary times, under the nationalist drive to unify the country also from the linguistic point of view, the more archaic and traditional forms of this dialect have been diminishing and replaced by forms more and more similar to the standard Istalian.
Religion[]
Romula is undoubtedly the main center of the Istalian Aurorianism, seat of the Archbasilica of Saint Matthias at the Walls, Chair of the Primate of Istalia, the Archbishop of Romula, and that also serves as the co-seat of the Patriarch of Istalia, Solentia and Quanzar, which today has become the main seat of the Patriarchate following the return of Solentia to its Majatran and Ahmadi origins from 46th century.
The Aurorian religion of Theognosian rite is currently the most widespread among the population, with approximately 76.0% of the population baptized with this confession.
Due to the history of the city, the second largest religions professed in Istalia, the Ahmadism, has never found much space in the city, often also actively opposed by the city authorities and by the populace themselves, a situation that has characterized the whole region since the times of the Kingdom of Fidelia, which made itself to the highest defender of the Hosian faith. The strongly Theognosian faith professed by the Hessexian authorities during the three Hessexian regimes established in Istalia did nothing but further strengthen the Aurorian's role in the city, probably among the very few legacies that were appreciated by the local population.
The migration phenomena which interested the city in the most recent centuries, finally, they saw the arrival in the city of numerous and different cults from the areas of emigration of the new residents. The Luthorian-Dundorfians from Solentia led to the opening of several Bishopal Churches, also frequented by many Baltusians who moved to the Istalian capital and adhering to several other Luthorian confessions, while the Terran Patriarchals among the Kalopia community opened the first Terran Patriarchal Church in the city around the end of 46th century. As mentioned, there are very few mosques, created above all in makeshift locals in the suburbs.
Traditions and Folklore[]
Carnival in Romula
One of the main celebrations of the Romulan popular tradition and up to now among the most heartfelt in the city is the Carnival, here defined as the "Romulan Carnival", a tradition which Romula shares with the other "capital" of Carnival in Istalia, Villaneddìa. Its origins go back to the ancient celebrations of thanksgiving for the harvests that took place in Qolshamih at the end of the summer and which were subsequently associated with similar celebrations of the Selucian tradition, which in the Istalian lands assumed a much more important value given that the climate of Selucia instead had always allowed regular and abundant harvests. The Romulan carnival has always been characterized by public games and entertainment, dances and masquerades. The carnival games were particularly revived since the 11th century when the city started to recover after the dark medieval times. After the stop imposed by the Ahamdi authorities, the Carnival was resumed and during the modern era the Kings of Fidelia promoted their ever greater spectacularization.
Romula is a city rich in traditions, myths, legends, customs and folklore, inspired by the myth of the ancient and powerful city of Qolshamih and therefore fed throughout the Middle Ages, an age in which many folk tales flourished, in which the religious sphere was united in the magical world, the sacred combined with the profane. Due to its peculiar characteristics and the preservation of most of the medieval urban fabric, one of the areas of Romula where it is still possible to trace fragments and stimuli of popular culture is the picturesque district of Oltrequirino, with its narrow alleys, trattorias, medieval churches and the close Naniele hill. It is precisely in Oltrequirino that the museum of Romulan folklore and Poets is located, which houses documents about the Romulan daily life and traditions, and therefore the Museum of the Vanished Romula which offers a very interesting collection of paintings about the disappeared Romula, especially watercolors.
Institutions[]
Being the capital of the province of Romula, of the Fidelia region and, of course, the Capital of Istalia, Romula hosts, in addition to its municipal offices, the various seats and offices of the provincial, regional and national government, administration and related agencies, as well as:
- the Chief of the Defence Staff
- the General Staff of the Istalian Army
- the General Staff of the Istalian Navy
- the General Staff of the Istalian Air Force
- the General Command of the Imperial Gendarmerie
- the Istalian Authority for Space and Aeronautics (AISA)
Hospitals[]
The city is served by numerous public and private hospitals and health centers. Among the main Romulan hospitals stands the Polyclinic Deodato II, an important university hospital of the Enrico Bergson State University, the University Hospital Marco Pervinci of the Advanced Medical and Biotechnology University, the Polyclininc Carlo Aurelio Gianti, the Crown Hospital of Romula (founded in 4623 on as charitable initiative of the Istalian Crown, the first founded by the Crown of the five in each regional capital of Istalia). Other hospital in the city is the Romulan General Hospital (previously known as Romula Central Hospital), the San Maurizio Hospital, Hospital Federico Laurenzi and Hospital of Monterosato.
Media[]
As national capital, some of the most popular national media are based in Romula, like the national public broadcasting company SIRAN, while among the newspapers the main ones are:
- Il Corriere d'Istalia
- L'Unione
- Il Serale
- RESISTENZA!
- Tribuna Sportiva
- Il Messaggio
Events[]
Istalian National Day Parade in Romula
Each year the capital is the protagonist of several events, first of all the ones related to the institutional sphere, the most prominent of which is the annually celebrations in occasion of the national day of Istalia. Currently known as Empire Day, early in the moorning the highest authorities of the state, of course led by the Emperor, attend a ceremony held at the Imperial Mausoleum to commemorate the first Emperor Michele I and his successors, then they move to the city center to attend a large military parade. The celebration date changed several time with the changemetn of regime in Istalia although in most part of the case it corrisponded to the day of the proclamation of the new regimes. Currently, under the Third Empire, the national day, knwon as Empire Day is on 5th November. The dates of the national day under the previous Empires were: 1th September for the First Empire and on 12th October for the Second Empire. Under the Istalian Republics, when the national day was knwon as Republic Day, the dates were: 2nd May for the First Republic, 16th December for the Second Republic, 22th May and then 4 March for the Third Republic, 1th March for the Fourth Republic, 28th February under the Fifth Republic and 7th November for the Sixth Republic.
Another important event centered in Romula is the Istalians' Day, celebrated on 2 May each year since 2263 to commemorate the establishment of the first modern nationally and ethnically Istalian nation encompassing the whole Peninsula and Island freed from foreign domination. Established as the Republic Day of the First Republic, given its important historical and identitarian significance for the Istalians the 2th May remained a national public holiday celebrated with the current name under all the following Istalian regimes. On the occasion the highest authorities of the state attend a ceremony at the Monument of the Istalian Liberation where they lay a wreath of flowers to still commemorate, as mentioned, the end of the long lasting majatran-led Quanzar dominion and celebrate and remember all the people who fought and even gave their lifes for an independent truly Istalian nation.
The city of course hosts also several events in multiple cultural and artistic spheres, capable of attracting several hundred thousand people. For example one of the most followed events which attract a lot of people in the city is the Romula International Film Festival while probably the most heartfelt are the celebrations of the Carnival which last for two weeks.
Infrastructures and Transport[]
Roads[]
A section of the Great External Ring Road
The city is at the center of a radial structure of communication routes that trace the ancient Qolshamite roads which, starting from the ancient physical center of the city, the sacred area of the ancient city, today in the Colsamia district, connected Qolshamih to all corners of the kingdom. The modern urban area, once delimited by the Barbato Romul's walls, starting from the second half of the 20th century was defined first by the first external ring road connecting the roads of penetration, the Great Belt Road, and then from the 25th century by the Great External Ring Road, which have succeeded one another as the main links of road transport between Romula and the rest of the peninsula. On the Great External Ring Road converge the motorways for Castiell'e Sciorenza, Torre d''o Sulento and Magliano (A1 motorway, Romula's northwest branch), for Verrunnìa, Burìa and Terebbìa (A2 motorway, Romula's north branch), for Neapulia (A3 motorway, Romula's southeast branch), for Ingona (A3 motorway, Romula's west branch), for Bescara (A2 motorway, Romula's south branch) and for Reggio Ingriss and Taranda (A1 motorway, Romula's south branch), as well as the two highways S1 "Lacunare" (towards the Great Central Lakes and along the eastern and northern borders of the Pheykran Desert) and S2 "Fideliana" (towards Neapulia and with branches that connect it to other highways that cross the southern plateau). Other important arteries of the Romulan road system are the northeast bypass expressway, which runs between the center, the Great Belt Road and the Great External Ring Road through the north northeastern districts of the capital, the southwest bypass expressway, which crosses the south and southwestern districts until the Great Belt Road, and the eastern bypass expressway which crosses the eastern and northeastern districts from the center to the Great Belt Road and the Great External Ring Road.
Railways[]
The Grand Central Station of Romula
The main railway station, and the only one in the historic center, is the Grand Central Station of Romula, in the Rione L'Angolo (busiest station in Istalia, connected with the underground lines 1, 2 and 5 and served by three tram lines and numerous city bus lines). The high-speed and other national trains stops also in the other two large stations of Romula Valle Alsamita (in the Municipio M3) , and Romula Porta Ingrisiana (between Rione Collegiardino and Municipio M9). From both the Grand Central Station and Valle Alsamita station depart express rail link to the Romula's Michele I International Airport while from Porta Ingrisiana station depart an express rail link to the Romula's Pieo dei Pieri Airport. Other stations that play an important role in rail services are Romula's Vecchiepietre, Romula's Angelicano, Romula's Oltreguado and Romula's Florenzana.
Airports[]
The Romulan airport system is the largest in Istalia with almost 50 million passengers per year and one of the largest in Majatra. The city in particular is served by two main airports plus two others for private and institutional use:
The Michele I International Airport
- Romula's Michele I International Airport, known as Romula's Riccardo Flumicini International Airport until 4607, is the main passenger airport of Romula and in Istalia with a traffic of over 40 million per year and the second for freight, with more than 190,000 tons per year. It is one of the most important airports in Majatra. About 22 km north-northeast from the center of Romula, it is connected to the city by two express railway links that connect it with the Grand Central Station of Romula and with Valle Alsamita station, by metro line 5, by the suburban railway FS1 and it's accessible by bus, car and taxi from the dedicated expressway E7 and a branch of the expressway E2.
- Romula's Piero dei Pieri Airport is the oldest airport in the city, located in the territory of the Municipio M8, and after the constructon of the larger and more modern Riccardo Flumicini Airport became the second airport of the city, used mainly as a stopover for domestic flights and receives a large number of flights from low-cost companies. It is connected to the city by the Suburban Railway FS4, the underground line 4 and bus, car and taxi connections through the eastern bypass expressway (the airport is located between the Great Belt Road and the External Grand Ring Road).
- Romula's Francesco Mancini Airport, in the Municipio M1 about 8 km from the center, it offers service to private and small commercial flights, as well as a heliport.
- Romula's Torre Torrida's Military Airport, is a military airport managed by the Istalian Air Force placed about 20 kilometers south of the city. It is the base near Romula that hosts and serves the state airplanes of the Istalian government.
Public transports[]
Logo of the Romula's Underground
Local public transport consists of an underground network (Istalian: Metropolitana di Romula) of about 290 km consisting of 12 lines (called Line 1 to Line 12 and identified with different colors), 6 suburban railway lines (called FS1 to FS6), 18 tram lines and 280 bus lines, of which 74 night lines. The city's surface public transport network, adding up the kilometers of development on rail and road, is the largest in Istalia reaching almost 5500 km. For cycle paths, Romula has the most extensive network in Istalia, both in terms of asphalted urban itineraries and mixed-earth paths that cross city parks, public gardens and green areas, reaching almost 1000 km in extension. Finally, as far as taxis are concerned, there are approximately 47,000 licenses in Romula, in addition to approximately 1,800 licenses for rental cars with driver.
Notable Citizens[]
- Arrigo Landi (Istalian Alternative), former mayor
- Irma di Blasio (BdS), former mayor (4780-84)
Photo Gallery[]
Overview of the historic city center of Romula
- ↑ http://forum.particracy.net/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=4118&p=152426#p152426
- ↑ http://forum.particracy.net/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=6218&start=70#p178251
- ↑ http://forum.particracy.net/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=7385&start=20#p117306
- ↑ http://forum.particracy.net/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=5728&p=117469#p117464
- ↑ http://forum.particracy.net/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=4118&p=117565&hilit=championship#p117468