What is the capital of Italy?

The capital of Italy is Rome.

Rome stands on the Tiber River in central-western Italy and serves as the country’s political capital. The city is also the historic heart of the Roman Empire, whose institutions, laws, language, engineering, and architecture influenced much of Europe and the Mediterranean. Modern Italy became a unified kingdom in 1861, and Rome became its capital in 1871 after Italian forces captured the city.

Rome is unusual because it surrounds Vatican City, the world’s smallest independent state and the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. The city’s historic centre contains landmarks from many periods, including the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, and Renaissance and Baroque churches and palaces.

A frequent mix-up comes from Italy’s other famous cities. Florence was the capital of the Kingdom of Italy briefly from 1865 to 1871, while Naples and Milan are major cultural and economic centres. Florence is especially associated with the Renaissance, but Rome has been Italy’s national capital since 1871.