The region Lazio at the heart of Italy has, according to ISTAT data from 1 January 2026, a population of around 5,709,444 spread across 17,239 square kilometres, and is divided into the Metropolitan City of Roma Capitale and the provinces of Viterbo, Rieti, Latina and Frosinone. The region encompasses 378 municipalities in total. To the north, Lazio borders Tuscany and Umbria, to the north-east Le Marche, to the east Abruzzo, to the south-east Molise and Campania, while to the west the region opens onto the Tyrrhenian Sea. With Rome within its boundaries, Lazio is home to the Italian capital and the country's political, ecclesiastical and cultural centre.
Geography: between the Apennines, rolling hills and coastline
The landscape of Lazio stretches from the Apennines in the east to the Tyrrhenian coast in the west. To the north-east lie the Monti Reatini, home to Monte Terminillo at 2,217 metres, one of central Italy's best-known ski resorts. Further south, the Monti Sabini, Monti Ernici and Monti Simbruini extend across the region. Between the mountains and the coast lies an expansive hilly terrain, from which several volcanic lakes have formed: Lago di Bracciano, the region's second-largest lake; Lago di Bolsena, the largest crater lake in Europe; and Lago Albano and Lago di Nemi, nestled in the Alban Hills just outside Rome. The Tiber and the Aniene flow through the region, while on the southern coast the Garigliano forms the border with Campania. Along the coast between San Felice Circeo and Terracina lies the Parco Nazionale del Circeo, founded in 1934 and one of Italy's oldest national parks.
A view over the rooftops of Rome with the Prati district in the foreground. The areas around the Vatican, the Aventino and Trastevere are among the capital's classic luxury addresses, characterised by historic building stock and strict heritage protection requirements.
Rome: a capital city with around 2,800 years of history
Rome is Italy's most populous municipality, with around 4.22 million inhabitants within the Metropolitan City. According to legend, the city was founded in 753 BC and for centuries served as the centre of the Roman Empire and, later, of the Catholic Church. The Colosseum, opened in AD 80 under Emperor Titus, is the largest surviving amphitheatre of antiquity. At the foot of the Palatine Hill, the Forum Romanum extends as the political and religious heart of the ancient world. Close to the Tiber stands the Castel Sant'Angelo, originally built as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian and later converted into a papal fortress. Within Vatican City on the right bank of the Tiber stand St Peter's Basilica and St Peter's Square , designed by Bramante, Michelangelo and Bernini.
The Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the piazzas of the Baroque city
Beyond the monuments of antiquity, a second layer defines the face of Rome: that of papal Baroque. The Pantheon on the Campo Marzio traces its origins to a temple from the time of Agrippa, and was rebuilt under Emperor Hadrian around AD 120 as a rotunda with a dome measuring 43.30 metres in diameter, which to this day is considered the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The Trevi Fountain was completed in 1762 to designs by Nicola Salvi at the terminus of the ancient aqueduct Acqua Vergine, and is counted among the city's most celebrated Baroque fountains. The Spanish Steps , with their 135 steps, have led from the Piazza di Spagna up to the church of Trinità dei Monti since 1725. The Piazza Navona at the city's centre follows the outline of the Stadio di Domiziano from the 1st century, and is framed by Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi and Borromini's church of Sant'Agnese in Agone.
Viterbo, Rieti and the four provinces
Outside Rome, Lazio is divided into four further Provinces with very distinct characters. Viterbo in the north, with around 307,000 inhabitants, is known for its medieval centre around the Palazzo dei Papi, which served as a conclave venue on several occasions during the 13th century. The province also encompasses the Etruscan centres of Tarquinia and Cerveteri, the thermal spa areas of Viterbo, the 16th-century Parco dei Mostri in Bomarzo, and Civita di Bagnoregio, perched atop a tufa rock. Rieti in the northeast, with around 149,000 inhabitants, is considered the geographical centre of Italy, and the town bears the epithet Ombelico d'Italia. Latina in the south, with around 567,000 inhabitants, was founded in 1932 under the name Littoria as part of the draining of the Pontine Marshes, and was renamed Latina in 1945. Frosinone, with around 460,000 inhabitants, extends across the Ciociaria landscape and reaches as far as the border with Campania and the Monti Ernici.
UNESCO World Heritage from the Via Appia to Tivoli
Lazio is home to several sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The historic centre of Rome, the extraterritorial properties of the Holy See, and the Basilica of San Paolo fuori le Mura were jointly inscribed in 1980. In 1999, the Villa Adriana in Tivoli followed, the country estate that Hadrian had built between 118 and 133 AD, and in 2001 the nearby Villa d'Este , with its Renaissance garden and hundreds of water features, was added. In 2004, the Etruscan necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia were granted World Heritage status; their burial complexes with painted chambers document Etruscan culture prior to Roman expansion. Since 2024, the Via Appia Antica has been on the list: the Queen of Roads traverses Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Apulia over a length of 540 kilometres. In addition, the area around Rome offers a remarkable density of archaeological sites, including Ostia Antica, the port of Civitavecchia on the site of ancient Centumcellae, the imperial villas of Sperlonga and Anzio, and the ruins of Minturnae on the Garigliano.
Cuisine: Carbonara, Amatriciana and the Cucina Romana
Roman cuisine is among the best-known regional cuisines in Italy. Four classic pasta dishes originate from Lazio: Carbonara, made with guanciale, egg, Pecorino and pepper; Amatriciana, with guanciale, tomato and Pecorino, from the village of Amatrice in the province of Rieti; Cacio e Pepe, made with Pecorino and black pepper; and Gricia, the precursor to Amatriciana, without tomato. The classic repertoire also includes Saltimbocca alla Romana with veal, prosciutto and sage, abbacchio as young lamb from the Alban Hills, puntarelle as a bitter chicory salad, as well as Carciofi alla Romana with mint and Carciofi alla Giudia from the Jewish quarter. In everyday life, pizza al taglio, supplì and porchetta from Ariccia also define the region's cuisine. The coastline provides fish and seafood, often prepared as Spaghetti alle Vongole or alla Pescatora.
Wine from the Alban Hills and the Ciociaria
Lazio produces three DOCG wines: Cesanese del Piglio from the Monti Ernici, Frascati Superiore and Cannellino di Frascati from the Castelli Romani to the southeast of Rome. There are also numerous DOC wines, among them the white Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone on the Lago di Bolsena, whose name derives from a legend surrounding Bishop Johann Defuk dating to 1111. The Castelli Romani produce Frascati, Marino, Colli Albani and Velletri. In the Ciociaria, Cesanese and Passerina del Frusinate predominate, while in the Reatino area, olive oil and simple country wines are the norm. The region's viticulture benefits from its position between volcanic soils and a Mediterranean coastal climate.
Getting there via Fiumicino, Ciampino and the autostrade
Rome is served by two international airports . The Aeroporto di Roma Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci (FCO) lies around 30 kilometres southwest of the city centre and is Italy's busiest airport. Aeroporto di Roma Ciampino (CIA) to the southeast of the city serves predominantly low-cost carriers. Travellers by rail reach Rome via Roma Termini station, with high-speed connections from Trenitalia and Italo to Milan, Naples, Florence, Venice and Bari. By car, the A1 Autostrada del Sole arrives from the north, the A24 and A25 from Abruzzo, and the A12 from Civitavecchia to Rome. The Roman ring road, the GRA (Grande Raccordo Anulare), encircles the city over 68 kilometres and distributes traffic across the network. Along the coast, the Via Pontina leads south to Latina and the Parco Nazionale del Circeo, while to the north the Via Aurelia heads towards Tuscany.
