“I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble,” uttered Roman Emperor Augustus. Rome is perhaps one of the most famous cities that has seen so much history. From Roman times to Mussolini’s fascist rule, Rome has withstood the test of time. Even actor Robert DeNiro acknowledged it when he stated, “Italy has changed. But Rome is Rome.”

Countless people have agreed that Rome is Rome and the “city is one of all time” (as novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote), in other words, Rome is an eternal city. That’s what the city is known as, but why is Rome called the Eternal City?