8.+Rome+Today

__Education__
In Rome, education today consists of 4 different levels of schooling. The first, is scuola materna. This school is for children from ages 3-5. It is almost an equal to the U.S. preschools. Preschool in Italy is almost always free, unless the parents chose to enroll their children into a private school. Parents are not obligated to putting children into the scuola materna, but most do.

The second is a primary school,scuola primaria. This school is for children ages 6-10. While in primary school, children learn to read and write. They also study mathematics, geography, Italian, English, science, music, computer studies, religion (optional) and social studies. Students used to have to take a final exam at the end of primary school, but this is no longer required.

Going to lower secondary school, scuola media, is required for all children. From age eleven to age fourteen, a mandatory curriculum is followed. This curriculum was set in place by the Ministry of Public Education. Students are required to have at least 30 hours of classes per week and 40 hours is the maximum. They receive a teachers report every term. At the end of their three years, they are required to take many exams and have an oral exam for every subject. Successful students receive a diploma and move on to upper secondary school, equal to our college.

Rome is the capital of Italy and is the seat of the Italian government. The seat of the commune is in on the Capitoline Hill which is the historic seat of government in Rome. The local administration in Rome is commonly referred to as //"Campidoglio"//, the name of the hill in Italian. There are 19 admistrative areas in Rome, called //municipi// or municipalities. They were created in 1972 to distribute the administrative powers of central authority. Rome constitutes one of Italy's 8,101 communes, and is the largest both in terms of land area and population. A commune is people living together, sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, work and income. The commune is the lowest level of administrative divisions in Italy. It is governed by a mayor, Gianni Alemanno, and a city council, much like our city governments in the U.S. The government of Italy is officially called **The Italian Republic**. Italy's government has a parliamentary, democratic republic and a multi-party system. Executive power of the country is given to a Council of Ministers which is lead by a Prime Minister. However, they do have another president of the Italian Republic. THe president of the Italian Republic is elected for seven ears by the parliament. As the head of Italy, this President of the Republic represents the unity of Italy and has many duties that were given to the King of Italy previously. Italy has a parliament consisting of two houses. There are 630 members total and 315 of them are in there for life. All and all, Italy's government is very similar to the U.S. government.

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The architecture of ancient Rome had a huge influence on the architecture in Rome today. The basic structures that they built, such as roads, bridges, aqueducts, theatres, columns, and arenas, provided the basis of modern structures in Rome. Many ancient buildings, like the Colosseum, Pont du Gard, and Pantheon, still remain as a testament to their skill in engineering and building. Though today's architecture is much more advanced that it was in the past, it is based on ideas from ancient times. ======

The architecture in Rome today is mainly Neoclassical and Fascist in design. In 1870, neoclassicism became a popular style of architecture. Many palaces were built for ministries, embassies, and governing agencies in this style. The Monument of Vittorio Emanuelle II, where the Grave of the Unknown Soldier is located, is one of the best-known examples of this style.

Between 1922 and 1943, a new building style became popular called Fascist architecture. Fascist architecture is characterized by its connections with ancient Roman architecture. The most important example of this style is the E.U.R district, which was designed by Marcello Piacentini in 1938. Other examples of this style include the, widely known as the Square Colosseum, and the Palazzo della Farnesina, where the Italian Foreign Ministry is located.

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Most of the people in Rome are Roman Catholic, nearly 98% of the population. Rome has been an important center for the Roman Catholic religion for centuries. It is commonly referred to as the "home of the Roman Catholic Church." Rome is home to Vatican City, which is a city-state ruled by the Pope. The current Pope is Benedict XVI. St. Peter's Basilica, which is regarded as one of the holiest Christian sites, is located in Vatican City.======



There are 900 churches located in Rome. Some of the noteworthy churches include the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, the Basilica di San Clemente, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, and the Church of the Gesu. There are also many very important religious institutions located in Rome. Some of the most prestigious are the Pontifical Lateran University, the Pontifical Biblical Institute, the Pontifical Gregorian University, and the Pontifical Oriental Institute.



In recent years, the religions such as Islam and Judaism have become more common. The Islamic commumity has significantly grown, mainly because of North African and Middle Eastern immigrants coming into the city. Because of this, the largest mosque in Europe was built. The mosque, designed by Paolo Portoghesi, was finished in June of 1995. There is also an important synagogue located in Rome, called the Great Synagogue of Rome.