Rome has lived many lives. Once the largest and most powerful city in the world, it shaped centuries of human civilization. In the 1870s, Rome entered yet another defining chapter when it was declared the capital of the newly unified Kingdom of Italy. But to fully understand the importance of this moment, we must look at what came before, and what was still crumbling around it.
A Peak Like No Other
At its height during the Roman Empire, Rome was unmatched. Under Emperor Augustus, the population exceeded one million. By the second century AD, it may have reached 1.5 million. For nearly 500 years, it was the world’s largest city, and its influence touched every corner of the known world.
However, with the collapse of the Roman Empire came centuries of hardship. The reconquest of Rome by Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 536 AD caused massive destruction. The city’s population dropped below 50,000. Plagues, invasions, and economic failure pushed it further into ruin. Life in Rome became more rural and decentralized. Grand forums and temples were abandoned or repurposed, and Europe entered the Middle Ages.
From Great City to Scattered Villages
By the medieval era, Rome was no longer a shining imperial center. Instead, it was a scattered group of villages connected by the remnants of its glorious past. People lived in and around ancient ruins. Crumbling temples were turned into homes, barns, or storage for farmers. Some scholars compare its depopulation to that of Constantinople, another city that once stood at the center of empire, only to fall quiet in later centuries.
Even during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, when the Papal States focused resources on building stunning churches and palaces, the city’s broader economy and infrastructure struggled. While areas like the Vatican and elite neighborhoods flourished thanks to powerful families like the Barberini, the rest of Rome was in decay. It is said, “What the barbarians did not do, the Barberini did” — a phrase criticizing how some of Rome’s treasures were stripped and reused.
The 1800s: Still Living Among Ruins
By the 19th century, Rome was far from a thriving European capital. Much of the city was rural or underdeveloped. The Colosseum, once a grand arena of imperial spectacle, was used as a stable. Despite its history, Rome lacked the modern infrastructure of cities like Florence, Milan, or Turin.
Some visitors and residents at the time described Rome as a place suspended between its imperial past and a forgotten future. Ancient marble was scavenged for newer construction. Entire fountains and buildings were demolished or reshaped, including under Mussolini’s later regime, to make way for modern roads or grand avenues of power.
This neglect also served as a kind of preservation. With less development pressure, many ancient structures survived. The ruins became silent witnesses to centuries of history, waiting for a new era to begin.
1870: A Capital Once Again
In 1870, the course of Rome’s story changed once more. Italian unification was nearing completion. With the withdrawal of French troops and the fall of Papal rule in the city, Rome was officially declared the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
This moment was deeply symbolic. Rome, the seat of emperors and the Church, would now represent a modern nation-state. While the Papal city had its own wealth and influence, the rest of Rome had suffered. Many historians highlight the division between the Vatican’s resources and the poverty in surrounding neighborhoods. Even though De Jure (by law) Rome was one city, De Facto (in practice), it was deeply divided.
While the Vatican enjoyed marble, riches, and art patronage, the rest of the city had little. This divide remained even after unification, but Rome’s new role as capital provided hope. The government invested in new roads, railways, schools, and city planning. Slowly, Rome began to rebuild its future atop the ruins of its past.
A Picture Worth a Thousand Years
This rare photograph shows the contrast between ancient ruins and modern expansion. Streets were being laid. Palaces were repurposed. Rome was entering a new age, while its ancient stones still stood quietly around it.
Rome’s Eternal Legacy
Today, Rome is known as the “Eternal City” for a reason. It has endured empires, plagues, sackings, and economic collapse. It has seen rebirths in the Renaissance and setbacks in war. What other city can claim such continuity, even through decline?
From Roman emperors to Renaissance popes to the leaders of modern Italy, Rome has always stood at the heart of history. The 1870s were not just about a political change, they marked the beginning of Rome’s return to relevance in the modern world.
The capital that once ruled an empire now ruled a young and hopeful nation. And through all of this, the city’s ancient monuments, streets, and spirit remained.
