Lazio is a region of Italy located in the center of the country, between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Apennines. Its territory is mostly flat and hilly, with mountains in the east and south, while two large lakes are located in the north of the region. The capital and largest city of Lazio is Rome, which is also the capital of Italy. Lazio entirely encircles Vatican City, which is located within the city of Rome. Originally inhabited by several Italic peoples, Rome soon emerged as the most powerful city in the area, conquering all of Lazio and later ruling over the entire Mediterranean region. Hosting the capital of the Roman Empire, Lazio was for centuries the geopolitical center of the Western world. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the region was ruled by the Ostrogoths and the Byzantines. During the Middle Ages, the region came under the rule of the Pope as part of the Papal States, which governed most of Central Italy until the 19th century. After a brief French occupation during the Napoleonic Wars and the short-lived Roman Republic in 1849, Lazio was taken by Italy 1870, and Rome became the capital of the country. In 1927 the Province of Rieti was created and added to Lazio from territories previously part of Umbria and Abruzzo. Lazio is now the second most populated region in Italy, and also the second largest regional economy, after Lombardy. Besides Rome, the region offers many other tourist attractions, with several medieval towns in the hills and mountains, countless historic landmarks, beautiful beaches along the coast and ski resorts in the Apennines.
Destinations in Lazio
Province of Frosinone
Province of Latina
Province of Rieti
Metropolitan City of Rome
Province of Viterbo
Map of Lazio
