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THE
VIRTUAL ROMA QUIZ

test your knowledge of Rome (past and present)

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This is a series of 30 questions about known and less known facts of the Eternal City, mostly referring to the past, but a few of which are about the modern city, as well.
Many of the topics are mentioned in different sections of this website, so if you are a frequent caller of Virtual Roma you should find yourself familiar with them. The questions range in difficulty from easy to tough, and even Rome's lovers should not rely on obtaining a perfect score too easily.
But Rome itself is like this: the more you think you know the city, the more you discover something new.
Don't worry, there is no serious cultural purpose in this quiz, nor marks given, nor comments according to your score: whatever knowledge of Rome you have, take this test with the only purpose of having fun in challenging yourselves, or in competing with a friend.
There is no countdown, so for each question you can take your time.   ...But please don't cheat! J

Are you ready?   Here we go!



1. YEAR AD 2002
In ancient Rome years were counted from the city's foundation (ab urbe condita), so year AD 2000 would have been...


correct

A - 4221 ab urbe condita
B - 3127 ab urbe condita
C - 2753 ab urbe condita
D - 1993 ab urbe condita
Rome was founded in year 753 BC, therefore 2000 + 753 = 2753 ab urbe condita.
Some maintain that the date of Rome's birth is 754 BC (i.e. one year earlier), thus AD 2000 would be 2754 a.u.c.



2. THE SEVEN HILLS
Rome was founded over seven hills. Which of the following roman hills is NOT one of them?


correct

A - the Quirinal
B - the Esquiline
C - the Janiculum
D - the Capitolium
The remaining four hills are the Aventine, the Coelian, the Palatine and the Viminal.
The Janiculum lies west of the city's historical nucleus, on the side of the river Tiber opposite the oldest part of the city, and is therefore sometimes called 'the eighth hill'.


3. HEAD OF THE WORLD
"Rome head of the world" was a famous motto, but how did it sound in Latin?

correct


A - Roma omnibus regina
B - Roma caput mundi
C - Roma mundum ducet
D - Roma semper felix


4. EARLY INHABITANTS
Besides the Latins, which other people were Rome's inhabitants in the early years?



correct
A - the Phoenicians
B - the Greeks
C - the Gauls
D - the Etruscans
The Etruscans had long since colonized central and northern parts of the Italian peninsula.


5. EARLY GOVERNMENT
The earliest rulers in Rome were...
correct



A - kings
B - emperors
C - dictators
D - consuls
Rome was a monarchy for over 200 years, from its foundation (8th century BC) to the 6th century BC. Seven kings are remembered, the first of which was Rome's founder, Romulus.


6. MAP REFERENCE SPOT
All map distances to and from the city of Rome are still today officially measured from....

correct


A - the Circus Maximus
B - the Capitolium Hill
C - the Arch of Constantine
D - St.Peter's Square
This hill was ancient Rome's most crucial spot, whence the use of measuring distances from here.


7. BEFORE THE COLOSSEUM WAS BUILT
The Colosseum was built on a ground that only a few years earlier was...



correct
A - a rock
B - a canyon
C - a hill
D - a pond
The artificial pond, belonging to the gardens of Nero's
Golden House, was filled up after the emperor's death.


8. NOT IN THE COLOSSEUM
Which of the following events did NOT take place in the Colosseum?


correct

A - naval battles
B - gladiator fights
C - chariot races
D - wild animal hunts
Chariot races were only held in circuses
(the Colosseum is an amphiteatre).


9. THE VATICAN IN ROME
When did the Vatican (once known as Leo's City) become one of Rome's districts?


correct

A - in the 2nd century BC
B - in the 8th century AD
C - in the 16th century AD
D - never: it always remained independent
The Vatican citadel became Rome's 14th district, named Borgo, in 1585.


10. THE SHAPE OF ANCIENT THEATRES
What was the shape of theatres in ancient Rome?

correct


A - round
B - semicircular
C - oval
D - there was no fixed shape
On the round side were the seats for the public, on the straight side was the stage.


11. ROME'S RIVERS
How many rivers cross modern Rome today?

correct


A - three
B - two
C - one
D - none
The river Tiber and the river Aniene (the latter once flowed off the city's early boundary).


12. THE EMPEROR'S BOOTS
Which roman emperor bore a name that literally means "little boot"?
correct



A - Caligula
B - Caracalla
C - Galba
D - Nerva
As a child, he used to wear nailed boots called caligae, the roman soldiers' footwear, made in his size.


13. INFAMOUS NERO
Which of these misdeeds emperor Nero is traditionally blamed for?



correct
A - for having lost all the wars he fought
B - for having burdened the city with hefty taxes
C - for having stolen marble from the public temples
D - for having set the city on fire
The legend sprang because Nero took adantage of the enormous damages caused to the city by the great fire of AD 64 for building his fabulous Golden House, whose grounds stretched over four districts burnt down.


14. SANT'ANGELO CASTLE
Sant'Angelo Castle was built over a famous structure, still partly standing. Which one?
correct



A - the tomb of an emperor
B - the tomb of a pope
C - a temple
D - an ancient military fort
The tomb of emperor Hadrian (known as Hadrianeum), turned into a stronghold in the early Middle Ages, and finally into a castle.


15. THE PANTHEON
The Pantheon was born as...
correct



A - a temple dedicated to all the gods
B - a meeting hall for the senators
C - the imperial archive
D - Rome's town hall
Its same name comes from the Greek pan (all) and theon (gods), whom the temple was originally dedicated to.


16. THE EARLY PAPAL DWELLING
Where did the popes dwell during the Middle Ages, before they moved to the Vatican?

correct


A - on the Quirinal Hill
B - in the Lateran grounds
C - on the Tiber Island
D - in the Roman Forum area
The popes lived in a no longer standing palace called Patriarchium, located by St.John's in the Lateran, in the southern part of ancient Rome; the palace was completely burned down by a fire around year 1300.


17. UNDER THE POPES
What was the title used by the popes who ruled over Rome?


correct

A - the Pope Master
B - the Pope Emperor
C - the Pope King
D - the Pope Lord
The pope was an absolute monarch, who held both spiritual and temporal powers.


18. ITALIAN ROME
When did Rome become an Italian city, after having belonged to the Papal State?


correct

A - in 1610
B - in 1740
C - in 1870
D - in 1930
Rome was the last papal city to be taken by the Italian army (September 20, 1870).


19. AN UNHOLY EVENT
What happened in Rome, in 1527?
correct



A - the city was sacked and damaged
B - the city was stricken by the plague
C - an earthquake destroyed most houses
D - a fire burned down the central districts
Following a clash with pope Clement VII, the Holy Roman emperor Charles V sent his mercenary troops to raid Rome; the pope managed to avoid being captured, but for about one year the city was sacked, and most of the city's main monuments and buildings were seriously damaged.


20. THE CITY CREST
What appears in Rome's city crest?


correct

A - a woman by a column, with the letters P.A.X.
B - a lioness and three crosses, with the letters I.H.S.V.
C - a she-wolf and two children, with the letters S.P.Q.R.
D - an elephant, a sun and a tower, with the letters I.E.F.
According to tradition, the she-wolf suckled Rome's founder Romulus and his twin brother Remus.
SPQR stands in Latin for "the Senate and the People of Rome".


21. ROMAN NUMERALS
What number is LXXXIX in roman numerals?

correct


A - 149
B - 89
C - 539
D - none: it is wrongly spelled
Literally, 50 (L) plus three times 10 (X)
plus another 10 minus 1.


22. ROMAN MEASURES
Which were ancient Rome's standard measures of length?
correct



A - feet, paces, miles
B - digits, palms, cubits
C - centimetres, meters, kilometers
D - the measures were not standard
A roman foot measured 30.88 cm, slightly more than 12 inches. A pace (i.e. two steps) was 5 feet, and 1,000 paces made 1 mile.


23. OLYMPIC GAMES
How many times did Rome host the modern Olympic Games?


correct

A - three times
B - twice
C - once
D - never
They took place in 1960.


24. ROME'S AIRPORT
Which famous artist is Rome's main airport named after?



correct
A - Michelangelo
B - Giotto
C - Raphael
D - Leonardo da Vinci
In the 15th century, Leonardo drew the earliest known projects of flying machines, whence this dedication.


25. UNTRUE RECORD
Spot the WRONG statement among the following. Rome is the city in the world with...



correct
A - the largest number of fountains
B - the largest number of bridges
C - the largest number of obelisks
D - the largest number of parks
Rome has 100+ fountains, 25 bridges over the Tiber, 19 obelisks, but the parks are less numerous than those of other large cities.


26. ROME'S CATHEDRAL
Which of these important churches is Rome's cathedral?

correct


A - St.Peter in the Vatican
B - St.John in the Lateran
C - St.Mary the Major
D - St.Paul Outside the Walls
St.John is the see of Rome's bishop, the pope, who is also the head of the independent Vatican State.


27. THE COIN FOUNTAIN
In which fountain the tourists throw a coin, as a wish to return to Rome one day?


correct

A - the Fountain of the Rivers
B - the Fountain of the Naiads
C - the Trevi Fountain
D - the Barcaccia Fountain
The throw is traditionally made turning one's back towards the fountain.


28. POPULATION
Approximately, Rome's present population is...


correct

A - 500.000 people
B - 1.000.000 people
C - 3.000.000 people
D - 5.000.000 people
Rome's population has remained relatively steady for about two decades.


29. STRAY DWELLERS
In many of Rome's archaeological sites live protected colonies of...

correct


A - dogs
B - cats
C - pigeons
D - hamsters
Run by voluntaries and partially sponsored by the Municipality, all together these colonies count some 200,000 cats.


30. ROME MEANS...
What does the name ROMA actually mean?



correct
A - "the place, the site"
B - "community, tribe"
C - it is the name of a pagan divinity
D - the meaning is uncertain
It is still uncertain whether it came from Ruma, an Etruscan family name, or from an archaic Latin word with some other meaning.

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