More Photos, Italy

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Rome is unique in its containing two other sovereign states.

One is the Holy See, the political and religious entity that governs the territory of the Vatican City (a de facto enclave since 1870, officially recognised as such in 1929), as well as claiming extraterritorial rights over a few other palaces and churches, mostly in the city centre; indeed, Rome hosts foreign embassies to both Italy and the Holy See.

The other state is the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), which took refuge in Rome in 1834 after having lost Malta to Napoleon in 1798, and thus claims no territory; SMOM too owns extraterritorial palaces in central Rome.

Football is the most popular sport in Rome, as in the rest of the country.

The Stadio Olimpico hosted the final game of the 1990 FIFA World Cup. It is also the home stadium for local Serie A clubs A.S. Roma and S.S. Lazio, whose rivalry has become a staple of Roman sports culture.

Indeed, famous footballers who play for these teams and are also born in the city tend to become especially popular, as has been the case with players such as Bruno Conti and Giuseppe Giannini (both for Rome), Paolo Di Canio and Alessandro Nesta (both for Lazio), and the A.S. Roma captain Francesco Totti.

Other notable football teams in the city include serie C2 team A.S. Cisco Roma.