The full story
Italian unification brought Rome into the new kingdom and recast it as a national capital. The relationship between the Italian state and the papacy remained unresolved until 1929, when Vatican City’s position was settled. The modern layer is clearest around Piazza Venezia and the Vittoriano, but it also changes how older sites are read: the Capitoline remains a civic centre, while the Vatican retains its distinct religious and political presence. For practical planning, treat Modern Rome as part of a wider Rome day rather than an isolated checklist item. Pair the ideas here with the nearby places already named, allow time for walking and breaks, and keep the plan flexible around heat, crowds, and access changes. That pace leaves space to read the streets and neighbourhoods connecting the larger sights. It is often in those transitions that Rome’s layers become clearest.