Architects and artists have always acknowledged over the centuries that Rome is rightly called the eternal city. Rome is eternal, above all, because it has always been young, always in its prime. Here, the buildings that defined the West appeared over more than 2000 years ago; here, the history of European architecture was written. The patronage of popes and cardinals, supported by enormous financial resources coming from increasingly heavy taxes imposed on the Roman population, left copious examples of the luxury with which the noble families loved to
surround themselves.