Caput Mundi

"The Capital of the World" redirects here. For the short story, see The Capital of the World (short story).

Map of Rome, the imperial capital at the height of its territorial expansion

Caput Mundi is a Latin phrase which literally means "Head of the world" whereas Roma Caput Mundi means "Rome capital of the world" and is one of the many nicknames given to the city of Rome throughout its history.[1]

The phrase is related to the enduring power of the city first as the capital of the Republic and the Empire, and later as the centre of the Catholic Church.[2]

Although it is not known for sure when it was first used, Rome was already named in this way by the poet Ovid in 1st century BC.[3]

Along with "Eternal City" and the "City of Seven Hills", Caput Mundi remains as one of the most commonly used names to refer to the city of Rome.[4]

  1. ^ "Una storia di grandezza - i soprannomi di Roma". Valle delle Radici (in Italian). 6 December 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  2. ^ "caput mundi in Vocabolario - Treccani". www.treccani.it (in Italian). Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  3. ^ Gentile, Antonio (26 April 2019). "Le strade portano tutte a Roma Capitale: "Caput Mundi"". IL POPOLO (in Italian). Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  4. ^ Spada, Oliviero. "Soprannomi di alcune città italiane". Milanofree.it (in Italian). Retrieved 20 May 2023.