Rome (Italian: Roma), Italy, the nation's capital and largest city and the capital of Roma province and Latium (also known as Lazio) region. As the capital of the Roman Empire, Rome was the most influential city in the Western world. Later, as the seat of the Roman Catholic Church, it remained one of the world's foremost cities. The church added greatly to the grandeur of the city by giving it many impressive buildings and priceless works of art. Rome is still known as the "Holy City," although Vatican City, an independent state within Rome, is now the seat of the church as well as the longtime home of the pope. Rome is also called the "Eternal City," largely because of its long history and because many relics of its past have endured until today.