Rome is the capital of Italy and its largest city, with a metropolitan population of around 4.3 million. It is the seat of the Italian government, the residence of the President of the Republic, and the home of Vatican City, the independent sovereign state that is the global centre of the Roman Catholic Church. Italy's Prime Minister and cabinet govern from Rome's Palazzo Chigi, making the city the anchor of Italian political and diplomatic life. Rome also hosts the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the World Food Programme, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

In April 2026, Rome was a diplomatic focal point in the Iran conflict. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni departed from Rome on a Gulf tour visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, becoming the first EU or NATO leader to travel to the Gulf since the conflict began. The Vatican's position was also in focus: Pope Leo XIV was on an apostolic visit to Algeria on 13 April. Rome is simultaneously managing energy pricing pressures as Italy is the EU's most gas-exposed large economy.

Rome is the seat of the FIGC (Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio), which held an extraordinary presidential election on 22 June 2026 following Gabriele Gravina's resignation on 2 April, itself a consequence of Italy missing three consecutive World Cups. Giovanni Malagò, backed by 18 of Serie A's 20 clubs and cleared to stand by the anti-corruption authority ANAC on 18 June despite a challenge under Italy's pantouflage cooling-off law, won with 68.58% of the weighted vote (343,084 votes) against Giancarlo Abete's 29.17% (145,936 votes), with 266 of the 273 delegates present at the Rome Cavalieri. Malagò, who led Italy's Olympic Committee CONI from 2013, now inherits a documented crisis: Italian professional clubs carry approximately €5.5 billion in collective debt with annual losses above €730 million.

Common Questions

Reference

Where is FIGC based?

FIGC (Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio) is headquartered in Rome. It held an extraordinary presidential election there on 22 June 2026, which Giovanni Malagò won with 68.58% of the weighted vote following Gabriele Gravina's resignation on 2 April.Source: Lowdown

What UN agencies are in Rome?

Rome hosts the headquarters of three UN agencies: the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Is the Vatican part of Rome?

No. Vatican City is an independent sovereign state entirely enclosed within Rome, with its own government, citizenship, and diplomatic relations. It covers 0.44 sq km.Source: https://www.vatican.va/

Recently resolved

What is the pantouflage law that could block Malagò from leading FIGC?

Yes. Italy's anti-corruption authority ANAC cleared Giovanni Malago to stand despite the pantouflage cooling-off challenge, ruling on 18 June 2026. He went on to win the FIGC presidential election on 22 June 2026 with 68.58% of the weighted vote against Giancarlo Abete.Source: Lowdown

Why is Italy not at the 2026 World Cup?

Italy failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, their third consecutive absence, after losing 4-1 on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 31 March 2026. FIGC president Gabriele Gravina resigned on 2 April; coach Gennaro Gattuso and delegation chief Gianluigi Buffon resigned on 3 April. Giovanni Malago won the extraordinary FIGC presidential election on 22 June 2026, defeating Giancarlo Abete.Source: Lowdown

Who is the next FIGC president after Gravina resigned?

Giovanni Malagò won the FIGC presidency on 22 June 2026, defeating Giancarlo Abete 68.58% to 29.17% (343,084 to 145,936 weighted votes) at the Rome Cavalieri, with 266 of 273 delegates present. Malagò previously led Italy's Olympic Committee, CONI, from 2013.Source: Lowdown

Why did Meloni go to the Gulf from Rome during the Iran war?

In April 2026 Italian PM Meloni flew to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE on a Gulf tour, becoming the first EU or NATO leader to visit the Gulf since the Iran conflict began, signalling Italy's interest in independent diplomacy.Source: https://lowdown.today/t/iran-conflict-2026/68/meloni-breaks-european-line-to-the-gulf

How the World Sees Them

Vatican

Pope Leo XIV's visit to the Algiers mosque on the day Trump struck Iran placed the Holy See at the intersection of the conflict's religious and diplomatic dimensions, with Rome as the institutional home of his authority.

Italian football

The FIGC election on 22 June is the most consequential governance vote in Italian football in a generation; the Malagò eligibility dispute risks an injunction that would delay or invalidate the result.

Italian government

Rome manages the fallout from Meloni's Gulf diplomacy, Italy's football governance crisis, and the energy pricing pressure that placed Italy as the EU's most gas-exposed large economy.

Nomads and tourists

Rome's short-term rental market is among the most pressure-saturated in Italy. The CIN national framework now applies, but Rome's historic centre remains the reference case for the tension between tourism density and resident housing access.