It is a well-known fact that the city of Rome becomes a stifling oven during the summer months, and it is during this time that the city appears eerily quiet every weekend, as the locals evacuate the city for some cool respite. Not to forget that in August, it is tradition for Italians to have their summer (often annual) vacation, and even if it’s not a full month as was once the norm, they will make sure they head to the beach or the cooler mountains for at least two weeks.

Many tourists visiting Rome don’t often question if Rome is a seaside city. That might seem absurd to some, but the question isn’t at all as silly as it seems. The Eternal City has always had a very strong bond with the sea. In Roman times, Rome already had a series of ports, which started from the coast and reached inside the city following the course of the Tiber River.