- Archaeologists have determined that early villages began to develop around Rome from before 800 BC on the Palatine, Quirinal, Viminal, and Esquiline hills.

- Palatine Hill became the center of Rebublican Rome and the site of important temples and palaces.

- The seven hills of Rome were no higher than 60 yards but had steep slopes that rose above the flat marshland.

- Several small streams flowed between the seven hills.

- At the western foot of the Palatine Hill was the Lupercal Spring, where the wolf is said to have nursed Romulus and Remus.

- The Italian Peninsula is a narrow boot shaped area that kind of divides the Mediterranean almost in half. It was an ideal location for trade among the three continents: Asia, Europe, and Africa.

- All of the mountains around Italy were actually a good thing. The mountains drove them westward where they felt very protected and safe. The Greeks did not have the same advantage. This allowed the Romans to grow and develop new ideas and ways to live.

- The large open land areas in the north and the big Mediterranean Sea all around made it easy for enemy armies to try to come in and make war with the Romans. This made the people of Rome very prepared for war at all times from the very start.

- Italy has very rich and fertile soil and very mild weather. The soil was enriched by silt deposits of mountain streams and therefore vegetables, fruits, and grains thrived.

- The silt filling the short shallow rivers sometimes became blocked and thus the mouths became like swamps and infested with mosquitos which also carried many diseases like recurring epidemics of malaria.

- In the earliest times the peoples of Italy traded among themselves because of the mountainous topography.

- The Alps in the north blocked Italy from Europe, its only land connection.

- Italy's coastline was long, rocky and marshy and lacked good harbors.

- In order to increase trade Rome mastered the ways of the great sea but until then they remained attached to the land.

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