One day, as I walked through Rome, I had the realisation that it contained everything a social media user would need in order to write, publish, and share a post with the world; not only visually, but also emotionally, as Rome has an incredibly social soul.

Rome is social media par excellence, ad honorem; it is a place for sharing and exchanging information and experiences that allow you to engage by spreading thoughts and visions no matter where you are; a bar, a piazza, a museum, an archaeological area, or even a church.

Rome is part of a universe which at times is cloudy, with rippled skies, where the soul of the city nestles between the buildings as if to protect itself.

It is a real-world material encyclopaedia, a timeless sleeping beauty, an old lady tired from the many daily battles.

She is full of wrinkles that mark her travertine white skin, but she remains elegant under the stars and wild inside the evergreen parks.

Sometimes she cries endlessly at the neglect she suffers at the hands of visitors. Sometimes she smiles as those who live with her smile.

Rome stands proud, indomitable, never shaking despite the millennia resting on her shoulders, to show everyone her social soul and her ability to communicate and share, and to be loved.

If you search for #Rome on any social media network, you will always find the results fascinating.

If you look for words to describe this beauty, you will fall in love with her. This impression Rome leaves on you and your eyes, you will find be engraved in your heart.

With this you will understand that it’s possible to describe Rome in a snapshot; she can be loved in a single instant, through narration in a social media post; something that is infinite and lasts for eternity.

Again, as I walked through Rome, it dawned on me that I could write a book for her, inspired by her social soul. This book would admire her in real-time and without misgivings; navigating through the centuries, among her monuments and sites, her works of art, and natural side that make-up her soul.

It takes time and great attention to get to know Rome, but in just a tweet, you will know enough.

Officially founded in the 8th century BC (but with a much older history), Rome has been a power, destroyed, and redeemed many times. Its ancient heritage, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque period and the modern age are visible through the wonders scattered throughout the city.


The book this article refers to now available – find Rome in 134 Tweets available for download via iBooks (iTunes), Google Play and Amazon.