rome model
© http://www.museociviltaromana.itThe model took over three decades to make
ROME was not built in a day and the 'most accurate' model of Ancient Rome is testament to this as it took archaeologist Italo Gismondi 35 years to build.

The Plastico di Roma imperiale (model of imperial Rome) was actually commissioned by Mussolini in 1933 and is so realistic that a few shots of it were used in the film Gladiator.

The model can be viewed today in the Museum of Roman Civilisation in Rome, Italy.

rome model
© http://www.museociviltaromana.it
It is so useful because it helps a lot of academics visualise Rome to aid their studies and gives a lot more context to famous structures, like the Colosseum, which we are used to seeing as stand alone buildings.

Roman cities were laid out so efficiently that it can also teach us more and inspire us about infrastructure in modern society.

For example, the city of Bath in England has a Roman layout and Roman baths and similarities can be seen between it and the model.
rome model
© http://www.museociviltaromana.itThe model is very intricate and very accurate
rome model
The model can be seen here in this scene from the film Gladiator
rome model
Gismondi kept adding to his model of 4th century AD Rome until three years before his death at the age of 87.

He made it all from alabaster plaster, with metal and plant fibre reinforcements.

It is now regarded as the most important source for how ancient Rome looked as it was based on a series of 46 maps that detail ancient Rome in very precise detail.

Originally commissioned as a piece of propaganda to link Mussolini's fascist regime to the great Roman Empire, today the model allows visitors from all over the world to connect modern day Rome with the ancient Romans and how they realistically used to live.