Did you know that Rome just celebrated it's 2,765th anniversary?   Despite its age the town is still in pretty good condition.  And there is always something new and exciting going on.

New and noteworthy for Rome 2012

Rock In Rome which hosts a variety of Italian and International artists from June through to August. For the 2012 event artists include Snoop Dogg, Placebo, Radiohead, The Cure, Garbage and Lenny Kravitz to name a few.

Roma Europa Festival (October) offers a variety of music, dance, arts and theatre and is held at several locations throughout the city and The Roma Jazz Festival (November) has performances from both Italian and International musicians.

The White Night Festival 2012 or La Notte Bianca, as it's known in Italian, features entertainment for night-owls.  That's right, the city will practically be open all night with attractions that include art and theater events, musical performances and concerts.  Many of the city's main attractions and amenities will remain open during this nocturnal event. The event lasts for one night, towards the beginning of September and has always been a popular annual event in Rome. Things have changed quite a bit in recent years though and less money is being used to finance the event so the 2012 event isn't likely to be as big as past editions.  The date is still yet to be announced.

Art lovers can admire the "Dali: an Artist, a Genius" Exhibition running from  March 10th to June 30th at the Vittoriano Complex in Piazza Venezia. Tickets cost €10.

Noteworthy for 2012 is the scheduled opening of the Rome Metro Line C (the 3rd line of Rome's subway system) by June. It will be the first fully automated line in the city and uses part of the old Rome-Pantano railway. Although it's opening shouldn't cause many problems for getting about in the city centre if you plan to visit around that time you might want to bear it in mind.

A couple of new things are happening in Rome for 2011 if you plan on visiting:

The Vatican museum has a new online reservation system that is working pretty smoothly. This is a must-see attraction if you are visiting Rome.

The Colosseum is being spruced up and given permanent lighting.  In the future, you may be able to see sections that were previously closed to visitors.

La Tiburtina, Rome's second-largest train station is undergoing a renovation project which will include high-speed rail.  A new company called Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (NTV) is expected to start service from the Tiburtina station sometime in 2011 with service from / to Milan, Florence, Venice and Naples.Pictured below is one of the high-speed rail trains from NTV, with speeds up to 330 kilometers per hour or 205 miles per hour.