Urceopolis (City): Difference between revisions

'''Urceopolis''' is the {{wp|capital city|archcathedral}} city of [[Urcea]]. It is also the cathedral city of the [[Urceopolis (Archduchy)|Archduchy of Urceopolis]] and the largest city and largest metropolitan area in Urcea, both in terms of population and area. It sits at an intersection of the [[Urce River]] and Esquiline River.

The earliest record of the settlement of Urceopolis comes from accounts during the [[Latin Heroic Age]], but many modern historians believe it probable that small, transient settlements of [[Gaelic people]] lived in and around the area prior to the arrival of the [[Latinic people|Latins]]. As one of the oldest cities in [[Levantia]], the urban landscape of Urceopolis is greatly varied as the city gradually incorporated surrounding settlements and open areas. For much of its history, control of the city was largely divided along the Esquiline River, which bisects the city. The [[Apostolic King of Urcea]] enjoyed direct control over the ancient city itself north of the Esquiline, whereas the [[Pope]] had control of the city south of the River. Today, the [[Papal State]] resides within the city as an independent state with formal borders established by the [[Papal_State#River_Concordat_of_1815|River Concordat of 1815]].

Although an independent state not within the city jurisdiction of Urceopolis, the Papal State, home of the [[Pope]] and center of the [[Catholic Church]], sits approximately within the center of Urceopolis along the south bank of the Esquiline Ruver. Sometimes referred to as "Vatican City", the Papal State contains many of the oldest extant structures within city. Originally part of the core of the city during the [[Great Levantia]] period, the area became associated with the Church by means of {{wp|St. Peter's}} burial in the area following his {{wp|crucifixion}}. A popular Christian site, [[St. Peter's Archbasilica]] was erected over the burial site upon the Christianisaton of Great Levantia, which became the official seat of the Bishop of Urceopolis and, accordingly, one of the holiest sites in Catholicism. Largely depopulated after the fall of Great Levantia, Vatican City began to grow once again in the 800s. Historically, the position of the Pope separated from the [[Julian Palace]] by the Esquiline River gave him a great degree of independence and influence south of the Urce, which eventually became formalized as the [[Duchy of Transurciana]]. The current borders of the Papal State, following centuries of uncertainty, were established by the River Concordat of 1815 during the [[Recess of the Julii]].