Breakdown of Roma, simbolo dell'antico impero, è piena di rovine.
essere
to be
pieno
full
di
of, from
Roma
Rome
Questions & Answers about Roma, simbolo dell'antico impero, è piena di rovine.
Why is there no article before simbolo? The English translation says 'the symbol'.
This is a special rule for appositives (phrases set off by commas that rename or describe a noun). In Italian, when you define a proper noun like Roma with a noun phrase immediately after it, you must drop the definite article. So you say Roma, simbolo rather than Roma, il simbolo.
Since we dropped the article before simbolo, why do we still use it in dell'antico?
The rule about dropping the article only applies to the head noun of the descriptive phrase (simbolo). The ancient empire is a specific entity that requires its own definite article (l'antico impero). When you connect them with di (of), it combines with l' to form dell'.
Why is the adjective piena feminine?
Why does the adjective antico come before the noun impero instead of after it?