Rome's archaeological officials said they are ending a decade-long policy of free visits to the Roman Forum and will start charging entry to the city's ancient power center on March 10.

Access to the Forum will be included in a single ticket that visitors already pay to enter the nearby Colosseum and the Palatine Hill. Officials say the proceeds will go to increased security and restoration works at the Forum and other sites in Rome.

Residents of Italy's capital entered a new era on Saturday night as they turned their cell phones on.

In a technological leap, a futuristic urban map made its debut, featuring the dynamics of the city in real time. The map project, known as "Wiki City Rome," is continuously fed data through wireless technology such as cell phones and global positioning systems on city buses and taxis.

Developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the project was launched during Rome's Notte Bianca (White Night), an all-night festival of 400 events, which drew about 2.5 million people in Rome's streets.