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Discoteche/ |
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| Milano Capodanno | Napoli Capodanno | Roma Capodanno | Firenze Capodanno |
| Torino Capodanno | Bologna Capodanno | Bergamo Capodanno | Brescia Capodanno |
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Visite guidate
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| Roma | Latina | Rieti | Frosinone |
| Viterbo | Fregene | Fiuggi | Frascati |
| CIVITAVECCHIA | Sperlonga | Velletri | Cerveteri |
| Quartieri d'Europa |
| Roma Tiburtino | Amburgo St Pauli | Tokyo Roppongi | Roma Parioli |
| Roma Ostia | Roma Nomentano | Roma Eur | Parigi Quartieri |
| Napoli Vomero | Napoli Secondigliano | Napoli Rione Sanit | Napoli Fuorigrotta |
| Fonte:
www.inagenda.info CAPODANNO ROMA 2009....VILLA APPIA.... (Night - Special night) 31/12/2008 - 01/01/2009 Roma Stupendo casale nella splendida cornice della Via Appia Antica, propone una delle feste pi esclusive di Roma. 3 sale dove poter ballare tutti i generi di musica.Formula open bar,cenone buffet,guardaroba,parcheggio custodito e tante altre sorprese..... TARGET: 18-25 ANNI, ABBIGLIAMENTO CURATISSIMO.... 1) PRIMO PACCHETTO** 85**--->Solo notte del 31/12 Villa Appia. Cenone bouffet e discoteca (OpenBar) fino alle 7 del mattino, ingresso in prevendita. La location appunto Villa Appia Antica, una villa immensa e molto elegante nella parte storica della Capitale (foto in bacheca del gruppo), che ospiter fino a 3.000 persone. N.B. Vitto, alloggio e trasporto a carico del partecipante. 2) SECONDO PACCHETTO **200**--->Serata 31/12 + 2 pernottamenti in hotel (31/12 e 1/1). Chi non sa dove alloggiare pu prenotare la camera in albergo per due notti rilasciando un acconto di 30, a titolo di prenotazione, entro e non oltre il **10 Dicembre**. necessario comunicare a me tutti i riferimenti anagrafici (ed anche un fax per l'invio della prenotazione cartacea). Gli hotels sono nei pressi della location del 31/12 e ci sono ad oggi ancora doppie, triple e quadruple. N.B. Solo lo spostamento in auto a carico del partecipante; per assicurarsi la prenotazione in hotel la scadenza il 10 Dicembre. 3) TERZO PACCHETTO**240**---> Serata 31/12 + 2 pernottamenti in hotel + viaggio in pullman and/rit da Taranto. L'opzione aggiuntiva vale per chi non arriva in auto. Chi volesse prenotare questo pacchetto e partire in pullman, deve rilasciare sempre entro il 10 Dicembre, un acconto pari a 60 (30 hotel+30 pullman). I pullman partiranno nella mattinata del 31 Dicembre. SERVIZI: Camera in Hotel di almeno 3 stelle (Holiday Inn 4*) CONDIZIONI: I prezzi si intendono per notte per persona in camere doppie, triple o eventualmente quadruple. Per la prenotazione si richiedono i seguenti dati: Nome, Cognome, Data di nascita, Residenza, N c.i. DI OGNI SINGOLO PARTECIPANTE da consegnare a me personalmente insieme all'acconto. L'acconto va rilasciato entro e non oltre il 10 Dicembre. La quota rimanente verr saldata direttamente al check-in in hotel. In caso di mancato pagamento la prenotazione verr disdetta nel giro di 2 giorni. La prenotazione verr mandata via fax/e-mail al responsabile. BY ROBERTO VILHOUSE MY MSN:rob1188@libero.it Indirizzo: ROMA Roma (Roma) Evento segnalato da NUBILE |
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| CAPODANNO ROMA
2007 Capodanno Roma : il portale con tutte le informazioni per trascorrere al meglio il capodanno a Roma. presto potrai trovare in questa pagina tutte le migliori proposte per trascorre l'ultima notte dell'anno in allegria in una delle migliori discoteche di Roma.. VEGLIONE CAPODANNO ROMA, & CENONE PER CAPODANNO Tutte le discoteche, i locali notturni, i pub e i ristoranti che organizzano feste a Roma. Se non sai dove trascorrere la notte di San Silvestro cerca tra i ristoranti o locali proposti dal nostro sito quello che organizza il cenone di capodanno che soddisfa le tue aspettative...
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Guida Di Corsa De Roma
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| Book a
Hotel in Rome from a low Price to High,please see the Stars from one Star to
five Questo articolo rilasciato sotto i termini della
GNU Free Documentation License RomaDa Wikipedia, l'enciclopedia libera.
Il Colosseo, uno dei simboli della citt Roma, la citt capitale della Repubblica Italiana (2.547.677 abitanti al 31 dicembre 2005), il capoluogo della Regione Lazio e della provincia di Roma. il comune pi popoloso dItalia, mentre la sua area metropolitana, con circa 3.300.000 abitanti, la seconda dItalia dopo quella di Milano. , grazie alla sua storia millenaria, una citt unica ed una delle pi visitate al mondo. Nel 1980 il centro storico, le propriet extraterritoriali della Santa Sede nella citt e la Basilica di San Paolo fuori le mura sono state dichiarate patrimonio dell'umanit dall'UNESCO; nel 1990 sono stati inclusi i beni compresi entro le mura di Urbano VIII.
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GeografiaConosciuta universalmente come l'Urbe o la Citt eterna, Roma sorge sulle rive del fiume Tevere ed il suo nucleo storico si svilupp sulle colline in corrispondenza dell'ansa in cui si trova l'isola Tiberina, unico guado naturale del fiume. Sono i celebri sette colli: Palatino, Aventino, Campidoglio, Quirinale, Viminale, Esquilino e Celio. Sia a destra che a sinistra del fiume si trovano rilievi di modesta entit, che rappresentano i resti dell'antico apparato vulcanico complessivamente denominato Vulcano Laziale, come i monti Tiburtini e i monti Prenestini, mentre i pi vicini sono i Castelli romani tra i quali svetta il Monte Cavo. La valle del Tevere in genere larga circa 3 km, ma, in prossimit
dell'isola Tiberina, si restringe a meno di 1 km. Roma attraversata anche da un altro fiume, l'Aniene, che confluisce nel Tevere in territorio urbano.
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TerritorioIl comune comprende molte borgate e frazioni, tra cui Ostia, cresciute nella prima met del '900 in seguito alle demolizioni attuate dal Fascismo nei rioni storici, e nel dopoguerra in seguito a massicce immigrazioni a Roma, principalmente provenienti dalle zone e regioni confinanti, ma non solo. La superficie del Comune vastissima, avendo inglobato vaste zone abbandonate da secoli, spesso paludose e inadatte all'agricoltura, e non appartenute ad alcun municipio. Il Comune di Roma governa, attraverso 19 Municipi, un'area che per dimensione paragonabile alla provincia di Milano o a quella di Napoli; ma l'intero agglomerato urbano della citt (comune e area metropolitana) terzo in Italia per superficie e popolazione (dopo le aree metropolitane di Milano e Napoli).
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Storia
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Popolazione e lingua
La popolazione ha sempre parlato il romanesco che per, come la maggior parte dei dialetti italiani, non ha alcuna ufficialit. Il romanesco, come tutte le lingue, si evoluto negli anni, tanto che, per esempio, il Belli (prima met del 1800) usa delle forme linguistiche che non vengono utilizzate da Trilussa (inizio '900). Questa evoluzione non ha alterato profondamente il dialetto almeno fino agli anni cinquanta, a partire dai quali Roma fu meta di ingenti migrazioni dalle altre regioni italiane. Il dialetto sub allora contaminazioni soprattutto dall'italiano formando la parlata che spesso si sente : il cosiddetto "romano moderno". Oramai il dialetto romanesco come era quello del Belli praticamente scomparso, poich ha perso molte delle sue parole e modi di dire a favore dell'italiano, ma su di esso si sviluppato un tipo di dialetto che, se utilizzato correttamente in tutte le sue caratteristiche pi tipiche, una parlata allegra e vivace di cui i romani vanno molto fieri. La forte immigrazione degli anni Cinquanta, oltre a riflettersi sul linguaggio, ha cambiato le componenti della popolazione: al "romano de Roma", di origine romana, si sono affiancati i nuovi arrivati. Capita cos che spesso nelle famiglie oggi pi che il romano si parli l'italiano o, al pi la lingua nazionale con leggere influenze dialettali.
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Amministrazione, suddivisioni, rioni e quartieri
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Frazioni
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Suddivisioni
Per scopi amministrativi e per aumentare la decentralizzazione, il grande territorio del comune di Roma stato ufficialmente diviso in 19 Municipi. Ogni Municipio riunisce parti di diversi quartieri. I rioni invece sono le ripartizioni in cui suddiviso il centro storico. L'istituzione dei rioni risale all'Antica Roma, e il loro numero cresciuto con la crescita della citt. Tutti tranne uno (Prati) si trovano all'interno delle Mura aureliane. Il comune di Roma utilizza sia la divisione in quartieri che in zone.
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I rioniPiazza del Campidoglio (Campitelli) Santa Maria Maggiore (Esquilino) Palazzo di Giustizia (Prati) Via della Conciliazione (Borgo) Piazza del Popolo (Campo Marzio) Vittoriano (Trevi) Fontana di Nettuno (Parione) Piazza della Repubblica (Castro Pretorio) Roma vista dal Giardino degli Aranci (Ripa)
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I quartieriDopo l'istituzione dell'ultimo Rione, Prati, per i successivi allargamenti dell'area urbanizzata si inizi ad usare il termine di "quartiere". Attualmente a Roma esistono 35 quartieri.
Esistono ulteriori suddivisioni ufficiali ed inoltre moltissimi altri toponimi di uso corrente.
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Citt gemellateIn ordine alfabetico:
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Trasporti e mobilit urbanaVigile urbano in Piazza Venezia Il miliarium
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Trasporto su stradaLa citt al centro di una struttura radiale di vie di comunicazione che ricalcano le direttrici delle antiche vie consolari, che partendo dal Campidoglio congiungevano Roma antica a tutti gli angoli dell'Impero. Il punto di partenza delle strade che partono da Roma - il km 0 fisico - rimane il miliarium, la colonna un tempo dorata e posta nel Foro, ora di marmo e posta in cima alla Cordonata. Lo spazio urbano, un tempo delimitato dalle mura, oggi definito dall'anello esterno di raccordo tra le vie di penetrazione, il Grande Raccordo Anulare.
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Trasporto su ferroEssendo posta al centro della penisola, Roma anche il principale nodo ferroviario dell'Italia centrale. Le direttrici di traffico sono 4 e ricalcano - almeno nella parte iniziale del percorso - il tracciato delle principali consolari: quella tirrenica (Roma-Genova, lungo la via Aurelia), quella verso nord (Roma-Firenze-Bologna, lungo la via Salaria), quella adriatica (Roma-Pescara, lungo la via Tiburtina) e quella meridionale (Roma-Napoli, lungo la via Appia). Le principali stazioni sono Roma Termini (che la stazione ferroviaria pi grande e trafficata d'Europa con pi di 600'000 transiti giornalieri, con al suo interno un centro commerciale, chiamato "Forum Termini", di oltre cento negozi), Roma Tiburtina (dove previsto l'arrivo della nuova linea ad Alta Velocit/Alta Capacit), Roma Ostiense, Roma Trastevere, Roma Tuscolana, Roma S. Pietro.
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Trasporto aereoLa citt servita attualmente da tre aeroporti:
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Trasporti pubblici urbaniLinee della A e B metropolitana di Roma Roma attualmente dotata di due linee di metropolitana, aperte nel 1955 (Linea B) e nel 1980 (Linea A), che servono gli assi di traffico est-ovest (linea A) e nord-sud (linea B). Altre linee sono in costruzione (linea B1 e linea C) e in progettazione (linea D). La lunghezza totale attuale di 38 km. Le due linee si intersecano solo in un punto, alla stazione di Roma Termini. Il sistema dei trasporti pubblici urbani integra anche una ventina di stazioni urbane della rete ferroviaria. Le pi utilizzate sono Roma Tiburtina, Roma Tuscolana, Roma Trastevere, Roma San Pietro, Roma Nomentana, Roma Nuovo Salario, Roma Magliana, Roma Muratella, Roma Aurelia. Nelle stazioni interne fermano sia i treni a media percorrenza (lunga nelle stazioni Termini, Ostiense e Tiburtina) che i treni metropolitani (detti "trenini effeemme"), che sono parte integrante del trasporto urbano e si possono prendere con il relativo biglietto ATAC. Esiste inoltre una linea espressa che collega la citt all'aeroporto di Fiumicino. L'altro ramo del servizio di trasporti pubblici urbano costituito dalla rete ATAC di autobus, tram e filobus (ritornati in uso nel 2005). La forte presenza di macchine negli ultimi decenni ha portato alla creazione di una zona a traffico limitato nella parte centrale del centro nei giorni lavorativi dalle 6 alle 18. Il traffico anche durante la notte ha poi portato alla creazione di un'altra zona a traffico limitato notturna in Trastevere e S. Lorenzo, e ci sono progetti per allargarla al quartiere di Testaccio. I parcheggi sono sempre pi spesso convertiti a pagamento, e allo stesso tempo sono pochi, ma si continuano a costruirne di sotterranei. La situazione del traffico romano comunque difficile per molte cause, come ad esempio:
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EconomiaPalazzo dell'ENI, sede nazionale Palazzo dei Congressi nell'EUR Sviluppatasi inizialmente intorno all'artigianato dei rioni e successivamente all'amministrazione pubblica (statale, regionale, provinciale, comunale) e agli enti parastatali storicamente presenti nella citt, Roma possiede oggigiorno un'economia dinamica e diversificata che produce l'8% del PIL nazionale (pi di ogni altra citt della nazione) e continua a crescere con un tasso superiore alla media nazionale, nel periodo 2001-2005 l'incremento addirittura dell'undici per cento. Oltre ai servizi ed all'indotto generato dalla presenza delle strutture amministrative, l'edilizia a rappresentare il settore economico pi importante per la citt. Questa, da un lato ha comportato la crescita scriteriata delle periferie romane (dando luogo alla figura "professionale" dei palazzinari) e dall'altro ha favorito lo sviluppo di alcuni tra i pi grossi gruppi nazionali del settore. Ovviamente, anche il turismo rappresenta una delle voci pi importanti per il bilancio cittadino, perch l'offerta culturale di Roma non ha eguali nel mondo: oltre il 16% dei beni culturali mondiali si trovano a Roma (il 70% in tutta Italia). La citt anche il centro di molte istituzioni finanziarie (banche ed assicurazioni), di centri di produzione televisiva e cinematografica (tra cui spicca la cittadella artistica di Cinecitt), di aziende operanti nella moda e nella pubblicit. La presenza di tre poli universitari, insieme ai dieci a carattere privato, recentemente ha favorito lo sviluppo di attivit legate alla ricerca e ai servizi tecnologici avanzati. Forse inaspettatamente, a Roma presente una forte realt industriale, costituita di aziende di medio-piccole dimensioni, che si sviluppata intorno ad alcuni poli di sviluppo, come la via Tiburtina o Acilia tanto da scavalcare Torino nel ruolo di secondo polo industriale. L'agricoltura e l'allevamento (soprattutto la pastorizia) stanno sempre pi perdendo d'importanza, stante la connotazione sempre pi urbana assunta dal territorio comunale, anche se non infrequente ancor'oggi trovare greggi pascolare nelle zone periferiche della citt. Roma il comune d'Europa maggiore per le attivit agricole.
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Media e telecomunicazioni
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Giornali
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Riviste
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TV
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Radio
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Educazione e culturaUno degli edifici de La Sapienza Roma continua ad essere il pi grande centro di istruzione italiano con molte delle maggiori universit del territorio:
Anche molte universit private si trovano a Roma, come:
Sempre a Roma si trova l'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, la pi antica accademia di musica al mondo (fondata nel 1584). La facolt di Medicina e chirurgia "Agostino Gemelli" dell'Universit Cattolica del Sacro Cuore anche la prima facolt di Medicina italiana ad essersi dotata di un policlinico proprio. Inoltre sono presenti sedi di enti che hanno finalit (esclusiva o meno) di ricerca (lista da completare):
ed alcuni IRCCS
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Ricorrenze, Feste e FiereNotte Bianca all'EUR
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Monumenti e luoghi d'interesseGiovanni Paolo Pannini: Galleria di Roma antic Giovanni Paolo Pannini: Galleria di Roma moderna Il Pantheon Vista di Roma dalla Basilica di San Pietro Nel corso della sua storia, pi di due volte millenaria, Roma ha accumulato notevoli tesori d'arte ed un patrimonio archeologico che non ha uguali nel resto del mondo. Questo aspetto della citt costituito da due caratteri principali storicamente e culturalmente differenti:
Innumerevoli sono i resti archeologici, gli edifici monumentali, le chiese,
le biblioteche, musei e gli istituti culturali. La formazione della citt si pu considerare conclusa con i grandi interventi urbanistici degli ultimi tre re di Roma, sotto i quali la citt si sviluppa come centro urbano etrusco: in particolare la bonifica dell'area del Foro Romano mediante la costruzione della Cloaca Massima permise la creazione del centro politico, religioso e amministrativo della citt, suddivisa in quattro regioni e dotata della prima cinta di mura. Dopo l'invasione gallica del 390 a.C. si ebbe la costruzione di una nuova cinta (le cosiddette mura serviane). A partire dal II secolo a.C. si moltiplicarono le costruzioni di nuovi edifici, che progressivamente venivano inseriti in piani urbanistici coerenti da parte dei personaggi che dominavano la storia politica e intendevano celebrare il proprio nome. Il fenomeno si accentu ulteriormente nei primi due secoli dell'Impero romano, ad opera degli imperatori (Fori Imperiali, edifici pubblici grandiosi e splendidamente decorati come terme, teatri, anfiteatri, templi. Dopo la crisi del III secolo, che vide un quasi completo arresto dell'attivit edilizia (con la significativa eccezione della costruzione delle mura Aureliane), una ripresa si ebbe in et tetrarchica. A partire dagli inizi del IV secolo, gli imperatori divenuti Cristianesimo, eressero le grandi basiliche cristiane (San Giovanni in Laterano e Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, costantiniane, e Santa Maria Maggiore e San Paolo fuori le mura nel V secolo) Il potere temporale dei papi ha poi riempito il territorio cittadino di chiese monumentali. Innumerevoli i resti architettonici sparsi nella campagna romana.
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Roma antica
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Basiliche patriarcaliSan Giovanni in Laterano San Paolo fuori le mura Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano
Basilica di San Paolo fuori le mura
Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano
Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
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Fontane
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Chiese
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Altri luoghi di cultoA Roma, oltre a circa 900 chiese cristiane, per la maggior parte cattoliche, ma anche evangeliste, valdesi e di altre religioni cristiane, ci sono anche luoghi di culto di molte altre religioni, fra cui la pi grande moschea d'Europa e una delle maggiori sinagoghe italiane.
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Ponti
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Mura di Roma
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Musei
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Palazzi
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PiazzeCampo de' Fiori Piazza del Popolo Piazza di Spagna Piazza Venezia
Piazza Farnese
Piazza della Minerva
Piazza del Quirinale
Piazza dell'Esedra o Piazza della Repubblica
Piazza della Rotonda
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Luoghi d'interesse
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AmbienteRoma ha al suo interno numerose aree verdi. Le aree protette sono: Area verde con laghetto nell'EUR
Inoltre sono presenti diversi giardini, molti facenti parte nel passato di dimore nobiliari: Il Tempio di Esculapio a Villa Borghese Villa Medici
Sono presenti numerose altre aree verdi e terreni dedicati all'agricoltura.
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SportHa ospitato le Olimpiadi del 1960 (vedi XVII Olimpiade). La citt ufficialmente candidata ad ospitare i Giochi Olimpici del 2016. (Roma 2016).
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Impianti SportiviLa cupola del PalaLottomatica
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CalcioOspita le gare interne della A.S. Roma, della S.S. Lazio, della Cisco Roma e della S.S. Lazio Calcio femminile.
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CiclismoRoma stata varie volte arrivo di tappa del Giro d'Italia:
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PodismoOgni primavera ospita la maratona di Roma, l'evento sportivo con pi alto numero di partecipanti in Italia ed una delle pi importanti gare podistiche del mondo. La XIII edizione si terr il 18 marzo 2007.
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PallacanestroOspita le gare interne della Virtus Pallacanestro Roma.
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PallamanoOspita le gare interne della S.S. Lazio.
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PallavoloOspita le gare interne della M. Roma Volley, militante nell'A1 maschile, della Virtus Roma e della Linea Medica Siram Roma entrambe militanti nel campionato di Serie A2 femminile.
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PallanuotoOspita le gare interne della squadra di pallanuoto di Roma e della S.S. Lazio.
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RugbyOspita le gare interne della Rugby Roma, della S.S. Lazio della US Primavera Rugby, della Net.Com Lazio & Primavera Rugby, dell'Unione Rugby Capitolina e della Nazionale Italiana durante il Sei Nazioni, quasi tutte allo stadio Flaminio.
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Curiosit su RomaSenatus PopulusQue Romanus
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Voci correlate
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Collegamenti esterni
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Enti romani
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Altri siti (alfabetico per descrizione)
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Bibliografia
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| Rome Travel Guide Rome Travel Guide and Rome Travel Information - TravelPuppy.com Situated on the River Tiber, between the Apennine Mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Eternal City of Rome (Roma) was once the administrative centre of this mighty Roman Empire, governing a vast region that stretched from Britain to Mesopotamia. Today, it remains the seat of the Italian government and home to numerous ministerial offices but is superseded by Milan, in the north, for finance and business. The legendary beginnings of Rome are related in the tale of Romulus and Remus. Princess Rhea Silvia, ravished by Mars, gave birth to the twins and abandoned them to fate. The River Tiber carried them down to the Palatine Hill, where a she-wolf mothered the babes until their discovery by the shepherd. Romulus later killed Remus, before going on to found Rome in the marshy lowlands of seven hills. The anniversary of Romes foundation 21 April 753BC, is now marked by a public holiday. The historians version is no less astonishing. It traces the rise of the city from unimportant pastoral settlement and the earliest remains date back to the ninth century BC ruled over by a string of emperors. Rome saw a second period of development during the 15th-century Renaissance, when the Papacy took permanent residence in the city. Although Romes power has since waned, the city remains the essence of European civilisation. Ruins dating from Romes glory days lie within an area known as Roma Antica (Ancient Rome) and include the monumental Colosseum and the Foro Romano (Roman Forum), a crumbling legacy of pagan temples, broken marble and triumphal arches. Buildings from the Renaissance period are concentrated within the centro storico (the historic centre), situated between Via del Corso and the Tevere (River Tiber). Here, a labyrinth of narrow, cobbled side streets opens out onto magnificent piazzas presided over by Baroque churches, regal palaces and exquisite fountains. The romantic Piazza Navona with Berninis Fountain of the Four Rivers, Piazza di Spagna and the sweeping Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain immortalised by Fellinis La Dolce Vita (1959), all lie within walking distance of each other. Modern life continues amid this theatre of breathtaking monuments, as thousands of years of history are animated by more recent innovations, sophisticated boutiques, rowdy pizzerias and a merry-go-round of cars, and mopeds and buses. Across the river and to the west, lies the Vatican State which is home to the Pope and spiritual centre of the Roman Catholic Church. South of the Vatican, one finds the bohemian quarter of Trastevere, packed with trattorie and small wine bars. Further south still is the Testaccio district, renowned for nightclubs and live music. Tourism is a major source of income and tourists come and go during the year. The city is blessed with a warm Mediterranean climate, making Rome particularly pleasant to visit during the autumn and spring. In August, it is hot and sticky and when most of the locals head for the coast. Many shops and bars close for the summer break and the streets are quite empty save for visitors. Until recently, Rome was frequently criticised for being a chaotic and poorly maintained. However, celebrations for the year 2000 prompted the completion of a massive urban renewal scheme. Tons of scaffolding were finally dismantled to reveal beautifully restored facades, cleverly revamped museums and a rationalised public transport system. Today the citizens and tourists alike continue to benefit from the improvements carried out for the Jubilee celebrations during the Jubilee, when the Eternal City celebrated the fact that the millennium was 2000 years since the birth of Christ. ______________Rome Culture Guide Rome Culture Guide - TravelPuppy.com While Romes cultural life has been hampered by the vagaries of political squabbling and its inhabitants lack of passion in the arts in the past, there has been an increasing desire to step out of the shadows and into the limelight. High-profile international dance and theatre festivals, such as the RomaEuropa Festival which is held in October, and Romes new state-of-the-art auditorium are all helping to make this happen. Romes only official arts centre, the Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Via Nazionale 194, which combines cinema with dance and exhibition spaces, is closed until early 2004. However, major exhibitions have a spectacular venue in the Scuderie Papali del Quirinale, renovated by famous Italian architect Gae Aulenti and located opposite the Quirinal Palace (telephone number: (06) 3996 7500). Past shows have included one on the major works from St Petersburgs Hermitage, Sandro Botticelli, and Rembrandt. Contemporary art or photography shows are also programmed. For those determined to try something a little less conservative seek out the Centri Sociali which is a non-profit, self-governing social centres set up by left-wing students during the 1970s, with support from the Italian Communist Party which host the most radical concerts, films, theatre and dance events that Rome has to offer. Admission costs are at a minimum here, as are the prices for drinks at the bar. Centri Sociali attract an alternative crowd aged 18-30 years old and vary from well-run places offering educational courses and Internet cafes to suburban squats. Tickets for cultural events are in demand and many are for subscribers only, so it is important for culture-keen visitors to rush to the box office with cash (not credit card) in hand some days prior to the performance. Price start at around 20. Ticket agencies may save some hassle. Orbis, Piazza Esquilino 37 (telephone number: (06) 482 7403), provides tickets for concerts, theatre and other sporting events. The weekly Roma C and Time Out Rome publications provide information on many cultural events throughout Rome. Music Rome has great plans for Renzo Pianos new auditorium, which receivesd its official inauguration in December 2002. A ten-minute tram-ride from Piazza del Popolo, the auditorium or Parco della Musica (Music Park as it has been christened), features three halls with perfect acoustics and a large courtyard and is used for outdoor concerts and events. The tourist information office can provide more information. The, classical musical scene bases its reputation on two academies, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and the Accademia Filarmonica. Romes principal and most prestigious academy, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (telephone number: (06) 6880 1044) stages its own concerts or hosts visiting orchestras all year round at Auditorio Pio, Via della Conciliazione 4, while, during the summer, it graces the beautiful Renaissance courtyard of Villa Giulia, Piazzale di Villa Giulia 9, with performances. The Academia Filarmonica performs regular operas and concerts at the Teatro Olimpico, Piazza Gentile da Fabriano 17, Flaminio (telephone number: (06) 326 5991 ). Rossini and Verdi were once members of this academy (founded in 1821) that offers a varied programme of opera, chamber music and contemporary music. The Teatro dellOpera di Roma, Via Beniamino Gigli 1 (telephone number: (06) 4816 0255), dominates the opera scene. The season runs from November to May. The box office opens two days before each performance. Free concerts (choral, chamber and organ recitals) are held in churches including SantIgnazio, San Giovanni de Fiorentini, San Giovanni and Santa Maria Maggiore during the summer months. Theatre The theatre season in Rome runs from October to May. The citys official troop, the Teatro di Roma (telephone number: (06) 684 0001), is based at the prestigious Teatro Argentina, Largo di Torre Argentina 52 (telephone number: (06) 6880 4601), which hosts lavish productions directed by renowned directors. The Teatro Nazionale, Via del Viminale 51 (telephone number: (06) 485 498), is the permanent home of the Italian Theatre Board ETI, which puts on light and fluffy comedies. Musical comedies are performed at the fashionable Teatro Sistina, Via Sistina 129 (telephone number: (06) 420 0711). Classical works are performed in the Teatro Valle, Via del Teatro Valle 23A (telephone number: (06) 6880 3794), and in the ETI-owned Teatro Quirino, Via Marco Minghetti 1 (telephone number: (06) 679 4585), whose varied programme includes the classics, contemporary work and Commedia dellArte. Fringe theatre is well represented at the Vascello, Via Giacinto Carini 72, Monteverde (telephone number: (06) 588 1021). Best of all are the open-air performances, which are held over summer in the lovely park, Giardino degli Aranci, Via di Santa Sabina, Aventino. Other venues are the Anfiteatro della Quercia del Tasso, Passeggiata del Gianicolo (telephone number: (06) 575 0827), with stunning views over the city, and the Teatro Romano di Ostia Antica, the Roman amphitheatre in Ostia Antica. Information and booking numbers are advertised on posters. Dance The Rome Opera Ballet performs at the Teatro dellOpera di Roma, Via Beniamino Gigli (telephone number: (06) 481 601), where the regular diet of classical ballet is enriched with guest performances of internationally renowned dancers. The Teatro Olimpico, Piazza Gentile da Fabriano 17, Flaminio (telephone number: (06) 326 5991), has a strong dance season, ranging from classical to contemporary. Tickets for dance productions at the Teatro Argentina, Largo di Torre Argentina 52 (telephone number: (06) 6880 4601), are snapped up, so early booking is advised. Film Italys grand history in film has been centred in Rome since the Cinecitt (Cinema City), Via Tuscolana 1, was opened by Mussolini in 1937. Scenes from Anthony Minghellas The English Patient (1996) and Jane Campions The Portrait of a Lady (1996) were both filmed in these studios but Italian cinema has failed to match the flowering of the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Among the greats are Rossellinis Open City (1946) and Vittorio De Sicas The Bicycle Thief (1948), depicting a harsh but touching picture of post-war Rome. Equally popular but highly romanticised was Jean Negulescos Three Coins in the Fountain (1954), which focused on the quest for love and the Trevi Fountain, and Audrey Hepburns Oscar-winning performance as a besotted princess in Roman Holiday (1953). However, it is Fellinis films Roma (1972) and La Dolce Vita (1959) that have indelibly stamped images of Rome on the movie-goers mind. More recently Romes version of Woody Allen, Nanni Moretti, enjoyed considerable success at home and abroad with a film called Caro Diario (1993), which showed a beautiful and virtually empty Rome in August. Rome is blessed with over 80 cinemas and their numbers are increasing all the time. Tickets cost about 7 (prices are often reduced for matinee performances and on Monday evenings). The three-screen Nuovo Pasquino, Piazza San Egidio 10, Trastevere (telephone number: (06) 580 3622), shows English-language films daily. Metropolitan, Via del Corso 7 (telephone number: (06) 3260 0500), and Warner Village Moderno, Piazza della Repubblica 45-46 (telephone number: (06) 477 791), dedicate one of their screens to English-language films. Films are also shown in their original language on Monday evening at Alcazar, Via Merry del Val 14 (telephone number: (06) 588 0099), while Nuovo Olimpia, Via in Lucina 16G (telephone number: (06) 686 1068), shows original-language films regularly. There are numerous open-air showings in the summer, including Cineporto, Viale Antonio di San Giuliano (telephone number: (06) 324 3903), close to the Olympic Stadium, and Notti di Cinema a Piazza Vittorio (tel: (06) 445 1208), which shows films daily in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II during the months of July and August. Weekly showings and details of film festivals are set out in the weekly publication, Roma C or in the daily press. Cultural Events During the summer, from June to September, Estate Romana offers a lively schedule of outdoor cultural events in and around the city, from rock, ethnic and jazz concerts, through theatre performances and outdoor cinema, to dance lessons and other cultural events hosted in various Roman piazze and gardens all over the town. As home to the Vatican, religious celebrations are important in Rome. The Pope makes an annual appearance at the Colosseum on Good Friday evening and delivers Midnight Mass at St Peters on Christmas Eve. Literary Notes There is nothing like Ovids Ars Amatoria (Art of Love circa 16-25BC) for bringing Rome to life, with its vivid depiction of a trip to the Colosseum, the site of flirtation and grandiose spectacle. Those interested in the political intrigue may turn to I Claudius and Claudius the God (1934), Robert Graves portrayal of ancient Rome, or the more measured tones of Gibbons History and Decline of the Roman Empire (1782). The dramatic poetry of Virgils Aeneid (19BC), evokes the glory of the Roman Empire, blessed and cursed by the Gods. The Romantics had a soft spot for Rome; indeed Rome is the place where Keats breathed his last and the Keats-Shelley Memorial House is situated here (see Key Attractions). The tragic tale of Beatrice Cenci, beheaded in 1599 outside Castel SantAngelo for plotting to kill the father who had raped her, inspired Shelleys play The Cenci (1886). ___________ Rome Festival - Events Rome Festivals and Events Guide - TravelPuppy.com Epifania La Befana (Epiphany) Day of present-giving to Roman children, 6th January, throughout the city. Carnevale Children dress up and a few nightclubs put on special parties, the week before Lent, at various venues. Festa di Primavera (Spring Festival) Held late March-early April, at the Spanish Steps. Settimana Santa & Pasqua (Holy Week and Easter) Mass in St Peters Square on Saturday before Palm Sunday, services throughout Romes churches in Holy Week, and the Popes evening mass on Good Friday at the Colosseum. Good Friday Pope makes an appearance, 29 April at the Colosseum. Natale di Roma (Romes Birthday) 21st April with fireworks on the Aventine Hill. Festa della Liberazione Sombre festivities celebrate the Allies liberation of Italy in World War II, 25 April, Mausoleum of the Ardeatine Caves and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Piazza Venezia. Festa del Lavoro (Labour Day) Free rock concert on 1st May,located outside basilica of San Giovanni. Mostra dellAntiquariato Antique fairs, mid to the end of May, Via dei Coronari, near Piazza Navona. Fiera dArte di Via Margutta Art fair held over a four day period during May, Via Margutta 9. Estate Romana (Roman Summer) Music, dance, literature and film events, June-September in Romes parks and courtyards. Tevere Expo Arts and crafts fair, late June-late July, along River Tiber. Festa di San Giovanni Pope leads the way to the basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, 23 June in Laterano. San Pietro e San Paolo Public holiday in honour of Romes two patron saints on 29th June, church service at Basilica of San Paulo Fouri le Mura. Roma Alta Moda Haute couture collections, mid-July, Piazza di Spagna and smart hotels. Festa di Noantri Markets and fireworks in honour of Madonna del Carmine, two weeks mid-July in Travestere. Mostra dellAntiquariato Antique fairs, mid-end October, Via dei Coronari, near Piazza Navona. Fiera dArte di Via Margutta Four-day art fair, late October, Via Margutta. Mercato di Piazza Navona Market stalls selling food and craft items in Piazza Navona, mid-December until 6th January. Immacolata Concezione (Immaculate Conception) Mass by the Pope, 8th December, Santa Maria Maggiore. Midnight Mass Pope delivers mass, 24th December, St Peters Basilica. Messa di Natale (Christmas Mass) and Urbi et Orbi Blessing 25th December, St Peters Basilica. Veglia di Preghiera (Prayer Vigil) the passage to the new year, 31st December, St Peters Basilica. San Silvestro/Capo dAnno (New Years Eve) 31st December, festivities throughout city. _____________Rome Getting Around Getting Around Rome - TravelPuppy.com Public Transport Termini station is the main hub of Romes transport system. The city transport authority, ATAC (telephone numbers: (06) 4695 2027 or (800) 431 784; fax number: (06) 4695 2032; e-mail: clienti@atac.roma.it), operates the citys large fleet of buses and trams. The network consists of 282 bus lines and six tram lines, which cover the entire city and run daily 0530 hrs-2400 hrs. After 2400 hrs, there are 22 night bus routes. Buses The regional transport authority COTRAL (telephone numbers: (06) 57031 or (800) 431 784) runs blue buses throughout the Lazio region. Night buses run daily 0000-0530 hrs, along 22 routes, which are marked on bus stops (fermata) and buses with the letter N. All tickets must be pre-purchased and are available for sale at ATAC counters, tabacchi (newsagents) and also at automatic ticket dispensers at metros. Tickets should be validated at the start of the journey (to avoid a hefty 51 fine). The cheapest ticket is the Biglietto Integrato a Tempo BIT costs 0.77 and is valid for up to 75 minutes of travel on ATAC buses and trams, or for one trip on the suburban train lines or metro lines. Day (BIG) and week (CIS) passes are valid on all transport in the municipality and are priced at 3.10 and 12.40 respectively. Monthly passes are also available. The BIRG pass covers a days worth of transport within the whole Lazio region, and prices are between 1.80 and 8 (depending on the number of zones covered). Rail Services There are three suburban railway lines departing from Termini, Ostiense and Flaminio stations, as well as Romes two metro lines (A and B), which cross at Termini station. The easily mastered metro service operates daily 0530 hrs-2330 hrs(until 2430 hrs Saturday). Plans to forge a new third line have been in the works for years but have not come any closer to fruition. Just extending the two existing metro lines proved to be trouble enough, with the uncovering of archaeological vestiges either postponing or preventing any advances. Taxis There are Taxi ranks located at various points around the city centre. Visitors are advised to use only the yellow and white official taxis. Surcharges are applied for each item of luggage and the night service (2200 hrs-0700 hrs), on Sundays, public holidays, and for airport transfers. While taxis may be called by telephone, the meter is turned on immediately after the call and not on pick-up. Tipping of 5-10 per cent is gratefully received, although Italians often do not bother with a tip. Companies include Radio Taxi 3570 (telephone number: (06) 3570), Cooperativa Samarcanda (telephone number: (06) 5551) and Taxi Tevere (telephone number: (06) 4157). Taxi hire costs, on average, 0.78 per kilometre (the price is higher out of town). Limousines Centrally located limousine companies include Autonoleggi Bevilacqua, Via San Nicola da Tolentino 20, Piazza Barberini (telephone number: (06) 483 756), which hires out limousines on an hourly or daily basis, and Airport Connection Service, Via A Fava 28/d, Zona Trionfale (telephone number: (06) 338 3221), which chauffeurs groups or single passengers to the airport but also hires out limousines for day use. Visitors can expect to pay from about 30 per hour. Driving in the City The interweaving paths of mopeds, pedestrians, trams, the erratic driving, a one-way system and the frequent traffic jams make the driving in Rome an experience which is best avoided. The authorities have reacted to traffic congestion and the ensuing pollution, by cutting off large areas of the city centre to non-resident traffic during business hours, and to a lesser extent in the evening. Exceptions are usually made for visitors driving to their hotel. Car Parking Parking is as problematic as the driving in Rome. Pay-and-display meters charge about 1 per hour (although the fee may be waived in the evenings and at weekends). There are various underground car parks in the city and the one at Villa Borghese is open 24 hours. There are some free parking spaces but anything marked Sosta Vietata (no parking) is to be avoided as the municipal police have a nasty habit of towing away illegally parked cars and then charging a huge sum for their return. Unlucky owners should contact the municipal police (telephone number: (06) 67691). Car Hire Cars can be hired by drivers aged 21 years (23 with some firms) and above, on presentation of a passport and valid driving licence (held for at least one year). A cash deposit or credit card number is requested and a valid international insurance policy is also necessary. Full insurance is advised. A small car costs from around 70 per day to hire. Providers include Avis (tel: (199) 100 133), Europcar Italia (telephone number: (800) 014 410 or (06) 488 2854), Hertz (telephone number: (199) 112 211), Sixt (telephone number: (06) 659 651), and the locally based Maggiore (telephone number: (848) 867 067), all with various locations throughout Rome. Bicycle Hire Bicycles are available for hire at Bici & Baci, Via Viminale 5 (telephone number: (06) 482 8443). Scooters are available at Happy Rent, Via Farini 3 (telephone number: (06) 481 8185), and Roma Scooter Rent, Via in Lucina 13-14 (telephone number: (06) 687 6455), located off Via del Corso near the Parliament. RomaRent, Vicolo de Bovari 7A, near Campo de Fiori (tel/fax: (06) 689 6555), has bicycles, scooters and cars for hire. Bicycle hire charges are from around 3 per hour up to 15 per day, while scooters cost 35-48 per day. ______________ Rome International Airport Rome International Airport - TravelPuppy.com Address Rome Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumicino) Airport, Via dellAeroporto di Fiumicino 320, PO Box 68, 00050, Fiumicino, Italy Location The airport is located 26km (16 miles) southwest of Rome Country code 39 Airport code CWL Telephone (0)6 65951 Fax (0)6 6595 5707 Email info@adr.it Website www.adr.it Rome Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumicino) Airport Romes principal airport is also known as Leonardo da Vinci, is located 26km (16 miles) southwest of the city centre. Fiumicino handles numerous domestic flights within Italy, as well as international flights to all of the major European cities and destinations further afield, including New York, Singapore, Cairo, Buenos Aires and Moscow. Transfer between terminals A free shuttle service links the terminals with the long-term car parks. Major airlines Italys national airline is Alitalia (telephone number: (06) 65643). Other major airlines include British Airways, Air China, Air France, Canadian Airlines International, Continental Airlines, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Delta Airlines. Approximate Flight times to Rome: From London is 2 hours 50 minutes From New York is 8 hours 20 minutes From Los Angeles is 14 hours 35 minutes From Toronto is 8 hours 5 minutes From Sydney is 23 hours 10 minutes Arrival/departure tax This is included in the airline ticket. Time Zone GMT + 1 hour (GMT + 2 from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October) Airport Facilities Money and communications Banks, bureaux de change, ATMs and post offices located in the terminal. Eating and drinking There are several restaurants and bars loacted at the airport. Shopping There are duty-free and other shops which include fashion, perfumes, jewellery and traditional Italian products. Luggage Left-luggage is available on the ground floor of the International Arrivals inf Terminal C and is open daily. A porter service is also available, and can be reserved in advance (telephone numbers: (0)6 6595 8364 or 6595 4054). A lost property office is situated on the ground floor of the Office Tower (telephone number: (0)6 6595 3343). Other facilities A first aid facility is available daily 24 hours. A prayer room, a chapel, and nurseries are also available. Information desks Information desks are located within each terminal. APT provides tourist information desks (telephone number: (0)6 65951). Information kiosks with touch-screen technology and videoconferencing with an operator are situated in Terminal A which is the Departures and Arrivals, Terminal B which is the Arrivals and Terminal C in the Arrivals area and the service is free of charge. Disabled Facilities Disabled passengers lounges are available within the terminals. When booking a flight, passengers with disabilities are asked to specify the type of assistance needed. Parking spaces for disabled passengers are available in the long-term car park and on the first level of multi-storey car parks B and C and the fourth level of car park D. Business Facilities There is an Executive Centre providing meeting rooms, videoconferencing facilities, multilingual secretaries, translation and interpretation services, as well as conference organisation. There are also several airline executive lounges located in all terminals. Transport to the city Rail The Leonardo Express train service to Romes Termini Station takes 35 minutes. Metropolitan Trains FM1 stop at local stations on the way to Tiburtina. Services also run to Fara Sabina, Poggio Mirteto and Orte. Road Taxi Taxis to the centre of the city are readily available; passengers should only take a licensed metered taxi. Bus Terravision Shuttle services run to Rome Termini and Tiburtina daily, with connections to the metro A line at Lepanto. COTRAL runs a night service to Rome Termini and Tiburtina daily. Car Hire Auto Europa, Avis, Europcar, Hertz, Italy by Car, Maggiore, Sixt and Targa Rent all have desks in the Domestic and International Arrivals halls. Airport hotels The Hilton Airport Hotel (telephone number: (0)6 65258) is the only hotel on the airport site; it is linked to the terminals and the airport train station by a covered overpass with travelators. Other hotels in the area include the Holiday Inn Rome Parco Dei Medici (telephone number: (0)6 65581) and the Sheraton Roma (telephone number: (0)6 54531), which is halfway between the airport and the city centre; both hotels offer a shuttle bus service to/from the airport. _____________Rome Nightlife Rome Nightlife - TravelPuppy.com Rome may not be the hippest of capitals, but for those who know the right places, it is possible to party all through the night. Romans go out late and the fun only really begins after dinner. The wine-bars and cafs lying between Campo de Fiori, Piazza Navona and Via della Pace are the places to be seen. Irish pubs have also become popular over the last decade. The largest concentration of nightclubs are to be found in the Testaccio district, where a plethora of small venues offer concerts and dancing. The gay scene is alive and kicking and accounts for many of the more avant-garde night spots. The weekly Roma C and monthly Time Out Roma publications have some excellent information on the nightlife in Rome. The legal drinking age in Italy is 16 years and the absence of licensing laws means that drinking is possible at all hours. Most of the wine-bars and birrerie stay open until 2400 hrs in the winter and 0200 hrs in the summer. However, in general, people are more interested in seeing and being seen and alcohol is almost an afterthought. The prices of drinks vary considerably and a glass of wine at the Vineria, Campo de Fiori, costs 2-5 (depending on the quality of the wine), while a cocktail in a nightclub could be from 10.50. Half a litre of draught beer usually costs around 4. Drinks and coffees are always cheaper when consumed standing at the bar! Romans tend to dress more casually than their counterparts in Milan and Florence, although most of the women do their best to look stunning for a night out. Bars The Vineria, loacted right in the middle of Campo de Fiori, is still very in and makes a perfect rendezvous for an early evening drink. Customers range from well-known actors to local winos, although lately the atmosphere has become a little more wannabe. Just a few doors down at number 20 is the Drunken Ship, good for those in search of English-speaking ex-pats and tourists. Equally popular and rather more refined is Antico Caff della Pace, Via della Pace 5, close to Piazza Navona. The cosy interior is adorned with antiques and the ivy-clad faade looks onto a notoriously popular summer terrace. For a romantic pre-dinner aperitif, take a table at Caff di Marzio, Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere 15, and enjoy a glass of wine overlooking this beautiful piazza in the heart of Trastevere. Casinos Gambling is banned throughout Italy (with the exceptions of San Remo, Venice and Aosta). Clubs House music is a firm favourite here, although a number of the smaller more alternative clubs play rock and revival. In the summer, many clubs close, giving way to the countless unofficial outdoor venues that spring up around town and beside the sea near Ostia. The rich and famous frequent the Gilda, Via Mario dei Fiori 97, close to Piazza di Spagna. Disco music dominates the dancefloor, theres a piano bar reserved for private parties and a well-run restaurant. In summer the establishment moves out to Fregene, on the coast, for Gilda on the Beach, Via Lungomare di Ponente 11. Some of Europes well known DJs play at Goa, Via Libetta 13, close to Mercati Generali and recent guests include the Chemical Brothers. House and jungle music predominate amid a sophistacted ethno setting with candles and mirrors, insence and flowers. Tuesday is gay night. Alien, Via Velletri 13-19, is brash and bold, with sexy dancers paid to gyrate to house, commercial and revival. Theme evenings include Stardust (house, funk, trance and dance) on Fridays and Gay Night on Saturdays. In Testaccio, Alibi, Via Monte Testaccio 39, is frequented by gay and friends and plays mainly house music with occasional live concerts. Close by, Zoobar, Via Monte Testaccio 22, plays house, rock and new wave to a mixed and cheerful crowd. Dance The Teatro Olimpico, Piazza Gentile da Fabriano 17, Flaminio (telephone number: (06) 326 5991), has a strong dance season, which ranges from classical to contemporary. Tickets for dance productions at the Teatro Argentina, Largo di Torre Argentina 52 (telephone number: (06) 6880 4601), are snapped up, so early booking is advised. Film Italys grand history in film has been centred in Rome since the Cinecitt (Cinema City), Via Tuscolana 1, was opened by Mussolini in 1937. Scenes from Anthony Minghellas The English Patient (1996) and Jane Campions The Portrait of a Lady (1996) were both filmed in these studios but Italian cinema has failed to match the flowering of the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Among the greats are Rossellinis Open City (1946) and Vittorio De Sicas The Bicycle Thief (1948), depicting a harsh but touching picture of post-war Rome. Equally popular but highly romanticised was Jean Negulescos Three Coins in the Fountain (1954), which focused on the quest for love and the Trevi Fountain, and Audrey Hepburns Oscar-winning performance as a besotted princess in Roman Holiday (1953). However, it is Fellinis films Roma (1972) and La Dolce Vita (1959) that have indelibly stamped images of Rome on the movie-goers mind. More recently Romes version of Woody Allen, Nanni Moretti, enjoyed considerable success at home and abroad with a film called Caro Diario (1993), which showed a beautiful and virtually empty Rome in August. Rome is blessed with over 80 cinemas and their numbers are increasing all the time. Tickets cost about 7 (prices are often reduced for matinee performances and on Monday evenings). The three-screen Nuovo Pasquino, Piazza San Egidio 10, Trastevere (telephone number: (06) 580 3622), shows English-language films daily. Metropolitan, Via del Corso 7 (telephone number: (06) 3260 0500), and Warner Village Moderno, Piazza della Repubblica 45-46 (telephone number: (06) 477 791), dedicate one of their screens to English-language films. Films are also shown in their original language on Monday evening at Alcazar, Via Merry del Val 14 (telephone number: (06) 588 0099), while Nuovo Olimpia, Via in Lucina 16G (telephone number: (06) 686 1068), shows original-language films regularly. There are numerous open-air showings in the summer, including Cineporto, Viale Antonio di San Giuliano (telephone number: (06) 324 3903), close to the Olympic Stadium, and Notti di Cinema a Piazza Vittorio (tel: (06) 445 1208), which shows films daily in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II during the months of July and August. Weekly showings and details of film festivals are set out in the weekly publication, Roma C or in the daily press. Live music For lovers of Jazz head for Big Mama, Vicolo di San Francesco a Ripa 18. It is notoriously cramped but attracts some good up-and-coming musicians, plus a few well known names. Likewise, Fonclea, Via Crescenzio 82A, in the Prati area (near to the Vatican), stages jazz and rhythm and blues concerts. Theres a late-night restaurant and the bar serves excellent cocktails and a wide selection of whiskeys. For more new or rarefied jazz sounds and ethnic music, try the very hip La Palma, Via Giuseppe Mirri 35 (near the Tiburtina metro stop). Nearby in Testacccio, Caff Caruso, Via Monte Testaccio 36, hosts performances from local and visiting Caribbean, Cuban and Brazilian musicians, while the Villaggio Globale, Ex-Mattatoio, Lungotevere Testaccio, offers a good line in alternative and world music. For something quite different, visit the Centri Sociali (see the Culture page). One that is well known as a live music hotspot is Brancaleone, Via Levanna 11, where a decisively alternative and dressed-down crowd attends concerts, films, art exhibitions and club nights. The Circolo degli Artisti, Via Casilina Vecchia 42, offers an eclectic mix of reggae,rap, cyber punk and grunge. ___________ Rome Shopping Rome Shopping Guide - TravelPuppy.com Romans concur with the Parisians that it is better to be chic than shocking. Consequently, Romes shops are full of expensive and almost identical, fine clothes, leathers, shoes and bags. In winter, real fur is still de rigeur. Smart designer shops, where the sales assistants are at their snootiest and the price tags discreetly absent, are concentrated in the network of streets spanning out from the Spanish Steps. Of these, Via Condotti has most of the big names which include, Gucci, number 8, Max Mara, number 17-19A, Valentino, number 16, Louis Vuitton, number 15, Salvatore Ferragamo, numbers 65 and 73, and Giorgio Armani, number 77. Bulgari, number 10, displays glitteringly expensive watches, while Damiani, number 84, stocks alarmingly costly jewellery, worn by Jennifer Aniston in recent publicity campaigns. Nearby Dolce e Gabbana, Piazza di Spagna 82/3, offers slightly more entertaining but equally expensive gear. Fendi has a cluster of boutiques along Via Borgognona, numbers 36-39, with a wide range of furs, shoes, bags and their ready-to-wear collection. Other big names located here include Gianni Versace, number 25, Moschino, number 32A, Gianfranco Ferr, number 6, and Laura Biagiotti, number 44. In the same area, the recently-opened TAD conceptstore, Via Babuino 155A, which specialises in ethnic-chic, with departments ranging from furniture to flowers and clothing to music. There is also a hairdressers and a caf. On neighbouring Via Frattina, number 23, the glorious Pineider stocks upmarket stationery and desk equipment. Less expensive buys are to be found in the high-street shops which line the Via del Corso, Via del Tritone, Via Nazionale and Via Cola di Rienzo. Alternatively, bargains are snapped up in the January and July sales. The antiques quarters are located along Via Margutta, Via del Babuino, Via Giulia, Via dei Banchi Vecchi and Via de Coronari (the pedestrian street organises fairs in May and in October when its stores are open late). Bric-a-brac and retro clothes are on offer at the increasingly popular flea markets, the best being Via Sannio (Monday to Saturday, 0730 hrs-1300 hrs) and Porta Portese (opening hours Sunday 0730-1300) Although there are supermarkets and shopping malls in Rome which includes the 100-shop Centro Commerciale Cinecitt Due, Viale Palmiro Togliatti 2, Tuscolana, the Roman shopping style is to visit the local fruit and vegetable markets (Monday to Saturday, 0700 hrs-1300 hrs) and to dip in and out of delicatessens. Luxury goods to take home may include assorted vinegar, truffles and olive oil. Castroni, Via Cola di Rienzo 196, sells the culinary riches from Italys regions and comforting imports from around the world (including baked beans). The well-established Trimani, Via Goito 20, was founded in 1821 and stocks an excellent selection of Italian wines. Smaller shops often close for lunch (1300 hrs-1630 hrs). Larger stores tend to stay open all day (0900 hrs-1930 hrs). Opening times can be confusing, and many food shops closed on Thursday afternoon (in the winter) and other shops not opening until the afternoon on Monday. Summer brings later opening hours (until 2000 hrs) but also Saturday afternoon closing and complete closure for at least a fortnight in August. Value-added tax (IVA) is 20 per cent on clothing and luxury goods. Foreign tourists from non-EU countries can claim a tax refund, provided they spend at least 155 at the same shop on the same day. Those who are eligible should ask the shop assistant for a receipt (with a description of the articles purchased) and a tax-free cheque. Upon departure from the EU (no later than 90 days after the date of purchase), these should be presented to customs. Global Refund can provide more information. _________________ Rome Sightseeing Rome Sightseeing Guide - TravelPuppy.com Overview There is simply so much to see in Rome with the beautiful Vatican City alone easily swallowing up an entire weekend. Most visitors are overwhelmed and remain torn between running from sight to sight in order to see everything or lingering over a couple of monuments and museums. The latter option is strongly recommended. It is best to punctuate the cultural trips with ice creams, coffees and serene walks in the citys parks and one of the loviest is the Villa Borghese. As for most holy sites, clothing that covers up midriffs, shoulders and legs is recommended, particularly when visiting the Vatican. The centro storico is the obvious starting point, with the greatest concentration of classical and Christian sites located in a fairly small space. Stumbling upon ancient frescoes, Renaissance fountains and beautiful piazzas are part of the pleasures of wandering through Romes streets. Rome has over 400 churches and four major basilicas, St Peters, St John Lateran, St Mary Major and St Pauls. However, it is San Clemente, which is located on the Via San Giovanni in Laterano that encapsulates the multi-layered labyrinth of Rome. At street level, there is a 12th-century basilica with beautiful mosaics. Down another level is a well-preserved Roman basilica. Deeper still are more ancient Roman remains, until finally, at the lowest level, is the temple to the oriental cult of Mithras. The Ministry of Culture organises the Settimana dei Beni Culturali (Cultural Week; telephone number: (06) 67231), which is usually held in late March or early April and which allows free entry to all state-owned museums, public monuments and excavation sites. Tourist Information Azienda di Promozione Turistica di Roma (APT) Via Parigi 5 Telephone numbers: (06) 488 991 or 3600 4399 (call centre). Fax number: (06) 481 9316. Website: www.romaturismo.com Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 0900 hrs -1900 hrs. Other APT branches are at Termini station and Fiumicino airport and there are ten other green tourist information booths dotted around the city in strategic points (open daily 0930 hrs -1930 hrs). Another useful source of information is the Anglo-centric Enjoy Rome, Via Marghera 8A (telephone number:(06) 445 1843), near Termini station. The Ente Nazionale per il Turismo (ENIT), Via Marghera 2 (telephone number: (06) 49711), provides information on Italian areas outside of Rome and the Latium region. Passes Various tourist passes are available. Roma Caput Mundi, Piazza di Trevi 86 (telephone number: (06) 678 6136) run the Itinere Card, which is a booklet of tickets providing admission to a number of less known museums and archaeological sites which includes Capitoline Museum, Forum of Trajan and Trajan Markets, Circus of Maxentius, City Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Museum of Roman Civilisation and Museum of Folklore. The pass, valid for a week, costs 12.91 and can be purchased from Roma Caput Mundi. Roma Vision (telephone number: (06) 4695 4695) has now introduced a card called ReadyRoma. This one-week pass costs 41 and includes the Itinere Card, a tour by boat, a ride on a historic tram and two passes for buses that cover the citys most interesting sites, including the catacombs on the Via Appia. They also offer cheaper one-day options. Cards are available from Roma Vision, who have stands at Termini station, Piazza del Colosseo, Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore and Piazza San Giovanni. Two other passes are the Museum Card and the Archaeological Card (telephone number: (06) 3996 7700, information). The first allows entrance to the National Roman Museums four sites which are Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Palazzo Altemps, Baths of Diocletian and Crypta Balbi. The second allows entrance to those sites plus the Colosseum, the Palatine, the Baths of Caracalla, the tomb of Cecilia Metella and Villa dei Quintilli. The passes cost 9 and 20 respectively and are valid for seven days from the first day of use and can be purchased from any of the participating monuments or museums. Key Attractions Foro Romano (Roman Forum) The Roman Forum is currently a heap of marble fragments, columns and floor layouts. An imagination is required to recreate the former marketplace that was the commercial, political, and social heart of ancient Rome and the symbolic centre of an Empire stretching to Greece, Carthage and Sicily. Fire, barbarians and pillaging builders in medieval and Renaissance times contributed to the Forums present state of disrepair but the Forum was only revealed during the excavation work of the 19th century. A birds-eye view is gained from behind Piazza del Campidoglio, while a closer look can be had from along Via Sacra that runs through the centre of the Forum. Among the best preserved and most fascinating monuments are the AD203 triumphal Arch of Septimius Severus which was built to celebrate victory over the Parthinians and the remains of Caesars rostra, from where his great speeches were declaimed. Another feature is the former atrium of the House of the Vestal Virgins and the adjacent Temple of Vesta, a circular building where the vestal virgins were entrusted in keeping the eternal flame alight. Just up from the Arch of Titus in the Forum is the Palatine where the palaces of the Roman emperors stood. Largo Romolo e Romo, Via dei Fori Imperiali Telephone number: (06) 699 0110. Transport: Metro Colosseo; bus to Via dei Fori Imperiali or Piazza Venezia. Opening hours: Daily 0900 hrs-1830 hrs (April-October), daily 0900 hrs-one hour before sunset (November-March). Admission: Free or 8 for a Palatine and Colosseum combined ticket. Colosseo (Colosseum) Located near to Via Sacra and the fourth-century Arco di Costantino (Arch of Constantine), lies the gigantic oval of the Colosseum at 186m (620ft) long and 153m (510ft) wide and about 47m (157ft) high. Emperor Vespasian began construction in AD72 and work was completed eight years later by his son Titus. It was the scene for entertainment that one can hardly understand with gladiatorial conquests between men, lions and wild beasts, with death guaranteed. The games were finally outlawed in the fifth century. The stadium has been pillaged over the centuries and rocked by earthquakes. Today, only its skeletal framework remains, with the winding passages used to force animals up to the battlefield within the arena and formerly underground which is now exposed. Piazza del Colosseo Telephone number: (06) 700 4261. Transport: Metro Colosseo; bus to Piazza del Colosseo. Opening hours: Daily 0900 hrs-1930 hrs (April-October); daily 0900 hrs-two hours before sunset (November-March). Admission: 8 (ticket also allows entry to the Palatine). Pantheon One of the best preserved and most beautifully proportioned of Romes ancient monuments, the Pantheon has become an emblem of the city. Built by Hadrian between AD119 and AD128, as a temple to the gods, the Pantheon was converted to a Christian church in AD608 and the key to its miraculous survival. The radius of the dome is exactly equivalent to the height and a nine-metre (30ft) hole, known as the oculus, in the domes centre allows light into the building. Statues of the deities would once have decorated the interior. Now the focal point of interest is the tomb of Raphael. Most astonishing of all are the large brass doors, which belonged to the original Roman building. Piazza della Rotonda Telephone number: (06) 6830 0230. Transport: Bus to Largo Argentina or Via del Corso. Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 0830 hrs -1930 hrs, Sunday 0900 hrs-1800 hrs. Admission: Free. Cappella Sistina & Musei Vaticani (Sistine Chapel & Vatican Museums) An awe-inspiring glimpse of Michaelangelos depiction of The Creation is well worth the queues and crowds which go hand-in-hand with a visit to the Vatican City. Michaelangelo grudgingly accepted Julius IIs commission to paint frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel which was built as a private chapel of the popes between 1475 and 1480. Work began in May 1508, the frescoes were unveiled in August 1511, and completed in October 1512. 21 years later, a reluctant Michaelangelo painted the Last Judgement on the wall located behind the altar, adding his own aged face below the figure of Christ. Pope Pius IV was scandalised by the display of nudity and the offending genitalia had to be concealed by hastily painted loincloths and most have been removed during restoration work. In fact, the recent restoration of the Old Testament scenes has caused great controversy. Although eclipsed by Michaelangelos artistry, the Renaissance paintings that line the walls are fine works, created by the famous masters including Michaelangelos own teacher called Ghirlandaio. The Vatican Museums alone could easily take a day or two of a trip to Rome. Highlights include the Stanze di Raffaello (Raphaels Rooms), the Etruscan Museum, depicting Italy before the Romans, and the Pio-Clementino Museum which contains the worlds largest collection of Classical statues. Viale Vaticano 100 Telephone number: (06) 6988 4947. Fax number: (06) 6988 5061. Website: www.vatican.va or www.christusrex.org Transport: Metro Ottaviano; bus to Piazza del Risorgimento. Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 0845 hrs-1545 hrs with last entry at 1420 hrs (April-October); Monday-Saturday 0845 hrs-1345 hrs with last entry at 1220 hrs (November-March); last Sunday of month 0845 hrs-1345 hrs with last entry at 1220 hrs. Admission: 10, free last Sunday of the month. Basilica di San Pietro (St Peters Basilica) St Peters Basilica is located above a former shrine, which is said to mark the burial ground of the saint. Despite its venerable age of 1000 years, Pope Julius II pulled down the original structure in 1506 and with his architect Bramante in tow built a shiny new basilica. Construction lasted 120 years, during that time a team of architects and artists, including Alberti, Bramante, Raphael, Peruzzi, Sangallo the Younger and Michaelangelo, struggled over this enormous edifice. Michaelangelo was responsible for the huge dome and supporting drum but died in 1564, before work was finally completed in 1590. The basilicas interior is an unashamed display of the power of the Church. Amid the grandeur and in the first chapel on the right lies Michaelangelos Piet (1498/9). Arnolfo da Cambios bronze statue of St Peter (1296), in the central aisle, has become famed for its foot worn to a nub by pilgrims kisses. Berninis Throne of St Peter (1665), above the papal altar and made with bronze purloined from the Pantheon on the Popes orders, dominates the far end of the nave. Optional extras include a trip into the dome, the Vatican Gardens (pre-booked guided tours only), and the Vatican Grottoes, containing papal tombs. Access to the Necropolis below the Grottoes is allowed with written permission only. Piazza San Pietro Telephone number: (06) 6988 1662 (pilgrim and tourist information centre). Transport: Metro Ottaviano; bus to Piazza del Risorgimento. Opening hours: Daily 0700 hrs -1900 hrs (April-October); daily 0700 hrs-1800 (November-March). Admission: Free. St Peters Dome Opening hours: Daily 0800 hrs-1745 hrs (April-October); daily 0800 hrs-1645 hrs (November-March). Admission: 4 (without lift); 5 (with lift). Necropolis Opening hours: Applications should be made to the Ufficio Scavi (telephone number: (06) 6988 5318; fax number: (06) 6988 5518; e-mail: scavi@fsp.va) several days prior to visit. Admission: 9. Vatican Gardens/Vatican Guided Tours Office Teephone number: (06) 6988 4466. Fax numberl: (06) 6988 5100. Opening hours: Organised tours can be booked several days in advance. Admission: 9. Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain) A string of legends surround the Trevi Fountain, which is located amid the labyrinthine streets off Via del Tritone. It is said that a virgin came across a three-way (tre-vie) spring, causing the original fountain to be built. More recently, Anita Ekberg immortalised the fountain in the famous scene of Fellinis La Dolce Vita (1959). According to myth, a coin cast in these waters will ensure a return visit to Rome. The Baroque extravaganza was designed by Nicol Salvi for Pope Clement XII and completed in 1762. The statues representing Abundance, Agrippa, Salubrity, the Virgin and Neptune guiding a chariot drawn by sea horses, appear as a cast of characters performing a melodrama, with a Renaissance palace for their backdrop and craggy rocks in the foreground. Piazza di Trevi Transport: Bus to Piazza San Silvestro. Opening hours: Daily 24 hours. Admission: Free. The Spanish Steps and Keats-Shelley Memorial House The Piazza di Spagna district is little changed from 18th-century prints depicting the area which is still dominated by the elegant double steps known as the Spanish Steps. These were designed in 1723-26 by Francesco de Sanctis to link Via del Babuino with Via Felice the first great street planned by Sixtus V (1585-90). Reminiscent of the grand ascent to the Sacr Coeur in Paris, the steps lead up to the 16th-century Trinit dei Monti. From here, spectacular views over the city rooftops more than warrant the steep climb. The Spanish Steps acquired their name from the neighbouring Spanish Embassy but the area is more intimately associated with italy even acquiring the name of Ghetto de lInglesi (English Ghetto). The tourists on the Grand Tour of the 18th and 19th centuries which included Keats, Shelley, Byron and the Brownings all helped to establish the districts reputation as a cosmopolitan artistic quarter. At the foot of the steps lies the boat-shaped Barcaccia fountain, designed in 1627 by Bernini. To the right stands the modest Keats-Shelley Memorial House, where 25-year-old John Keats died of tuberculosis in 1821. Exhibits include pictures and prints, private letters, an urn bearing Shelleys ashes and a lock of Keats tawny red hair. Keats-Shelley Memorial House Piazza di Spagna 26 Telephone number: (06) 678 4235. Fax number: (06) 678 4167. Website: www.keats-shelley-house.org Transport: Metro Spagna. Opening hours: Monday-Friday 0900 hrs-1300 hrs and 1500 hrs-1800 hrs, Saturday 1100 hrs-1400 hrs and 1500 hrs-1800 hrs. Admission: 3. Piazza Navona This dramatic piazza which is lined with cafs and restaurants lies at the centre of the centro storico. Its oval shape follows the form of the former stadium, built in AD86, by Emperor Domitian. During the Renaissance, the site was floodedin order to stage mock naval battles. The piazza gained its current form in the mid-17th century, when Pope Innocent X commissioned Borromini to design the Church of SantAgnese. In front of the church Bernini built the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers), adorned with powerful figures representing the four great rivers of the world, the Nile, Danube, Ganges and Rio della Plate. Transport: Bus to Largo Argentina. Opening hours: Daily 24 hours. Admission: Free. Villa & Galleria Borghese Located just to the east of the Spanish Steps lies green relief from sightseeing, the sculpture-scattered gardens landscaped in the 17th century for Cardinal Scipione Borghese (nephew of Pope Paul V). This area includes the city zoo, Piazza di Siena arena, mock ancient temples, imitation medieval castles and an artificial lake. The pull of culture may be strong enough to lure the resting visitor into the Casino Borghese, a treasure trove of sculpture and antiquities, the Etruscan Museum in nearby Villa Giulia, with its remarkable sarcophagus of the reclining Bride and Bridegroom from Cerveteri, or the Galleria Nazionale dArte Moderna e Contemporanea. However, the Galleria Borghese which is home to Berninis most famous work, Apollo and Daphne and should be seen first (ticket reservation is obligatory and visitors are only admitted every two hours). Galleria Borghese Piazzale Scipione Borghese 5 Telephone number: (06) 32810. Fax number: (06) 855 5952. Website: www.galleriaborghese.it Transport: Metro Spagna; bus or tram to Via Veneto. Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 0900 hrs-1900 hrs. Admission: 6.50 (reservation are required). Villa Giulia Piazzale di Villa Giulia 9 Telephone number: (06) 320 0562. Transport: Tram 3 or 19. Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 0830 hrs-1930 hrs. Admission: 4. Galleria Doria Pamphili The excessive wealth of the powerful Doria Pamphili family, a pillar of Romes papal aristocracy. The half-British sibling and heir recalls childhood memories of roller-skating along the parquet floor of the 18th-century ballroom tiny indentations prove the truth of his story retold on the audio tape issued to guide you around. The rambling palace is still occupied and there are a number of the private apartments open to the public in the mornings only for a small additional fee. Works by Correggio, Caravaggio and Velzquez are on display here, as well as some amusing pieces by lesser-known artists. Piazza del Collegio Romano 2 Telephone number: (06) 679 7323. Fax number: (06) 678 0939. Website: www.doriapamphilj.it Transport: Bus to Piazza Venezia. Opening hours: Friday-Wednesday 1000 hrs -1700 hrs. Admission: 7.30. Campo de Fiori At dawn from Monday to Saturday, stall holders at Romes best-loved fruit and vegetable market set up their wares at Campo de Fiori. This down-to-earth square which is surrounded by tumbledown orange-ochre facades, is a far cry from the more grandiose piazzas of the centro storico. Here one encounters the friendliness and spontaneity for which Romani are so renowned. At sunset, some of the citys liveliest and most authentic wine bars and trattorie place their tables out onto the cobbles and locals and visitors alike flock here to eat and drink below the stars. Campo de Fiori Transport: Bus to Largo Argentina. Opening hours: Monday-Saturday from dawn to dusk. Admission: Free. ______________ Rome Tours - Excursions Rome Tours Guide - TravelPuppy.com Walking tours Rome Walks offers a wide variety of group tours. With english speaking guides who are experienced in history of art. Departure will points vary, depending on the tour. They also can arrange personalised tours covering off the beaten track sights. Group tours are offered several times a week and include the Vatican City Walk, which takes four-and-a-half hours and costs 35 (excluding 10 museum entrance fee) also the highly informative Colosseum and Ancient City Walk at a cost of 25 excluding 8 Colosseum entrance fee. They can also arrange a variety of private tours (for groups of one to four), including the La Dolce Vita in Rome, the catacombs or Neros Golden Palace. For those wishing to sample some Roman nightlife, the Colosseum Pub Crawls leave every night from both the Colosseum Metro and the Spanish Steps at 2000 hrs. The 15 ticket includes free shots, drinks and entrance to a disco-bar at the end. Also Enjoy Rome (see Tourist Information) offers a number of walking and bike tours around Rome which start at 13. Boat Tours Tourvisa Italia, Via Marghera 32 (telephone number : (06) 446 3481), provides a 100-minute round trip boat tour from the bridge Ponte Umberto 1 (Piazza Navona) to Ponte Duca dAosta. Boats depart at 1100 hrs and 1630 hrs Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (March to October), depending on the weather conditions. The air-conditioned Tiber II sails past the Vatican, Castel SantAngelo and under Romes bridges. The cruise costs 13 per person. Bus Tours The number 110 ATAC bus (telephone number: (06) 4695 2252, bookings and information) departs every half-hour (daily 0900 hrs-2000 hrs April-September or 1000 hrs - 1800 hrs October-March) from Piazza dei Cinquecento for a two-hour tour (with commentary in English) around Romes main sights (with 11 stops en route). Tickets and a leaflet outlining the itinerary are available in English at any tourist information office. The tour costs 7.75 or 12.91 if you want to get on and off the bus. There are also night tours. Other Tours Rome Duck Tours (tel: (020) 7928 3132) runs unconventional tours on an amphibious craft, which depart from County Hall and rumble through Romes streets, taking in Whitehall, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace, before plunging into the River Thames for a 30-minute cruise. Single tickets for the 70-minute tour cost 16.50, concessions are available. Excursions for half day Ostia Antica A 40-minute train journey from Piramide station or a pleasant drive along Via del Mare, is Ostia Antica and Imperial Romes main port from the second to ninth centuries AD. It was founded in the seventh century BC, by King Ancus Marcius, and lay abandoned until excavations in the 19th century. The shoreline has now withdrawn three kilometres (two miles) away to the present Lido di Ostia and, at first glance, all that can be seen is a network of thoroughfares with the odd upstanding column. A few hours spent in this quiet spot and the imagination will conjure up the former thriving town and the day-to-day lives of its inhabitants. The main artery, the Decumanus Maximus, leads to an amphitheatre with fantastic acoustics, which is a perfect location for a peaceful picnic. Mosaics at the Forum of the Corporations depict the produce sold or trade practised, while the bar, Thermopiliu, with its wide marble counter and lively fresco, evokes leisure time. Temples to a host of deities summon up the religious life and the homes of Ostias inhabitants reveal mosaic interiors, while communal latrines are testament to more mundane activities. The museum displays coins, glassware and statues. The site (telephone number: (06) 5635 2830) is open daily 0830 hrs-1930 hrs (April-October) and daily 0900 hrs -1700 hrs(November-March). Admission costs 4. Excursions for a whole day Tivoli A 30km (20 miles) drive east of Rome along the A24 lies the hilltop town of Tivoli. Alternatively, travellers can take a COTRAL bus from Ponte Mammolo metro stop or a train from Termini or Tiburtina stations (direction Avezzano). Both stop at Tivoli. Conquered by the Romans in 338BC, the town became the prized spot upon which to build luxurious villas and homes for wealthy families. The Villa dEste (telephone number : (0774) 312 070) is one such folly, built in 1550, according to the whim of art patron Cardinal Ippolito dEste (son of Lucrezia Borgia). The state apartment is decorated with the swirling frescoes and paintings of Correggio, Da Volterra and Perrin del Vaga, while outside are the vast Renaissance gardens. Their fountains can only be described as kitsch and the Owl Fountain which was designed to echo the owls hoots and Fontana dellOrgano Idraulico, which imitated the organs burblings. More imagination went into the construction of the Villa Adriana or Hadrians Villa (telephone numbers: (0774) 382 733 or (06) 3996 7900, information and bookings), which has been included on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Enough of the Canopus fountain with its sturdy columns and statues overlooking a central pool remains to evoke the peace of this domain and country retreat for Romes great military campaigner. It is thought that his favourite spot was the tiny island, cut off completely from the surrounding man-made pool (Teatro Marittimo) by an ingenious retractable bridge. The standard opening hours for both Villa dEste and Villa Adriana are 0900 hrs -1930 hrs (ticket office closes at 1800 hrs). Admission to each site costs 6.50. |
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مدرج
كولوسيوم الروماني، أحد أشهر معالم روما وإيطاليا قاطبة
روما (بالإيطالية: Roma) هي عاصمة إيطاليا و أكبر مدنها. تقع في وسط دولة إيطاليا على ضفاف نهر التيفيرة و يبلغ عدد سكانها حوالي 2.555.000 نسمة. وهي عاصمة مقاطعة روما حوالي 3,615,972 نسمة ، وأيضا عاصمة إقليم لاتسيو حوالي 5,270,000. سميت نسبة إلى الرومان. كانت المدينة في العصور القديمة عاصمة اﻹمبراطورية الرومانية وأصبحت عاصمة إيطاليا الحديثة منذ 1871. هي عاصمة مقاطعة لاتيوم والتقسيم اﻹداري روما. لقرون عدة ، دعِيت روما المدينةَ الأبديةَ ، عنوان كَسبته كونها أحد أهم وأعظم المدنِ في الحضارةِ الغربية، فقد كانت عاصمة الإمبراطورية الرومانيةِ، ووهي الان القلب الروحي للكنيسةِ الكاثوليكية الرومانيةِ. و منذ 1871 هي عاصمةَ إيطاليا الموحدة تقع دولة الفاتيكان، أصغر دولة في العالم، داخل حدود مدينة روما. أضاف اليونسكو مركز مدينة روما القديم وكنيسة القديس بطرس ومدينة الفاتيكان لقائمة التراث العالمي. تتخذ كل من منظمة الأغذية والزراعة(الفاو) والصندوق الدولي للتنمية الزراعية و برنامج الأغذية العالمي من المدينة مقرا لها.
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