Videos

Piazza del Popolo - Via del Corso - Spanish Steps

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 23:25:09 +0100

Piazza del Popolo – Via del Corso – Spanish Steps

This is Piazza del Popolo, one of the great public spaces in the city. Sitting at the north edge of the historic center, just inside the Aurelian walls, Piazza del Popolo was the first glimpse of Rome travellers would get when they entered from the north, and was the location for executions in the city. Although the last execution occurred in 1826, Piazza del Popolo still hosts public events, albeit less violent ones.

The piazza took on it's current form between 1811 and 1824 following a neoclassical design; at its center, an ancient Egyptian obelisk taken by the Emperor Augustus in 10BC. Today the piazza's main function is as a place to meet and relax before taking a 'passagiata' down the Via del Corso.

The Via del corso is one of the oldest roads in the Eternal City - the beginning of the ancient Via Flaminia - giving it with the straight-arrow path that the road still has today. During the middle ages, it served as a race course during the carnival season, which gave the street its current name. Today, the Via del Corso is one of the great shopping streets of the city, with nearly every inch of it covered in fashionable clothing stores, although you can get a snack or gelato here as well. It also runs by some of the most important sights of the city, including the Pantheon, the Italian Parliament, the Trevi fountain and the Spanish Steps.

Completed in 1725, the Spanish Steps are unquestionably one of the most enduring symbols of Rome. They get their name from the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See, which lies at the foot of the steps in the Piazza di Spagna. The church of Trinita dei Monti, one of the great French churches of the city, sits dramatically atop the steps, inviting visitors to make the big climb. A popular place for Bohemians in the 60s, the steps remain one of the greatest places in Rome to see and be seen.

Enjoy your journey!

Villa Doria Pamphili & Villa Sciarra

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:56:12 +0100

Green spaces make cities livable. giving people a place to exercise and relax. In a city like Rome, the green spaces aren’t just useful, but they are also beautiful.

The Villa Doria Pamphili, on the Gianicolo - the tallest of Rome's seven hills - is the largest public landscaped park in Rome. With an area of 1.8 square kilometers, the villa is one of the best sites for bird-watching and jogging. The park was designed to hold the Panphili sculpture collection, most of which today is in the Capitoline Museum, leaving the gardens with its sense of grandeur. The park was bought from the Doria Pamphili family 1965 by the City of Rome and has become one of the premier parks of the city. With plenty of sunny meadows and shady groves of umbrella pines, it is the perfect place for a picnic, a jog, a dog run or just relaxing. Just inside the park, there is an excellent cafe - the Vivi Bistro - good place to grab a picnic lunch or to lounge with a glass of wine. In the summer months, the Bistro is also open dinner and offers homemade gelato.

A short distance away, overlooking Trastevere, the Villa Sciarra perches right at the top of the Gianicolo hill. Smaller than the Villa Doria Pamphili, this is more of a family park, enclosed in medieval walls and with a playground for young children. The villa Sciarra also hosts an excellent collection of classical sculptures and fountains. If you look around, you might find Apollo and Daphne, a faun chasing a nymph and many other hidden treasures. Its one of those great secret spots that makes Rome a city of unending discovery.

Going Local

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 07:55:03 +0100

Getting Around Rome
shot & directed by Michael Hunt

A short video from our friends over at Romewalks.com giving some solid advice on touring Rome.

Fiumicino Airport

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:57:33 +0100

Exiting customs, you find yourself in a typical reception hall of an international airport. With official information points and matting points, which are useful if someone is picking you up. There are also toilets, which may be the most important thing on your mind.

Keep an eye out for signs telling you where to go, especially if you are renting a car. If you have contacted a travel agent or tour guide in advance, you can be picked up by private car for around 50 euros.

The most important thing is not to go with just anyone that approaches you – these are illegal taxis and absurdly expensive.

Right outside of arrivals, there is a taxi stand. By law, a Roman taxi can charge a base fee of 40 euros from Fiumicino airport to the city centre – any additional fees are listed on the placard in the back of the cab, and on our website. The taxi must be a white car with a ‘taxi’ sign on top and ‘Comune di Roma’ written on both sides. If it says “Comune di Fiumicino” on the side, the base fee will be 60 euros.

The most economical way –and the quickest – into the city is the train. Just follow the signs and the mechanized walkways to the station, where there will be a map of the city’s train system – including all the stops on the airport routes. There is also a snack bar, newsstand and ATM machine at the station along with ticket machines.

You must buy a ticket before getting on the train and validate it before you get on at the machines next to the track. The express train to Termini station costs 11 euros and the local making stops throughout Rome, including Ostiense, costs 5.50.

This is Ostiense train station. It is connected to the rest of the city by Metro, bus and by taxi. A taxi from here should cost much less than from the airport.

When you are going back to the airport, make sure to check the departure board at the station you are leaving from to confirm times and track numbers of the train to Fiumicino.

Enjoy your journey.

Villa Borghese

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:19:59 +0200

Here are the pleasure gardens of Rome. This is the Villa Borghese and it is one of the greatest parks on earth.

Construction of the gardens began in 1605 for Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V, on the site of his vineyards. The area served as his personal playgrounds, where he would entertain friends and esteemed guests, and where he built a splendid gallery to house his personal art collection. Today it houses some of the finest masterworks of painting and sculpture in the world, including important works by Bernini, Rafael and Caravaggio.

The City of Rome bought the land in 1903 and it is now a public park, allowing us all to enjoy a bit of the good life of Cardinal Borghese and his wealthy companions.

The Villa Borghese houses several other museums and points of interest as well, including a Shakespearian theatre and racecourse for horses, a zoological park and a pavilion for cinema buffs. The villa is not only there to hold works of art and natural beauty but to live in.

Its position atop Via Veneto, the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo makes it the perfect place to run away to. And the park’s southern end on the Pincio hill is one of the most arresting and romantic places from which to view the city.

Enjoy your journey.

Sagra di Porchetta - Ariccia

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 23:30:23 +0200

Two things that Italians know how to do are have fun and eat. The genius of a sagra is that it combines both.

A sagra is a small local festival that celebrates some aspect of the town where, it is being held. While most have their roots in old country fairs, today most sagre are oriented to bring in visitors from all over Italy.

This is the Sagra di Porchetta, or roast pork. It is being held here Ariccia, a small town in the Castelli Romani, a group of picturesque towns nestled in the Alban hills just south of Rome. Overlooking both Rome and the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Castelli region has always been a place for Romans to escape the city and, is a wonderful place to sightsee or enjoy a delicious lunch or dinner.

Porchetta is a slow-roasted pork spiced with hot pepper, wild fennel and a variety of other herbs. While it is made in other parts of Italy, the Porchetta from Ariccia is the most famous and arguably the best.

But here at the Sagra di Porchetta there is much more than pork on offer. There are carnival games, market stands, sweets and some rides for the kids – and of course a bit of wine. A sagra is always a great change of pace from the bustling city life. If you have the time, try and get out of town and see one.

Enjoy your Journey.

Roman Forum / Coliseum / Palatine Hill

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:09:14 +0200

Here was the centre of ancient Rome, standing at the centre of today’s Rome. This is the Roman forum, and around it formed all of western civilization. There is one unified ticket for all three sites, costing 11.50 euro, or 12.50 if purchased on the internet and it is valid for two days. For the serious archaeology fans there are other ticket options, which you can read about on our website, romealive.com.

All three sites are open from 8:30am till one hour before sunset and the ticket office closes two hours before sunset.

All are closed on January 1, December 25.

Enjoy your journey!

Villa Lante - Viterbo, north of Rome

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 16:08:08 +0200

The sumptuous Villa Lante lies just a few kilometers west of Viterbo in northern Lazio – about 80 kilometers north of Rome. The villa lies at the foot of the Cimini mountains, perched atop the medieval village of Bagnaia – founded in 963 A.D. and long known as a place of rest and refuge, and especially as a summer residence for bishops.

Bagnaia can be reached on the historic Roma – Viterbo railway, which makes a memorable entrance into the village, crossing a deep valley only to burough under the Villa Lante before reaching Bagnaia station.

Villa Lante is open every day except Monday from 8:30 to 5:30 and admission costs just 2 Euros per person. The villa closes one hour earlier from November through February.

Enjoy your journey!

Trastevere / The Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:06:18 +0200

Rome’s lively and bohemian Trastevere quarter is also one of its oldest neighborhoods – with well over two thousand years’ history, it has seen its share of changes, but is also home to enduring traditions. With its earliest roots as an Etruscan settlement, Trastevere became home to a lively and multi-cultural community during the Roman Imperial Age. In the middle ages, it took on its present-day look as a tangled maze of narrow streets. Home to a poor but proud working-class population until the late-twentieth century, Trastevere today is a heady mix of artists, old Romans, the nouveau riche and of course, tourists.

The neighborhood is striking for its numerous churches, some dating to early Christian times. Lively religious processions throughout the year involve the devout – and visitors – of all ages in their uniquely Italian celebration of the divine.

The Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua in June includes a solemn procession accompanied by a marching band and festivities lasting all weekend; many other processions take place throughout the year as well – they can literally pop up from around corners and inside churches, and wind through the Trastevere’s warren of vicoli with a peculiar mix of devotion and revelry. It is a powerful example of how the spirit of this ancient community remains unbroken by time and Trastevere’s transformation from proletarian to trendy.

Orto Botanico

Fri, 01 Jan 1904 01:00:00 +0100

Rome’s Orto Botanico (botanical garden) is pleasantly tucked away behind Palazzo Riario Corsini in Rome’s ancient Trastevere quarter, just steps from the historical centre. One of the city’s most stunning – and best-kept secrets, the ‘Orto Botanico’ is a hidden treasure in the heart of a breathtaking city and one of the most important botanical gardens in all of Italy. It is a delightful place to relax and get enjoy a bit of nature right within the heart of Rome.

The 18^th century Palazzo Corsini looms over the gardens like in a fairy tale . Tåhe palazzo is not only home to the famous Accademia dei Lincei – the scientific academy whose prestigious members once included Galileo – but to the Galleria Corsini, a small but delightful museum that hosts works by masters such as Caravaggio and Rubens.

Stretching upwards the gardens reach their summit on the Gianicolo hill, offering unforgettable views of Rome’s stunning cityscape and distant Alban hills – a cool, green and enchanting refuge from the tourist-filled streets below.

A 5-euro entrance fee includes the self-guided tour in Italian or English, and even offers a special itinerary for the blind. The Orto Botanico is located at Largo Cristina di Svezia, Trasevere and is open Tuesday through Saturday, but closed in the month of August.

The Galleria Corsini is located around the corner at on Via della Lungara and is open from Tuesday through Sunday from 8.30 to 7:30. Admission there is 4 euros.