Spooky Rome: Some of the Eeriest Places to Visit in the Eternal City
From extensive catacombs to spooky church tombs, Rome is like an instant haunted house and is a great place to visit during Halloween.
Rome
A Peaceful Oasis: Rome’s Protestant Cemetery
Rome’s leafy Protestant Cemetery is the final resting place for Keats, Shelley, and Gramsci.
A Snowy ‘Staycation’ in Rome
Skiing and sledding within a tank of gas from Rome.
The Pontines, Perhaps
Unlike Greece, Italy isn’t a land of islands. Sure, there’s Sicily, Capri, and the Tuscan Archipelago, which includes Elba. But there is also a small set of islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea between Rome and Naples that, according to Guy Dinmore of The Financial Times, “offer a safer and saner way to travel” for those…
Walking Via Giulia
Rome’s famous Renaissance street, Via Giulia, is celebrating its 500th anniversary this year. And, the New York Times‘ Elisabeth Rosenthal provides the history and descriptions of the streets’ sites in her article A Stroll in Rome With a Papal Pedigree. Usually an unharried street, Via Giulia is set to be quite busy this year with…
‘Monster of Florence’ and ‘Rome 1960’: Two Of Summer’s Most Intriguing Reads Are Set in Italy
I am supremely excited about two new nonfiction books this summer: The Monster of Florence and Rome 1960. Both books describe tumultuous times in central Italy. The first is a period of time in Florence when an unknown predator (or predators) “stalked lovers’ lanes in the countryside.” The second goes in-depth about the 1960 Olympic…
Beaches of Lazio: The Best Beaches Near Rome
Many travelers who visit Rome in the summer often forget that the beaches of the Tyrrhenian Sea are as close as half an hour away. The region of Lazio has many beautiful beaches up and down its 360 km/224 mi coastline, some of which are ideal for a day trip from Rome while others merit…
Bringing Home the Best from Italy
It’s one thing to go to Italy and bring back photos, cheap souvenirs, and designer clothing that you could have bought at just about any department store or outlet. It’s quite another to bring back items that Italy is known for – quality leather, handmade paper, artisan chocolate, etc. That’s why I really like…
Papal Basilicas of Rome: St. John Lateran
San Giovanni in Laterano (St. John Lateran) is the basilica dedicated to the Bishop of Rome, better known as the Pope. It is where the Pope delivers his Holy Week address on Holy Thursday. This massive church not far from the Colosseum is one of four ancient papal basilicas along with St. Peter’s, Saint Paul Outside…
Papal Basilicas of Rome: Santa Maria Maggiore (Photos)
Santa Maria Maggiore, known in English as St. Mary Major, is one of the four papal basilicas in Rome along with San Giovanni in Laterano, San Paolo Fuori Le Mura, and St. Peter’s Basilica. It is located on the Esquilino, one of seven hills of Rome. The largest church in Rome dedicated to the Virgin…
Papal Basilicas of Rome: Saint Paul Outside the Walls (Photos)
San Paolo Fuori Le Mura, known in English as Saint Paul Outside the Walls, is one of the most important churches in Rome. It houses the shrine of Saint Paul. Along with St. Peter’s, San Giovanni in Laterano, and Santa Maria Maggiore, San Paolo is one of Catholicism’s four patriarchal basilicas. Each of the four…
Roman Forum: No Longer Free
Update: Admission to the Roman Forum is included in the combined ticket for the Parco Colosseo Archeological Area Well, it was fun while it lasted. According to the folks at Dream of Italy and Tony Polzer from 3 Milennia Tours, the Roman Forum will begin to charge admission as of March 9th. Tony lays out…
Italy’s UNESCO Heritage Sites On Display at Rome Photo Exhibit
So, you’ve made it all the way to Rome but wish your vacation time allowed you to visit the other UNESCO Heritage Sites in Italy? Have no fear! According to the U.K.’s Italy Magazine, an exhibit of 120 photographs of Italy’s heritage sites will be on display at the Central National Library. The exhibition will…
What’s Old Is New Again: Rome’s Via Appia Antica
Now that we’ve entered the Holy Season, tourism to Rome is going to start heating up again quite quickly. Of course, you can follow the pilgrimage throngs around the Lenten Station circuit. Or, you can travel outside the city walls to check out the Via Appia Antica. David Farley’s one-day itinerary along the ancient road…
Ancient Romulus Cave Found
If you believe the legend that Rome was founded more than 2,000 years ago by the twins Romulus and Remus, then the news that scientists have found the Lupercale, the cave where a she-wolf suckled the pair, will surely astonish you. According to Reuters, archeologists restoring the ancient Palace of Augustus on the Palatine hill…
‘Rome: The Marvels and the Menace’ – Four Rome Book Reviews in the NYRB
You can blame my postman for me being a little slow on reporting about the excellent Rome-related book reviews in the October 11th issue of the New York Review of Books. When I happened upon Ingrid Rowland’s review of four books – Rome from the Ground Up; The Seven Hills of Rome: A Geographical Tour…
The Roma Pass
Rome has several city pass options, but the best known—and most popular—is the Roma Pass. The 48-hour Roma Pass entitles the holder to “free” entry to one museum, while the 72-hour Roma Pass entitles the holder entry to two museums. Additionally, the Roma Pass offers reduced rates to other museums, access to all public transport,…
Valentino Retrospective Opens Ara Pacis In Style
The event of the year for 2007. Valentino exhibit features 45 years of designer fashion in Rome’s newly open Ara Pacis Museum.