More than 40,000 fans in London and 100,000 visitors in Hamburg, Monaco, Stuttgart and Zurich cannot be wrong. And they are not.

Now Ben Hur live is in Rome from 29^th September until the 29^th October.

“Colossal” is the only word that can apply for description: 400 actors, 100 animals, and the amazing high speed chariots racing.

Ben Hur will take you back in time to those years in which being bold was the only option available.

Nothing is more Roman than the circus. Sooner or later it had to come back to its source. Panem et Circenses!!!!!

Just a few opinions: The London Times: “The production of the century”; Munich Abendzeitung: “Almost a miracle of biblical”; Die Welt: “Circus Maximus 2.0″; Süddeutsche Zeitung: “The show XXXXL”; The Sun: “Exciting, mesmerizing, a triumphal procession”;

Ben Hur, a story that mixes the adventure of the Roman competition and its sublime inspiring devotional aspect.

The event will take place in the Nuova Fiera di Roma, connexion by line b of the subway and then train at about 40 minutes from the city centre.

Feel like Charlton Heston…Be Charlton Heston. Come to Rome in October, stay at Hotel Des Artistes or Yes Hotel and give yourself a present that you will never forget. The kind of intense emotion that takes place in your heart and remains there… ETERNALY.

Our blogger: Marcelo

Public transportation is not so crowded and the general atmosphere is more relaxed. But it’s hot-You may say. Well no much a difference if you compare with July and the last half of the month of June.

Most of all, Romans go on vacation during august for tradition, since in this City there is a very strong traditional mentality.

I just wanted to suggest an idea and here it is:

Aside the river, The impressive Castel  Sant’ Angelo will take you back to the middle ages, but do not let yourself be deceived for the appearance.

It is actually a fortress from the XIV century, meant with the purpose of protecting the Pope. The famous Passetto di Borgo connects the Basilica of Saint Peter with the Castel where the Pope could take refuge in case of invasion.

But is much older than that!

The Emperor Hadrianus order its construction as his personal Mausoleum. An imperial law prohibited tombs to be set inside the limits of the Ancient City. You could have your tomb inside only if you were declared a God.

Since Hadrianus was a good one (but not good enough to be taken as a God) he made his own plan. He built a huge monument to be seen from afar, just right aside the official limit (the Tiber) and built also a bridge to serve as a connection. By that he gave himself the place that in his mind deserved and so he may rest in peace…

Back to our century, in the summer until the 4^th September during the evening discos, restaurants  and an open market make the area lively but pleasant at the same time.

You could become romantic so easily!

Enter the castle (that for this period can be visited from 20.30 until 24.00) and have (Why not?) a romantic dinner in the restaurant inside with most outstanding view…

PS: The Castel is at five minutes walk from Saint Peters and fifteen minutes walk from Piazza Navona , there is in the area a swimming pool open from 10.00 until 18.00.

HAVE MUCH FUN!!!!

Our blogger: Marcelo

The 24th of July 2011, we all have an appointment  at Ippodromo Of Capanelle to see live Moby as a part of the Rock in Roma Festival.

Awaiting to leave for his long tournè Moby makes an important stop at Rome, to present hi s late album “Destroyed”. His disc will be associated with a book, published by Damiani, with 128 pages including 55 photos taken by Moby around the world. Produced by moby and mixed by ken Thomas, using analogic tools of the time and mixed at Abbey Road Studios of London.

After his presence at Fiera della Musica Di Azzano Decimo , the famous musiciain is arriving to Rome for spectacular concert full of wonderful sounds and colours, teasing your senses with his vibes.

Finally you must not miss the aftershow with a special dj set  not yet revealed.

And don’t forget to dro us a line (info@hoteldesartistes.com or info@yeshotelrome.com) or give us a phone call (+39 064454365) to get the best rates for accomodation in Rome!

Rainbow MagicLand is the name of the new great themed amusement park that is located in Valmontone, a few kilometres away from Rome,a town already famous for its designer outlet. The park covers an area of 600,000 square meters. The “magic” will be the dominant element of Rainbow Magicland, a theme park for the whole family, where visitors can discover the magic of fun and adventure: a dimensional jump between fairies, castles, magical fairies, Vikings brave and skilled adventurers. Rainbow MagcLand offers to its visitors 35 attractions. The Park is divided into 24 themed areas, six of which inspired some characters of the well-known Group Rainbow children as: Winx fairies, Moster Allergy, the adventurer bleach episode 217 and PopPixie. The park was open last month and is expected to increase the city’s touristic appeal.

Price: the price of admission will be  35 euro  in promotion until 31 July 2011, and from the 1 August 2011 adult fee for entering the Park will be € 39. Opening hours: since some attractions have a limit of stature, the ticket price will dipend on the height of the visitor. Open daily from 10: 00 a.m. to 18: 00 until 23 June 2011 Opening day and night from 10: 00 a.m. to 11: 00 from 23 June throughout the summer until September 4, and on the weekend of 10-11 September. Rainbow MagicLand will remain open for extended hours from 10: 00 to 24: 00 every Saturday in July and August

Directions: to reach the Park from Rome, we must take a train to Valmontone from where  there will be a shuttle service that will lead you directly to amusement park.

And don’t forget: in Rome your best options are Yes Hotel and Hotel Des Artistes: convenient, affordable and high-quality accomodation in the Eternal City.

Our blogger: Rhodora

Until  May 29 the Palazzo Venezia in Rome offers the most interesting exhibition: “Caravaggio, La Botttega del Genio’’.

Optical instruments, Mirrors, and other utensils used by the great painter are re-created in order to show many of the secrets that made possible Caravaggio’s unique and innovative technique.

This is an incredible chance to approach art exactly from the artist’s point of view. Instead of having the ‘’final product’’ you get the chance to ‘’spy’’ on the birth of Caravaggio’s masterpieces at his daily working environment.

The Palazzo Venezia Museum is located at the very heart of the Historical Center of Rome (Piazza Venezia ,10 minutes by bus from our locations at Hotel Des Artistes and Yes Hotel).  The admission ticket costs 6 euros. The museum is closed on Mondays.

The Vatican Museums, the Borghese Gallery, Capitoline museums and churches in the city have on display many of the most famous and important works from this great artist so, it can be said that maybe there is no better place as Rome for this kind of exhibition. Make a reservation at Yes Hotel or Hotel Des Artistes to enjoy the most exciting and artistic holidays you only can get in the Eternal City.

Our Blogger: Marcelo

The Fabrica dei sogni (in Italian, Factory of dreams) opens its doors to the public: Now the Cinecittà Studios can be visited for groups of at least 20 persons.

In the past, many of our clients wanted to have the experience of a guided tour  to this magic place where many legends of the cinema have work and produced authentic masterpieces beyond words.

They were quite disappointed with the fact that it was not possible.

Lucky all cinema lovers (among them me) who have now the chance to have access to this art temple.

The place could be considered second home of the great Federico Fellini or probably his main one, since dreams where for him more real than anything else (whoever says no, see Chuanz Tzu and his butterfly story which is one of my favourites to be honest…)

Gassman, Loren, Mastroianni all part of the Cinecittà family that gave us pleasure beyond measure as only real art can provide.

Check this page: http://www.cinecittastudios.it/en. Or write an email to our hotels reception @yeshotelrome.com and reception@hoteldesartises.com for more information. You may need an accommodation. Check  the web sites www.yeshotelrome.com and www.hoteldesartises.com

Hope to see you very soon here in Rome!!!

Our blogger: Marcelo

Do you want to visit a great masterpiece of Italian gardening and architecture? If the answer isyes, this is an opportunity do not miss! Fountains, grottos, fountains a great show!

This summer in Tivoli you can visit the gardens of Villa D’Este by night. Every Friday and Saturday admission is from 20.30 to 23.00 output before 24.00. Visit certainly suggestive of rich special effects of light on the fountains. Ticket price: € 9.50 full, reduced  € 6.00

To the construction of the villa, led by Pirro Ligorio, contributed some of the most important artists of the time, such as Bernini, rivaling in technical virtuosity and artistic and inspired by the splendor of ancient Rome. The lush gardens and terraces are built on natural slopes and fed directly by the Aniene river, numbering more than 200 jets, 250 waterfalls, 50 fountains and 100 basins.

 Many of the evenings will be animated and music concerts. In early September, the fourth edition of the festival “The Rose Room”, dedicated to the music of Franz Liszt. Until October 31, moreover, you can visit the exhibition Flora Romana. Flowers and culture in the art of Mario de ‘Fiori.

So, the  summer in Rome is not only visit  the most famous sights, like the Vatican,  the Trevi  Fountain,Colosseo and rest. Stay with us at Hotel Des Artistes or Lucci Hotel and we will give you all the information you need to have a wonderful holiday and discover all the wonderful places you can visit near Rome!

Our blogger: Vanda

Under the porch of the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, not far from the Colosseum, there is a large mask of marble, with the image of a River God. The mask, placed on site in 1632, is called Mouth of truth ( Bocca della  verità).

The sculpture, dating from around the first century, represents the face of a bearded man whose face, eyes, nose and mouth are hollow. The face has been interpreted over time as the reproduction of different things like Jupiter Ammon, the god of the Oceans, an oracle or a faun.

After the art, before the history, there’s the legend about a woman, the wife of a noble Roman, who was accused of treason and forced by the husband to put her hand into the mouth and if she answered with a lie her hand would be cut . In front of the sculpture, the crowd was waiting the verdict, when suddenly the true lover embraced and kissed the woman, who pretended not to know him and mistaking him for a madman. She swore that in her life she had kissed only 2 men, her husband and the madman that kissed her before. Of course the hand remained intact, with the great pleasure of the noble wife.

The mouth of truth has become a symbol of Rome, also thanks to  the film “Roman Holiday”, shot in the 50s, in a brief scene in which the 2 protagonists, Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, want to show their feelings in front of the symbol  for excellence of what is the boundary between truth and falsehood.

Nowadays people visit the mouth of truth every day. Following the Roman tradition they put their hands into the mouth. Some of them are confident, while some others fear for a second this might be more than a superstition!

A visit to the mouth of truth is mandatory if you are in Rome. If you are planning your trip take a look at the websites of Yes Hotel and Hotel Des Artistes. Our great service and convenient rates are a solid truth!

The Wargames are a category of strategic game that has the purpose of reconstructing historical military events. From the perspective of many people, with the Wargames you have a way to explore the war itself with no real combat experience. Now for many people the Wargames have become a hobby where one or more players can simulate battles or wars. The most traditional of wargames is of course, the board game, played on a map, with pieces that represent the forces in the field, following the rules and tables for combat. Another component that is part of Wargames table is the “counter” which generally are rectangles of cardboard representing armies or military units. The most modern Wargames though are computer games that show the units and the scenario of war on the monitor. There are many advantages of digital Wargames:, there is no need to manage data, because the computer will manage the whole game. The possibility to save, stop and restart at any point in the game is very convenient too. There are different types of Wargames classified according the environment, historical period, the map scale or size. There are, of course, many of them that are dedicated to war in ancient Rome!
Rome will host the European Championship of Wargames that will be held for three   days starting on July the 9^th , 2009. The championship will take place at Castel Sant’Angelo as a part of the activities of the “Summer Reading along the river and through the trees.” Many feel that the place chosen was the best to play the event, to the extent of space and the functionality and beauty of the home. We are waiting for you at Yes Hotel and Hotel des Artistes!

Walk the City
In Rome during a strike your feet are your best friends. Cabs will be hard to find and you will have to wait years for one, so grab a map and get ready to walk and watch.
From My Hotel you can get walking to the Colosseum, and on your way you’ll find two marvelous churches that you have to visit. The first one is Santa Maria Maggiore where you’ll see many works of Christian art, as a breathtaking mosaic from the fifth century. The main attraction in the second church, San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains) is the world-famous statue of Moses, by Michelangelo that I’m sure you’ve seen a hundred times in many an art book.

 

 

Since the Colosseum is the first stop in many visitors’ itinerary you might not be interested in seeing it again. If that’s the case, another option within walking distance are the Spanish steps. The area is packed with restaurants and interesting things to see. Besides Via del Corso, the place to go shopping in Rome, is only a couple of steps away, so you’ll find it more than useful if you want to buy some nice souvenirs or if you are a shopping-maniac with a very high limit on your credit card.

Stormy Weather
But maybe you’re not the walking kind. Or maybe you’re so unlucky that you’re facing a strike and a rainy day at the same time. Well, don’t fear, there’s a solution for that too. Repubblica Square (10 minutes walking from My Hotel) has everything someone in your situation can ask for. There are two big bookshops (Mel Book Store, and Feltrinelli International) that sell books in English, so you can sit to read in one of the many cafes in the area, in the mysterious fashion of the spies in the movies. For the less sophisticated
there are two (yes, two) McDonald’s very near that will also make your children happy if you are travelling with them. If there adults only then a pub or a Rome wine bar would definetely be suitable, to get warm and make plans !
Walk down via Nazionale from Repubblica Square and discover the magnificent Palazzo delle Esposizoni, a museum that you’ll love if you are into contemporary and modern art (right now they have a Kubrick exposition that looks extremely interesting.)

Back in Repubblica Square there’s also a cinema where at least one movie in English is played every day. Add to that a nice dinner in a nearby restaurant (you have at least five of them near My Hotel) and the strike day is gone and you not even noticed it.

TIPS

-The Italian word for “strike� is “sciopero�, fear it and be alert if you see it in the newspapers or you overhear it in the streets.

-Ask in your hotel about the details of the strike, they are seldom 24 hours long.

-A pretty obvious solution is to book a bus tour. If it sounds good ask the staff in My Hotel, they will be more than happy to help you with that.