Lucci Hotel Rome Blog

Fall in love

I don’t won’t to be boring giving tons of cultural information about Rome that you can find anyway , but rather to give some ideas that may help you save precious time anyway. It’s amazing the fact that in few days you can have a very good picture of all the beauty that the Eternal city of Rome gives and inspires also.

You just have to know how, I will offer you some support about the matter, saving time relaxing , enjoying, enjoying and enjoying.

The fist thing you have to do is to fall in love with Rome, and that is the easiest part. Some ideas about how to :

-Climb the Cordonnata, which are stairs designed by Michelangelo – and don’t worry, you will not feel the effort because of it is a gradual ascension – to get to the Piazza del Campidoglio (the Capitol Square) then turn left at the end to have the most breath taking view of the Imperial and Roman Forums.

-A glimpse of the Colosseum at night, high moon shining over even better, should be enough, even for a heart of stone.

-The peaceful sensation of Saint Peter’s Square in the evening when almost no one is around, just like being inside a temple and after a short walk along the river side till the Castel Sant’ Angelo (ancient fortress of the Pope), views from the Ponte Sant’Angelo (beautiful bridge decorated with statues).

Let’s begin

Ok, Morning, you wake up to a good breakfast in your cosy hotel in Rome, go out and now after climbing the Cordonnata you’are looking at the Forums admiring their beauty, next step is to go there. It’s free. At Via San Gregorio, 36 (beside the Colosseum) lays the Palatine Hill entrance where you can rent an audio-guide containing all the information about the forums, for as little as 4 euros. Tell me: Do you want to wait one hour line before entering the Colosseum? If your answer is no, at the Palatine hill entrance you buy the ticket for Palatine Hill and Coliseum, (paying only two euros more) and you enter straight there saying ciao with your hands to all the people waiting!

And so, having the information you can stroll around the Forums and the stones will tell you so many things, instead of feeling like a caveman. Not only to see or to hear the stones talking it’s wonderful, but try touching them and you tell me.

After seeing Colosseum and Forums you deserve a rest, go to the Palatine Hill, which is a beautiful archeological park, being at the very centre of the city you will feel miles away from the buzzing city, for it is so green and birds are singing. (don’t tell anyone you could have a healthy hamper with no harm at all).

You will want to take a nap but set your alarm clock before sunset !

Now we cruise to the Temple of all Gods, The Pantheon. It’s from the same classical period, but all in one piece as it is undoubtedly the best preserved ancient building! Even if the Barbarians took little away (but not much indeed) and the Barberini’s the bronze, for the Bernini’s Badalchino at Saint Peter’s. I will not say anything about it’s perfection and beauty, or the greek legacy breathing in and out from its walls and marvellous god-connecting oculus. (When rainy day go and check, the floor is almost dry).

Having already listened the hits of the classical period, walk three minutes and dine at Piazza Navona, feeling more roman now, if you want roman pizza in a roman place with roman prices try one of our recommended Restaurants.

After that you could go for a drink at Campo di Fiori, Giordano Bruno statue with moon behind, good view for a drink with friends you know or to make new buddies while hanging around.

Small country, big art treasure

The morning for the Vatican Museums (closed on Sunday except last Sunday of the month when it’s free) , the best is to be there at 08:30 am (in a beeline that you cannot avoid unless you have booked a Vatican tour), line goes faster that it seems so don’t fret and use your time to read about the masterpieces you will find. My, you have already arrived, time is an illusion, so the oriental sage says, once inside you can get the audio-guide for 6 euros with the whole information.

Don’t overstay in the Museums looking at this and that else by the time you get the Sistine Chapel you will only be concerned about a beer and grab something to eat and you will miss out on the best of Michelangelo’s works. Since you have paid your fee for entrance better get streetwise . First things first : first the Sistine Chapel (which is at the very end), anyway we have to give back the audio-guide at the entrance, remember?. Well, keep on the way to the Rafaello’s rooms and the Pinacoteca (masterpieces of Giotto, Leonardo, Perugino, Beato Angelico, Raphael, Caravaggio etc, what else do the want, the Gioconda? Go to Paris).

 

Once you have a glimpse of that go wherever you want, the choice is endless and fascinating, special mention for the Laoconte wich inspired Michelangelo’s conception of the body.

After a quick lunch break in one of our recommended Rome’s restaurants, then get ready to go to the second biggest church in the world. Hey! Don’t blame me, the biggest one is in Ivory Coast.

So, we are talking about St Peter’s in Rome at the Vatican. The Square with the colonnade designed by Bramante symbolizes the embrace of the Catholic Church to the pilgrims arriving there. If you stand on certain point marked with a circle here and there, the two lines of columns will become one by a trompe oeil (visual effect, in French sounds better, isn’t it?).

Up there are 140 saints watching out, Jesus and the twelve disciples. In the Piazza on the left Saint Peter with the great key, and Saint Paul with a sword (he died decapitated, as roman citizen he could no die on the cross). The basilica was ordered to be constructed by Constantine on the IV century on the place it’s believed that Saint Peter died, the ancient Nero’s Circus (Saint Peter died under the Nero’s rule) to remark the victory of the Church.

The Pieta of Michelangelo’s, the Altar of Bernini, the Heavenly view from the dome, having the whole city at your feet with the must beautiful and surprising orange skyline, are only examples of the marvellous impression you will have entering this temple (cover your shoulders and knees).

After you may take a walk until Castel Sant’Angelo for a sunset view not easily forgetting and Yes! Say will love her forever (she will even believed for five minutes).

To walk inside the centre is easy, distances are short. There are many ways to do it, I began by Campo de Fiori with the open market, see Giordano Bruno statue on the place he was executed by the Church, looking peacefully at the people going around.

Then, since it is just aside, Piazza Navona (better in opinion during the evening) artists can be found there offering a quite bohemian atmosphere, here used to be the Ancient Domiziano Stadium and in the past it was fill with water for festivities. The Pantheon (remember?) it’s around the corner, allow your self to visit the very near church of San Luigi dei Francesi  and the French Embassy in Rome and enjoy Three Caravaggio Masterpieces for free (Not bad eh?).

Walk towards the east after only five minutes you will hear (not see) that you are arriving to the surprising Trevi Fountain. Drop the coin, so you will come back for sure, I did it as a tourist, now I live in Rome. (A guy went to prison been caught at four o’clock at night getting the nickels , good business by the way, who could blame him).

And so, now you can play the intellectual going to Antico Caffe Greco at Via Condotti (where luxury shops are found and where of course I didn’t buy anything) Antico Caffe Greco used to be one of the spots where you could find Goethe for example (So why not you).

Piazza Spagna opens its beauty to your eyes, with flowers in springtime (Ladies  will love it, and males can play the romantics with a poetical face).

At piazza del Popolo you will see an interesting visual effect, standing at the arc looking at the twin churches you will swear they are the same size, and you will be wrong.

You have quite a picture now, next time I‘ll tell you something about the outskirts.

And since Rome was not built in a day, don’t imagine you can see it all in one day so while around, why not stay in a central and cosy hotel like My Hotel Rome?

ARRIVEDERCI FELLOWS

(Your friend Big-Mouth-Knows-all-about-it)

The region of Trastevere is situated on the west bank of the river Tevere (Tiber in English) and south of the Vatican City. Its name means ‘beyond the Tiber’  and comes from the Latin ‘trans Tiberim.

Around 753-509 BC the area across the river belonged to the hostile Estruscans. Rome took over it so they could gain better control of and access to the river from both sides.

In the beginning Rome was not interested in building on the other side of the Tiber River and as consequence, there was only one wooden bridge that used to connect both parts. Pons Sublicius or bridge built on piles.

But by 509 the number of fishermen and sailors making a living from the river steadily increased and many were those who settled down in Trastevere along with the many immigrants from Eastern countries such as Jews and Syrians, who came and settled.

Slowly the area got more  populated and under Augustus it started being considered as part of Rome. He divided the city into regions and the modern Trastevere was the XIV and was called Trans Tiberim.

But the district really got included under Aurelian (270-275) who made the protection walls larger so Trastevere and the Vatican Hill were inside the borders.

Some important figures from the Imperial Age decided to build their villas there. Julius Caesar had his Horti Caesaris villae (garden villa) built there.

The region also includes 2 important ancient churches of Rome: basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere and Santa Cecilia in Trastevere.

In the middle ages Trastevere had narrow and winding streets because the houses had this kind of structures in front that would not let the carriages and carts move easily.These structures were removed in 1400 but the region remained with the same kind of streets. Sixtus IV in the late 1400 paved the streets first with bricks and later with cobble stones.

Because of its partial isolation and mixture of people from different parts of the world they developed their own  culture and its people were therefore named the Trasteverini.

Nowadays still, Trastevere still keeps its own character-cozy narrow cobbled streets and beautiful medieval houses.

During the evenings and at night both locals and tourists are flooding its streets and enjoy the amazing and buzzing atmosphere created by the many painters, actors and musicians combined with the beautiful houses, churches and small squares with fountains. There also is a significant number of good Rome restaurants and pubs.

Important international institutions in the Trastevere district are : the John Cabot University and the American Academy in Rome but also the  campus of Thomas More College of Liberal Arts and the Canadian University of Waterloo School of Architecture.

Some worldwide famous personalities have their origins in Trastevere : take the  “westerns” movies director Sergio Leone and the composer Ennio Morricone who lived and studied in Trastevere, and who briefly attended the same class at school too.

To visit the beautiful and romantic Trastevere from My Hotel Rome is easy: You can take bus ‘H’ or bus 75 fro termini Station which just a few minutes walk from our hotels.

You should get off on the first stop after crossing the river. Take one of  the main streets, Via Della Lungaretta .

The new “Fiera di Roma” – the New Rome Fair, the space of Rome for different expositions, trade fairs, special events, festivals and exhibitions will accommodate for the second year The Blue Big Rome Exposé.

From the 28th of February it will be possible to visit this big and unusual event that will bring together the different realities of the fantastic water world.

1000 mq of exposition space present from underwater field to the nautical one, from the sails field to the tourist offers.

“Boat show”, “Eudishow”, “Gommoshow” are the 3 respective events inside the BIG BLU, which are displayed all over this fair. But this year there is as well another event inside the biggest one: The Pelagos project.

Boat show is the biggest one. 80000 mq of exposition shows nautical accessories and boats of different types.  See here for

last year Rome Sea Expo.

Eudi show (European Diving news) comes to its XVI edition and it’s the European event that put together a crescent number of people who practise the underwater sport.

Gommoshow comes to its VII edition characterised by exposition of nautical  boats especially, turning again the attention, to the pneumatic boats. Passing from a pavilion to another one voilà that you have exposition and furniture for people who are working with this trade, nautical school, specialized books, a dedicated area for nautical tourism and finally shopping and beauty area.

Pelagos project celebrates its 10 years and in this expò proposes plans dedicated to the Mediterranean sea and the valorisation of the marine heritage.

Some example of the activities during these 5 fantastic days:

28 of February: 10.00-13.00 pavilion 9 “ Navigar m’è dolce” sails to disposition of the young people in the ventilated swimming pool.

29 of February, 12.30-13.30 pav.1 : tracks from Antibes’s

festival .

1 of march, 10.30-11.00 pavilion 9 Nase and Greenpeace.

2 of March 11.00-11.30 convention about sea’s rights

3 of march 13.00-15.00 Exposition in swimming pool.

The New Rome Fair location is along on the highway to Fiumicino outside Rome, and  is certainly worth staying in Rome for a few days and  if you stay in our My Hotel Rome  by the Termini station it is in easy reach by train with Trenitalia, the journey is only 45 minutes and your stop will be "Fiera di Roma".

See all the Rome Fair Events in 2008.

The Rome Mamertine Prison is among the most ancient jails in Rome. It is mostly famous for the stay of the Apostles Peter and Paul and for its capital executions. The Mamertine Rome Prison was discovered during archeological searches within the area of the Oblati of Maria Vergine, which is an annexe to the church of San Giuseppe dei Falegnami (St John of the Carpenters).

The prison is also known as Carcer Tullianum and is located in a very central area of Rome next to the Capitole Square – Piazza Campidoglio -  and the famous Capitoline she-wolf, while you can also admire also the famous statue of the Emperor Marc Aurel refurbished recently– and near the Scale Gemonie and beneath the very church of San Giuseppe dei Falegnami.

The Mamertine Jail is divided in 2 levels and the deepest floor which is the Tullianium was built under the King Anco Marzio (VIII – VII centuries B.C) during archaic times. The Tullianum is a floor constructed with blocks set in a circular way. Due to its shape it was believed to be a fountain or a water tank.

The upper floor, better known as the Carcer (jail) was built only at a later stage, presumably in the VI century B.C under Rome King Servius Tullius (Servio Tullio). This level was made in a square shape with huge blocks the colour ochre and red.

Within the building’s pavement still exists a small stream of water, which has almost completely disappeared nowadays, and the story goes that the stream would be sufficient to fill up the Tullianum to be used as a well for the Capitoline Rome Hill during ancient times.

Both floors are connected thanks to a round shaped hole in the pavement between Carcer and Tullianum. An inscription on the walls of the holes says Consoli C Vibio Rufinio and Cocceiro Nerva, both supposed to have contributed in the building the monument during the first century AC.

Nowadays a modern staircase goes down from the Carcer to the Tullianum but in ancient times you could only enter by the circular hole joining the 2 levels.

Famous prisoners stayed there, such as the Apostles Paul and Peter with other followers, and legend goes that Peter miraculously made a water hen to appear and subsequently using it to convert and baptize the jail guards Processo and Martiniano who then were martyrs also at a later stage. The Apostles were not to be executed in the prison, but Peter was taken to the Vatican Hill, and Paul to the Acque Salvie now known better as the Abbazia delle Tre Fontane (the Three Fountains Abbaye). Nowadays in Rome the 29th june is the commemorative day of St Peter  and Paul, and is a  bank holiday and mostly religious celebrations take place.

Among other famous personalities who stayed in the prison and who were decapitated or strangled were the followers of Gaio Gracco, the King of the Numidia Giugurta and Senators Lentulo and Cetego.

 

How to get there : From My Hotel Rome, go to the Termini station and Take line B metro and get off at Colosseo (2 stops away) and walk down the Fori Imperiali  to the Mamertine Prison.