Lucci Hotel Rome Blog

After six years of incredible success, we will witness again  this summer famous Animated Nights on the Terraces of Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome from the 2nd July to the 24th August 2008. This event puts together on a stage different evening shows from 20:45 till 0:45 and gives opportunity to breath the fantastic atmosphere of one of the most beautiful sights of Rome.

Each night there will be 5 shows, which will be held 5  times in the bastions and courtyards with different schedules. 

This event, in collaboration with the  Special Supreme council  for the Roman Museum Pole  and with the patronage of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, aims to enliven the summer evenings of Romans and tourists of all ages, through a rich ladder of performances of folk and classical music, exhibitions of magicians, jesters, weapon masters, acrobats, puppeteers and exhibitions of gold jewelry crafts, like ‘The Jewels Made in Italy’. 

In addition to many spectacles and other shows

Castel Sant’Angelo, Rome

it will be possible to walk along the crenelated walls and  visit the courtyards, forts and loggias,  Historical Rooms, admire from the Terrace of Sant’Angelo the charming and intriguing show of Rome by night, enjoy this wonderful view  and the lights of  evening Rome. Something new in this edition will be from the overwhelming tango sensational acrobats to heart-touching and entertaining interactive theaters performances. On the occasion of the event ‘On the Terraces of Castel Sant’Angelo’ the Pontifical Prisons will have  extraordinary openning to the public in the evening with guided tours.

The shows taking place on the terraces are accessible also for people with disabilities, as there is an electric platform, connecting the various levels of the Castle.

More information on opening hours and scheduled performances can be found at: http://www.castelsantangelo.com or through the following contact numbers: +390690287455; +393925187760.

Do not miss this great Roman Summer appointment- book your stay in Rome and enjoy its marvelous evenings at one the most beautiful places of Eternal City!

George W Bush with the Pope at the Vatican

As a part of his farewell tour visits to major European countries, George W. Bush, incumbent president of the United States, has visited also Italy. His visit lasted two days from 11^th till 13^th June.

Air Force One, the plane that transports the  American president came  from Berlin and landed to Ciampino airport at 16:10 on the 11^th June 2008.

Bush stayed at his residence in Italy in Villa Taverna . 

When he came out from the doors of Boeing 747 with the colors white and blue, stars  on the tail, George W. Bush has greeted with waving  turned towards photographers and tv operators. Near by the  ladder of the aircraft there were present many officials to  greet the President, like an American ambassador in Rome- Ronald Empty P., with the ambassadors to the Vatican Mary Ann Glendon and to the Fao Rome, Gaddi Vasquez;

and from Italian part there were the ambassador in Washington, Giovanni Castellaneta and the head of the diplomatic Cerimoniale of the Republic, ambassador Leonardo Visconti di Modrone. For the secretariat of State of the Vatican, the greetings came from the nunzio apostolic, monsignor Peter Paul Prabhu, and from the head of the protocol, monsignor Fortunatus Nwachuwu. Bush had a few minutes chat and then he entered into  the special black armored limousine that that waited for him a few meters from  Air Force One.

A long corteo, escorted from  Italian and American security forses has left the airport of Ciampino and headed to the residence of the  US embassy in Parioli. Approximately half hour before the arrival presidential airplane, another one landed to Ciampino Airport, Boeing 757  that  follows the travel of the USA President in Europe. 

The President Bush has met Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, the President of Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano and the Pope during his stay in Italy.

Bush thanked and praised Italy, historical ally of the United States and current Italian Prime Minister is a good friend of his American collegue, for continuous efforts in the operation in Afghanistan, like the deployment of more then 2000 soldiers of the NATO-led mission in the country. Berlusconi is also believed to support the efforts of the United States within the United Nations Security Council to put more pressure on Iran in order to stop the nuclear programme, in order to enter into the Group of Five that deals with this issue, thus becoming the Group 5+1. Bush expressed his interest in consideration of this possibility.

As planned George Bush visited the Vatican, expressing his personal appraisal of the Pope Benedict XVI. He walked accompanied by the Pontefice in the Vatican gardens.

George Bush has also visited the Quirinal Palace, where he met Giorgio Napolitano, the President of Italian Republic. "Wonderful" was his comment when he saw the doors openning wide and showing him historical rooms of the Palace: il Salone dei Corazzieri and  la Cappella Paolina.

On the 13th June Bush has left Rome, continuing his farewell tour to France.

There are strong historical ties between Italy and the United States, which lie in political, economic, social and cultural interests of both nations. Hopefully, this will influence more on the growth of the tourist flows to Bel Paese from the American Continent.

The magic door.

If you take a walk to the Vittorio square (Piazza Vittorio) which is also well known for its morning market, it is possible to admire the remains of the magic door also called the “alchemic door”. Unfortunately nowadays only few pieces are preserved from what used to be a huge door, however the legend around the area is truly magic.

Vittorio square is situated in the heart of the Esquiline quarter, one of the oldest of the entire Rome close by the Termini station.

In ancient time it would be a rich area, one of the favourites from the well-to-do family of the imperial rome.

During the middle age the area degraded becoming a zone for common people. With the Renaissance and the Baroque époque the old aqueducts were been rediscover and the area had a new life.

It was during that period that marquee Palombara between 1655 and 1680 the alchemic door the only rest that we today have from the Palombara Villa.

The Esquiline Rione…then

Palombara marquee was an enigmatic and mysterious man. He was passionate in alchemy and it’s from this passion that the legend was born.

The legend says that one night he gave hospitality to a secret man friend of the ex queen of Sweden, Christine. This man was identified as Francesco Giustiniani Bono famous alchemist that was looking for a famous grace able to turn things into gold. He stayed in the overnight. The following morning he had disappeared, leaving behind some gold thread and some parchment with strange sentences and magic symbols.

Marquee Palombara built then the famous door with all the magical materials left by Boni.

On the front of the door is the Salomon seal and on the 2 sides there are 2 statues of Bes the god that preside the amusements .

All the writings take us back to older times and let us imagine all the trials and the studies that Massimiliano Palombara used to do in his “horti” (gardens). Palombara was also a member of the Rose Cross (not to mistake with the Red Cross !) which was a famous esoteric order.

Now put on your walking shoes and pack some fresh water, and just go see this very special door. Stand in front of the door and wait: If you want it hard enough you may disappear and find yourself in a parallel world.

The Door and the Esquiline Market of Piazza Vittorio Rome are absolutely central.

Directions:

On foot, it is only 5 minutes away from your Termini station  My Hotel Rome Hotel.

By public transport : Take metro Line A, from Termini and get off at the next stop Vittorio Emanuele.

Festa della Repubblica 2007

As France celebrates on the 14th July 14 the overtaking of the Bastille, the United States on the 4th July 4 its Independence Day,  Italy’s National Day comes on the 2nd June.
On this day the Italians remember the institutional referendum, hold on the 2nd and the 3rd June, 1946 according to which they were called to choose the future form of government in ballot- Republic or Monarchy.
The Monarchy preferences received 10,719,284 votes, against 12,717,923 votes in favour of the Italian Republic!  This way the Italian Republic was born 62 years ago.
Very much suffered this victory received a support from the Centre-North of a good 63%, while  in the South Monarchy supporters got 67% of the votes.
The vote of Ravenna, "the most Republican city"  was of 91.2%  was in contrast with the 85, 4%  support for monarchy in the city of Messina.  
There were, of course, the consequences on a national scale  of the defeat of monarchy, such as the exile of kings of the House of Savoy, who came back to Italy only in 2003, after 57 years of exile.
Important achievement on this occasion was the first electoral true universal suffrage: women finally went to the polls.
In June 1948 the Street of Fori Imperiali in Rome held a first military parade in honour of the Republic.
In 1961, on the occasion of the centenary anniversary of Italian Unification the celebrations also took place in Turin and Florence, the first capital of United Italy.
Even today, the  Day of the Republic  has important symbolic ceremonies, such as the deposition of a crown of laurel to the Unknown Soldier at the Altar of the Fatherland in Rome (the Victorian Complex) and a military parade on the Fori Imperiali in the presence of the highest officials of state. 
The gardens of the Quirinal Palace, where resides the President of the Republic, are open to the public in the afternoon.

The day of June 2 recently has also become the National Sports Day.
The Day of the Republic is also an opportunity to learn about  the national symbols of Italy.
The emblem of the Republic, for example, consists of three elements: the star, the gear wheel, and olive branch on the left and an oak on the right.
The star has always been one of the emblems of Italy, already nell’iconography of the Renaissance. The symbol of the star indicates, among other things, the belonging to the Armed Forces of country.
The wheel toothed steel is a symbol of labour and translates the first article in the Constitutional Charter: "Italy is a Democratic Republic founded on labour".
Let us discuss the branches of the emblem, rarely the centre of the attention.
We see two different types of trees that grow in Italy.
The olive branch symbolizes the desire for peace of the nation, both internal and international, while the oak embodies the strength and dignity of the Italian people.
Of the Tricolore, Italian flag, we can remind that, as the national flag, it was born in Reggio Emilia on the 7th January  1797, under the Cispadana Republic.
The shape of three vertical bands was inspired by the French republican model of 1790, precisely when the  regiments of the Lombard Legion  fought side by side with the Napoleon’s troops had the white, red and green, strong regional roots: white and red, are in the municipal emblem of Milan (red cross on a white field), while Green was the color of the uniforms of Milan’s Civic guards.
Under the Kingdom of Italy  the white emblem was added to the royal crown.
The emblem, but at this time that of the Republic, stands up as a banner, designed for the President of the Republic.

From May 23rd to June 08th the CinaviCina Festival is taking place in one of the  most fascinating city: Rome and the exhibits of art and culture and traditional performances of the world’s most populous country will be even hosted in one of the Renzo Piano ‘s pearl of architecture, the Auditorium Parco della Musica.

AUDITORIUM

The Auditorium’s construction began in September 1995. At north of Parioli District and at East from Flaminio District and just at south from the Olympic Village, the location was accurately chosen to foster a new dignity in this area. This intent is also underlined by the concept that this building wants to represent as both source of attraction and as source for everyday local use.

The Auditorium has three Music Halls named after Santa Cecilia, Petrassi and Sinopoli, which are immersed in a large park with trees with an impressive theatrical cavea, facing the Olympic Village.

THE IDEA

The CinaviCina Festival is jointly produced by the Fondazione Musica for Rome and the Centre of International Cultural Exchange, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China. The Fondazione Musica worked on this project for two years, trying to take the most of the Chinese culture, individuating the most preminent rapresentatives in all the creative fields: from traditional songs and dances to the theatre and the cinema, to cuisine, massage and kung fu. The Festival ‘s name takes origin from the movie of the Italian director Marco Bellocchio entitled “La Cina è vicina” (China is close), screened at the Venice Festival of the Cinema in 1967. Never as before China is felt “close” to Europeans like today, not only as a commercial partner and/or opponent as in first instance it has been for decades but even as a cultural identity with its own history and costumes.  This Festival wants to enlarge the cultural vision of China in Europe and help the intercultural exchange. Dialogue and knowledge can only strengthen the al comprehension of two civilisations that are so distant in many different ways. Highly appreciated by the Chinese Embassy in Italy, Sun Yuxi, who highlighted the importance for the relation among Italy and China.

PERFORMANCES

The Festival covers different kind of exhibitions and displays. We will be fascinated from the beginning and get to the mood with the Dongguan Shipai Lion Dancing Troupe, which opens the event and “Sticks” is the dance show of the Guandong Modern Dance Company. with Kung Fu will be the main key in the spectacle of the Gongfu MonkGroup of the Shoalin Temple (June 1^st and 2^nd), the Changqing Acrobatic Troupe will stun viewers with amazing acrobatic routines (May 28^th – 29^th). About music we will pass through the Mongolia Chorus accompanied by local instruments thanks to the Mongolia Youth Chorus and the Butterfly girls Band (June 07^th and 8^th) until the modern music exhibitions of the eminent composer Guo Wenjing (May 23^rd – 24^th).

If you plan to visit Italy during this period, and maybe are looking forward into opening an enterprise with Chinese counterparts, then do not hesitate to participate in this unforgettable initiative. Book you stay in one of the stylish hotels in Rome-YES HOTEL, from which you will easily reach Auditorium.

And, yes, China is near, China is here, in Rome.