Lucci Hotel Rome Blog

Our Blogger: Diana

There is a grandeur in this view of life,

In which endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful,

Have been, and are being, evolved.

Two hundred years after the birth of Darwin, Palazzo Esposizioni in Rome celebrates this outstanding figure depicting a picture of a man in wonder.

The exhibition, based on a previous one organized in New York by the American Museum of Natural History, will guide visitors not only throughout the theories but even along the entire life of the “father of the evolutionism”, trying to recollect his historical and personal background.

The world before Darwin

Darwin introduced dynamism in a world that was then conceived as static and unchanged since its creation. There was no link between the species and human beings were not included in the natural world. Earth itself was thought to be much younger (around 6,000 years old). This idea of the world was the reflection of how people lived at that time. Just think that people never travelled or rarely left the city where they were born and children were to live the same lives of their parents.

  From a bored student to an enthusiastic naturalist

Born in 1809 in the rural England as a son of a doctor (and then clergyman), Darwin was an indifferent student. But despite his dislike for school, he was always eager to observe the natural world and was enthusiast about chemistry, biology and botany. His life changed completely in 1831, when he accepted the invitation to take part to a voyage around the world which brought him to the coasts of South America and the South Pacific.

After 5 years abroad, he went back to London now as an established naturalist, due to the prestige that granted him the astonishing collections he had sent ahead.

The development of the theory came out gradually soon after, but only in 1842 he produced his legendary work, the Origin of Species.

Palazzo delle Esposizioni
Via Nazionale 194 – 00184 Roma

Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays: from 10 am till 8 pm
Fridays and Saturdays: from 10 am till 10:30 pm
Mondays: closed
full price € 12,50 – reduced price € 10,00

How to reach the museum
Underground line A (stop Repubblica)
Underground line B (stop Cavour)
Bus: 64-70-71-116T-117-170-640-H
(stop Nazionale/Palazzo Esposizioni)

The palazzo delle esposizioni is located near the Termini station, a great area to look for accomodation due to the abundance of shops, activities and the convenience of staying near the main hotspot for transportation in Rome, and in that area Yes Hotel and Hotel des Artistes are unbeatlable options!

Our Bogger: Diana

From February, Rome is the stage of dance festivals: Festival Equilibrio and Festival Fuga.Two events with one aim: to spread the word about this magical form of art.

Festival Equilibrio is pointing at the exhibition of outstanding newly come dancers from all over the world like Spain, Portugal, Austria, France, Hungary, China. Impressive is the variety of expression between the choreographies: from the pure abstract and spiritual dance of the Chinese Shen Wei to the fusion between theatre and dance created by the Arab-Israeli duo Guy & Roni.

From a selection of ten dancers, the winner will be chosen on the evenings of February 20^th and 21^st where even the audience is invited to take part.

The Accademia Nazionale di Danza, the school founded in Rome by Jia Ruskaia in 1948 to train dance teachers, is proposing March 21st-28th and April 4^th the “Crashing Test”: young choreographers and musicians will test the taste (harsh play on words) of the spectators, craving for applauses on stage.

On the other hand, the Piccolo Festival di Fuga proposes a more articulated program. Besides live exhibitions, specialized books will be presented along with interviews with the most interesting names of the dance scene.

 The Auditorium Parco della Musica of Rome, the venue where the Festival Equilibrium will take place is located on Viale Pietro de Coubertin, near the Palazzetto dello Sport, off Viale Tiziano.

The Auditorium Parco della Musica is in the Flaminio district of Rome, by the Villaggio Olimpico and can be easily reached by public transport:
Bus Routes

• 910, from Termini Station and Piazza Mancini
• 53, from Piazza Mancini and Piazza San Silvestro
• 217, from Viale XVII Olimpiade and Termini Station
• 231, from Piazza Mancini and Piazzale Canestre (in Villa Borghese park). Only weekends
• Linea “M”, special bus route between Termini station and Viale Pietro de Coubertin Auditorium stop. From 17h00 – every 15 mins. Last bus from the Auditorium departs at the end of last event.

Tram routes

• 2, from Piazzale Flaminio and Piazza Mancini

Trains

• Metro A line to the Flaminio stop then no.2 tram
• Or the Ferrovia Roma-Nord train to the Piazza Euclide stop

By car

• From the G.R.A. (ring-road around Rome) take the Flaminio Saxa Rubra exit towards Corso di Francia
• Or from the Lungotevere Flaminio turn off into Viale Tiziano and then again at the
• Palazzetto dello Sport (covered sport complex)

Guy & Roni in action

As for the Piccolo Festival of fuga, it will take place on the Ruskaja Theatre, conveniently located near the subway station Circo Massimo.

To enjoy these and many other stimulating activities the eternal city has to offer don’t hesitate to make a booking at Yes Hotel or Hotel Des Artistes!

Our Blogger: Raul

A book makes a great travel partner. It can make you relax easily while on an otherwise tedious train or plane trip or it can help you to deepen your knowledge about the places you are about to see. Reading is also a great thing to do in your quiet moments, when you are alone at your hotel  or just sit down to take a breath after a long day spent admiring the many monuments  of the eternal city.

If you happen to need a book in Rome there are a couple of places that are useful to keep in mind. One of them is Borri Books, strategically located at Termini station. This big bookshop boasts a wide selection of books in English, French, Spanish, German and Russian besides the more obvious books in Italian. There’s also an interesting section of tourist guides that you might like to peek at, either to buy one of them or just to pick up a couple of useful tips for your trip

Another great place to find books in English (or in the most wide-spread foreign languages) is Feltrinelli International, the spin-off of the Feltrinelli bookshops – dedicated entirely to non-italian books. Here you’ll have more options to chose from with the bonus of a DVD section that will be more than helpful if reading is not your cup of tea and if you have your laptop or DVD player with you.

If you feel like moving away from the Termini area, or just happen to be near the Spanish Steps  don’t miss the Anglo-american Bookshop, probably the mother of all English bookshops in English in Rome. Here you’ll find everything ranging from the most recent and celebrated novels to travel guides and language courses made for English speakers.

Besides all this, at most newsstands at Termini Station you’ll find newspapers and magazines in English, so you won’t miss a beat of what’s going on at home, even while you are on vacation. With so many options to shop easily available the Termini area is an intelligent choice to find accommodation, and in this area you won’t find better options than Hotel Des Artistes  and Yes Hotel.

Where they are:

Borri Books, Inside Termini Station

Feltrinelli International, Via Emmanuele Orlando 84, Near Repubblica station, on the red subway line.

Angloamerican Bookshop, Via delle vite 102, Near Spagna station, on the red subway line.