Click any of the links below to jump directly to that section
Events l Classical Music l Popular Music l Dance & Opera l Tickets l Art l Getaways
l Did you know?
Join us at www.inromenow.com for a complete calendar of Rome's concerts, shows, events and films in English, the daily and weekly weather forecasts, the rate of exchange and our extensive listings of shops, restaurants and hotels.
June's Hot Tickets
Estate Romana: The 30th Anniversary Season
This month's Rome's cultural season comes to an end, and its summer festival, the Estate Romana, dances in to take its place as the eternal city moves outdoors. The Estate Romana festival celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, with events all over town. The festival officially begins June 14, though the events are staggered so that many concert, dance and theater series won't begin until July.
Events tend to be announced last minute, so we'll be updating you with our special Estate Romana guide, which will link from the homepage throughout the festival. Some highlights that we can tell you about now are included in this newsletter, and we'll include more news next month.
On the banks of the Tiber
We love the fair that is set up each year along the banks of the Tiber from Ponte Rotto to Ponte Mazzini in the Trastevere district. It ruins things for those who use the bike path, but it's such much fun to go down to the river at night, have a beer at one of the tables, enjoy a light meal with a great view, browse through the tents full of artisan goods, gift items and such, or take in a movie in the open air on the Isola Tiberina. This year's plans call for three restaurants and as well as stages where live music and theater will be performed, and dancing from tango to ballroom to butt wiggling can be enjoyed by all. A special event takes place on the night of the summer solstice from dusk to dawn, with candles lining the river, music and art events.
100 Sails
A sailing regatta and competition departing from sailing "villages" set up for the occasion at Castel Sant'Angelo on the banks of the tiber and at the port city of Ostia.
The regatta sails on Saturday, June 23, while the coastal race and awards ceremonies take place on Sunday, June 24.
tel 06 561 1428
TramBelCanto
A vintage 1920s tram car has been decked out and put into service for a special summer tour of Rome by night, complete with singers on board offering arias, local Lazio wines and dinner and the added bonus of a tour of the Coliseum by night. The three-hour journey leaves from Porto Maggiore on Saturdays at 9 pm
June 23, July 7, July 14, July 21
€80 tel 06 853 01758
Villaggio Incontro: At the EUR Laghetto
An outdoor concert series at the artificial lake in the Eur district (via Cristoforo Colombo at the Parco delle Cascate).
Italian trio Verdena June 8
Italian pop star Luca Carboni June 10
German group Gentleman and the Far East Band, June 12
The Cult, English Rock Band June 14
Regga dj Rodigan and One Love Hi pawa June 17
Badly Drawn Boy from Manchester, England June 21
Milanese eighties band Elio e le Storie Tese June 22
www.laghettolive.itVilla Adriano-Tivoli
Out of town, on the site of the amphitheater built by the Emperor Hadrian at his villa in Tivoli, a festival of dance.
Dionisiache
Giorgio Barberio Corsetti, inspired by the classic epic poem of Nonno di Panopo, this is the sequel to the work Corsetti presented last year, "Dioniso nato tre volte". Musicians, actors, acrobats and dancers tell the story of Dionysius, Roman god of wine and theater, as he travels through the world with his entourage of nymphs, ferocious beasts, satyrs and young men.
June 21-24
Cruda, vuelta y vuelta, al punto, chamuscada
The title refers to the various ways of cooking meat: rare, medium, well-done, but it is also a popular expression in Argentina referring to a carnival in the Murgero quarter of Buenos Aires. Rodrigo Garcia, calls on childhood memories to create a dance performance with the music of the street, incorporating a kind of social protest.
June 29-30
Castel Sant'Angelo
There are few views in the world more breathtaking than those from the terraces of the Castel Sant'Angelo. On summer nights, they're open for eating a meal, having a drink or a gelato. There are sales and exhibitions of "made in Italy" foods and gold jewelry clowns, games and puppets, folk music and cabaret.
June 27-August 26Villa Ada
Roma Incontra il Mondo (Rome Meets the World)
The Villa Ada, on Rome's northern edge, is surrounded by a big park with beautiful paths, a lake and a sylvan atmosphere. As always, this summer's festival features and eclectic mix of ethnic and folk music from all over the world.
June 14- August 5. Park opens at 8 pm. Concerts begin at 10 pm. www.villaada.org
Villa Celemontana Jazz Festival
The longest jazz festival in Europe, the event combines concerts with art exhibitions at a historic villa surrounded by gardens. The best-known players in Italian jazz, plus some international acts and a few big names.
Stefano di Battista June 18
Batuque Percussion June 19
Rita Marcotulli, Palle Danielsson, Peter Erskine June 20
Marco Strano June 21
Incognito June 22
Jazz Sardo June 24-25
Roberto Gatto Quartet June 26
Danilo Rea, Renato Sellani June 27
Claudia Marss & Effetto Musica 5set Palavras de Amor June 28
Jeremy Pelt Quartet June 29-30
http://www.villacelimontanajazz.com
Teatro alle Terme di Caracalla
Arrivederci Roma
The season of summer concerts at the Baths of Caracalla opens with a concert celebrating 50 years of Italian hit songs performed by Vincenzo La Scola, Lucio Dalla, Giuditta Saltarini, Cesare Ranucci with Marco Boemi conducting the orchestra of the Teatro dell'Opera.
June 28, 9 pm
Books: Rome's Festival of Literature
Held against the magnificent background of the Basilica di Massenzia near the Coliseum, the programs include readings by the authors in the original language, by Italian actors in translation, and musical interludes. Among the English language authors:
E.L. Doctorow, one of the most important American writers, shares a program with Italian author Roberto Calasso.
Tuesday, June 12.
Scott Trurow, American author. Tuesday, June 18
Vikram Chandra, Indian author with Neapolitan writer Roberto Saviano in an evening that includes video projections. Tuesday, June 21.
Admission is free but you should get there when the ticket booth opens at seven pm (two hours in advance of the program) to make sure you have a seat. At via dei Fori Imperiali, just near the Coliseum.
Music
Chamber Music
Vinicio Capossela, tenor and Mario Brunello, cello
"Fuggite amanti, Amor " Rhymes and Lamentation by Michelangelo
Parco della Musica, Auditorium, Sala Santa Cecilia
Thursday, June 7, 10 pm
Symphonic Concerts
Orquesta Sinfónica de Barcelona
conducted Ernest Martínez Izquierdo with cellist Miša Maiskij and mezzo soprano Marina Rodriguez Cusì
Dvorák: Concerto in B minor for cello and orchestra op. 104
Ginastera: Estancia, suite for orchestra op. 8a
Montsalvatge: Cinco canciones negras, for mezzosoprano and orchestra
Falla: El sombrero de tres picos: suite n. 2
Parco della Musica, Auditorium Sala Santa Cecilia
Monday, June 4, 9 pm; Tuesday, June 5, 7:30 pm; Wednesday, June 6, 9 pmOrchestra Sinfonica di Roma
All concerts at the Auditorium Conciliazione, Via della Conciliazione (near the Vatican)Milan Turkovic conductor/Gianmarco Casani clarinet/Giuseppe Ciabocchi, bassoon
Weber:Der Freischütz overture op. 77
Strauss: Concertino
Tchaikovsky: Symphony N. 5 in E minor op. 64
Sunday-Monday, June 3-4
Orchestra Roma Sinfonietta
At the Auditorium Conciliazione, Via della Conciliazione (near the Vatican)
Francesco Lanzillotta, conductor
Bizet/ Schedrin: Carmen suite, for percussion and string orchestra
Shostakovic: Symphony for string orchestra op. 110
Tuesday, June 5, 9 pm
Popular, Jazz and World MusicAuditorium Parco della Musica viale del Coubertin (Flaminio)
40 Years of Sergeant Pepper
A celebration of the the album that changed the course of music, with a show of photographs of the Beatles by Harry Benson, shot between 1964 and 1966, a gallery of Sgt. Pepper memorabilia, a concert by Beatles cover band AppLE PIES, the film, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band“, shot in1978; and “Ode al Sergente Pepe”, inspried by the album written and performed by Jovanotti for director/photographer Oliviero Toscani, and finally, a gala concert with famous Italian musicians covering song from the album: Raf, Alex Britti, Francesco Renga, Cesare Cremonini, Max Gazzè, Paola Turci, Marina Rei, Velvet, Giampaolo Ascolese & Isoritmo, Eugenio Finardi, Nicky Nicolai and Stefano Di Battista.
Friday, June 1, beginning at 5 pm in Sala Petrassi (€2) Concert begins at 8:30 pm in Sala Santa Cecilia (€5).
John Zorn "Complete Masada"
The saxophonist and composer Zorn plays with various artists in a three day mini-festival. An exponent of New York's downtown music movement, Zorn is inspired as much by jazz musicians such as Ornette Coleman as he is by avant garde composers such as John Cage and Harry Partch.
June 26: Erik Friedlander, Jamie Saft Trio, Bar Kokhba
June 27: Asmodeus, Mark Feldman/Sylvie Courvoiser, Masada Quartet
June 28: Uri Caine, Masada String Trio, Electric Masada
Laura Anderson's Homeland
June 22
Stadio Olimpico
Renato Zero June 2-3
Iron Maiden, Lauren Harris, Machine Head, Mastadon, Motorhead June 20
Vasco Rossi June 27
Palolottomatica Piazza dello Sport (Eur)
The Chemical Brothers June 16Click any of the links below to jump directly to that section
Events l Classical Music l Popular Music l Dance & Opera l Tickets l Art l Getaways
l Did you know?
California Suite
The Neil Simon comedy, presented by the Rome Savoyards, under the direction of Sandra Provost.
Teatro San Genesio, Via Podgora, near Viale Mazzini
Thursday-Friday, June 14-15, 8:30 pm; Saturday-Sunday, June 16-17, 5:30 pm
Tickets from cast and at the door €12 tel 347 824 8661 or 339 133 9891 email: playsinrome@yahoo.com
The Miracle Players: Ceasar-More Than Just a Salad
The comedy group reprises one of their most popular productions in which they take the complicated story of Caesar’s rise and demise and have turned it into forty minutes of comic mayhem. Written by Denise McNee, based on the words of the classical Roman authors such as Suetonius, Cassius Dio, Cicero , Ceasar himself, and of course, Shakespeare. Performed against the backdrop of the ancient Roman Forum, Wirth Frances Nacman, DyanneWhite, Rob Allyn, Eric Massanesi, Denise McNee.
At the Foro Romana, Tuesdays and Fridays, 7:30 pm; June 22-August 10. tel 06 703 93427 www.miracleplayers.orgTeatro dell'Opera
Puccini: Manon Lescaut
Conducted by Donato Renzetti, directed by Giuseppe Giuliano, with an alternating cast headed by soprano Adina Nitescu in the title role, and tenor Dario Volonté.
Friday, June 15, 8:30 pm; Saturday, June 16, 6 pm; Sunday, June 17, 5 pm; Tuesday, June 19, 8:30 pm; Wednesday, June 20, 8:30 pm; Thursday, June 21, 8:30 pm; Saturday, June 23, 6 pmAuditorium, Parco della Musica
Rossini: Il Signor Bruschino
Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia , conducted by Carlo Rizzari, directed by Daniele Abbado, with Guido Levi, Bruno De Simone, Lorenzo Regazzo and Giovana Donadini
Parco della Musica, Auditorium, Sala Petrassi
Monday, June 18 9 pm; Wednesday, June 20, 9 pm; Thursday, June 21, 9 pm
Auditorium della Conciliazione
Verdi: Rigoletto
Starring Renato Bruson as Rigoletto, with Anita Selvaggio as Gilda, Hernandez Albelo as the Duke of Mantua.
Nuovo Coro Lirico Sinfonica Romano, and the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, Francesco La Vecchia, conductor.
June 9, June 11
Teatro Nazionale
Pietra alla Diaspora
A new work commissioned by the Ravenna Festival in association with the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. Music by Adriano Guarnieri with text based on the Apocalisse di San Giovanni Apostolo. Starring Antonella Ruggiero.
Sunday, June 10, 8:30 pm; Tuesday, June 12, 8:30 pm
Ticket Information
For tickets to concerts at the Auditorium, Parco della Musica, call 199 109 783
For tickets to the Teatro dell'Opera, call 06 48 16 02 55
For tickets to the Terme di Caracalla call 06 48 16 02 55
For tickets to the Auditorium della Conciliazione, call
For tickets to the Teatro Olimpico call 06 32 65 9910
For tickets to the Teatro Sistina call 06 420 0711
For tickets to the Teatro Nazionale call 06 481 601
For tickets to the Palladium call 06 570 67761
For the Palottomatica call 06 540 90231
For Villa Adriana, Tivoli, call 199 109 783
Click any of the links below to jump directly to that section
Classical Music l Popular Music l Dance & Opera l Tickets l Art l Getaways l Did you know?
Il Fregio di Giulio Aristide Sartorio
Through the ages, great works of art were not only commissioned for grand private palaces, museums and churches but also for government halls and the like. Using as a major theme, the battle at Gibraltar between British and Spanish troops, Guilio Aristide Sartorio (1860 – 1932) created an iconographic 50 panel painting, Il Fregio, incarnating a transitional moment in Italian history. This dramatic work depicts a new and triumphant Italy at the beginning of the 20th century, as the nation experienced its first decades of unification. Sartorio was a pioneer in the new media of photography and cinema. He was known as an advocate of industrial progress, fascinated with the developments that gave birth to these new technologies. This work brings together the confluences of late 19th century and 20th century artistic styles. The public is invited to view 21 recently restored panels of Il Fregio, (the Frieze), measuring 3,75 x 105 meters in the Aula della Camera dei Deputati in the Aula della Camera dei Deputati. Sartorio worked on the project from 1908 – 1912.
Palazzo Montecitorio, Sala della Regina Piazza di Montecitorio
Monday – Friday 10 am – 8 pm, Saturday 9:30 am – 1 pm; through July 20 tel 06 67606 996Le Maioliche di Castelli
From the 16th to the 18th century, the czars of Russia amassed a formidable collection of Italian ceramics from the Castelli (Teramo) in the Abruzzo region. This exhibition of 77 pieces, includes vases, plates, goblets and tiles. The artists represented— Pompeo di Bernamonte, Orazio Pompei, Franceso and Carlantonio Grue, Nicola Cappelletti and Carmine Gentile—cover the spectrum of the painting styles adopted in the Castelli during this period.
Palazzo Venezia Via Del Plebiscito 118 (Piazza Venezia)
Tuesday – Friday, 9 am – 7 pm; through July 8 tel 06 6999 4319MACRO: Atelier Van Lieshout
Beginning this spring and continuing through December, much of Macro’s exhibition space will be transformed into Atelier Van Lieshout’s Technocrat, a site specific installation of large machines that recycle organic materials. Atelier Van Lieshout is an internationally known multidisciplinary company producing contemporary art projects, design and architectural projects. Founded in 1995 by artist Joep van Lieshout with the aim of emphasizing teamwork rather than a sole artistic effort, the group’s installations range from mobile homes, bathrooms, kitchen units, to sculptures and functional art works, mostly executed in brightly- colored polyester.
MACRO – Museo D’Arte Contemporanea Di Roma Via Reggio Emilia 54
Tuesday – Sunday 9am – 7pm; through December 30
Ghada Amer
Also featured at MACRO, works on canvas, paper, and an installation employing weaving techniques by Egyptian artist, Ghada Amer. And...
Paolo Canevari - Nothing from Nothing
In his first solo exhibition at MACRO, Canevari presents a new series of works on paper, video and sculptural installation. Canevari’s work has been included in several group exhibitions in Europe, mostly concerned with the impact of new cultural conditions in the visual arts. His work is also included in the MACRO exhibition “Into Me / Out of Me."
through September 30Holland – Italy
Ten architects, five of them Dutch and five Italian, present architectural projects that concentrate on developments in design in Holland and Italy among the last generation of architects. Joint collaboration on this project is intended to create a platform for comparison and an exchange of architectural ideas, offering students and an interested public an opportunity to view two diverse schools and their approaches.
MAXXI - Museo delle Arti Del XXI Secolo, Via Guido Reni 6 (Flaminio)
through July 1 tel 06 321 0181Simbolismo Da Moreau a Gauguin a Klimt
(Symbolism From Moreau to Gauguin to Klimt)
A chronological survey of Symbolism and the artists who played pivotal roles in that movement, the exhibition is thematically arranged, beginning with works that mark the movement’s early development. The first phase is introduced by the precursors to the movement and includes Bocklin’s mysterious landscapes, loaded with classical references plus works by others artists in the same timeline: Puvis de Chavannes, Rops and Moreau. The second phase features works by Redon, Gauguin, Khropff and Klinger, while the third follows through to WWI, featuring works by Italian artists Segantini, Previati and Pellizza and the Viennese secessionists Klimt, Moser, List, and Hodler.
GNAM Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna Viale delle Belle Arti 131, June 6 through September 16 tel 06 32 29 81Goffredo Parise e gli artisti
(Goffredo Parise and the Artists)
This exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Goffredo Parise (born in Vicenza,1929), the audacious writer who entertained the art world with his musings over italian contemporary artists and their work. The show host works from the National Gallery’s permanent collection of 20th century Italian artists ranging from Balla and De Pisis to Guttuso to Schiffano, Ceroli and the Transvanguardia, all subjects of Parise’s writings
GNAM Galleria Nazionale d’ Arte Moderna Viale delle Belle Arti 131,
June 27 through September 2 tel 06 32 29 81Animal Cracking Art
Artists Omar Ronda, William Sweetlove, Renzo Nucra, Marco Veronese, Alex Angl, Carlo Pizzetti, Kikko introduce their latest environmental art project uses a technical process that transforms organic into synthetic – petroleum into plastic. The results are a selection of 100 works based on nature themes created from recycled materials.
Chiostro Del Bramante Via Della Pace 10am –8pm Closed Mondays; June 19 through July 29 tel 06 688 09035George Grosz- Between Vision and Reality: The Theatrical and Political Works
The German artist George Grosz (Berlin 1893 – 1959), was known for combining artistic styles — Cubism, Futurism, then German Dadism and Expressionism. Grosz was a member of the Bauhaus Group and is often associated with revolutionary artists Max Beckmann and Otto Dix. This retrospective exhibition, which is the first major showing of Grosz’ work in Italy, compirises two hundred pieces in drawing, water color, caricature, illustrations and oils, tracing the artist's thematic development from 1910 to 1959.
L’Académiè de France, Villa Medici Viale Trinità dei Monti, 1 (above Piazza di Spagna)
Tuesday – Sunday 11 am – 7 pm; through July 15 €8 tel 06 67 611
Charles Ruffret
A retrospective exhibition dedicated to the French sculptor Ruffret (1929 –2001), who is little known outside France, includes twenty works in sculpture and thirty drawings and sketches.
Atelier del Bosco - L’Académiè de France – Villa Medici Viale Trinità dei Monti,1
Tuesday – Sunday 11 am – 7 pm; through July 15 €7
L’Arte Italiana del Cinquecento e del Seicento (Italian Art of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries)
Three important economic entities — European Exhibit of Tourism, Artmanship, and Cultural Traditions — celebrate a common 26th anniversary with this show. Many of the works are on loan from the Banking Group of Monte dei Paschi di Siena and the Interior Ministry’s Fondo Edifici di Culto. The selection includes works by Palma il Giovane, Sodoma, Brescianino, Correggio, Giulio Romano, Domenico Beccafumi, Raffaello Vanni and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. A special section is dedicated to stolen or lost works recovered by Italian law enforcement agencies, while another space is dedicated to travel concessions and production from local and regional municipalities.
Castel Sant’Angelo, Lungotevere di Castello, 50 tel 06 37 24 121Jeu de l'Hombre (lo sviluppo delle virtù cortesi)
The Museo Napoleonico, dedicated to Napoleon and the Bonaparte family, houses paintings, sculpture, jewelry, court vestments and objets d’arte. In an unprecedented move, a group of Italian artists have been commissioned to create works representative of that era, meant to take inspiration from a card game known as “Jeu de l’hombre," which was given to Napoleon by an English nobleman. Napoleon played the game during his exile on the island of Elba (off the coast of Tuscany). The exhibition is organized under the patronage of GAI, an association founded in 1989 to support emerging artists. Works have been commissioned works from the Arash Radpour, PH.ON (Dario D’Aronco/Roberto Gammone), Marco Fedele di Catrano and Jessica Iapino.
Museo Napoleonico, Piazza Di Ponte Umberto I (near Piazza Navona)
Tuesday – Sunday, 9 am – 7 pm; through June 11Karl Bohrmann - Drawings
The German Academy, Rome presents the works of painter and draughtsman, Karl Bohrmann (1928 –1998).
More than forty drawings created by Bohmann from 1992-1998 emcompass a range of subject matter, from chairs, tables, windows and containers to trees, women and environments. Works in the exhibition are on loan from Altana Kulturstiftung and Staatliche Graphische Sammlung Munchen.
Accademia Tedesca di Roma, Villa Massimo Largo di Villa Massimo, 1-2 (Nomentana)
Monday – Thursday 9am – 1pm, 2 – 5pm; Friday 9am – 1pm; through June 28 tel (39) 06 44 25 93 40Marc Chagall
180 works on canvas explore the life and travels of an artist who used memory as a conduit through which he developed a unique artistic language.
Complesso Vittoriano, Via San Pietro in Carcere (Piazza Venezia) through July 1“Dürer e L’Italia (Durer and Italy)
This exhibition focuses on the artistic exchange between Dürer and Italian artists such as Mantegna, Leonardo, Bellini, and Pollaiolo and the influence his work had on the generation of artists that followed, such as Raphael, Pontormo, Carracci, Caravagggio and others.
Scuderie del Quirinale Via XXIV Maggio 16 through June 10I Profumi di Afrodite e il Segreto dell’olio: Archeological discoveries from Cypress
More than 100 finds of amphora vases, brocche, thuribles, brass works, ceramics, stone, glass and alabaster unfold the secrets of ancient life in Cypress.
Musei Capitolini, Palazzo Caffarelli, Piazza del Campodoglio 1, through September 2SHOWS AT LAKE BRACCIANO
Picasso –La Carmen
An exhibition of 38 engravings representing theatrical characters from the Prosper Mèrimèe novella, “Carmen” (1845), which later became an opera with music by Bizet. Picasso’s etchings were first published by the Bibliothéque Francaise in 1949. 320 copies were printed by the Atelier of Roger Lacouriére.
Museo Civico Etrusco-Romano Palazzo Comunale Trevignano Romano, through June 30thGianfranco Notargiacomo – Sintetico
Gianfranco Notargiacomo (Rome 1945) A retrospective exhibition of works by painter and sculpture Gianfranco Notargiacomo (Rome 1945). Notargiacomo is among the artists who returned to the prevailing painting style of the 1970s in Italy.
Scuderie Aldobrandini, Piazza Guglielmo Marconi 6 Tuesday – Friday 10am –6pm, Saturday, Sunday 10am–7pm; through July 1 tel 06 941 7195
MUSEUMS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Rome has a plethora of museums. The vast majority of Italy's cultural heritage is housed and displayed here. Over the course of a short visit, or even a long residency, it's almost impossible to see them all. Here are two museums, you may have missed. Both are located in the midst of the city's major attractions and well worth the time.Doria Pamphilj Gallery
Located on the piano nobile of the great Palazzo Doria Pamhilj, this museum houses one of the city’s most superb private collections of Byzantine, Medieval, 15th and 18th century art, comprised of 400 works in sculpture, painting and furnishings. The beautifully frescoed ceilings by late Baroque artists Crescenzio Onofri, Aureliano Milani and Stefano Pozzi adorn state rooms only recently opened to the public. Most of the collection is showcased in four galleries with gilded and painted ceilings that encircle the inner courtyard of the building. A separate suite houses the Byzantine and Medieval collections. Masterpieces on view include Spanish painter Velazquez’ portrait of Pope Innocent the X (1644-1655) and works by great painters and sculptors such as Titian, Lorenzo Lotto, Annibale Carracci, Caravaggio, Algardi, Bernini, Gentileschi, Guercino, LanFranco, Domenichino and Brughel the Elder. The palazzo’s mix of architectural styles is indicative of Rome’s artistic and cultural layering. As the palazzo changed hands, and with successive generations, architectural styles were altered to suit taste and status. Each new owner had a need to leave traces of his heraldry. The first re-construction of Gallery Pamphilj dates from the Renaissance (1435), while the last addition was designed by Gabriele Valvassori from 1731-35. The building’s walls line Via del Corso for the length of at least two city blocks.
Piazza del Collegio Romano 2
Open Friday-Wednesday, 10 am – 5 pm; closed Thursday €7,30 – 5,70 tel 06 679 7323 or 06 679 4365Palazzo Spada
Originally built in 1540 for Cardinal Girolamo Capo di Ferro, the palazzo is one of Rome’s most splendid examples of High Renaissance architecture. Almost a century later, the building was purchased by Cardinal Bernadino Spada, and in 1927, it was aquired by the The Italian government. The Spada collection comprises four galleries of 17th and 18th century paintings, antique sculpture and period furniture, including works by
Andrea del Sarto, Baciccia, Guido Reni, Titian, Jan Brueghel the Elder, Rubens, Durer, Solimena, Orazio Gentileschi and his daughter Artemesia, and Pietro Testa.
But the work of art that attracts most visitors is not inside the palazzo’s grand galleries. In the arcaded courtyard, Borromini created an optical illusion, a false perspective in which rows of diminishing columns and raised pavement give the impression of a grand garden. In reality it's only 37 meters deep. Borromini positioned a sculpture at the end of the tunnelled gallery that further teases the viewer's sense of distance and perspective.
Piazza Capo di Ferro, 13 (near Campo de' Fiori)
Tuesday – Saturday 9 am-7 pm; Sunday 9 am –1 pm. Closed Mondays.
tel 06 686 115 81Click any of the links below to jump directly to that section
Events l Classical Music l Popular Music l Dance & Opera l Tickets l Art l Getaways l Did you know?
width="243" height="87" border="0" />
Sperlonga
Legend has it that Sperlonga was the mythical city, Amiclae, founded by the Laconi. Today it is a favorite summer escape for heat weary Romans. Half down the Tyrannean coast, Sperlonga’s white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters were have been an attraction since the days of the Empire and Tiberius' imperious villa still dominates the seaside landscape. The villa was famous for its marble grotto decorated with artworks celebrating the tale of Odysseus. Not much changed until Barbarossa's stampeding hordes leveled the Roman playground. The city rose again in the 16th century, this time fortified away from the shores on a rocky promontory protected by a series of observation towers, only to be destroyed again by invading Turks. The city that remains today was constructed in the 18th century.What to See
Tiberio’s imperial residence constructed 14 A.D. and used until 26 A.D. when the Emperor relocated his vacation residence to the island of Capri. The villa's remains are now under the tutelage of the World Wildlife Foundation. Its 300 sq. meters are a protected area known as L’Oasi Blu with transparent unpolluted waters and a sandy beach. Various activities guided by the WWF include excursions, oceanographic study camps and research.
WWF Oasi Blu “Villa di Tiberio” (39) 06 0771 768 38 50Museo Archeologico di Sperlonga annexed to Tiberio’s residential villa was opened in the early seventies and houses a precious collection of marble sculptures discovered during an ongoing excavation that began in 1957. The excavations link the history of Sperlonga to four episodes in Homer’s Ulysses; the assault of Scilla on Ulysses ship, the Cyclops Polifemo, the abduction of Palladio and the raising of the corpse of Achille. It is believed that the works are the creation of three famous Rodii sculptors; Atenodoro, Agesandro and Polidero, known for the Laooconte sculptural group today housed at the Vatican Museums.
The museum also displays artefacts from the villa as well as documentation on the imperial complex through the late ancient period.Sanctae Maria de Sperlonche, constructed in the XII century is the oldest edifice in the city. It was mentioned in the Codex Caietanus 1135 as an important place of worship in Lazio. Presently under restoration, it is not open to the public.
Gaeta
One of southern Lazio’s most important port cities, Gaeta has origins deeply embedded in Greek mythology, and referenced in the Virgil’s Aenead and Dante’s Inferno (verse XXVI,92). First settled in the 4th century A.D., Gaeta became a Roman stronghold, during as well as a vacation playground. Some of the best beaches in Lazio are just outside the historic center. Gaeta is often called the pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea in the center of the Riviera Ulysses. It is also known for it beautiful golf courses, clean waters and lush natural landscape. Situated on a promontory, it is almost completely surrounded by the sea with the Mount Orlando Park as its backdrop. The coastline is flat for miles, then climbs with the iconic images of Mont Ausoni and Aurunci that extends towards the sea forming the Gaeta peninsula.What to See
Little of the ancient Roman port remains but a fair number of Medieval structures still stand. The ancient walls surround the neighborhood of St. Erasmo where many of the city’s historic churches are located:Beaches
Of Gaeta's seven beaches, one of the most popular is Serapo. Heading south towards Formia other beaches: Saint Agostino, Saint Vito, Arenauta, Fontania.Where to Stay
Tucked into one of Gaeta’s more scenic coves, Hotel Summit Located on a secluded private beach, away from the hustle and bustle of the Gaeta’s busy military port entrance yet close enough to historic sites and other activity of interest. You’re offered a real sense of a Mediterranean vacation.
Via Flacca Km 23 tel (39) 0771 74 17 41
www.summithotel.itCastelforte and the Thermal Baths
Facing the Aurunci hills in the plains of Garigliano, Castelforte is the last town in the province of Latina, located a few miles from Gaeta and the bordering towns of Formia and Minturno. Enclosed behind Medieval walls with a soaring tower, it boasts the oldest historic center in the province . It is also known for its thermal baths, rich in mineral salt. The water originates in the area’s inactive Roccamonfina volcano.
Where to Bathe
Sant'Egidio
Spa facilities at Sant’Egidio offer a variety of treatments, among them, hydro thermal baths, mud therapy, nasal irrigation, body and facial treatments plus fitness programs geared to your personal needs.
Hotel Terme Sant’Egidio - Castelforte
www.termesantegidio.itSuio Terme
Located in the Suio Alto area of Castelforte, this spa hotel has a thermal pool and modern facilities.
(39) 0771 672 236 / 45
www.hotelnuovasuio.it
Click any of the links below to jump directly to that section
Events l Classical Music l Popular Music l Dance & Opera l Tickets l Art l Getaways l Did you know?![a]()
Did You Know?
Macrobiotics and Massage
Rome's only macrobiotic restaurant is more than a place to eat great home cooking, it's a social center for those interested in shiastu massage, yoga, tai chi and roundtable discussions on culture and the arts. Stop in at this cozy Trastevere location to taste the unbelievably delicious organic beer, crafted my Italy's only female brewmaster.
Via Mattonato, 42 – tel 06 581 0626 www.tidiro.netThe legend of Zabaglione... You may have heard of Rome's delicate dessert, but did you know about its origins? After receiving frequent prayers and requests from desperate wives, Saint Pasquale Bayon invented a sweet concoction of eggs, sugar, and fortified wine to help energize their lazy husbands. This yummy dessert later became known as "Zabaglione" (Zah-bahl-yon-eh) after many mispronunciations of Saint Bayon's name. One of the best places in Rome to sample the authentic homemade dish is at Er Trasteverino in Trastevere (where else?) at the corner of via San Francesco a Ripa and Via Manarag. While you're in the neighborhood, you can visit the church built for this sweet-toothed saint found right across the street.
Noi Salon in the Piazza del Popolo is the home of Massimo, Rick and , three expert stylists who formerly headed salons in Southern California. They blend California's casual sophistication with European elegance, working in partnership with their clients to create a unique personal style.
Click here for the Noi SalonNail Bar is a full service beauty spa offering massages, facials, waxing and more. You'll find an English-speaking manager and an excellent manicure - pedicure, performed in the style of London, New York or Los Angeles. Conveniently located near the Capitoline and Piazza Venezia.
Click here for Nail Bar
Determina is a unique Rome-based service offering life coaching, business coaching, workshops and lectures. Their skilled coaches can help you achieve your professional goals, help you learn to make better decisions, and to use your instincts.
Click here for Determina.
Go to in rome now.com homepage
Copyright Joie Davidow and Vikki Ericks, 2007
Images copyright Augusto Ranocchi, 2007
