Easter goes faster...

I hope you had a wonderful Easter spending great time with your relatives and friends! In Italy Easter is a double-sided celebration and you get to enjoy both sides of the fest.

On one hand, you have the religious event. On Friday the Pope walks with thousands of believers to commemorate the Via Crucis: the path Jesus Christ walked carrying the cross. Between blazing torches and psalms, the crowd arrives at the Colosseum and the Pope celebrates a special mass. On Sunday every church distributes small olive branches, which are a symbol for peace, and the Easter mass is celebrated.

On the other hand, you have the food & fun fest which are also grand. On Sunday you have a huge lunch that usually lasts until 8 or 9 PM. The traditional course is baked lamb and chocolate eggs for dessert! The Monday after Easter is called Pasquetta (Little Easter); it is also the bank holiday. We usually spend the day outdoors with friends: country, mountain or sea, every place is a nice place when you have good company, good food and a few bottles of delicious red wine!

How did you spend your Easter?

HAPPY 2,764th BIRTHDAY ROMA!

They call it “the Eternal City” and it almost is. Founded on April 21st 753 B.C., Rome is one of the oldest cities in the world and we would like you to join us in celebrating its birthday today! We call it “Natale di Roma” which means “Birth of Rome.” Both citizens and tourists are invited to the fest.
What to do? Last Sunday we already had a professional swimming tournament, ancient Roman dance exibition and a Roman poetry contest. Plus today the 21st, all the public museums will be free. The MACRO, Villa Torlonia Museum, Fori Imperiali, Ara Pacis and the Napoleonic Museum are just a few examples to mention.

What’s a birthday party without some music? Of course we are going to have it! The army bands will play in the Campidoglio and other 6 historical plazas, and the night at the Augusto Foro will be lit by the opera, orchestra and video performances.

 

Arts, music, culture and fun looks like the proper way to wish Rome a happy birthday. Just come to the party, your presence will be your present!

Nero the Hero

If Nero is recognized as one of the most famous Roman emperors, it is thanks to his weird behaviors. You know, things like beheading Saint Paul, crucifying Saint Peter and burn the whole city down. Although most of these acts are still to be confirmed, there is no doubt that Nero lived an extravagant lifestyle. Which by the way, ended with suicide at the age of 30.

Back in 64 A.D., this little rascal tried to burn Rome to a crisp. Good thing Rome is as friendly as its citizens and didn’t hold a grudge against Nero. On contrary, it is celebrating the emperor with an exposition lasting until September 18th. Visitors will witness the places where Nero lived and worked: from the Roman Forum to the Curia Lulia, passing by the Palatine hill all the way to the Colosseum. 

The Walks Inside Rome Team will cover parts of these exhibits during the following tours: Ancient & Christian Rome, Small Group Ancient Rome, Rome Highlights, and Classic Ancient Rome Walking Tour.

You will get the chance to see in person what’s left of his residences and watch a 3D reconstruction of how they looked like 2000 years ago. Yes, they were partly destroyed by the fire he set!

There is even a movie session at the Romulus Temple. You will be impressed to find how many movies Nero starred on, starting from 1900 to now!

Here's an example of one of those films...

Rome by Caravaggio

Thanks to the strength of his paintings, Caravaggio is one of history’s most appreciated artist. When you stand in front of “Judith Beheading Holofernes” or “The Calling of Saint Matthew,” you can feel the intensity of the chiaroscuro conflict striking straight to your heart. Just like his masterpieces, his life was an ongoing struggle between his brilliant artistic talent and the deep shadows cast by an excess of sex and violence. 

Rome offers the opportunity to fully understand Caravaggio’s art by visiting the places where he created, lived and went through neverending troubles. He only lived 10 years in Rome, between 1595 and 1605, but it was a critical period for his growth as an artist. 

As you walk through the city center, you will discover every building exactly as it was 400 years ago -- even the same atmosphere can be felt. You can pay a visit to Palazzo Madama where Caravaggio lived; although you may have difficulties entering for it now hosts the Italian Senate. While shopping at Via del Corso, take a turn to Piazza di San Lorenzo in Lucina. There you can see the places of his apprenticeship. Visiting these sights will be a wonderful way of experiencing his art rather than just simply looking at them.

Oh, and when you are enjoying the romantic lights at Piazza Navona while eating gelato by the fountain, keep in mind that Caravaggio was arrested at this square for illegal weapons!

You can see the current Caravaggio exhibit at Mondo Mostre just around the corner of Piazza Navonna.