Rome Blog: News, events and tips.

 Rome is set to celebrate Raphael in its first-ever major exhibition on the Renaissance great.The show, which opened recently at the Galleria Borghese, has been insured for more than one billion euros, a record for an Italian exhibit. Five Raphaels once housed at the Borghese gallery have returned there, joining one of Raphael's finest mid-career paintings, the Deposition.They include an exceptional loan from the Louvre, La Belle Jardiniere, which required 72 hours of acclimatization after its arrival in Rome last week.In all, including other paintings and sketches, the exhibition will boast some 60 works.The aim is to chart Raphael's development from his beginnings in the Marche town of Urbino through his blossoming in Perugia and Florence to a final great Roman period when he produced the "Stanze di Raffaelo" at the Vatican.The Borghese Gallery once had eight Raphaels but over time lost all but one, the "Deposition", through depredation or sale.Returning from the National Gallery in London, two of the stars of the show will be the "Sogno del Cavaliere" (the Knight's Dream) and the "Madonna Aldobrandini".The Baltimore Museum of Art agreed to loan the "Madonna dei Candelabri".Another London gallery has sent its "Santa Caterina" (St Catherine) while Berlin's City Museum has loaned a "Madonna with Child" and a "St Jerome" and "St Francis".The Borghese hasn't got the other two of the seven, the "Madonna del Velo" (Madonna of the Veil) and the Three Graces (one of Raphael's only two non-religious paintings) because their current home, the Chantilly Museum in France, is not allowed by statute to loan works.Apart from the seven former Borghese Raphaels, other famous works will include "La Fornarina" from Rome's Palazzo Barberini, "Blessing Christ" from the Pinacoteca Tosio-Martinengo in Brescia, and "Lady With A Unicorn" and "Portrait of a Young Man" from two other Italian galleries. The show runs from Friday until the end of the year.

 

 Choosing a restaurant in Rome can be a dizzying task, filled as the city is with hundreds of excellent eateries. The good news is that it's rare to get bad food. The even better news is that we've narrowed down your choices.
AGATA E ROMEO via Carlo Alberto, 45EsquilinoTel: 06 446 6115
In her small, modern, functional but idiosyncratic restaurant (one wall houses a teapot collection), renowned chef and TV celebrity Agata exhibits her flair for reinterpreting local culinary traditions. Try the flan of pecorino cheese with pear sauce and honey, the four variations of Icelandic cod, or the beef fillet with strawberry and balsamic vinegar sauce. Agata's husband, Romeo, presides over the impressive wine list and the service, which is warm and seamless.
Closed Saturdays, Sundays, and vacations January 6-20 and August 9-27
AL SETTIMO CIELO via Vodice, 21aPratiTel: 06 372 5567
Closed Mondays
A volcano of creativity, Mirella Fiumanò, the owner and founder of this gelato mecca, is always experimenting. Despite an off-the-beaten-path location in Prati, devotees swarm here to enjoy inventive, gluten-free flavors such as hot chili-spiced chocolate, honey and sesame, cinnamon and ginger, and Greek ice cream (goat yogurt, honey, and pistachio). Mirella sticks to the best ingredients: fresh, organic, and seasonal. Don't overlook the fruit sorbets.
CASA BLEVE via del Teatro Valle, 48Corso RinascimentoTel: 06 686 5970
This spacious, high-ceilinged place, featuring an indoor fountain complete with Roman statue, is the latest domain of the Bleve family. A fixture on the Roman restaurant scene for years, Anacleto, Tina, and their sons are always warm and unpretentious, and always take great care selecting wines and regional specialties for the menu, from fresh burrata (butter-filled mozzarella) to peppers from Calabria to cookies and desserts from Sicily. Ask to visit the wine cellar: Wrought-iron doors and fragments of Roman walls enclose spaces that can be rented for private events. Great spot for a business lunch.
Closed Sundays, and for dinner Mondays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays
CITTÀ DEL GUSTO DEL GAMBERO ROSSOvia E. Fermi, 161MarconiTel: 06 551 12115
Off the beaten path, in a residential neighborhood near Trastevere, this revamped warehouse attracts hipster gourmets and oenophiles, many of whom come for the popular tasting and cooking classes. The multistoried space houses a laid-back restaurant offering excellent pizza, among other things, and a refined wine bar with an interesting cheese and cold cuts menu plus a long list of well-chosen Italian wines. In summer, a grill menu is served on an outdoor terrace.
Wine bar open for dinner Monday through Saturday.
Osteria open Monday through Friday for lunch, Wednesday though Friday for dinner
CRUDOvia degli Specchi, 6Centro StoricoTel: 06 683 8989
Bere, mangiare, parlare (drink, eat, talk). That's the motto of this new lounge/wine bar/restaurant, whose slick interior has already made the pages of several shelter magazines. As the name suggests, the emphasis here is on raw dishes, and a fresh mix of Japanese, Thai, and Italian styles emerge in dishes such as fillet of beef napoleon with ricotta and asparagus, and diced raw tuna in a coconut and lemongrass soup. At the bar, mouthful-sized appetizers are served on spoons, including basmati rice with green curry and steamed shi drum fish, or cod brandade with chickpea purée and sun-dried tomato dressing—a perfect match for some of the best cocktails in town. Great spot for aperitivi.
CUL DE SACPiazza Pasquino, 73Piazza NavonaTel: 06 6880 1094
One of Rome's oldest wine bars, Cul de Sac still attracts the faithful with its reasonable prices, friendly service, and wide choice of house specialties, from lasagna to homemade pâtés and terrines. The amazingly extensive wine list is also a draw, as is the prime location steps from Piazza Navona. In summer a few tables are available outside.

 

 
Villa Borghese is a beautiful park in the middle of Rome. Hovering above the ground is a large blue baloon which grants tourists a 360 degree view of the city

 

 Vatican Secret Archive
The oldest documents in the Vatican Secret Archive are evidences of donations, lists of Churches and of Charity actions.From the IV century on, after the Church of Rome was officially recognised, the collection could be regarded as a real archive. The erection of Saint Peter's Cathedral (or Basilica), was started in this period of theological and artistic excitement . Since the Middle Age, the archive kept growing and remained in the Lateran Palace until the XIII century.During the of papacy of Gregory the Great, the archive was kept partly inside Saint Peter's Cathedral, next to Saint Peter's tomb, partly in the Chartularia Tower, near Titus' Arch, and partly in the vestiary of the Church of Rome (Vestiarium Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae) at the Lateran Palace.Unfortuntely, due to the vulnerability of the material and to the adventurous and frequent displacement as well as to wars and sacks (among them the Sack of Rome in 1084), a large part of the archive was lost.Under Pope Innocent III (1198-1216), at the time of Saint Francis and Saint Dominic de Guzman, the fervour in economy, culture, politics and religion produced a big number of documents that were to be preserved in the Vatican Archive.The Archive was then transferred to Vatican City and the registers became more regular. Unfortunately, in the following years they followed the various Popes to many different places: to Lyon, to Viterbo, with Pope Boniface VIII to Anagni, with Pope Benedict XI to Perugia. The Vatican Archive remained there for some years and then part of it was sent to Assisi, part to Avignon. The Archive was badly damaged as a consequence of the many conflicts, documented by many precious evidences preserved in the Archive itself. With Popes Urban VI, Boniface IX, Innocent VII and Gregory XII a new nucleus of the Archive was developed in Rome.The books and documents of the Vatican Archive were then dispersed in the various pontifical offices. Pope Martin V (1417 - 1431) started to re-collect the material. Sixtus IV (1471-1484) founded the Vatican Library , which contained a bibliotheca secreta that was to become a part of the Archive. Some documents were taken to Castel Sant'Angelo and thus they were miraculously saved during the Sack of Rome in 1527.Pope Pius IV felt that the Holy See needed a Secret Archive of its own (the term 'secret' means 'private', which means it was not open to the public) and founded a central Vatican Archive in the Apostolic Palace, in Vatican City.This was a grand project and was continued by his successors (Pius V, Gregory XIII, Sixtus V, Clement VIII. During the latter's papacy the Vatican Archive of Castel Sant'Angelo (Archivum Arcis Sancti Angeli )was finally established.Paul V gave order that all the writings belonging to the Holy See and the Apostolic Chamber should be delivered to the Guards of the Vatican Library or to the Archive at Castel Sant'Angelo.The fisrt nuclues of the Vatican Secret Archive was then set up in three halls, adjacent to the Vatican Library and decorated with frescoes by many artists, between 1612 and 1614.In 1615 the first inventory of the Archive of the Vatican Library was made, and the Vatican Archive gradually became independent from the Apostolic Library. In 1630 more halls were given to the Archive to preserve the diplomatic correspondence of the Holy See. In 1783 the papal archive that had been left in Avignon was taken back to Rome.In 1810 Napoleon I wanted to transfer the Archive and many works of art to Paris. They returned to Vatican City between 1815 and 1817, but with significant damage and losses.Under Pius IX (1846-1878) the Italian Government confiscated part of the Archive.Pope Leo XIII (1878 - 1903) decided to open the Vatican Archive to scholars and historians for their researches.The liberalisation of the access to the Archive qualified the Holy See for its important service to culture and research. Many cultural organisations were founded after Leo XIII farsighted decision. Among them the French School, The Germanic Historical Insitute, The Belgian Academy, The Austrian Institute for Culture, etc.In 1884 Leo XIII founded the School of Palaeography and Diplomacy to promote studies and researches on the History of the Church.After World War I the international relationships of the Holy See with the religious non-Christian world increased, and the production of documents increased. The Vatican Archive acquired the hall in the Torre dei Venti (Tower of the Wind), frescoed in 1580-1582 by Niccolò Circignani (alsa known as Pomarancio) and by the Flemish artists Matthew and Paul Bril. After World War II the Archive was given the rooms above the Gallery of Geographic maps at the Vatican Museums.The most important improvement was the erection of a dedicated building that was inaugurated by Pope John Paul II on October 18, 1980.The Vatican Secret Archive is an infinite source of information for the scholars. The access to the Archive is governed by pontifical rules and today it includes all periods until the age of Pope Benedict V (1914-22). The latest documents are still "secret".

for more ....http://www.romeitalyholiday.com/rome_secrets_spots.htm#Vatican_Secret_Archive

 

 GOLF in ROME has been set up by John and Lismay Garforth, an English couple who have been living there for ten years. Groups of three to eight people stay in a private and independent part of our house, Villa Ann, situated among the vineyards and olive groves of the Castelli Romani area, just outside the south-east of Rome.
You arrive at Rome's Ciampino airport on Thursday mornings and depart on the Sunday. On request, it may be possible to extend your visit for a few more days. Because Rome's climate is so mild, GOLF in ROME operates all year round.

 

 Monthly Bargain Market Italy (Rome )4 June 2006 (Various dates) La Soffitta Sotto i Portici, as it is known in Italian, is a monthly bargain market that takes place every first and third Sunday of the month in Piazza Augusto Imperatore.
Mediterranean. Sounds, Images and Flavours Italy (Rome)5-12 June 2006
For an entire week Rome's Auditorium hosts musicians, actors and poets from different countries, but with the same enthusiasm for all things Mediterranean.
Cornetto Free Music Festival Italy (Various towns)19 June 2006
The Cornetto Free Music Festival consists of three free outdoor concerts by big international artists in three of the best known squares in Italy, Milan's Piazza Duomo, Rome's Piazza del Popolo and Naples' Piazza del Popolo.

Opera in Piazza del Popolo Italy (Rome)23 June 2006
After last year's highly successful free production of Mozart's Don Giovanni in the Piazza del Popolo, this year the Opera di Roma presents the Magic Flute, directed by Luigi Gelmetti.

Rome Hip-Hop Parade Italy (Rome)20-26 June 2006

The Rome Hip-Hop Parade, now in its fourth year, is a week-long festival dedicated to hip-hop and street culture. It features an international dance competition at the Teatro Olimpico, parties, breakdance competitions and graffiti workshops.

Villa dei Medici Gardens Italy (Rome)1 September 2005 - 30 June 2006
The Villa dei Medici Gardens was described by Henry James as "the most enchanting place" in Rome, with an "incredible, impossible charm." Taking up 17 sprawling acres on Pincio Hill above the Piazza di Spagna, they offer a stunning panoramic view of the city as well as a welcome break from its chaos.
Secret Passages: Orchestra Trials Italy (Rome)16 June - 23 July 2006
The Secret Passages series of concerts and theatre performances in Rome changes location every year. In 2006 it is scheduled to take place in the Foro di Augusto and Foro di Cesare. Visitors can expect outstanding classical concerts and theatre shows, including some performances in English.
Roma Incontra il Mondo Italy (Rome)14 June - 7 August 2006 (Every year)
Roma Incontra il Mondo (Rome Meets The World) is a world music festival that takes place every summer in the pretty green spaces of Villa Ada.

New Operafestival Italy (Rome)17 June - 10 August 2006 (Various dates)
The New Operafestival, celebrating its 12th anniversary in 2006, is a summer-long festival of operas and concerts in the grand setting of Rome's Basilica di San Clemente, just behind the Colosseum.
Miracle Players at the Roman Forum Italy (Rome )16 June - 11 August 2006
Each summer, as part of its regular programme, English-speaking theatre troupe the Miracle Players performs a new comedy in the ancient splendour of the Roman Forum. After The History of Rome, The Emperors of Rome and Cleopatra comes Caesar - more than just a salad written, once again, by co-founder Denise McNee.
Fiesta! Italy (Rome )13 June - 15 August 2006
Latin sounds, with a strong Cuban bias, are the predominant feature of this annual festival of Latin-American music and culture, held at Rome's Ippodromo delle Capannelle. There's also space for world music, jazz and rock and a chance to try Latin American and Caribbean specialities at the festival stalls.
Thinking Muse - The Intellectual in Ancient Times Italy (Rome)19 February - 20 August 2006
Conceived in Greek mythology as the beautiful daughters of Zeus, the Muses acted as a source of inspiration to creativity in all fields of knowledge, from music and poetry to philosophy and art. This exhibition at the Colosseum in Rome presents frescoes, mosaics, statues, portraits and marble sarcophagi that depict these inspirational women.
The Cinema Isle Italy (Rome)24 June - 28 August 2006
This open-air summer cinema festival on Tiberina Island features a fascinating programme of previews, retrospectives and blockbuster movies.
Gilda on the Beach Italy (Rome)1 May - 30 August 2006
During the summer Rome is hot and sticky and it's not surprising that many of the city's nightspots shut up shop. If you want to spend the night dancing but can't stand the heat, then head for the beach resort of Fregene for some seriously sandy fun. Gilda on the Beach is open on Fridays and Saturdays, with a wide selection of DJs making the most of the holiday vibe.
Gay Village Italy (Rome)24 June - 5 September 2006
Gay Village settles in for the summer in the Testaccio Village area. Concerts, comic and musical shows, lesbian theatre, a cinema festival, sports activities and literature are all on the menu.
Estate Romana Festival Italy (Rome )21 June - 21 September 2006
The varied programme at the Estate Romana Festival offers jazz, rock, classical music, film, sport, theatre and children's fun to fill Rome's balmy evenings. Events take place in parks, courtyards, art galleries and around monuments throughout the city, with giant screens erected to show popular films at late-night viewings.
Summer Swimming Italy (Rome )20 May - 30 September 2006
Beat the heat in Rome by cooling off in the open-air Delle Rose swimming pool, where special children's events aimed at the four to 13 age group take place over the summer months.

Festival Musicale delle Nazioni Italy (Rome)8 June - 1 October 2006
This summer event at the Teatro Marcello in Rome presents performers from all over the world and offers a varied repertoire: solo recitals, chamber music, polyphonic choirs and composers ranging through Baroque, Classicism, Romanticism and avant-garde.

Keats-Shelley House Italy (Rome )
not Sun Keats' last residence, overlooking the Piazza di Spagna in Rome, now houses a museum and extensive library devoted to the Romantic poets. Read more ... • Send to mobile • Add to calendar • Add to scrapbook


Saturday Night at the Piper Club Italy (Rome )Every Fri & Sat Saturday nights
in Rome offer pumping house and techno with a mixed crowd at the Piper Club's gay night in Via Tagliamento. Dubbed the capital's largest, most outrageous club night, the weekly bonanza features frequent guest DJs from the top ranks of the Italian and European music industries. Read
Piazza Navona Italy (Rome)Daily Built in the 15th century on a pre-existing amphitheatre in the historic centre of Rome, Piazza Navona is one of the capital's liveliest and most beautiful squares.
Roman Forum Italy (Rome)Daily The Roman Forum was the political, economic and religious centre of ancient Rome, an elite area of temples, tribunals and other buildings used for public and private business. Now visitors can wander through the remains of these buildings and reflect on life during the Roman Age.
The Grifi House on the Palatine Hill Italy (Rome )Every Mon and Fri
Take an excursion into the history of Rome and its civilisation with a visit to the Grifi House, situated inside the archaeological site of the Palatine Hill.
Goa Italy (Rome)
One of Rome's most popular nightclubs, Goa subscribes unconditionally to the Goa aesthetic, with deep, melodic upbeat trance grooves, flowing incense and ridiculously comfortable seats, cushions and pillows everywhere.

 

 

 

 There is a maestro of Italian cuisine cooking in Cocoa Beach of all places.His name is Silvestro Antonioli, and his restaurant, Silvestro's, could just as easily be on the Via Veneto as in a Brevard County strip mall.Antonioli, in fact, comes from Rome by way of Savannah, Ga., and to cooking from a start as a professional soccer player. I don't know how well he can perform a front header, but the man could definitely drop kick ravioli between the goalposts.He certainly scored with his ravioli di arogosta ($14), delicate squares holding sweet lobster meat and covered with a creamy spumante sauce tinged pink with a touch of tomato.And I'd love to know where he found the mussels for his cozze al guazzetto ($10). I can't remember when I've seen mussels that were so plump yet so tender. I loved slurping them out of the shell with a bit of the tomatoey stew, or guazzetto.Rollatini di melanzane ($12) had fresh eggplant stuffed with roasted peppers and ricotta accompanied by handmade mozzarella. A brilliant combination of textures and flavors working in concert.Even the antipasti platter ($18), usually a toss-away of cold cuts and such, was impressive. Thinly sliced prosciutto, spicy salami, artichoke hearts, red and yellow roasted red peppers, mozzarella and Parmigiano -- a feast for two or more.From the list of primi piatti I liked the fettuccine con branzino ($25), al dente pasta tossed with arugula and pulpy tomatoes served with chunks of Chilean sea bass. As with most Italian restaurants in America the "first plates" are priced as entrees, but half portions are served on request.On one of my visits, my companion had an osso buco risotto ($22), which had us raising our eyebrows when it was served. Instead of a whole bone, the rice dish had just the meat of a braised veal shank, not what either one of us was expecting. But Antonioli is such a master of the risotto that we were not disappointed. The rice had a perfect nutty crunch, and even if the meat had been served on the bone it would have fallen off before it reached the table.If I hadn't read on the menu that Antonioli was from Rome, I might have guessed as much from his lasagna ($19.95), which was served as a feature entree on one of my visits. Instead of a heavy tomato sauce it was graced with a creamier pink sauce, and the sheets of pasta, layered with mildly spiced meat, were ethereally delicate.Florida and Florence came together with the cernia cotta al gril alla Toscana ($31), a grilled grouper, thick and tender, topped with a wonderfully salty sauce of capers and olives.For dessert, the ricotta cheesecake ($9) defies overstatement. The ricotta gives it a more crumbly texture but the taste is still remarkably rich. It was served in the center of the plate with a few blueberries, raspberries and one strawberry strewn about it, as though to top it would be superfluous.Torta al cioccolato ($9) was an impossibly bittersweet and firm cake dotted with pistachios. Yes, I was told, Antonioli also makes the desserts.Although the food can whisk you away to Italy, other aspects of the dining experience will bring you back. Service got off to rough starts on both visits -- on one occasion, after waiting an interminably long time without being greeted, I had to go to the host stand to ask if anyone was assigned to my table. On another visit, debris from diners departed sat on nearby tables much too long before anyone bothered to clear it away. That's never conducive to pleasant dining.But, on each occasion, the server eventually won me over.The decor stops short of being kitschy. Faux Roman columns topped with grapevines separate a small bar area from the dining room. The open kitchen looks out on the tables covered with white cloths and topped with a gold brocaded fabric. String fabric curtains cover the windows, but instead of looking out on the Publix parking lot, a mural in the window offers a view of the Coliseum.Only beer and wine are served, but the wine list is thoughtful. Selections by the glass are ample, and each time the server offered to bring tastes (I told you they won me over).I don't know why it should be, but good, authentic Italian food is difficult to come by in American restaurants. But when you find it, it is something to be treasured and savored. Silvestro's is a find.