Re-creating Rome
Cinecittà is to Rome what Hollywood is to Los Angeles: a city of dreams and fiction. However, rather than a huge film business, Cinecittà is a highly revered institution. It … Continue reading
Rome at dawn
In the Ancient World, dawn was represented as a goddess lifting the curtain of day light to open the way to Apollo, god of the sun, and his magnificent chariot. … Continue reading
Surprising Art Nouveau in Rome
The Art Nouveau, or Liberty style as it became known in Italy, famously thrived in northern Europe at the turn of the 20th century. At the time, Rome was growing … Continue reading
Rome’s best swimming pool
Finding a swimming pool in Rome is no easy task. There are a few but they tend to be part of rather outdated yet expensive private sports clubs. One of … Continue reading
An olive grove in the middle of the city
Italy is well known for its many monasteries, usually located in beautiful and peaceful settings to favour a life of meditation. However, one such monastery exists in a very urban … Continue reading
20th century martyrs near the via Appia
The via Appia is well known for its catacombs, or underground burial chambers, where the first Christian martyrs were buried. St Sebastian’s catacomb is one of the most famous and … Continue reading
Futuristic Rome in the EUR district
Like many people, I have a fascination for the futuristic EUR district on the outskirt of Rome and its landmark, the famous Palazzo della Civiltà, also known as the Square … Continue reading
Flooding of the Tiber
After so much rain, the river Tiber is rising fast…but is still away from the high levels reached two years ago. It was only over a century ago that the … Continue reading
The MAXXI, a new contemporary art museum for Rome
Very few contemporary buildings have been built in Rome since Mussolini’s transformation of the city in the 1930s. So when Anglo-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid was commissioned to design a new … Continue reading
Emperor Augustus’s testament at the Ara Pacis
At the end of his busy life, the first Roman emperor Augustus (63BC -14AD) wrote a testament in which he described all his achievements as a ruler. The famous text … Continue reading
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