Rome - Ancient and Modern Tour of Italy's Capital

Rome and his churches. Photo by Giampaolo Macorig

Photo by swiftwing


Photo by unite

Rome is also known by the nicknames Caput Mundi (capital of the world), Limen Apostolorum (Threshold of the Apostles) and City if the Seven Hills, as well as simply L'Urbe (The City). This city was thee seat of Western civilization in ancient times and is still the center of the Catholic Church - Vatican City is an enclave within Rome, though it is sovereign territory controlled by the Catholic Church.

Rome is a modern and cosmopolitan city today. It is the third most popular tourist destination in the European Union and is a city which has a high degree of political and cultural importance. Rome's Fiumicino airport is the largest in the nation and Rome is the center of Italian business, hosting the headquarters of many Italian and international companies - three of the world's 100 largest companies are headquartered here.

Rome retains much of its old architecture, having escaped WWII more or less intact, making it rare among major European cities. The center of Rome is designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

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The Cinema Isle

When:23 Jun - 31 Aug 2008 (annual)
Where:Isola Tiberina
Cost:Free
Opening Hours:7pm-3am

This open-air summer cinema festival on Tiberina Island features a fascinating programme of previews, retrospectives and blockbuster movies. The festival takes place in a magnificent location on the Tevere river. The Ponte Rotto (broken bridge) connects the island to the mainland and is illuminated to transform this magical place into a huge cinema set. Music, dance, fashion shows, multimedia artists, food and wine tastings accompany themed evenings and there are also appearances by stars from the movie world.

International Urban Theatre Festival

When:Sep 2008 (annual)

Where:Rome
Cost:Free
Opening Hours:5pm-12am

The annual Festival Internazionale del Teatro Urbano invades streets all over Rome, aiming to transform urban spaces into theatre spaces and the pedestrian into the extraordinary. The first day - the "off" festival - is dedicated to young performers and alternative theatre. The agenda of the festival organisers is to reclaim the theatre and combat indifference with surprise "guerilla tactics". The various events take place in set locations throughout the city, on street corners and in other random urban sites in need of "carnivalisation".

10.000 lights for the white night. Photo by zeynep'arkok

White Night

When:Sep 2008 (annual)
Where:Rome
Cost:Free!
Opening Hours:8pm-8am

Piazza Venezia, the White night.
Photo by no name is a better name

After the success of the first Roman Notte Bianca, the Eternal City stages even more visual arts, music, dance and theatre events throughout the night, while shops and eateries also stay open all night long. The initiative is free and also takes place in Paris and Brussels, focusing on multiculturalism and solidarity. It is an extraordinary event that involves the entire city, including the major museums and cultural organisations, both public and private, along with sports centres, metro and train stations. Over 100 events take place all over the city. Twenty-two film theatres and 28 theatres, 24 museums, 51 art galleries and nine culture institutes stay open all night. These include the Borghese Gallery, the Capitoline Museums, the Complex of the Victor Emmanuel Monument, the Colosseum, the Papal Stables at the Quirinal, Villa Medici, the Napoleonic Museum, the MACRO, Palazzo Braschi and Palazzo Farnese. All offer free entry and music, readings or installations.

Rome Hip-Hop Parade

When:Sep 2008 (annual)
Where:Rome
Cost: 3-5
Opening Hours:11am-12am

Taking over various venues in Rome, including La Saponeria and Teatro Ambra Jovinelli, the Hip-Hop Parade is a festival dedicated to hip-hop and street culture. It features Funk Attack, with the best Italian hip-hop dancers, Hip-Hop International, which brings international breakdance talents to the stage, and Eu-Rap, a music challenge for rappers. Parties, seminars and workshops are all part of the fun.

Estate Romana Festival

When:21 Jun - 21 Sep 2008 (annual)
Where:Rome
Cost:Various
Opening Hours:Various

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. The programme combines a colourful mix of entertainment from around the world. Open-air film screens are set up in Vittorio Emmanuele Square, on the River Tiber Island and on the top of Gianicolo Hill in Trastevere. There is also a Cabaret Festival held on the Oppio Hill, next-door to the Colisseum.

Music Festival of the Nations

When:5 Jun - 28 Sep 2008 (annual)
Where:Teatro Marcello
Cost:19
Opening Hours:8.30pm

Held at Rome's Teatro Marcello every night throughout summer, the Music Festival of the Nations offers a varied repertoire of performances from solo recitals to chamber music and polyphonic choirs, touching on the Baroque, Classicism, Romanticism and the avant-garde.

Summer Swimming

When:1 May - 30 Sep 2008 (annual)
Where:Piscina delle Rose
Cost:7-15; concessions available
Opening Hours:Mon-Fri 10am-7pm; Sat & Sun 9am-7pm

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. Canoeing and swimming courses for kids, led by qualified instructors, take place in the mornings. These are followed by games, entertainment and occasional special events in the afternoon. The Piscina delle Rose is a child-friendly pool and so can get crowded - especially in the afternoon.

Al bric appetisers. Photo by u m a m i

Al Bric

Cuisine Italian
Hours Tues-Sat 7:30-11:30pm; Sun 12:30-2:30pm and 7:30-11:30pm
Address Via del Pellegrino 51 Location Near Piazza Navona & the Pantheon
Transportation Bus: 64
Reservations recommended Phone 06-6879533
Prices Main courses $9-$22
Season Closed Aug

Frommer's Review With four separate and artfully minimalist dining rooms in a 16th-century building close to Campo de' Fiori, this well-managed restaurant combines creative cooks with a polite and efficient waitstaff. Many of the dishes include dollops of goat or herbed cheese, or French Brie, flavors that seem to make the wines taste even better. Menu items are based on a combination of traditional and creative modern cuisine. Examples include house-made, ultrafresh swordfish stroganoff flavored with fresh thyme and squid sauce; bucatini flavored with fresh-ground black pepper and aged caciocavallo cheese; tonnarelli pasta with Sicilian broccoli and aged pecorino cheese; and orange-flavored duck with foie gras and black truffle.

Boccondivino

Cuisine Italian
Hours Mon-Sat 12:30-3pm and 7:30-11pm
Address Piazza in Campo Marzio 6 Location Near Piazza Navona & the Pantheon
Transportation Bus: 87 or 175
Reservations required Phone 06-68308626
Prices Main courses $14-$18; fixed-price lunch $24
Credit Cards AE, DC, MC, V

Frommer's Review Part of the fun of this restaurant involves wandering through historic Rome to reach it. Inside you'll find delicious food and an engaging mix of Italian Renaissance and imperial and ancient Rome, thanks to recycled columns salvaged from ancient monuments by 16th-century builders. Modern art and a hip staff dressed in black and white serve as a tip-off, though, that the menu is completely up-to-date. Dishes vary with the seasons, but you might find fettuccine with shellfish and parsley; carpaccio of beef; various risottos, including a version with black truffles; and grilled steaks and veal. Especially intriguing is whipped codfish resting on spikes of polenta, or grilled ravioli stuffed with scorpion fish and served with pumpkin flower sauce. If you're a seafood lover, look for either the marinated and grilled salmon or a particularly subtle blend of roasted turbot stuffed with foie gras. Desserts feature the fresh fruits of the season, perhaps marinated pineapple or fruit-studded house-made ice creams. The restaurant's name, incidentally, translates as "divine mouthful."

La Pace

Cuisine Bolognese, Emiliana-Romagnola, Roman
Typical Chinese restaurant, all the usual familiar items on the menu, very centrally located in busy, picturesque, atmospheric Roman street, close to all the main action.

Il Matriciano

A traditional Roman restaurant that stays open well into the evening. A favorite for many customers is to come during warm weather and dine at the sidewalk tables.the atmosphere is pleasa

Piperno

Piperno dessert strawberries.
Photo by u m a m i

This venue has been a restaurant for almost 150 years.Piperno is famous for its carciofi alla giudia, or fried whole artichokes. You can accompany pasta soup with chickpeas, fillet of salt cod, or any delicious pasta dish.

Enoteca Antica

Via della Croce (near the Spanish Steps). A small wine-bar-restaurant with a cosy atmosphere. The pizzas are good and reasonably-priced, and for dessert they serve gorgeous chocolate cake.

Di Fronte A

Via della Croce, 38 (near the Spanish Steps). A popular restaurant with a youthful, international atmosphere and art hanging on the walls. The menu is extensive and varied - our favourite is the Pizza della Casa with cheese and truffle.