Rome, Tourism, Accomodations Blog – Roma Turismo

Bernini’s Fountain of the rivers: Piazza Navona

There is an urban legend which affirms that the position of Orinoco statue whit the arm lifted and the body moving backwards, is insinuating that the church was not built properly and it would have fallen. It’s said that there was a rivalry between Bernini and Borromini, who designed the church. Nevertheless, is not true, the church called Santa Agnese in Agone was completed after Bernini’s beautiful fountain.
Paulina Ceballos

Jewish Ghetto in Rome

One of the most charming neighbourhoods in Rome is the Jewish Ghetto, which also happens to be the second oldest in the world, after the one in Venice. Actually the word ghetto derives from the venetian “gheto” which means: a place with a foundry.

The roman ghetto was established on 1555 and lasted for around 3 centuries. The Jews were restricted to live inside its walls, locked at night, walls built with money paid by themselves. Those were hard times for the Jewish community, because all their rights were also revoked, they suffered many prohibitions, poor hygienic conditions, humiliations, among other impositions.

 Don’t miss the plaque that remembers the massive roman Jew’s extradition, that took place on October 16th, 1943; when german soldiers captured around 1,000 persons (200 children included), who were afterwards sent to Auschwitz, from which only 17 persons survived.

If you are curious to see this area, is close to the river Tiber and Campo dei Fiori. Nowadays it                                              counts with many popular restaurants and the new Synagogue of Rome.  Don’t forget to try one of their specialities like the fried artichokes. We can surely recommend these Kosher restaurants:

Ba Ghetto: Via Del Portico D’ottavia 2, Closed Friday dinner and Saturday lunch, +39 06.68.30.00.77

Taverna del Ghetto: Via del Portico D’Ottavia, 8, +39 06 6880 9771. Closed Friday dinner.

PAULINA CEBALLOS

Gelato: 5+1 famous Ice cream places in Rome

FataMorgana: with traditional flavours but many creations such as: basil with honey and nuts or black rice with roses. Prices are ok and they are gluten free and no artificial colours.

Where: Via Bettolo 7, in Prati area. Near Ottaviano Metro

Ciuri Ciuri: This chain started with one shop, the gelato is good quality and they are generous when they serve it, but actually the best thing there is the typical sicilian sweets: cannolo, cassata, etc.
Where: Monti: Via Leonina, 18, Trastevere: P.za San Cosimato, 49, Navona: Largo del Teatro Valle, 1, Colosseo: Via Labicana, 126

San Crispino: This gelateria has been recommended by many international newspapers like the New York Times, and gourmet guides like Michelin. The ice cream is tasty, but a bit costly and small, sometimes a bit sweet too. No artificial components.
Where: Trevi: Via della Panetteria 42, Pantheon: Piazza della Maddalena 3. Fiumicino Airport terminal A.

Fassi: One of the oldest gelaterias in Italy, near Termini,with special creations as the “San Pietrini” an ice cream cube covered with chocolate. The place is big with many tables to sit inside, the gelato is pretty good and creamy. Other products are: granite, semifreddo, cakes, etc.
Where: Via Principe Eugenio, 65, metro Vittorio Emanuele

Giolitti: This place started as a creamery back in 1890, and became renowned because of their ice creams after first world war. The fame has even brought the franchise to Copenhagen, Seoul and New York.
Where: metro barberini: via uffici del vicario 40,

Gracchi: A small place but well-known by locals. The ice creams are creamy, with real fruits and nuts. Don’t miss the ricotta and pear flavour or the apple with cinnamon one. No artificial components.
Where:Via dei Gracchi, 272, metro Lepanto.

Forget about diet and give yourself a treat!

You can save calories if you skip toppings and go for a ice base granita.

PAULINA CEBALLOS

Roman summer: all the links with the info

Colosseum, Saint Peter’s dome, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, many piazzas; Rome is full of fantastic and historical places to visit during the day, for sure your “must to see things” is completely full, but don’t forget about the roman nights. The eternal city has a vivid life,  specially during summer with concerts, open cinema, bars along the river Tiber, markets, ecc.

Here is a list with the most important festivals where you can find details about it:

“July sounds good”:category: music
Until 31st July
http://www.auditorium.com/lugliosuonabene/

“Rome encounters the world” Category: music
Until 28th July
http://www.villaada.org/

San Lorenzo festival. Category: Music  ***Free concerts
Until August 10th
www.sanlorenzoestate.it

Rock in Roma Category: Music  
Until August 2nd
http://www.rockinroma.com/

Opera in Rome. Category: Opera
Until August 8th
http://www.operaroma.it/stagione/terme_di_caracalla

Roma Vintage. Category: Music, dance, sports, theather, restaurants, cinema.***Free entry
Until August 15th
http://www.romavintage.it/it/index.php

PAULINA CEBALLOS

Open-air Cinema free in Rome! OVS movies

For those who love cinema, this summer offers the excellent opportunity to enjoy some of the most unforgettable movies for free and in their open-air cinema. If you go for a walk to Villa Borghese in the afternoon, then you can easily take a break and head to the Casa del Cinema, where you can also fancy a drink in the garden. The movies are all displayed in the original language with italian subtitles. The Casa del Cinema in Rome has planed a different theme for each day of the week:

• Monday: Shakespeare which such movies as: A midsummer night’s sex comedy of Woody Allen and Giulio Cesare with Marlon Brando.
• Tuesday: Ciao Maschio: italian movies featuring the new generation of actors
• Wednesday: Tribute to the italian director Michelangelo Antonioni
• Thursday: Films with leading ladies, evening dedicated to the women: Yentle with Barbra Streitsand, Victor Victoria with Julie Andrews, Boy’s don’t cry with Hillary Swank
• Friday: Dance movies like: Billy Elliot, Top Hat with Fred Astaire, Tango of Carlos Saura.
• Saturday: closed.
• Sunday: Universal Pictures and Paramount films: The legendary Hollywood Sunset Boulevard with Gloria Swanson, The war of the worlds of Orson Welles, We’re not angels with Humprey Bogart.

To see the full program: http://www.casadelcinema.it/?event=9-settimane-e-mezzo-estate-alla-casa-del-cinema

When: From the 3rd of july until the 29th of august. The showings usually start at 21:00 or 21:30.

Where: Casa del Cinema, Largo Marcello Mastroianni, 1, entrance at Piazzale del Brasile

How to arrive: BUS 490 – 491 – 495 – C3 – 88 – 95 – 116

METRO Linea A:  Barberini (closest), Spain, Flaminio

PAULINA CEBALLOS

Summer concerts in Rome: Villa Ada

Like every year the summer brings not only the nice weather, gelatto and many flowers in Rome; it’s also usually accompanied by many fun activities including concerts, exhibitions, open cinema, etc.

One of the most successful festivals is “Roma encounters the world” (Roma incontra la mondo), hosted in the island of the lake in Villa Ada for the nineteenth time.

The place has also 4 food stations with self service, italian and international dishes, pizza, kebab, snacks, desserts. If you are in the mood for a drink there is also a bar. This area opens from 20:00 hrs, while the concerts start at 22:00.

Performers come from all over Italy, Europe, Latinomerica and the United States. The variety of the music styles suits all tastes: reggae from Jamaica, british indie rock, Joan as a Police woman from USA,  flamenco guitar players, serbian balcanic folk group, Ben l’oncle soul from France, italian rock bands, brazilian singers, etc.

To see the full program click this link: http://www.villaada.org/

How to arrive: Metro B1 Conca d’Oro

When: until july 28th.

Infoline: 0641734712, 0641734648 , 3472481011, 3389214142

Prices:
– Season ticket for 5 concerts: €20
Individual tickets cost from €11 to €28 depending on the concert and can be purchased in the box ticket before the concert in Via di Ponte Salario from 20:00.

Presale:

www.ticket.it

www.greenticket.it

www.ticketone.it

Paulina Ceballos

Nasoni

« Nasoni » is an Italian word, which means “big noses”. In Rome it indicates the typical small fountains that you can see in the centre ofRome, distributing free drinking water. The funny name is due to the typical curved shape of the faucet, which looks like a big nose. Just inside the walls of the city there are nearly three hundred “nasoni”, that refresh the tourists and the inhabitants during the roman hot Summer.

They made their first appearance a few years after Italywas born, when the Mayor of the city had the idea to place these fountains throughout the whole city. One of the oldest “nasoni” (still perfectly working) is in Piazza della Rotonda, near the Pantheon.

At the beginning, however, (even before taking the well-known nickname) these water dispensers had three spouts instead of one, and they were decorated with a dragon’s head. You can see a modern reconstruction in a downtown street, which is called via delle Tre Cannelle (“three spouts street”).

Portaportese

Portaportese, the protagonist of lots of songs and movies of Roman culture, is the largest and most famous Sunday market in Rome. It extends from Via Via Ippolito Nievo and Via Portuense, reaching up to Viale Trastevere and of course the square from which it takes its name, Piazza di Porta Portese.

Opens very early in the morning, around 6:00 a.m. and closes at around 14:00.
There you can find anything, new and used clothing and shoes, sandwiches, false brands, old bicycles, motorcycle helmets, suitcases, bags, home accessories, plants, records, antiques, furniture, records, CD , umbrellas,key chains, toys, cosmetics and everything that comes to your mind.
When I arrived I was convinced not to buy anything and I went away with loads of envelopes. It is impossible to resist a pair of shoes or jeans at 10 euros. The seller of jeans has also given me  the recipe for a special sauce while I was trying his jeans on. This is Portaportese: they  call you, then they cheat you. If you get hungry they insult you, and finally, you become friend. My advice: go very early or very late, at peak  hour yourisk of having difficulty walking among beggars, vendors, tourists and crowds. Beware of your wallets: Portaportese is a heaven for pickpockets.

Rainbow MagicLand

Rainbow MagicLand  is the new attractions park situated just outside Rome. The park covers an area of ​​600,000 square meters and can compete with the major Italian amusement parks.
The park has been thought for all the family and its main theme is magic: it will be like being in a fairyland, among the fairy castles in the park you will meet fearsome Vikings, magical fairies, powerful wizards and the bravest adventurers.
Rainbow MagicLand offers more than 30 attractions for all tastes (partly powered with solar panels) Mystika, Shock and Cagliostro are only for the bravest while water games are dedicated to everyone. The amusement park is divided into several areas, each inspired to the characters of the Rainbow Group like: Winx fairies, Monster Allergy, adventurer Huntik and Pop Pixie.
Rainbow MagicLand is part of the Integrated Tourist Centre of Rome, along with the Fashion District Outlet.

Tickets: Season 2012

Full price: 35 €
Reduced ticket: 28 € (children between 100 and 150cm)
Evening ticket (after 18): 20 €
Free ticket: Children under one meter height

Times and openings: Rainbow MagicLand open March 31.
Open weekends from April to October.
Open from April 21 to September 16 from 10:00 – 18:00 (10:00 to 23:00 during July and August.)

Getting there:

BY CAR: Motorway A1 Roma-Napoli: Coming from the north exit at Valmontone; Coming from the south exit at Colleferro. Follow the signs to: Valmontone Fashion District Outlet – Rainbow MagicLand amusement park. The park has a parking fee.

Salvador Dalì, the exhibition

Also this year, after Giotto and Van Gogh last year, the Vittoriano in Rome has decided to call the attention of art lovers. The exhibition “Salvador Dali: the man, the artist” opened on March 10 and ends on June 30.

The title given to the exhibition clearly refers to the ethos of the painter, where the two sides were together, impossible to divide. His life was art, he was art. Although knowing very little about his life, it is difficult to understand how much Dali felt to be different from others.

Hours: open every day. Monday to Thursday: 9.30-18.30 Friday and Saturday 9.30-22.30. Sunday 9.30-19.30
Tickets: Adult € 12.00   Reduced  € 8.50