Hotelrome.net Blog : A guide to news and events in Rome

Today I Would like to tell you a story about a strange and marvelous park: the Holy wood (not to be confused with Hollywood) of Bomarzo and better known as a monster park. Bomarzo is a small medieval city situated closed to Viterbo 150 km North from Rome.

Built in 1555 by Pirro Ligorio (the very same who built Adriana’s villa in Tivoli and integrated Saint Peter’s Rome after Michelangelo death) in a natural amphitheatre the park was abandoned until 1950 when Giancarlo and Tina Severi Bettini decided to give it a new twist.

Inside the park the big statues cross the legends and the history.

From the entrance on your left you can see the monstrous Proteus. According to the legend Proteus was Poseidon’s son and he had the ability to change himself in a different shapes of life.

Two sphinxes on your right explain you the intention of the park: man and women here can chase their wishes until they get lost. Here is an quiz: Are these works built for deceit or for art?

You will no doubt come across The Orlando who butchered the shepherd. The myth from the Furious Orland returns in this sculpture: Orland devoured from Angelica’s passion went out of his mind and committed horrible actions like killing a shepherd who happened to cross his path.

Keeping your walk going on you in the Bomarzo Park you will meet the Turtle with the winged Foam and Pegasus, Medusa’s and Poseidon’s son, The Orca and Ninfeo and Venus born from the sea and the “Abandoned Nude” who represents Armide, perfidious witch from The Liberated Jerusalem. Legend says that she fell in love with Rinaldo.

After Armida you will be in a boulevard path that lead you to the Orco (ogre) . As if the Orco must to be protected before to meet him you bump into other 3 figures really scary: two lions, the Furies winged and finally the Echidnae terrible monster half women and half snake. Then Pluto, the Dragon, The elephant inspired by the Hannibal battle against Romans and Cerere heart’s Goddess.

When you see the Orco you remain impressed and you would believe that the Orco could be the entrance! Climb the stairs and read the sentence inscribed beneath his teeth: “ Every thought flies away”! I did: I went inside the jaws and I found myself inside a small room with a table and really for a moment your thoughts fly away.

Still Proserpina and Cerberus to see and finally the temple in Doric style dedicated from Vicino Orsini to the death wife Giulia Farnese. Today it is the grave of Giancarlo and Tina Severi Bettini.

Whilst visiting the park you cannot miss the pendent house built on top of the rope and that give you like if you are losing your balance. How to get to this spectacular example of mannerist art park? follow the map to Bomarzo.

Open every day: entrance fee: 9 euros.

"HE IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD"

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead” (Matthew 28:2)

Easter is the most important religious festivity in the Christian liturgical year. During this day Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus after the third day after his crucifixion. Easter is a moveable feast, that is it’s not fixed to the civil calendar since it follows the cycle of the moon. In 2008 Easter fell on Sunday 23 march.

FESTIVITIES

A bit of history first ! The Easter festival among the Roman Catholics is preceded by a 40 days of fast and abstinence called Lent (in Italian Quaresima) beginning on Ash Wednesday (Mercoledi delle Ceneri). Holy week of Lent begins with the observance of Palm Sunday, celebrating Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem where the crowds waved and laid palms at his feet. Holy Thursday (Giovedi Santo) commemorates the Last Supper that Jesus had with his apostles before being crucified. Friday in Holy Week is the anniversary of Jesus death on the Cross. Easter celebrations begins on the night of Holy Saturday with the Easter Vigil, which ends with the Eucharist (also called ‘Holy Communion’).

TRADITIONS: FROM FAST TO FEAST

During the Holy week in Italy in every italian region exhibitions, local feasts, rites and processions are taking place in the streets where the penitents walk (in some cases even barefoot and in chains) holding torches and praying. Even the bells in the churches stay mute from Friday until Easter to evoke the pain for the crucifixion.

With the Last Supper episode, that is with Jesus dividing up some bread and handing the pieces to the disciples, it already states clear that food holds a major significance in this festivity. That’s the reason why on Easter food remains in different ways the main character: eggs are given (real ones, hard boiled and often painted with decorations or the more common ones are the chocolate eggs ), as symbols of rebirth and fertility, since Spring usually starts in this period as well; Lamb is usually cooked and a dove- shaped Easter cake is served (the traditional "colomba") , which are evident symbols of the Passion. Other typical Easter cakes are "Torta Pasqualina" whose main ingredients are ricotta, arthichokes and eggs and the delicious "Pastiera Napoletana" with corn, butter, ricotta and candid fruits.

PASQUETTA
The day after Easter is officially the celebration of the Angel announcing the resurrection of the Lord to the women at his tomb. In Italy Easter Monday is a bank holiday, and in Rome, as well as in other Italian cities, organizes cultural events. Italians traditionally spend this day among friends, having pic nics, doing outside activities or organizing trips somewhere.. and what about you? Got any plans for a trip during your spring vacation ? March and April are ideal to get discounted Rome hotel rates in Italy Hotels.

Read a relatad blog about Easter in Italy …

And want to know more about April Festivals in Italy ?

The recent opening of The House of Augustus in Rome  to the public has been an extraordinary event. It is a fruit of decades of work. Some of the walls were found in pretty good conditions ,other took long and difficult restoration work.

In 31 BC Augustus – also known as Octavian – had triumphed over the combined forces of Mark Anthony and the Egyptian queen Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium.

The victory brought Egypt, and with it immense wealth, into the empire.

Ottaviano Augusto, still to become emperor erected his residence on the Palatine hill. It is not known whether the choice to build his residence sixty metres above the Lupercale, (the cove where the She-Wolf it nursed Romulus and Remus) has been accidental.

The certainty is that the domus (latin for “home”) of the founder of the Empire  transformed the Palatine from an inhabited place to an official centre of the imperial authority. The August complex, situated within the Apollo Temple (Tempio di Apollo Aziaco), the House of the Emperor, the libraries, the house of Livia (Augusto’s wife), were only identified during the 1970s, during the campaigns of digging guided from professor the Gianfilippo Carettoni.

Then long and difficult restorations have been hiding from the eyes of the public the splendid examples of Roman wall paintings that make  the house of the first emperor the greatest complex of second style that has been recovered in the last few decades.

Just a few days ago, the opening of the three rooms on northern sides  finally took place. The Minister  of the  Cultural Assets Francesco Rutelli (former Rome Mayor) , along with director of the archeological campaign of the Palatine Irene Iacopi were attending this event.

The rooms are named : the "inferior cubicle" room, large oecus (ambient of stay and reception) and the premises "of the rampa" and "the antirampa".

Augusto had a habit of withdrawing for meditation . "we have realized the puzzle more monumental of the history – the minister has commented – fruit of more than twenty years of archaeologically work and restoration. Numerous pieces of fresco today recomposed were in fact buried, and some seed-destroyed even.

The spaces are decorated with fresco and not only they represent an important roman painting example of the end of the 1st century B.C but also a restoration work never seen until now.

The Domus Augusto is another spectacular discovery in the heart of an ancient Rome that continues to astonish and to give extraordinary experiences.

From Monday 17 march 2008 entrance to the Roman Forum is no longer free. The fee is 11 euros ($16; £8) for a combined ticket that allows you to the Forum, the Palatine Hill and the nearby Colosseum.

How do I visit the House of Augustus ? No booking in advance is possible at this time and you have to queue. Access is allowed by small groups composed of 5 persons at a time.

Where? From Termini station you can take metro line B to Colosseum (3 stops away)  and then is a few minutes walk.

For your Hotel stay in Rome see our suggested  Rome Hotels.

See the related reads on the Domus Augusto.

From 29^th February until 10^th of June the Exposition called ‘‘Ottocento da Canova al Quarto Stato’’ invites you at the Scuderie del Quirinale. You will be able to see and enjoy 130 masterpieces from classicism to symbolism.

It is entirely dedicated to the historical period known as ‘‘Risorgimento’’, or “The Resurgence”. The expression describes a movement aiming at establishing an Italian nation-state state, regarded as a modern state, strong enough to defend itself, while the Italian states of the post-Vienna Congress period were regarded as backward, weak, foreign-dominated ones. Rome hosts one of the most important Museum complexes dedicated to the period of Risorgimento-The Central Museum of Risorgimento and the Victorian Complex.

This historical process led to Italian Unification (Unificazione). The unification was a long and arduous process. But all the problems that remained before the unification were not solved even after. As the last quarter of the century unfolded, this was evident. But, Italy stayed united and focused on solving new arising problems. In the end, Cavour, Garibaldi, and Mazzini became the founding fathers of a nation and were immortalized.

So describing this changing time, as subjects of the art-works show, you will find immense Italian landscapes, daily life scenes, Bourgeois family’s portraits and herds on the yellow fields. The proposal of this exhibition is an inviting anthology of this landmark century.

The experts have worked for more than two years to put together this spectacular collection with the aim to provide an interesting picture from historical and artistic point of view to the century that opened the modern times to the country.

Artist and paintings like: Pellizza da Volpedo ‘‘Il quarto stato’’, Gaetano Previati ‘‘Maternita’’, Canova’s creations, Angelo Morbelli ‘’Asfissia’’, Hayez ‘‘Il Bacio’’ (symbolizing the embrace between France and Italy in fratenrnity), ‘‘Pensiero malinconico’’, ‘’Venere che scherzo con due colombe’’, Macchiaioli’s landscapes of De Nitis, Boldrini etc.

Visit this exhibition at via XXIV Maggio from Sundays till Thursdays from 10:00 till 20.00, and on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 till 22.30.

The ticket price is 10 euro.

Go ahead for reading more  in another Ottocento Exhibition Blog  if you are interested !

Il Festival della canzone italiana, a popular song contest in Italy,  is held annually since 1951 and it takes place in the city of Sanremo in the Region of Liguria (Italians usually refer it simply as “Sanremo Festival”), which lies on the Mediterranean coast of western Liguria in north-western Italy.  If you plan a trip, see what are the  events in San Remo. Each year passing by, the most outstanding Italian singers got on the stage of Ariston Theatre and this event has always shown  the most creative side  of Italian music, since the very beginning when Nilla Pizzi won the first two editions and her songs became unforgettable for decades.

 
This national cultural event  soon was to grow  popular  not only in the music business but even among the general public, slowly getting the status of social event: radio jamming Sanremo music, Tv screening Sanremo singer interviews, gossips or videoclips. People got absorbed and talked about nothing else than the Sanremo competition, everywhere in Italy. Even the elderly people, who in the sixties still weren’t used to watch the television, would stop by and watched.

Apparently this once magic atmosphere got partly lost during more recent times. As far as it was reported, roughly 30% of television viewers actually followed the 58th edition this year 2008  (which was broadcasted between 25th of  February and 1st  of March 2008). It seems that over the last few years the songs simply do not get the extraordinary enthousiasm  among the public as in the past.
In this 2008 San Remo Festival  harsh words were out  on this matter :  the famous artistic director of the Festival Pippo Baudo, who has been leading  the show since the begining of times, has been complaining   that  the decline of the San Ramo Festival is due to  a lack of broadcasting   of the very song contest because of the increasing "junk tv shows" – as Mr Baudo puts it -  that take the tv space ….

Back to music, which is the essence of the competition,  results were made public late 1st of March and the winners are : The song “Colpo di fulmine” (“Crush”) by the duo Giò di Tonno and Lola Ponce won the first position, followed by Anna Tatangelo with “Il mio amico” (“My friend”) at the second position, just the third position for Fabrizio Moro  with “Eppure mi hai cambiato la vita” (“Yet you changed my life”), who last year was acclaimed   with the lirycs “Pensa” (“Think”) dedicated to mafia victims.

You want to write your own comments or simply view other people’s opinions on the Festival di San Remo? Then take a look at the San Remo Festival Blog

And if you are looking for a hotel while in the San Remo area then book your Liguria hotel here !