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

Our Blogger: Marcelo

Stoic and fatalistic. Introverted. Painter of daily life. A sense of humor and a frank manner mixed with a conservative vision about politics. A man who simply accepted things as they were. Edward Hopper (1882 – 1967), one of the most popular and well known American artists of the twentieth century will be in Rome from February 16^th.

For the first time in Italy! An exciting exhibition that arrives to Rome after a great success at the Palazzo Reale in Milan (More than 1,600 daily visitors). The Exhibition in Rome is organized with the support of Fondazione Roma and Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. It will be entirely dedicated to all aspects of Edward Hopper’s extraordinary career.

Explore Edward Hopper artistic conception in which  “Great art is the outward expression of an inner life of the artist, and this inner life will result in his personal vision of the world’’ while , “So much of every art is an expression of the subconscious’’ and ‘’ and little of importance by the conscious intellect.”

Our blogger: Marcelo

-Marcelo, philosophical as ever talks about an ongoing exhibition in Rome and while at it takes us for a walk into Leonardo’s mind.

Simply beyond any kind of definition! How can you say that you are something when you are everything? Sculptor, architect, painter, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, anatomist, inventor, writer, botanist, geologist…The very meaning of ‘’open mind’’ is fitting better than never  for someone who explored every single aspect of human being and his relationship with nature. Not for a moment The Beauty was forgotten, since a searcher of the Truth is first of all a lover of the Truth.

Understanding the Truth as a whole is certainly the very spirit of the renaissance. That spirit was fully alive in Leonardo.He dreamed of a flying man, walking on water beyond limitations not by going against nature but through a fully understanding of it . And so in time the dreams became true by an unconditioned faith in nature and human being that gave inspiration to mankind…

The exhibition ‘’ Leonardo, il genio e le invenzioni’’ (Leonardo da Vinci – genius and inventions) At the Palace of the Chancellery is being held in Rome until April 30th 2010. Mostly focused on “machines” designed by the genius find on display fifty-operated machines and available to the visitor to touch and feel.

The machines are divided into five categories: water, air, earth, fire and mechanisms. The first four categories including that interacting ‘’element’’ of nature while the last one instead contains all those machines that may have different applications.

The man had always looked at the sky with an inexpressible feeling of wonder. Leonardo not only looked but worked on in order to design his very famous flying machines (including the parachute).

His genius, however, not only turned to the sky but also to the sea, to enable humans to explore its depths. It seems that Leonardo developed a diver or even a submarine. Later he decided to quit the experiments in fearing that they might be used for illicit purposes such as piracy.  Ethics were part of his vision. Funny enough anyway, to consider that a device for a ‘’miracle’’ (walking on water) was also provided by his creative mind.

This exhibition includes a chain that Leonardo designed for bicycles and watches. By this Leonardo anticipated the invention of a car.

Among the inventions relating to water: the innovative hydraulic saw, which uses water power to drive an automatic system capable of cutting timber and saving human labor.

Now you’ve read about it. You may have red lot about Leonardo. Maybe it’s time to experience directly yourself. Just exactly as he intended it… Isn’t it?

To get there from our locations Hotel Des Artistes Rome or Yes Hotel Rome is very easy by simply taking the bus 40 or 492 arriving there in no more than twenty minutes! If you need accommodation check www.hoteldesartistes.com or www.yeshotelrome.com.

Our Blogger: Marcelo

“Graecia capta ferum victorem cepit.”

-Horace

From the 24^th February the exhibition ‘’ I Giorni di Roma: L’età della Conquista, Roma e il mondo greco’’ will allow you to explore the classic art even deeper into its roots and learn more about the cultural influence that Greece had over Rome, because as the Roman poet Horace said (and that’s the quote we’re using for this entry): “Captive Greece took captive [with its culture] her uncouth conqueror“.

The Capitoline Museums, placed in the legendary Capitoline Square (designed by

Michelangelo, no less) is the location chosen for this event. The decision is more than natural since the Capitoline Museums (the first public museum in history) are thematic-centred in the classic period.

Impressive marble statues, fine works in bronze and terracotta sculptures, ornaments and home decor items made of bronze and silver. Everything in order to bring you back in time and portraitf a period during which the ruling elite felt, with increasing awareness, the strengthening of its prestige and expressed it through art.

The conquest of Greece (the decades between the end of the third century BC and half of the first century A.. C)  opens an entire new prospective to the Roman society. The exhibition will focus on this very great moment in Roman History allowing visitors to better understand the strong influence of the Greek culture in Rome.

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Where: Piazza del Campidoglio

From: February 24, 2010
Until:  September 05, 2010

More info: http://museicapitolini.org/ http:// www.beniculturali.it

The Capitoline Museums are located at only fifteen minutes by bus (40 or 492)  from our locations: Hotel Des Artistes (www.hoteldesartistes.com) or Yes Hotel Rome (www.yeshotelrome.com).

Our Blogger: Vanda

From on October 24 up to February 14 th 2010, to the Museum in Rome Trastevere, you can assist to a photographic show from the title “Before and after the Wall.”  The exhibition has the purpose to tell the history of the wall in Berlin through forty photos taken during the last forty years in Berlin, the show it will put in prominence all the changes that this city has suffered from the creation of the wall up to its demolition and its transformation into a ”monument” of a past that cannot be forgotten.

The photographers authors of this interesting show are: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Leonard Freed, Bruno Barbey, Ian Berry, Guy Le Querrec della Magnum Photos, Gianni Berengo Gardin a Mauro Galligani, Giovanni Chiaramonte, Nicola Gnesi e Davide Monteleone and the great French agency Eyedea.

The museum is open every day, except Monday, from 10:00 until 20:00 but the box-office is closes to the 19. Price ticket: 5.50 European (whole) 4.00 European (meeting place). Address: Piazza di Sant’Egidio, 1/b

At Hotel Des Artistes and Yes Hotel we will be more than happy to give you all the necessary information to visit this and many other famous museums in Rome. Make a reservation and get ready for the experience of a lifetime!

Our Blogger: Marcelo

Lovers of Fantasy are familiar with Mister Michael Ende. His works have been translated into more than 40 languages. Now there is an exhibition in Rome to commemorate the years that he spent in Italy and the thirtieth anniversary of his Masterpiece: ‘’ The Neverending Story’’.

The book describes the world of Fantasia which is being threatened by “The Nothing” an evil force that destroys everything. The story aims to keep us in touch with the imagination against the trend to be only a practical, logical and cold…

The ‘’mostra’’ develops through manuscripts, photographs and different documents, describing the fifteen years that Ende lived in Genzano (about thirty miles from Rome).

We hope you enjoy it and that you also find inspiration in our beautiful City of Rome. Maybe the same inspiration that Michael Ende and other authors have found here, in this eternally- neverending-inspiring City.

Our Blogger: Giuseppe

From June 30 to October 25 2009, the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia is hosting a unique exhibition of Etruscan themed comic books conceived by the archeological services of southern Etruria (northern Lazio).

Six comic book artists , (Francesco Cattani, Marino Blacks, Paul Parisi, Michele Petrucci, Alessandro Rak, Claudio Stassano), tell the history of Etruria through an illustrated story line devoted to the major figures and events that defined Etruscan civilisation.

The comics, with their stories, are the fruit of the imagination of young artists and interact harmoniously with the archaeological museum. 
The symbol of the exhibition is the original poster made  by the great Milo Manara, illustrator and author of comic stories known worldwide for the sensual appeal of its drawings.
The six artists have focused their attention on three places, the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia in Rome, (situated on the north side of Villa Borghese park), the Necropolis of Cerveteri and the Museum of Tarquinia.
A comic book bringing together all six stories and published by Black Velvet is on sale for €13 at standard outlets, or just €10 at any of the three museum locations mentioned.

Our young, knoledgeable staff at Yes Hotel and Hotel Des Artistes will be more than happy to give you many other interesting suggestions to discover the many sides of Rome. Make your booking today!

INFO
Head of the exhibition
Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia (Rome, Piazzale di Villa Giulia, 9)
(M Flaminio ‘A’ line) Tel. 0632810

Tarquinia Museo Nazionale Etrusco
Tarquinia (VT), Monterozzi Via Cavour and Via Marina, 1

National Archeological Museum Cerveteri
Cerveteri (RM), Piazzale della Necropoli and Piazza S. Maria

Hours: daily 8.30-19-30. Closed on Monday.
Admission: €4, €2, free (over-65s, under 18s)

Our Blogger: Stefano

The bouquinistes are the sellers of second-hand books in Paris who have installed their wooden stands along the Seine. For decades, they have been offering the best of arts, litterature and entertainment at an affordable price in the largest “open air library” in the world. Today they are considered “heritage of humanity".
The bouquinistes are a part of the history of Paris. The same term, "Bouquin" in argot is an old book.

We can find in Rome a similar tradition, a sort of book trade, sometimes wandering the city, not formalized, but with a long tradition. Indeed we can find markets, book stalls and kiosks set up in many parts of Rome: Campo de ‘Fiori, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Piazza Pasquino, and the Fontanella Borghese. This is the place to sell books, not to be confused with other stands dotted around the city that have nothing to do with the tradition of which we speak.

Today their business is gradually changing in line with market needs and demands of tourists. And so, instead of old books and prints of works of art, on the kiosks appear now posters of famous actors or, in Paris, small plastic Eiffel Towers.
For this reason it was decided to revisit the streets of Paris by an exhibition dedicated to bouquinistes.
The exhibition will be inaugurated during the eleventh week of culture. It proposes materials coming primarily from the collection of the National Library Ceccarius and that of the Parisian museum in Rome.

The exhibition will display images and documents from the XIX and XX centuries. We’ll find many books, newspapers, posters and postcards that tell the story of this ancient tradition.
An unusual exhibition that will bind two great capitals that have always been culturally close. The photographs will be on display on the National Library on Viale Castro Pretorio 105, only a couple of steps away from Hotel Des Artistes!

In fact, Des Artistes and Yes Hotel are two wonderful accomodation structures in Rome. Their location and comfort standards are great, and will offer you everything you need to have a fantastic time in the Eternal City.

Our Blogger: Marcelo

You can enjoy the ‘’Settimana della Cultura’’ (The Culture Week) in Italy from 18^th April until 26^th seven days in which you will have the opportunity to visit many sites and museums completely free!

Of course, the Eternal City has a lot to offer to the visitors this week. Part of Its wonderful cultural and artistic heritage with not a penny of cost. You will find yourself pleased with the usual welcoming attitude of Roman people and the advantage of seeing much more playing much less…

Let’s consider the options:

Colosseum: The most famous monument in Rome, that does not need to be introduced. The giant from the 81 A.C is still there, reminding us of the eternal charm of Rome, with doors wide open and free!!

 The Capitoline Museums : The most ancient museum in the world, created by Pope Sisto IV in 1471. The square in which is placed was designed by the great Michelangelo. It holds the emblematic she-wolf, a symbol of Rome itself. The Marcus Aurelius statue and the bust of Augustus in the Hall of Emperors are among the examples of art pieces shown. Your visit will be even more interesting these days with the exhibition of Fra Angelico, an artist that gave a stunning contribution to the Renaissance Period. 

Trajan Market: A huge shopping centre of ancient times. It was considered indeed among the wonders of Classical world. The famous architect Apollodorus of Damascus designed this complex of 150 shops (second century AD).

Museum of Roman Civilization: This museum has a pearl that deserves to be found. You will see a model of the whole City of Rome exactly as it was during the Empire Age. It is the only place where you will have the opportunity to see Ancient Rome ‘’from above’’.

Also included : Museo di Roma Palazzo Braschi, Napoleonic Museum, Museo di Roma in Trastevere, Musei di Villa Torlonia, Museum Barracco (Pieces of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia ), Ara Pacis Museum, Museo delle Mura Villa di Massenzio, Museum of Zoology and the Necropolis Ostiense

For further information the program is available at: www.zetema.it; www.museiincomune.roma.it; www.060608.it Info and reservations: 06 06 08 (daily 9.00 – 21.00)

So, in case you were trying to make up your mind, there’s no better time for a last-minute trip to Rome. Here, at Hotel des Artistes and Yes Hotel we’ll be more than happy to give you all the guidance you need to enjoy the Eternal city!

Our Blogger: Diana

De Chirico at The National Gallery of Modern Art: Going Beyond the rational.

“To become truly immortal, a work of art must escape all human limits: logic and common sense will only interfere. But once these barriers are broken, it will enter the realms of childhood visions and dreams.”

Outstanding Italian Surrealist, Giorgio De Chirico (July 10, 1888 – November 20, 1978) founded the Metaphysical art movement together with Carlo Carrà. He expressed themes like nostalgia, enigma and myth through a visionary use of the image which deeply influenced the following generations.

The burden of classicism

Thirty years after his death, The National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome (GNAM), hosts an exhibition of more than 100 works (paintings, drawings and one sculpture) with the aim to discover the complex relation he had with the art of the past and how he went beyond the "barriers" of classicism.

The exhibition is divided into thematic sections: "Mitologia e Archeologia" (Mythology and Archeology) , "La copia"(the copy), "La grande pittura" (the great paint), "I d’apre’s da Rubens" (d’apre’s by Rubens), "La Neometafisica" (Neometaphysics), and "I disegni" (Drawings). And the public can admire for the first time an awesome oversized canva entitled "Capriccio veneziano", which De Chirico dedicated to the magnificent style of Veronese, a prominent Renaissance painter from Venice.

So why not come to Rome and stay in a comfortable, warm room at Lucci Hotel while visiting the exhibition? Being so well located, you can easily reach the art museum without being in a hurry.

The National Gallery of Modern Art

Viale delle Belle Arti, 131

How to get here

By Tram: 3 and 19, Viale delle Belle Arti

By bus: 88 – 95 – 490 – 495, M, Piazzale del Fiocco

By subway: Line A – metro stop Flaminio

Museum Opening Hours

From Tuesday to Sunday 08.30 to 19.30; closed Mondays.

Last entry to galleries is 40 minutes before closing time.

Between 20 June 2008 and 14 September 2008 , the Ara Pacis  Museum in Rome (via di Ripetta 190) hosts a traveling exhibition on the creations of one of the greatest French architects and designers of the 20th century.

Jan Prouvé developed the idea of nomadic architecture, whereby a chair was given the same iconic importance as a house, designing both with transportability in mind. His work has had a lasting impact on furniture and industrial design.  His main achievement was transferring the manufacturing technology from industry to the architecture, without losing the aesthetic qualities.

It demonstrates how Jean Prouvé (1901-1984) had a remarkable capacity to combine entrepreneurial skills with craftsmanship, design and architecture.
More than 100 of his works, executed between 1924 and the mid 70s are included in this exhibition:

50 objects of design(chairs, tables, desks, beds, lamps), architectonic elements, various architectural models as well as a rich selection of signed drawings and studies for the Péchiney pavilion in Paris.

Prouvé is considered a leading exponent of industrialized building.

Jean was born in Nancy. In Nancy in 1923 he opened what would be the first in a string of his own workshops and studios. He produced wrought iron lamps, chandeliers, hand rails and began designing furniture. In 1947 he built the Maxéville factory. After Maxéville he started "Constructions Jean Prouvé" In 1957 he started the Industrial Transport Equipment Company and built the Rotterdam Medical School, the Exhibition Center in Grenoble and the Orly Airways Terminal façade.The metal furniture of Jean Prouvé was produced copiously in every studio and workshop. Prouvé was influential in the development of the idea of nomadic architecture, likening a chair to a house, and designing both with portability in mind.He died in Nancy in 1984.

Opening hours

Tuesday – Sunday 9.00/10.00am – 7.00/8.00pm

Entrance ticket

ordinary: € 6,50; reduced: € 4,50;

How to get to the Ara Pacis Museum  with Rome  public transport :

Museo Dell’Ara Pacis, Lungotevere Augusto (near Piazza del Popolo) . If you stay in Rome central Hotel this is going to be easy to get there.

From Termini station take line A metro and get off at the stop "Spagna"