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

Our Blogger: Raul

Once upon a time, Italy was ruled by kings. They all belonged to the Savoy (Savoia) dynasty, the only one to have reigned in most of the country. The Savoy’s raise to power was a peaceful one, not achieved through wars or military conquests, but through marriages and a shrewd use of diplomatic relations.

Fascism brought bad news for many, the Savoy among them. The king didn’t know how to deal properly with Mussolini and backed him, thinking the fascist party was a more reassuring option than socialism. After the end of the war the Italians were called to vote to decide whether they wanted to live under a monarchy or a republic. The republican government won 54 percent against 46, and that was the curtain call for the legendary dynasty.

After this, all the male descendants of the Savoy were forbidden to enter Italy and they lived in exile in Switzerland until 2002, when the Italians decided they could come back to their country.

The Italian media created a fuzz over the real family come-back, even though the Savoy didn’t seem to be very grateful: they tried to get a compensation for moral damage from the Italian government, along with some historical buildings like the Quirinale Palace, currently the official residence of the president of the Italian Republic.

The claim didn’t succeed, and afterwards the behaviour of the family hasn’t been exactly flattering: in 2006 the prince Vittorio Emanuele was involved in a public scandal that had him recruiting prostitutes for a casino and his son’s last public appearance was as a participant in a “dance with the stars” show.

For a chance to take a look at the Savoia, come to Rome and don’t forget to make a reservation at Hotel Des Artistes!

Our Blogger: Marcello

A couple of weeks ago, a client came to the reception desk asking for directions to Via Varese. This street is just two blocks from us.

Suddenly, I began to remember good memories from my childhood. My heroes and friends from that time came back to me in a flash of lively thought…
Like in the happiest party one could stage, all of them arrived at once. Just in time…          

So I welcomed Tweety, Sylvester, Duffy Duck, Speedy Gonzalez (who obviously arrived before the others) and the INEVITABLE Bugs bunny and his kind of friend, mean Mister Yosemite Sam.

The client I mentioned before was about to go to the Warner Brothers Office in Rome, located in Via Varese 16/B.

The Warner Bros company was founded in 1923 by brothers Harry (President), Albert, Sam and Jack.

In 1926, the studio produced the first film (Don Juan) by Alan Crosland. In 1927 came The Jazz Singer, by Crosland still with Al Jolson, which contains a sound sequence. This new technology enabled Warner to obtain a special Oscar award for their important contribution to the development of cinema. The following year, the first film ever was entirely spoken.
In the thirties they offered a successful series of gangster films like Public Enemy, Little Caesar, and High Sierra

with Humphrey Bogart. In addition they produced musical films in this period. In 1933, two of the most important musicals of the decade,42nd Street and Gold Diggers of 1933…
Starting from the thirties, Warner Bros. began, however, to produce the successful series of Looney Tunes cartoons, headed by some of the famous characters referred to earlier…

During World War II the film that became legend was made, Casablanca, 1942 by Michael Curtiz, with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
In the fifties, A star is born, 1954 and the mythic James Dean’s Rebel without a cause, 1955.
The seventies must be remembered for: All the President’s men, 1976 by Alan J. Pakula and all the films of Stanley Kubrick, from Orange mechanics (A clockwork orange, 1971) onwards. International films today certainly have Warner Brothers to thank for the development of film.
Think of The Matrix, Harry Potter…The work of this legendary company has not only a remarkable importance money wise but also sentimentally, in the way it connects us with its characters. It is certainly not easy to sum up this mix of work, success and wonderful emotions.

Today, Warner, which now is part of the publishing group headed by the famous Time Magazine, has specialized in television production (WB Television).
And so… For my known or yet unknown friends who are reading this and are thinking about coming to this beautiful city I just wanted to tell you about this piece of life that is very near, not around the corner, but only two blocks away…from our hotel. So why not come to stay with us at Yes Hotel, near Termini Station, for the perfect getaway treat.

Please note: The Warner Bros office in Rome is not available for tourist visits.

After a small break, I came back with the stories about the Capitol Hill of Rome.

I hope you will not be annoyed with my historical outline, but will learn something new and next time you come to Rome you will surprise you friends with your knowledge.

So let us start…

In Rome there are many legends of the glorious past of its ancient empire. One of these concerns Castor and Pollux.

The introduction of the cult of Dioscuri, or Castori, is closely linked to a specific episode: the battle at the lake Regillo that saw the Romans opposed to Latins.

The Latins were allies of the Tarquinio Superbo, seventh and the last king of Rome. He was the dynasty of Etruscan Tarquini and he reigned from 535 a. C. to 510 a.C., when he was banned from Rome. It was an important date in Rome, because with the Tarquinio Superbo ending the Etruscan hegemony on the city of Rome, which began with the reign of Tarquinio Prisco. After the last king, Rome became free and the Repubblic was founded.

The battle of Lake Regillo is one of the first legendary Roman victories. Legendary because we don’t have precise references (documents seems to have been lost in the fire following the invasion of the Brenno’s Gauls). Legendary also because it says that the outcome of the battle, initially unfavourable to the warriors of Rome, has been decided by the appareance of mythological Dioscuri: Castor and Pollux.

Tarquino, already chased away from Rome, attempted to regain power.

The Roman dictator Aulus Postumia Albino, departed from Rome with large forces of infantry and cavalry and met the enemy army at Lake Regillo, in the territory of Tuscolo. After a first phase with uncertain outcome, the battle was about to turn in favour of Latin ranks when Aulus Postumia prayed Jupiter that granted his victory’s wish. In the clamor of battle, two mysterious knight appeared between the forces in the field, and they led the Roman armies to victory. Leaving the battlefield, the two young appeared again inside the walls of Rome and they announced the successful victory over the Latins at the citizenship, and then they would be disappeared into the air(I talk about this another day*).

There are different statues of Dioscuri that can be admired even today in Rome, for example, on the Quirinale hill and on the balustrade of the piazza del Campidoglio. Here, at the top of the stairs, there are the colossal groups of the Dioscuri, Castor from one side, and Pollux from the other side.

The legend of Dioscuri is the introduction of a greek myth in Roman tradition. In fact, Castor and Pollux, in Greeks centres of southern Italy, were considered the “Numi Tutelari” of chivalry, which was established exclusively by characters in the aristocracy. The recruitment in Rome of a cult of aristocracy could mean the need for a strengthening of political power by the classes of “Romans gentilizi”, at a time when the transition from monarchy to republican institutions could involve strong social tensions.

From the mythological’s side, more simply, the Dioscuri represent the will of the gods of the birth of a Roman empire free from foreign yoke, as will by that time.

Our historical adventure, of course, does not end here, and I heartly welcome you to visit Rome and enjoy all these treasure by yourselves. My suggestion is to stay in bugdet and cosy hotel Nice Hotel and enjoy history in its relaxing atmosphere.

As a tourist you have probably seen all the parts of Rome, all the sights and places. What I propose you today is a trip into details, which will continue through the next several weeks. I would like to start talking about the Capitoline hill and its peculiarities you may not have heard of.

The Capitoline hill is the smallest of the famous seven hills of Rome, but also the most important because the first nucleus of the city was born here. Initially it was enclosed by a system of defensive walls to protect the inhabitants from hostile tribes who lived in surrounding areas.
The Colle del Campidoglio, the way it is called in Italian, has been since ancient times an important place for the life of the city, first as a religious centre, following as a place of power when it arranged the Senate in Rome.
The hill overlooking the Roman Forum, and several temples were built here, for this was considered the most sacred places of Ancient Rome.
But it was during the Republican age that the importance of the Capitoline grew and became the place of power in the city.

The Capitoline Hill is the basic

Capitol Hill, Rome

nucleus of Roman life for thousand of years. The Capitoline once were sacred to the Romans and the destination of the triumphal processions of victorious generals.

In medieval times the Capitoline was neglected, after numerous fires. Major reconstruction work were made by the Emperor Domitian, in 81 A.C. But then the hill was gradually abandoned after the fall of and subsequent destruction of temples of ancient Rome.
Later it was called Monte Caprino, because reduced pasture for goats.

The Palazzo Senatorio was built for the first time in the twelfth century on the ruins of the Tabularium, the archive status of ancient Rome. This was located at one end of the Forum and was re-used as a deposit first, then as a prison.

Today the Capitoline is the headquarters of the Mayor and Municipality of Rome. And it hosts one of the most important museums of Rome-

the Capitoline Museums.

oday the main attraction is the Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by Michelangelo as from about 1537. The square is facing S. Peter, with pavement design and the centrifugal center equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius.

The Capitoline Hill is reached by the grand flight of steps known as the “Cordonata”, built to a design by Michelangelo Buonarroti, commissioned by Pope Paul III.

The cordonata was a place of transit of men and knights, for this is so large.
Its form is to gather downwards.

The "cordonata capitolina" connects today Piazza del Campidoglio with the underlying square of Aracoeli.
The cordonata is that road slope formed by large elements in stone or brick (here the name) that make it similar to a staircase.

The Square of Campidoglio hosts a lot of intersting events, so, if you happen to be in Rome, book a nice stay with a bunch of special offers in Lucci Hotel and just walk for half an hour and enjoy the greatest cordonata and special concerts!!!

Where is the United Nations FAO in Rome located ? standing in front of the Circus Maximus and remembering Charlton Heston in Ben Hur, you feel little disappointed about seeing no more than a spot of fresh green grass.

So you run away towards south and is it you see? A huge complex dedicated completely to leisure. Well, that is, used to leisure during the Roman Empire. Much more than a series of baths with a fridarium (cold room), tepidarium (medium) and caldarium (hot room) and palaestras (gyms where boxing and wrestling was practiced), the north part holds a natatio or swimming pool.

You feel sorry about the fact that we are talking about Caracalla Baths which are no longer operating (but it was till the 19^th century).Roman people certainly knew how to entertain and have fun , they had an exedrae on the east and west sides of the complex were libraries were located, and entire section for shops. The heating system was based on a hypocaust, burning coal and wood underneath the ground, it use to be the cause of some pollution problems even at that time.

The admission fee is 6 euros, does not apply to students of pensioners of U.E On summer the Rome opera season is held here also, it is quite a backdrop for that.

Not far from there you find the huge building of the FAO.

What’s that?

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, first session in 1945 Quebec, headquarters in Rome since 1951.

The aim of this organization is to defeat hunger, working both developed and developing countries, in order to improve and modernize agriculture, forestry, fisheries and ensure good nutrition for everybody.

How do they work?

FAO helps people and nations help themselves. So if a community wants to increase crop yields but does not have the technical skills, they provide tools and techniques. If a country goes from state to private land ownership, they give legal advice. Whenever a drought pushes already vulnerable groups to the point of famine, they go into action. The FAO provide a neutral meeting place and the background knowledge needed to reach an agreement.

Who is doing the job?

The Conference of Member Nations meets every two years to review the work carried out by the Organization and approve a Programme of Work and Budget for the next couple of years. The Conference selects council of 49 Member Nations. The members serve a three year term. Also a Director-General is elected, the current Director-General is Jacques Diouf of Senegal, re-elected two times and in charge since 1994.

The organization is composed of the following departments: Agriculture and Consumer Protection; Economic and Social Development; Fisheries and Aquaculture; Forestry; Human, Financial and Physical Resources; Knowledge and Communication; Natural Resources Management and Environment and Technical Cooperation.

FAO employs more than 3 600 staff members – around 1600 professional and 2 000 general service staff –five regional offices, nine sub-regional offices, five liaison offices and 74 fully-fledged country offices (excluding those hosted in Regional and Sub-regional Offices), and of course its headquarters in Rome.

Where are the other delegations?

The decentralized offices are located in:

• Regional Offices for Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Near East and Europe
• Sub-regional Offices for Central Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Central Africa, Eastern Africa, North Africa, Southern Africa, West Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands
• Liaison Offices in Geneva, Washington D.C., New York, Brussels and Yokohama; and
• 78 Country Representatives.

Did you know that another United Nations Organization has offices in Rome  ? It  is the Unicef, which is right in the centre of Rome too, near our Hotels in Rome.

Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome, in the historical centre of the city and by the Tiber river, represented a bastion against the enemy attacks in the past time.

Rockford of defence and prison, during the course of the history of Rome, the castle never has gone destroyed despite numerous wars and attacks. This is the reason why Saint Angel Castle is considered the very heart of the history of Rome.

In fact it passes to be from funerary monument to fortified outpost, from jail to Risorgimento’s dwelling before being eventually turned into a museum.

Built up around the 123 d.c as sepulchre for Adrian emperor and its family, Castel Sant’ Angelo has been a sepulchre until the 403 d.c approximately, when by appointment of the Onofrio Pope it became a castle. In 1367 after the Avignon’s exile Pope Urban V returned to live into the castle.

And from this time onwards the Castle was made into the papal residence and fortress in order to protect the popes from the outside dangers. Then was built The famous “Passetto del Borgo” , a tunnel (The Short step) that connects the Vatican’s walls with Castel Sant’Angelo . Using Passetto del Borgo, popes Alessandro VI and Clemente VII saved their own lives .

Underground the Courtyard of the Crossbow (said also Courtyard of the Sink) is occupied from a sequel of spaces, also known as the "secret" of Castel Sant’ Angel. Later on Castel Sant’Angelo was as well a famous prison. Starting from XVII century all people who where against the Papal authority lived inside the castle and behind bars.

One of the more famous prisoners of the castle remains the painter Benvenuto Cellini who lived in the prison for a year and then managed his escape by using a rope.

The same  Benvenuto Cellini claims that, during his imprisonment, he drew a God Father and a Revived Christ of which traces can be still recognized on the wall of the cell.

The castle took its actual name during the papacy of Gregorio Magnus : During a serious pest epidemic that had hit Rome, on the top of the fortress an angel had appeared , replacing the sword in the sheath. The Pope interpreted the apparition as it marks them of good augury and decided to name the castle Sant’Angelo.

Nowadays Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome is one of the major tourist attractions, especially during the summer time.

Starting from the 18th  of June and throughout summer in fact every night in the bastions and the courtyards of the castle, there are shows including acting and dancing, lasting about half an hour.

At the same time it’s possible to admire the beautiful sculptures situated in several points of the castle and the old and precious

Paintings such as the Madonna in throne with the child and the Saints.

Inside the castle there is as well an interesting collection of armies from the papal army and the Italian army.

The Sant’Angelo castle in divided into 6 levels.

The first one is opened by a courtyard called of “Salvatore” (the Saver) which is named after the marble bust originally inserted in the arc of the inner facade. This courtyard its followed by another one called of the execution : Those who had been condemned prayed to recommend their spirit to God.

Moreover through a large arch you will get closer to the original mausoleum of Adrian emperor.

Through a long helicoidally scale , first a scale then a diametrical ramp, it is approached to the second level with the “sala delle urne”.

Finally there is the prison that has seen famous people like Benvenuto Cellini, Beatrice Cenci and the Balsamo Conte di Cagliostro. Beyond the prisons you will find the silos where they used to store food supplies.

The third level gives way to the courtyard of the angel where the statue of the archangel Gabriel is erected. From this courtyard you will get to the rooms of Clemente VIII, the room of the Justice, and the room of Apollo, the small church of the SS. Cosma and Damiano, Clement VII room, the

Courtyard of Alexander VI, the Cortiletto of Leone X and the bath of Clement VII.

The fourth level accommodates three most famous rooms: The Paolina room, the room of Perseo, and the room of Amore and Psiche, true artistic works of painting.

The fifth level is made of the rooms of Treasure , the Library, Adrian room, the room of the Festoni, Cagliostra, Corridoio Pompeiano, and the Apartment of the Castellano.

The sixth level is the highest part of the castle where a beautiful statue of an angel stands. Castel Sant’Angelo offers an amazing view of Rome, especially during spring time when the sky is clear and you can see all the city just going around the castle.  Take an Angel and Demons tour at night and you will see the Castle in a whole different light ! And see here for more information about  entrance fees and opening hours of the Sant’Angelo Castle .

The brand new Spazio Etoile in Rome has opened recently and is to hold meetings , galas and exhibitions.

Its location right in Rome city centre off Via Del Corso , in easy reach from our My Hotel Rome , makes it ideal for business travelers or if you are in Rome for leisure purposes.

Business meetings are held in the Spazio Etoile Rome, but also special events such as Roma D+ which is about culture of the design , that will take place between 5-13 october 2007, and for wine lovers, Roma Wine , from 16 to 18 november 2007.

The Via del Corso Spazio Etoile is also a great location where to hold wedding parties , since the Basilica San Lorenzo in Lucina is round the corner and your guests will be impressed by the elegance of the buildings and for your stay choose our central hotel Yes Hotel.

The Spazio Etoile also organizes events for you such as catering, secretary service,…

Where ? close to our My Hotel Rome in :
Piazza S. Lorenzo in Lucina, 41 – Rome – Telephone : +39 – 6 68 13 65 98
Off Via Del Corso in central Rome near the Spanish Steps.

This church houses what are supposed to be the chains of Saint Peter, which were used in his imprisonment in Judea and Rome. The miracle of the chains is supposed to have happened in the following way. The wife of the emperor at the time had the chains brought from Judea to Rome. Then both sets of chains miraculously interlinked themselves to each other.

They can be seen in the church underneath the alter. Another remarkable piece of art is the sculpture of Moses which was sculpted by Michelangelo. The sculpture was originally for the funeral monument of one of the popes, which was supposed to have been placed in the middle of St Peters Basilica. However Michelangelo only ever got to finish one side of what was supposed to be an enormous tomb.

Other interesting features are the fresco on the wall of St Sabastiano and the tombstone situated in the wall on the left side of the entrance. When you are in the church please try to be quiet or you will be treated to the care taker coming out and shooooooooing everybody into silence