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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)

The town of Tivoli is around 31 km northeast of Rome. It has been a popular summer resort since the days of the Roman Republic.
In the past many famous men owed a villa in Tivoli.
Among them are Horace and Cattulus (poets), Brutus and Cassius (Caesar’s assassins), the Emperors Trajan and Hadrian.
The main attraction of the place are the crystal clean air and the great location on the slopes of Tiburtini hills that offers an amazing views.
Also there are many beautiful springs and waterfalls. Among them are terrace of 100 Fountains in the gardens of Villa d’Este and the waterfalls of Aniene.
Villa d’Este is considered to be a masterpiece of the Italian Garden and it is included in UNESCO world heritage list.
Walking through the gardens of the villa you can notice an impressive concentration of fountains, grottoes, nymphs, plays of water.
In 16-th century the estate of an old Benedictine convent was developed by cardinal Ippolito d’Este. A palace was designed by Pirro Litgorio.
The villa fame though rests more on the gorgeous terraced gardens and fountains laid out by Ligorio and Giacomo della Porta.
A visitor gets a vivid impression of the great luxury which the princes of the church enjoyed.
Bernini’s Fontana del Bicchierone, the Rometta (little Rome), a model of Tiber Island with many figures and the legendary she-wolf.
The Rometta is at one of the ends of the Viale delle Cento Fontane – 100 fountains of the shape of grotesques, obelisks, ships and the Eagles of the coat of arms.
Recently many fountains has been restored. A famous one is the Fontana dell’Organo which is a water organ in which the force of the water pumps air through the pipes.
The gardens lowest level has flower beds and fountains as well as some splendid views out over the plain below.

How to get to Tivoli from Yes Hotel:
By Car: you have to take road S5 out of Rome to Tivoli
By Train: you have to take line B (direction Rebibbia) of the metro from Termini Station (just 2 min walk from Yes Hotel) to Tiburtina Station.
From there you have to take the train Roma-Pescara and it will take like half hour to get to Tivoli. There is shuttle bus to Tivoli center and Villa d’Este.
By Bus: from Yes Hotel go to Termini Station and take Line B (direction Rebibbia) to the stop ‘Ponte Mammolo’. From there you take blue COTRAL buses which run every 15 minutes. It will take an hour to get to Tivoli.
Call Center: 199.766.166
Opening hours check Villa d’Este, Tivoli Official Site

Villa Torlonia in Rome close to the centre and Des Artistes Hotel Rome, was the last of the noble roman mansions to be built along Via Nomentana. The mansion was bought by the Torlonia family back in the 800s and the architect Valadier was in charge of its refurbishment and took care of the park also by realising various tree-lined roads. Alessandro Torlonia had wished it to turn it into a huge reception location for the Roman and foreign nobility but it never was to be.

In 1919 a huge hebrew cemetery was found north west of the Villa. In 1925 Mussolini was granted the residence there until 1943. Mussolini did not involve huge changes and in 1944 the anglo american troops occupied the villa until 1947.

In 1977 the villa was opened to the public as the City of Rome bought it. An extensive refurbishment of some buildings located in the park only just finished and among them: la Casina delle Civette, the Villino Rosso and the Casino dei Principi. The park is english style as very few in Rome, and offers many different types of buildings and artefacts around, and museum too.

Villa Torlonia is open from 9.00 – 19.00 from last sunday of march till 30 september. 9.00-17.30 from 1 march until last saturday in march and from 1 october until last saturday of october. 9.00-16.30 from last sunday of october until 28 february. 9.00-14.00 24 and 31 december

The entrance is free since it is now a public garden.

How to get there : take the bus 90-84-62-60 or 36 at the beginning of Via Nomentana or if you are staying in rome at the Hotel Des Artistes it will take you no more than 15 minutes to walk.

The Gardens of the Vatican are often considered as the most beautiful in the world. Fact is that they are filled of rare plants and flowers, and its fountains, towers, and paths and grottoes simply make it gorgeous. Only a 5 minute walk from the metro station Ottaviano-San Pietro and in easy reach from My Hotel Rome

In the past some of its areas were dedicated to various food cultures or were forrests.

During the Renaissance the gardens were embellished with ancient statues and fountains were built. And as from 1870 when the Vatican became the only residence of the Popes, the Gardens became more important as a result and more attention was paid to its care. While you are in the area, do not miss either a tour of the Vatican Museums.

Many great italian artists are the authors of some of the works done in the 1500 and 1600s, and to name a few, Antonio Tempesta, Giambattista Falda and Giovanni Maggi.

One of the most striking sight is certainly the Leonine wall which used to protect the Vatican from the invaders. The fountain of the Sacramento and the fountain of the Torri are great sights too. You will no doubt also be surprised by the grandness of the Tower of the Radio with its huge plate (radio vaticana) and the helicopter landing space reserved to the Pope.

During spring the gardens are at their best, the air filling with the perfumes of the exotic flowers and the parrotsm brought back from a trip, singing from the heights of the huge secular trees.

If you also wish to join the Papal audience of Benedict XVI at the vatican, you can book here now.