The Mouth of Truth – Rome Travel Tips
The Mouth of Truth (Italian Bocca della Verità) is a sculpture in marble which supposedly dating back to the first century AD.
One version says it was part of an ancient Roman Fountain, while the other holds that it is the portrait of Oceanus, a pagan god.
In the XVII century the Mouth of Truth was transferred to the portico of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, in Rome, where still stands today. Besides being famous for its appearance in the Italian cult movie “Roman Holiday”, the Mouth of Truth has captured the attention of many visitors over the years for a curious peculiarity.
In fact, according to an old tradition and as you can gather from its name, the Mouth of Truth is said to bite off the hand of the liers.
Rome Event – All’ombra del Colosseo
All'ombra del Colosseo (in the shade of Colosseum) is a major summer event in Rome that every year enlivens the nights of many locals and tourists alike.
Parco del Celio is the beautiful setting of the event, that started last 25 of June and will last until the 4th of September. The village is open every day from 9 a.m to 2 a.m, with a special confluence of people at night hours, when cabaret artists perform in brilliant and amusing burlesque shows.
This big open-theatre will host this year many famous artists: Maurizio Battista, Lillo & Greg, Rodolfo Laganà, Pablo e Pedro, Antonio Giuliani, Max Giusti and Francesca Reggiani are just some of them. On the schedule is also plenty of live music and concerts, while in the surrounding area of Parco del Celio you may find a number os stalls of any kind, where to have dinner or buy something.
Accommodations in Trastevere
Here you will find a selection of the most exclusive apartments in Trastevere, maybe the nicest district in Rome. In Trastevere you may soak up the real Roman atmosphere, getting lost in the labyrinth of characteristic cobblestone streets.
All the accommodations in Trastevere are mostly equipped with all comforts and modernly furnished. From your apartment in Trastevere you may take a stroll to the beautiful Tiber Island, or visit the Basilica di Santa Maria, one of the oldest churches in Rome.
Choose the apartments in Trastevere that you like most, and start your journey to Rome!
Terme di Caracalla – Rome Travel Tips
Rome Opera House summer season has opened for booking last 12th of May. According to the tradition, the suggestive scenery of Terme di Caracalla is going to be the background to grand operas and ballets this year as well.
Three pieces are on the bill:
Romeo & Juliet - the ballet by Sergej Prokof’ev based on the popular tragedy by William Shakespear, the most touching love story of all the times;
Aida - an opera in four acts by brilliant Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi to the libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni;
Rigoletto - a melodrama in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi to the libretto by Francesco Maria Piave.
Ticket prices are published in the official website, concessions: 10%.
We strongly recommend you to go and see an opera at the Terme di Caracalla, it is an amazing experience combining culture and entertainment.
Guided Tours in Rome
If you are planning to visit the Vatican city in Rome, maybe the best solution is a guided tour in Rome, that will help you better understand the tresures of this little city-state.
Walking up Via della Conciliazione you will see the before you Saint Peter's square, with the Egyptian obelisk in the middle of it, and the majestic Basilica on the background.
The square was conceived by Gianlorenzo Bernini, who planned the colonnades in the Doric style. Your guided tour in Rome will allow you to learn many interesting things about the famous Italian artist and how he worked on the plan.
Then you will enter the Basilica, the largest Christian church in the world, an authentic masterpiece of art. The Sistine Chapel with its stunning frescoes by Michelangelo, Bernini, Raphael and Botticelli will literally take your breath away.
Finally, thanks to your guided tour in Rome, visiting the Vatican museum will be an experience both enjoyable and instructive.
Rome Itinerary
Here is an enjoyable Rome itinerary across the very heart of the capital of Italy.
Starting from Piazza Navona, you can enjoy a walk around this famous large square and admire the beautiful Fountain of the four rivers, designed by Gianlorenzo Bernini during Renaissance. The Ganges, the Danube, the Rio de la Plata and the Nile are represented as Gods and each stands for one the four continents known at that time: Asia, Europe, America, Africa.
From Piazza Navona you may easily reach The Pantheon, a massive religious building that dates back to 80 AD and where Italian painter Raphael and the king of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II are buried. Proceed your Rome itinerary towards Via del Corso, a central road where lots of shops of any kind are concentrated, and you may have a rest in one of the many cafés.
Turning on via delle Muratte you will see the Trevi Fountain, the largest and most splendid fountain in Rome, by Nicola Salvi. Finally, if you are not too tired, take a stroll around Spanish Step and do some clothes shopping in the most luxurious boutiques in Rome!
Heineken Jammin Festival
From the 3rd to the 6th of July the Heineken Jammin Festival, one of the most popular summer music events in Italy, is going to enliven the city of Mestre (Venice) for a delightful weekend dedicated to fun and music.
The event is going to take place within the huge San Giuliano Park, where different areas have been arranged to meet any needs of the audience: the beach area, where you may enjoy a drink in the sun, the sport village where to play football or volleyball with your friends, and the relax area, where you may have a little rest.
The concerts are expected to start at 3.00 p.m. and last until about midnight.
The most eagerly-awaited groups, as well as headliners on each of the four days of the show are: Aerosmith, Green day, Massive attack, and Pearl Jam.
Other international music stars like The Cranberries, Skunk Anansie, The Black Eyed Peas, Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 are going to sing on the stage of the Heineken Jammin Festival.
Michael Jackson Tribute in Rome
One year after the premature death of the King of Pop Michael Jackson, Rome is going to remember him with a tribute show at the Olympic Stadium, on June the 25th.
The event is presented by Legend Music Awards along with World Live Entertainment and the line up boasts many international stars like: Brian Oxman and Kathryn Milofsky, Marlon Jackson, Lee John, Albert McRary, Dionne Warwick, Kim Carnes.
The show is expected to last three hours, with 3D and 4D effects being used to create a exceptionally memorable atmosphere. If you like concerts, you really can't miss this!
Furthermore, updates regarding the MJ death investigation are going to be given in the course of the show.
Tickets available at: TicketOne
Trevi Fountain – Rome Travel Tips
Trevi Fountain is a majestic Baroque fountain in Rome, as well as the largest in the city, being 26 metres high and 20 metres wide.
The Fountain is located at the terminal point of an ancient Roman aqueduct: Aqua Virgo, that supplied water to the city during the first centuries AD. The present fountain, as we see it nowadays, was conceived by Italian architect Nicola Salvi, who was awarded the commission in 1730.
The statue of Oceanus, God of water, stands in the middle of the fountain, surrounded by Tritons and horses. If you like details, you may also notice a sculpted vase called by Romans Ace of cups, at the right end.
According to a famous legend, throwing a coin into the basin, with one's back to the fountain, brings good luck and ensure a return to Rome, and all the vitors do it at least once.
The Pantheon – Rome Travel Tips
The Pantheon is a religious building located in the heart of Rome, between Piazza Navona and Trevi Fountain.
It is one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in Rome.
First, it was built as a temple to all the Gods in 25-26 a.C, on commission by Marcus Agrippa. Then, following a huge fire in which the original structure was destroyed, Emperor Hadrian ordered the rebuilding of the Pantheon in 80 AD.
In 609 Pope Boniface IV converted the temple into a Christian church, this way preserving it from spoliation and destruction, and called it Sancta Maria ad Martyres. Many centuries later, during the Renaissance, the structure began to be used as a tomb: among the buried are Italian painter Raphael and two Italian kings: Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I.
The Pantheon has a circular base, with a porch supported by three rows of Corinthian columns that dominates the facade. The concrete dome has a central opening called oculus, most famous for its resemblance to the heavens, and that gives a suggestive view to the sky.
Finally, a curiosity: “Rotonna” (Rotonda in Italian) is a playful nickname that Romans has given to the Pantheon.