St Peter’s Basilica is the most renowned renaissance architecture. Main architects of this religious-complex were Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Bernini. It took 120 years to complete the structure, works began on 18 April 1506 and completed on 18 November 1626.
 
St Peter’s Basilica has out-gone its religious purpose and been able to attract millions of people for entertainment, art, history, architecture and power (religious, political & economical).

St Peter’s Basilica can host over 80,000 people at a time. This is one of largest temples in the world. Contrary to what people perceive this Basilica is not the seat of a bishop, the seat to the bishop of Rome is located in St John Lateran.

Roman Catholics believe the site where St Peter Basilica stands is the burial place of Apostle Peter and his tomb is right below the altar. Not only, they also believe Peter to be number one in the papal line and infallible, since he was given the post by Lord and King Jesus Christ during his ministry on earth. Mathew 16:18

And many others find this papal line nothing but a means to power under religious cover and insult to the Living God of Israel, because Jesus neither appointed someone to be His substitute on earth nor named anyone infallible.

Anyway, no criticism has stopped St Peter Church from gaining popularity either as a tourist attraction or becoming a world powerhouse, thus this place is worth visiting.

Adu K

The word Pantheon is a Greek word and means ‘of all gods’. Since its edification in 27 before Christ, Pantheon has been a wander for every generation that comes to pass. It is believed to have been built for the seven Roman pagan gods and on the site where the body of Romolo, founder of Rome,  flew by eagle to heaven.

The structure was first built by Agrippa the son-in-law of the Roman Emperor Augustus in 27 B.C. And left his mark right on top of the entrance. The headline reads: M. AGRIPPA L. F. COS. TERTIUM FECIT translated, Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, in his third consulate, made it.

In the following century, fire damaged parts of the lower porch section and foundation. Later, Emperor Hadrian rebuilt the Pantheon from 118 to 128 A.D. without changes to the original pagan temple.

In 609 after Christ Roman Catholic intervened, brought in martyred Christians’ bones into the temple and changed the pagan temple to Church of Santa Maria and Martyres.

Every part of the structure is astonishing. That is the bronze doors (7 meters high), the interior, the oculus (opening of the dome), the decor and the diameter (43 m) of the dome equalling the height of the building bottom to top. What a story to unravel?

Michelangelo, one of the greatest artists of all time, has called Pantheon ‘Angelic and not human design.’ The artist seems to exaggerate in admiring the architects, even if he himself can’t tell what an ‘Angelic design’ is.

Adu K

Temprature in Rome during summer is too hot due to congested buildings, large number of people, climate change and more. Waiting outside the Vatican Museum under certain circumstances is boring.  Visitors run short of time before fully enjoying the museums, due to a large number of crowd waiting to enter the museum.

The new schedule gives visitors more romantic time and plenty of time to enjoy art with calm in a lovely cool night weather.

Since Vatican Museum started opening at night to the public three years back, the number of visitors has edged as much as thirty thousand visitors in last year alone.

The following museums are open by night: Pio Clementino, Egyptian, GallerieSuperiori (Candelabri, Arazzi e Carte Geografiche), Stanze Raffaello, Appartamento Borgia, Modern Religion Art Collection and Sistine Chapel. The schedule runs May 4th through July 13th but August is closed. And again restarting from September 7 to October 26.

The night visit is from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. every Friday. The last admission into the museum is 9.30 p.m.

Price vary from € 15 to  €22.

To book visit:

http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html

Adu K

Even if there are a lot of other reasons as to why visit Rome, I will mention just the major ones.

1 Art

Masterpieces, architecture, sculpture or paintings of famous artists like Michelangelo, Bernini, Nicola Salvi, Bramante, Sangallo, Maderno are present in Rome. Rome has good museums like Villa Borghese Gallery, Museum of Contemporary Art (MACRO), Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, National Roman Museum, Capitoline Museums and Maxxi National Museum are some of the famous ones.

2 Architecture

Of all the 45 UNESCO heritage sites in Italy, Rome houses 12.  Pantheon, Coloseum, St Peter’s Square, Navona Square, Spanish Steps etcetera are some.

 3 Shopping

 Shopping in Rome depends where you do it. Garments in Via del Corso cost more than those in malls or stalls. As for stalls don’t hesitate buying a jeans for 10 euro or less it is a good buy.

4 Wine

Worldwide wine sellers are present in this city. But to enjoy the true Roman wines go to Enoteca (wine shops) and sip wine with porchetta (roasted pig).

5 History

Monuments, squares, roads, museums, Roman Catholic Basilicas, catacombs, Synagogue and more contain interesting history and architecture.

6 Food

Every region in Italy has its own traditional food. It is always better to try the local food. In Rome you can try some like baccalà (dried salt-cured cod), carciofi ( artichoke), spaghetti alla carbonara (pasta with a dressing made of eggs, small pieces of bacon and Pecorino cheese), bucatini all’amatriciana (tube-shaped pasta with tomatoes, diced salt pork, onions, red chilli pepper and white wine).

7 Culture

People come to this city for tourism, politics, business, religion, work, emigration etc. Spending a day in different parts of  Rome is nice. For example, the lovely Jewish Ghetto located near the Capitol Hill, Pigneto and Vittoria Emmanuele quarters inhabited by many migrants or Trastevere still dominated by Romans.

8 Automotion

Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini are best Made in Italy brands. Of course Rome is not home to any car company but showrooms to many more cars are available.

9 Budget Accommodation

Hotels or hostels are all year round available in Rome but it is advisable to book months before one gets here, the longer the booking date the lesser cost.

10 Religion

Vatican City -the political and religious center of the Roman Catholic- is believed to be situated on Apostle Peter’s burial place. The Vatican City is one of the most interesting places to visit.

For more info, contact: info@hoteldesartistes.com Ph +39 064454365

Adu K

Vermeer is the most famous name of a group of painters who worked during what is now known as the Dutch Golden Age of Painting.

The painter was born in Delft during the 17th century, and apparently he never left his home town. There is not much information regarding his personal life, that remains a mystery for the most part.

The most remarkable characteristics of his works are the calm they convey and the domestic situations they portray. Centuries later, the beauty of everyday life and people was acknowledged universally by artists (just think of Van Gogh and the Impressionists) and the calm that Vermeer taught us to appreciate  was used to achieve more mysterious and suggestive effects, like Dali and Magritte did.

The upcoming exhibition Vermeer and the Golden Age of Dutch Art, due to take place from October 2012 until January 20 2013 at the Scuderie del Quirinale Museum, is an excellent opportunity to know more about this master whose legacy is as great as his life is mysterious.

Don’t hesitate to write us to get more information about the city, or to check our website to get the best accommodation in the Eternal City at the most affordable rates.

Catacombs are believed to have been used as burial chambers, worship area and refuge by persecuted Christians/Jews starting from the second century A.D. Jewish catacombs, discovered in 1918, make part of the belowground graves enriched by frescoes.

The Catacombs in Rome cover many kilometers and some are four storeys below ground zero. They contain slots carved into walls, carvings, passageways, worship halls and/or frescoes. Paintings found in this below ground complex narrate biblical stories of both old and new testaments or simply religious symbols.

Catacombs of Domitilla, for example, spread over 15 kilometers of underground caves and are Rome’s oldest underground burial complex still containing bones.

Some of the catacombs in Rome are: Marcellinus and Peter, Commodilla, Generosa, Praetextatus, Priscilla, San Callisto, San Lorenzo, San Pancrazio, San Sebastiano, San Valentino, Sant’Agnese, Jewish and so on.

To visit the San Callisto, the most famous of all catacombs, take bus 218 from San Giovanni Metro A.

For the Jewish Catacomb, get off at Metro B Policlinico and walk to Villa Torlonia.

For more detailed info about catacombs or elsewhere in Rome please stay in Hotel Des Artistes and you will enjoy complete instructions at reception.

Adu K

The ghetto was projected to lock up and control the Jews. In 1555 A.D. life for Jews in Rome began to get shoddier and agonizing.

Pope Paul IV on 14^th of July 1555, decreed the Cum nimis absurdum papal bull  to confine the Jewish minority which at that time were 2,000. The bull degraded the Jews of their personal freedoms as property ownership and imposed economic restrictions. Absurdly the bull ruled out that the Jews may not presume in any way to play, eat or fraternize with Christians. The oppression continued for 315 years until its abolition in 1870 (reunification of Italy).

At present, though the ghetto has undergone changes from its original look, it is still quite attractive area full of restaurants, bakeries and shops.

Major tourist attractions in the ghetto are: Portico di Ottavia, Ponte Fabricio (originally called Jews’ Bridge), Jewish Museum of Rome, the Synagogue of Emancipation and Santa Maria della Pietà.

Largo 16 Ottobre 1943 is a square in remembrance to the suffering of the ghetto’s residents during the second world war. At that time, Nazi soldiers threatened the Jews to bring forth 49,90 kg of gold in 24 hours or transfer them to concentration camps, the demand was met with the help of the Romans. But later the Jews were taken to the concentration camps.

The fascinating ghetto is located on the east of river Tiber, facing the Vatican. It is, easily accessible by buses and tram and though surrounded by churches, the ghetto still has fragrance of Jews among the nations.

our blogger: Adu K

The 14th edition of Settimana della Cultura (Culture Week), which provides free admission to museums and offers guided tours around a variety of cultural sites in Rome and across Italy, takes place from 14-22 April.

Some of the Rome attractions include the cinematic costumes from the collection of Fondazione Annamode on Via Vittor Pisano, a visit to the house museum of writer Alberto Moravia on Lungotevere della Vittoria, the new collections at the National Etruscan Museum at Villa Giulia, and guided tours of Porto di Traiano near Fiumicino.

Not all of Rome’s museums or institutions are participating fully in culture week however. The National Museum of 21st-century art joins in only from 17-19 April, with reduced-price tickets. The Borghese Gallery charges a fixed rate of €2 a ticket throughout the week while the Planetarium and Museo Astronomico are excluded entirely.

For full details of Settimana della Cultura tel. 060608 (09.00-21.00) or see www.beniculturali.it.

Meanwhile from 4 May the Vatican Museums open their doors every Friday evening from 19.00-23.00, with last admission at 21.30.

The late Friday openings run until 13 July, and then from 7 September until 26

October. Now in its fourth consecutive year, the popular initiative attracts an audience of mainly Roman residents as opposed to tourists.

Our blogger: Joseph

You probably know this photo that depicts an afghan girl, and you may know that it first appeared on National Geographic but you probably don’t know who’s the author of the photo: his name is Steve McCurry and an axhibition of his breath-taking work will be on display in Rome.

McCurry hails from Newton Township, Pennsylvannia and came to the international attention with his coverage of the war in Afghanistan. Was precisely during that war that the famous photo was taken. McCurry then went on to become a successful photorreporter specialized in war coverage and a celebrity on his field.

The girl in the photo remained unidentified until 2002: her name is Sharbat Gula and after the war returned to her country and now has three girls; she wishes they will have the education she was never able to get.

But of course McCurry’s work is more than a photograph as you will be able to see attending the exposition that will be open until April 24 at the Macro Testaccio Museum (click here to get a map).

And don’t forget to send us an e-mail or check our website if you need information about accomodation in the city!

Our blogger today: Raul

The man who decided to go straight to the essential, aiming to reach the ideal composition. A vision that would take from shape and color that which is the very basis pointing towards the Truth.

Making out painting a direct trip with no stops in between only to reach the Highest. A dance of lines between the vertical (masculine) and horizontal (feminine) with only primary colors. No diagonals admitted , only the essence flourishing with what the artist himself called ‘’Neo’’.

Fascinated by Cubism Mondrian goes further in the pursuit  for the naked expression of reality. The Exhibition ‘’Perfect Harmony’’ is focused on that pursuit, a balance which shows things as they really are in Mondrian’s eyes.

In His own words: ‘’Nature (or what I see) inspires me, makes me, like any other artist, in an emotional state that causes me an urgency to do something, but I want to get as close to the truth and abstract everything from it, up to not reach the foundation (though only the outer foundations!) of things … I think it’s possible that, through horizontal and vertical lines constructed with awareness, but not with calculation, led by high intuition’’

THE EXHIBITION ‘’THE PERFECT HARMONY’’

WHERE:

At the Vittoriano (Piazza Venezia)

WHEN:

From 7/10/2011 To 29/01/2012..

VISIT TIME:

Monday to Thursday 9:30 to 19:30

Friday and Saturday 9:30 to 23:30

Sunday 9.30 - 20.30

ADMISSION:

Admission ticket € 12.00