Hotel Des Artistes Rome Travel Guide

Villa Adriana, a UNESCO Heritage Site since 1999, continues to marvel generations that come to pass 20 centuries after it was built. On return from Egypt & Greece, Emperor Hadrian decided to make a retreat villa (from the chaotic city of Rome) similar to the architecture and worship that he learnt in the eastern section of his empire.

At the end of his reign, Hadrian had his quarters in this impressive villa of 1 sq km. There were various edifices including theatres, Greek and Latin libraries, two bathhouses, formal gardens with fountains, statues, pools, underground for servants, extensive housing for guests and the palace staff.

Today, the villa located 25 km north east of Rome, is nothing but ruins of what was once the glamour of its time.

Little remains of the original villa, because materials were reused to make Villa D’Este in the area, looted by barbarians or civilians and neglected for centuries. Though,16^th century excavations brought to life parts of the villa, still large section remains unearthed.

The various sections of the complex recovered in part are: Hall of Doric Pillars (basilica), Temple of Venus, Greek Theatre, Maritime Theatre (Hadrian’s small favorite island), Hall of Philosophers (library), Heliocaminus (baths), Nymphaeum Stadium, Poecile (large garden with swimming pool), Canopus (god Serapis sanctuary with 119 m long canal decorated with statues), Large and Small Thermae (hot & cold baths) and Piazza d’Oro (formal dinning room).

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Rome Marathon will start March 17, 2013.  Start-finish line is Via dei Fori Imperiali, Colosseum area. The 42,195km unleashing run is as usual accompanied by La Stracittadina Roma Fun run (4,7km). This smaller non-competitive run is open to every one with out  age limit.

Marathon Village 14-15-16 March 2013
Time: 10:00 – 20:00
Piazza J.F.Kennedy, 1 Rome

Short History

In 490 BC, Thersipus of Erchius run from Marathon to Athens; to announce Persians had been defeated. The messenger, run all the way to Athens non-stop, said “We have won!” and collapsed on the ground.

This is the legend, the modern marathon competition claims origins.

In Greece, Messengers like Thersipus, were important in conveying messages and thus were raised with great enthusiasm, care and training.

The first official marathon race was conducted in 1896 Athens Olympics. French philosopher,  Micheal Breal is believed to have influenced his friend Pierre de Coubertin (one of the main contributors to modern Olympic competitions) to include marathon in the olympics.

Today, marathon has the largest number of participants as per race, ten of thousands in a single competition.

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The flourishing of Piazza del Popolo beneath the Pincian Hill attracted an investor born with silver spoon in the mouth, a Roman Catholic cardinal and nephew of Pope Paul V. In 1605, Cardinal Scipione Borghese, patron of Bernini, started building a villa comprising a number of buildings, fountains, gardens and museums. In the 19th C much of the old garden was remade with English style landscape. Four centuries later his desire paid off. Today, Villa Borghese is one of the main tourist attractions in Rome.

Villa Borghese is a perfect refuge for tourists and locals alike in its splendid gardens, fountains, villas and museums. It is a large public park with great museum, the Borghese Galleria. It hosts artworks by Bernini, Caravagio, Raphael, Titian, Canova etc. The museum lost almost 700 artworks after one of the villa’s heirs sold them on pressure to Napoleon, now the masterpieces are in exhibition in Louvre. In 1903 the commune of Rome bought the Villa and started opening to public thereof.

To the south the Villa is surrounded by Pincian Hill , Piazza del Popolo gate to its south western entrance, Borghese Museum on its eastern section and Bioparco Zoo to the north east. The villa hosted 1960 Summer Olympics horse jumping, equestrian event and individual jumping in Piazza Siena with in its premises.

The museum allows limited number of visitors, 360 every two hours. Thus booking either by telephone or online is always advisable at least one day prior to visit.

For more info contact: www.galleriaborghese.it

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The 26 meters high and 20 meters wide fountain is one of the most admired fountains in the world. Numerous attempts have been made to make the present fountain as magnificent as it is today.

All started in 19 B.C. when Marqus Agrippa built an aqueduct -Acqua Vergine- that provides pure drinking-water to the city of Rome. The Acqua Vergine acqueduct comes from Alban Hill, 13 km to the east of Rome, ending in the Quirinal Hill.

In 1453, Leon Battista Alberti financed by Pope Nicholas V, made a basin at the end of the Acqua Vergine (now called Trevi Fountain).

In 1629 Pope Clement XII appointed Gian Lorenzo Bernini to make necessary improvements to the works started by Leon Battista, unfortunately the works came to an end after the pope died.

Hundred years after the second attempt, Alessandro Galilei won a bid to make a better fountain but his opponent -Nicola Salvi- was awarded the mission because Romans murmured against Galilei (Florentine) who won away-commission.

Salvi died in 1751, leaving the work unfinished. The fountain was finished in 1762 by Guiseppe Pannini when Oceanus (god of all water) was fitted in place.

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