Museum of Roman Civilization

The Museum has both documentary and educational value, in that the material on display is essentially made up of reproductions of xamples of classical archaeology which have either been lost or destroyed or of works, which have been pieced back together.

There are mainly moulds of statues, busts, inscriptions, reliefs and of life-size parts of buildings, of plastic models of monuments and architectonic complexes of Rome and of the provinces of the Roman Empire, as well as evidence of the so-called “material culture” such as furnishings, objects of domestic use and work tools.

The Museum is divided into 59 sections that cover a surface area of 13,000square metres, for a wall development of 3 kilometres and a height of about 10 metres: such dimensions obviously make it possible to reconstruct, completely or partly, buildings and monuments of the ancient Roman world.

The first fourteen rooms house an historical summary of the origins of Rome until VI century A.D., which includes a map that illustrates the progressive expansion of the Roman Empire, the portraits of emperors and illustrious men including Caesar, Augustus, Claudius, Nero, Brutus, Pompeus, Cicero, and plastic models of numerous Augustan, Trajan, Severian and Aurelian monuments.
There are moulds of inscriptions and early Christian reliefs and sarcophaghi including that in porphyry of Costantina, the daughter of emperor Constantine, that of urban prefect Giunio Basso and that of St. Ambrose on exhibit in the section dedicated to Christianity.

Among the numerous other sections that reconstruct Roman civilization in its varying aspects in detail, from public life to everyday life, there are those dedicated to the military sectors of the army and navy, that of the ports and provinces of the empire, a section dedicated to baths, aqueducts, nymphaea and reservoirs and a section illustrating theatres, amphitheatres, circuses and arenas with plastic models of the Colosseum and the Theatre of Marcello in Rome.

The complete series of moulds of the Trajan Column deserves a special mention, there are reliefs that illustrate the two military campaigns of the emperor Trajan against the Dacians (101-102 and 105-106 A.D.) and the plastic model of Rome (scale: 1:250; surface:200 metres squared), created by architect Italo Gismondi, which reproduces the city as it was presented at the time of the emperor Constantine, and it is reconstructed on the basis of results and research and excavation campagins carried out over the years.

It’s construction had started for the Augustan Exhibition of the Roman World in 1937, it was completed in the seventies and is a useful instrument in learning about the ancient city, in an interesting comparison with the aspects that the same presents today.

Address: Piazza Giovanni Agnelli, 10
Visiting Hours: Every day from 9 am to 2 pm.
Sundays from 9 am to 1.30 pm.
Closed on Mondays, Dec. 25, Jan. 1
Price: € 6,50; reduced € 4,50

http://en.turismoroma.it/

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Antiques Markets in Rome

Antiques, collectables, new and used clothing, shoes, vinyl and CDs are all up for grabs at weekend markets located along some of Rome’s most frequented streets and squares.
For those who are always looking for something original, or something that is no longer fashionable, the antiques markets are the place to go. These markets offer all kinds of competitively priced goods.
Below are among the most well-known:

• Porta Portese
Is the most famous and biggest of Rome’s markets.
It covers an area that runs from Piazza Ippolito Nievo to via Ettore Rolli on one axis and via Portuense to Porta Omonima on the other. The market has over 1000 stands and goods of every kind from antique furniture to imitation designer shoes and stamps to kitchen utensils as well as collectables of every kind. It is extremely crowded and requires several hours to visit. It is open every Sunday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.Website: http://www.portaportesemarket.it/

• The Ponte Milvio Market
has antiques on every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month.
Whereas, the 3rd Sunday features handcrafted products. The market is open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm and can be found in Piazzale di Ponte Milvio near Torretta Valadier. Call +39 335 5804254 for info.

• The Antiquariato in Piazza Verdi
is open every 4th Sunday of the month from 9:00 am to dusk. It is held in Piazza Giuseppe Verdi. Call +39 06 8552723 – 8552773 for info.

• The Stamp market in Largo della Fontanella Borghese
Is held on Mondays and Saturdays from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm and features stamps and books.

• The Via Sannio Market
Takes its name from the street that hosts it. Open Mondays to Saturdays from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm, the market offers new and used clothes, shoes and haberdashery. Via Sannio is close to San Giovanni in Lateran.

• Borghetto Flaminio
One of the capital’s most noted antiques markets, is found in Piazza della Marina 32 and is open every Sunday (except in August) from 10:00 am to 7:00pm. Call +39 06 5880517 for info.


For a complete list of markets call +39 060608 or visit http://www.060608.it/

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Roman Pasta Matriciana

Inspired by one of the most beautiful "cooking" poems of one of my favorite actors, Aldo Fabrizi, great character of the "true" Rome (born and lived close to Campo de Fiori);

here's for you the recipe for original and inimitable pasta all'Amatriciana.

INGREDIENTS:

500 gr. of Pasta, Spaghetti or Bucatini

100 gr. Guanciale(Bacon) of pork, fat and cut quite thick

500 gr. of ripe tomatoes San Marzano or canned tomatoes 100 gr.

Pecorino cheese (wishing you could mix in Parmesan cheese)

A couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 / 2 cup dry white wine Chilli (not too much).

PROCEDURE:

Boiled for a few seconds the tomatoespassing them under the cold water and peel, then cut them into strips. If using canned tomatoes, chopped up first by hands or pinched in a pan with a fork.

Cut the bacon in strips (but not too thin, better strips about ½ inch of width) and place it in a preferably iron frying pan, with the oil and let brown a lively fire for few minutes until the bacon gets golden .

A nearly finished cooking add a little chili pepper, moisten with the wine and once it has exhaled remove the pieces of bacon from the pan , keeping aside, possibly warm in a cup covered with aluminum foil.

Put in the same pan the tomatoes, a pinch of salt and cook a lively fire for some minutes (10-15). Replace the bacon in the pan, stirring for about one minute.

Meanwhile drain the pasta "al dente" and pour into a container, preferably preheated.

Combine all the ingredients adding the pecorino (perhaps mixing a little 'of parmesan cheese, to get a taste less strong).

The origin of the name of this condiment is controversial it comes from Amatrice, a country in the province of Rieti, not far from rome Rome.

When this dish was born amatriciana was to be the main meal of the shepherds, then many, for its simplicity and quick to prepare.

Originally it was without the tomato and it was called "Gricia".

The amatriciana is a perfect summary of cuisine inside the territories of central Italy, as to be almost "mythologized" and has now become the protagonist of a festival in the streets which, every year in August, takes place both at Amatrice and in Rome, in the Campo de 'Fiori "homeland" of Aldo Fabrizi.

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Rome, the Eternal young city

Rome , the eternal city, does not hide its fabulous beauty.

In exhibiting its fairness generously, Rome bewitches visitors with the unmatched fascination of its light, its colours and entranced atmospheres, alluring new-comers to stay on and enjoy all this magnificence to the full.

Rome offers an artistic and cultural landscape of unequalled vastness, variety and importance.
Invaluable “treasures”stored in the city’s numerous museums, richly endowed galleries, grand historic palaces, exhibition centers and superb archeological areas, are among the reasons why Rome shines like a breath-taking star in the celestial vault of the cities of art.

During the last years a great deal of work has been done to enhance this immense wealth. New and appropriate room for exhibitions has been created, and visiting time extended. This allows the public to have access to places that had been closed-down for years. A great deal more is still being done in order to unearth precious remains, buried or hidden under the stratification of history.

So far, only archeologists or researchers in general could see these discoveries. Rome has by far not yet ceased to amaze and the future undoubtedly has great
suprises in store. The APT-Office of Rome’s Municipality edited the present exhaustive and complete guide to be distributed gratuitously. Its practical shape as a handbook is meant to facilitate consultation concerning the city’s overall cultural offer.

Beside the most celebrated museums and monuments, less well known places are mentioned
here, but all of them artistically and historically interesting. Unexpected and genuine
oddities, also, will surprise and amuse the visitors.
I post this as a cordial invitation to discover the “Treasures of Rome”.

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Tiberina Island in Rome

According to the legend the island was created by silt piling up on the crops of the Tarquins thrown into the Tiber when the last king of this line was driven out of Rome.

Natural island, It grew on the centuries of waste.

Tiberina Island in Romeis linked to the banks of the river by two bridges, the Fabricio and Cestio.

Today, in order to protect Tiberina from the current, the 'bows' have been extended right up to one of the pillars of the Garibaldi bridge.

Some ancient buildings can still be seen, like the Caetani tower dating to the Middle Ages, and the church of San Bartolomeo that was built on the site of the temple of Esculapius. Unfortunately nothing is left of the 10th century church as it was almost entirely rebuilt in the 17th century.

Every year, on November 2nd, the Brotherhood of the "Devoti di Gesù Crocifisso al Calvario e di SS. Maria Addolorata" Devouts of Jesus crucifix at Calvario and of Our Lady of Sorrows, so called of "Sacconi Rossi" (Big Red Sacks), celebrates the commemoration of deceased people with a procession on the Tiber Island banks.

The Tiberina island, besides to be an archeological place full of legend and traditions, contains inside characteristics still to be discovered: observing carefully you may note many elements and come to the conclusion that the Tiberina island is also.

Every Year there open-air summer cinema festival on Tiberina Island features a fascinating programme of previews, retrospectives and blockbuster movies.The festival takes place in a magnificent location on the Tevere river.

The Ponte Rotto (broken bridge) connects the island to the mainland and is illuminated to transform this magical place into a huge cinema set.

Music, dance, fashion shows, multimedia artists, food and wine tastings accompany themed evenings and there are also appearances by stars from the movie world.

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