Pizzaiolo Time in Rome

Pizza baking in the oven

Holidays in Italy should include learning about what makes Italians proud, such as the proper preparation of a famous Italian culinary miracle, the pizza. Arrive early in the morning to an authentic Roman restaurant in a quaint part of town and meet the Master “Pizzaiolo” personally. Your day will be filled with learning, tasting and actually cooking authentic Italian pizza as well as a class in the best selection of drinks to accompany pizza. This is a family friendly event so you can bring the kids too, especially if you like the idea of one day being pampered by the little ones as they recreate wonderful Italian pizza for you in the heart of your own home. Learn how to properly prepare the dough and see the different types of original pizza ovens used by the professionals. Lunch is included so you need not worry about packing any snacks.

Mass at the Vatican

Italians are very religious people, loving life and all the beauty it has to offer. A visit to the Vatican in Rome is something all travellers should try to do on any Italian holiday. Located in Vatican City, home to the Pope, the Vatican is one of many special attractions in Vatican City including St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. You can attend Mass at the Vatican any day of the week at 9am, 10am, 11am, 12 noon and 5 pm on Monday to Saturday with Sunday Mass offering more times but equally more busy. You can enjoy Mass with the Pope on Wednesdays if you book tickets in advance. Tickets are free and ticket booking is only required for crowd control.

Paint like the Pros with Painting Classes in Rome

Art class in Rome

Italian holiday goers can only admire Italian artisans of the past as they etched their impressions throughout Italian architecture. Artists, such as Raphael, painted and sculptured Italian culture into unforgettable pieces of art, worthy of any artistic eye. How would you like to learn how to paint just like these great artists? Okay, you might not get to reproduce anything near the technical and artistic skill of the The Parnassus but you can give it a try by taking part an art workshop in Rome. Learn from top Italian painters with classes ranging from half or full day time slots to a full two week tour incorporating a two week workshop.

This post was written by Martin.  He is a keen traveller who one day hopes to have visited every country in Europe. His site Low Cost Airline Guide is particularly useful when planning your next Italian holiday.

images by: Chodaboy, florianrieder & __maurice

Like many buildings and architectural space in Rome, the piazza is a leftover from the ancient Romans who constructed fora or forums throughout the city. Many of the modern day piazzas were also important meetings places for the Ancient Romans. Many of these piazzas, though, have a history all their own, and Rome is fortunate to have several magnificent piazzas. They make excellent waypoints as you navigate through Rome since many of Rome’s most important buildings, churches and sites are located in the piazzas profiled below. They are also useful places to stop, rest your feet, and relax, and many of the piazzas below are filled with cafes, shops and restaurants (although, be warned: they tend to cater to tourists and may be slightly overpriced – caveat emptor!).

Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona
Once a stadium dedicated to the Emperor Domitian, the piazza has retained the basic form of the stadium over the centuries and is home to many important sites and monuments in the city. The most notable monument is the church of Sant’Agnese in Agone, designed by Francesco Borromini – a rival of Gianlorenzo Bernini’s whose Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi sits in front. It is believed that the sculpture of the Rio de la Plata cowers in fear of the “crumbling” facade – in reference to the often critical work done by Borromini (in reality, the church came after the fountain). Two other fountains, Fontana del Moro and Fontana di Nettuno, sit on each end of the piazza and make for excellent photo ops. You’ll often see street artists selling paintings of the fountains and monuments within the Piazza Navona and from all over Rome. The Brazilian Embassy is also located in the piazza in the Palazzo Pamphilj.

Piazza del Popolo

Piazza del Popolo
The Piazza del Popolo is my favorite piazza in Rome for several reasons. First, the Pincio, one of Rome’s seven hills, is located nearby, overlooking the piazza and offering an excellent vantage for taking some memorable photographs. The short trek up to the Pincio offers some great opportunities to take photos of Rome’s skyline and the piazza itself. Second, the piazza is home to one of Rome’s obelisks, Obelisco Flaminio, which sits atop a fountain (whose water is drinkable, by the way!). Also located in the piazza are the seemingly twin churches: Santa Maria in Montesanto and Santa Maria dei Miracoli. Cafes and restaurants line the piazza, and there is some shopping (albeit expensive shopping!) to be done if money is no object. The Museum of the Ara Pacis is nearby and is worth a visit — the museum that houses the Ara Pacis is a source of controversy for many Romans and Rome’s politicians!

Piazza di Spagna

Piazza di Spagna
The Piazza di Spagna is one of the most crowded and bustling piazzas in Rome and is notable for the immense staircase. The staircase is considered a monument so it is important to avoid eating and drinking. While it might look like a nice place to sit and relax, don’t be surprised if you are chased away or even fined by police. The staircase is the largest in Europe and was built with funds left by a French diplomat in order to connect the Spanish Bourbon Embassy and the Church of the Trinità dei Monti (both located at the top of the stairs). This piazza is easy to reach with its metro stop nearby and is a very central location to hit many of Rome’s important sites, such as the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon or the Palazzo Barberini. Located in the center of the piazza is one of Bernini’s fountains, Fontana della Barcaccia (Fountain of the Old Boat), which sits at the bottom of the staircase. The English poet, John Keats, resided in the Piazza di Spagna, and his former home is now a museum.

Piazza del Campidoglio

Piazza del Campidoglio
The Piazza del Campidoglio is located on the Capitoline Hill, one of Rome’s seven hills, and its current design that we see today is a work of Michelangelo. Sadly, almost none of the work was completed during Michelangelo’s lifetime, and it took many years for the work to be completed. Mussolini ordered the work completed faithfully to Michelangelo’s design with the final paving of the piazza which can be seen today.

In ancient times, the orientation of the buildings on the hill faced the Roman Forum, but Michelangelo altered the layout so that it pointed symbolically towards the Vatican. The piazza is the home to Rome’s city hall as well as four palazzi, three of which are home to the Capitoline Museum, one of Rome’s most amazing museums and most definitely a place to visit on any trip to Rome. A copy of the famous equestrian bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius stands in the middle of the piazza (the original can be found in the Palazzo dei Conservatori). Also of note is the cordonata – a series of large stairs that form a seemingly almost flat path to allow the transit of horses and other beasts of burden.

Piazza della Bocca della Verita

Piazza della Bocca della Verità
Admirers of the film, Roman Holiday, should be familiar with this piazza as it is the home of the Mouth of Truth, an ancient manhole cover that legend says has the ability to bite your hand off should you tell a lie. If you have seen the movie, you will remember Audrey Hepburn’s character, Princess Anna, putting her hand into the statue, afraid that it might come to life and expose her. This piazza is one of the oldest in Rome and is home to several ancient temples as well as the church, la Chiesa di Santa Maria in Cosmedin, one of Rome’s minor basilicas.

The land that encompasses the piazza was known as the Forum Boarium in ancient times and served as Rome’s cattle market as well as being the first site for gladiatorial games, hence the placement of the circular Temple of Hercules Victor, often confused with the temple to the goddess, Vesta.

The Arch of Janus can be found nearby and is the only quadrifon (four-sided) triumphal arch in the city. It is erroneously called the Arch of Janus and probably received this mislabeling during the Renaissance, most likely constructed as a dedication to one of Rome’s later emporers, Constantine I or Constantius II. The Temple of Portunus is also located nearby – another wonderfully preserved Roman temple. Portunus was the god of keys, doors and livestock – a fitting place for such a temple in the ancient Forum Boarium.

The piazzas of Rome are a great way to (proverbially) kill two birds with one stone – by planning your trek through the city and hitting some of the major piazzas, you can see dozens and dozens of other sites and marvels of Rome. While there are many more piazzas in Rome than mentioned here, you can see how visiting the five piazzas profiled above allows you to see more than twenty of the most important churches, sites and monuments in Rome.

Navigate around with the Rome Travel Guide

Images by: Keith Preble, cb_agulto; Wikipedia Author Arpingstone

Even a brief perusal of a good Rome guide – including the mTrip app – is enough to make your eyes start to glaze over at the sheer magnitude of attraction options. The list seems never-ending, and just when you think you’ve got it narrowed down, you hear about some church or museum or gelateria “only the locals know about” that you just have to include. Pretty soon, you’re tallying up both the amount of time and the amount of cash you’ll need to see and do everything. Luckily, there are several things to do in Rome for free.

We expect to pay a sometimes-hefty entry fee to get into famous museums like the Vatican Museums or iconic sights like the Colosseum, but one of the coolest buildings anywhere – the Pantheon – is free to enter. It’s a snapshot of Roman life from 2,000 years ago, and although you can’t buy that kind of time capsule it won’t cost you a euro to get in. The “Mouth of Truth,” which many of us recall from the delightful film “Roman Holiday,” is also free – although there’s usually a line in the summer. And did you know that one of the biggest attractions in Italy – St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican – is completely free to get into? Time your Vatican Museum visit right, and even that’s free (on the last Sunday of every month).

A list of free stuff to do in Rome won’t help with the fact that you’ll still feel like you need several months to work through your to-do list, but it will help you save a few euro. And given how much flying to Rome is costing us these days, every little bit helps.

What’s your favorite free thing to do in Rome? Let us know in the comments.

- by Jessica of BootsnAll

Download mTrip’s Rome Travel Guide

photo by jimmyharris

Caravaggio, whose real name is Michelangelo Merrisi, was a very interesting character in the history of art as well as the history of Rome! Caravaggio has been the subject of a great many number of books (see below for a list of recommended reading) over the centuries, and his work has seen a resurgence of interest in the past couple of decades. His paintings are quite extraordinary for their time because of the exceptional realism, theatrics and use of lighting (tenebrism) in his works. Like Bernini, Caravaggio had a way of capturing “the moment” in his works, and they are definitely worth seeing on your trip to Rome.

Rome is fortunate to have the most number of Caravaggio paintings than any other city in the world, dispersed throughout Rome in museums, chapels and churches. While it might be easier to see all of Caravaggio’s works in a single museum, trekking through the streets of Rome not only allows you to explore the Eternal City but also to experience Rome as Caravaggio might have done as well as seeing Caravaggio’s works in the context for which they were created. Typically, works of art were commissioned for homes, chapels and public display as a way for patrons to demonstrate their wealth, power and prestige. As I discussed in my piece on Rome’s fountains, artwork often survived centuries beyond the life of the patron, and not only did these works of art serve their patron during his lifetime, but they continue to serve as vestiges of their power and wealth today.

Contarelli Chapel, San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome

A great place to start your walking tour would be in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi, the French national church in Rome and not far from the Piazza Navona. In this church you will find three works of Caravaggio as well as frescoes of Domenichino (Bolognese School), featuring the life of Saint Cecilia. In this church, Caravaggio’s works are located in one of the chapels. Chapels were often purchased by wealthy patrons in churches that had special significance for them, as is the case with Matthieu Cointrel (or Contarelli, in Italian), a French cardinal who instructed upon his death that the chapel be decorated with scenes from the life of his name saint, Matthew. It took quite a long time for Contarelli’s chapel to be decorated, and the Pope at the time, Clement VIII, felt that the national church of France should echo the recent conversion of the king back to Catholicism. Wasting no time, the clergy of San Luigi dei Francesi, fearing that the Pope’s wishes would conflict with wishes of the now deceased Cointrel, pushed for the chapel to be quickly decorated before the Pope’s wishes could be executed. Caravaggio created three paintings for the Contarelli Chapel all centered around the life of Saint Matthew: The Calling of Saint Matthew, The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew, and The Inspiration of Saint Matthew. These three paintings took Caravaggio three years to complete (the contracts were signed in 1599 and the final painting installed in 1602), and you can see how Caravaggio agonized over them with the exquisite attention not only to the details but also the scenes themselves, creating a sense of theatrics and emotional energy that are hallmarks of Italian Baroque art. Caravaggio also understood his environment, taking into account the church’s low light levels (the interior and chapel are quite dark) in producing works which allow the central theme of Saint Matthew to come out of the darkness.

Madonna of Loreto (Madonna of the Pilgrims), oil on canvas

As you leave San Luigi dei Francesi, head north to the Church of Sant’Agostino in Rome. Not only does this church have a work by Caravaggio, but the church is worth seeing in its own right with its marble facade built from marble taken from the Colosseum as well as a fresco by Raphael of the prophet, Isaiah. The sole work by Caravaggio, Madonna of Loreto (oil on canvas, c. 1604), is located in the Cavaletti Chapel within the church. Here we can see one of Caravaggio’s most distinctive works because of the way in which it depicts the Virgin Mary (barefoot) and the Baby Jesus (nude, barely covered by a cloth, as if to emphasize the mother and child’s poverty). Caravaggio also uses as the model for his painting a known courtesan (who, it is argued, appears in several of his other paintings). The use of this figure as a model for the Virgin Mary is ironic given the congregation of Sant’Agostino regularly featured courtesans of Rome. Also, the locale in which these two iconic figures are placed is controversial with Caravaggio placing them in what could be a slum rather than the usual regal setting that the Virgin and Child are usually placed. Note also the placement of the pilgrims as they kneel before the Virgin and baby. Their bare feet jut into the foreground of the painting, which isolates the Virgin and Baby Jesus by displacing them further into the paintings background, even when they are clearly the subject of the painting. This is a common technique of Caravaggio’s works as he goes to great lengths to push the viewer of the work away from the subject matter much the same way that a stage separates actors from the audience.

Head north once again to the Piazza del Popolo and the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, which contains two of Caravaggio’s works in the Cerasi Chapel: The Crucifixion of Saint Peter and The Conversion of Saint Paul on the Road to Damascus. The Cerasi Chapel is an excellent example of contrasting styles during the Baroque. Cerasi commissioned Caravaggio and Annibale Carracci to decorate his chapel, two artists with opposing styles during the Baroque period in Rome. This chapel provides us with an excellent comparison of the the artistic currents in Rome at the time, the one camp who painted in the style of Caravaggio, while the other, who like Annibale, sought a revival of Renaissance use of color and light. Again, we see Caravaggio use his surroundings to his advantage, knowing full well that his works would be viewed from the side rather than straight on and constructing paintings to reflect this. The subject matter of Peter and Paul, two of the central founders of the Catholic Church who represented martyrdom and conversion, two tenets in vogue at the time that these works were commissioned. The church itself also contains frescoes by Raphael in the ceiling (Creation of the World) as well as sculptures by Bernini and works by Pinturicchio.

Head back south to the Church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini which houses Saint Francis in Meditation, a work recently attributed to Caravaggio although there is a fierce debate over whether this work is Caravaggio’s or not. Controversy swirls over whether this is even a work by Caravaggio at all, but documents show that during a lawsuit, one of Caravaggio’s contemporaries testified that he lent the artist a monk’s robe, perhaps the same robe worn by the model in this painting. This helps us to understand the work but also to narrow down the state when the work may have been completed, roughly between 1602-1604. After seeing this work in the church, head over to the Palazzo Barberini, which houses not only another copy of this work (which many art historians believe is the true Caravaggio) but a handful of others by the artist. Judge for yourself which work you feel is the true Caravaggio while taking in the sites and splendors of the Palazzo Barberini. The church itself is also worthy of a visit with its altarpiece by Guido Reni as well as the crypt and ossuary!

Judith beheading Holofernes, oil on canvas

While at the Palazzo Barberini, be sure to check out one of Caravaggio’s most striking works, Judith beheading Holofernes. In this painting, Judith, being urged on by her maid, surprises the sleeping Holofernes and begins to decapitate him. Caravaggio’s stunning realism captures the murder in a most grizzly fashion, capturing a popular Biblical theme and taking it to new dramatic heights. Even the blood spurting from Holofernes’s massing neck wound is so real, with Caravaggio presumably having witnessed a public execution or two that were common in Rome at the time. Caravaggio’s painting is a snapshot of the most dramatic and tense moments in the story: The young Judith, with her furrowed brow and tense arms, pulls back on Holofernes hair while her maid waits to help her clean up the mess while the doomed Holofernes, his eyes bulging, his face contorted in pain and his mouth crying out!

As our tour of Caravaggio’s works through the streets of Rome concludes, you have not only learned and experienced the works of this enigmatic artist but have also visited and explored Rome’s environs!

NB: An exhibition entitled Caravaggio a Roma is being held at the Archivio di Stato di Roma until May 15, 2011!

Further reading:

There is a lot on Caravaggio but the following books (all in print and available from your favorite bookstore) are excellent resources for learning more about this artist:

• Caravaggio, Michelangelo M, F Marini, and Miriam Hurley. Caravaggio. New York, NY: Rizzoli, 2006.
• Puglisi, Catherine, and Caravaggio. Caravaggio. London: Phaidon, 2000
• Schütze, Sebastian, Michelangelo M. Caravaggio, and Benedikt Taschen. Caravaggio: The Complete Works. Köln: Taschen, 2009

Don’t forget to download mTrip’s Rome Travel Guide for your trip navigation!

This tax is imposed on all visitors to the city – that is, anyone who is not a resident of Rome, including Italian visitors arriving in Rome from other parts of Italy. On a recent Italian radio program, 24 Mattino, the mayor of Pisa, Marco Filippeschi, also indicated that it is something that they are looking at closely. Don’t be surprised if you see this tax pop up in places like Venice, Florence, or possibly in Milan!

How much tax are we talking about?

Before we get into numbers, you should be aware that the tax must be paid in cash (this ensures that the tax is not eaten up by credit card processing fees nor will it creep into the bottom line of hotel operators). This “tax” is not added onto your hotel bill so be sure to have some euro notes at the ready when you’re about to check out. This tax is also collected at campsites so if you’re looking to save some money, consider staying in a youth hostel which is not required to collect this tax. Another way to avoid it might be to find a short-term apartment.

Four and five star hotels will be required to collect an additional 3 euro per night per person. Three star hotels and below will be required to collect 2 euro per night per person. Also, tickets to museums, sites and attractions will cost non-Romans an extra 1 euro. Children under 10 years of age are exempt from the tax. You might consider the amounts to be small, but consider a group of four adults staying for six days in Rome at a four star hotel: that’s an extra 72 euro! The good news is that the tax is only collected on the first ten days of your stay (five, if you’re staying in a campsite). So for the longer visitor, the tax stops after ten days, but the majority of visitors to Rome probably don’t stay longer than 10 to 12 days.

So the bigger questions:

1. How much will this tax affect tourism? Most believe that this will have very little effect on the numbers of people who come to the city each year. As it stands, the city is poised to earn just under $300,000 per day!

2. Such a tax existed in Rome twenty years ago. How long will it take before it is repealed?

3. Would such a tax cause you to rethink your travel plans?

As they say in Italian, offre spunti di riflessione! (That’s food for thought!)

Let us know what you think in the comments..

Getting to and from the airport

You have a few options getting to Rome city centre from either of the two airports Fiumicino and Ciampino located just outside Rome. The Leonardo Express train which travels directly to Termini train station in Central Rome, takes 30 mins. You can buy your Leonardo Express train ticket from the train ticket office for €14; remember to validate your train ticket in the yellow machines at the entrance to the platform to avoid risking a fine. There is also a bus shuttle between Rome’s two airports and the Termini train station which takes about 1-hour and 20 mins costing €8.

Getting around

The majority of Rome can be explored by foot if you stay in a central location. You can buy a metro or bus ticket from the many newsagents who display the brown ‘T’ sign outside. A one-way ticket costs €1 while a one-day ticket will cost €4, ideal for getting around the city to see a few attractions in a day. Remember to validate your ticket in the yellow machines before you travel, the machines can be found on the buses and in the entrances to the metro stations. Failure to validate your ticket could land you a hefty fine. Transport in Rome is frequent and bus routes are displayed on each bus stop dotted around.

Vatican City

Avoid the 2-hour queues trailing around the Vatican Square and head straight to the Tourist Information office tucked away beside St Peter’s Basilica. Ignore the touts outside who will try to persuade you to pay over the odds for a supposed ‘guided tour’ of the Vatican Museum and Basilica, luring you with the prospect of queue jumping, even though entrance to the Basilica is free. Stairs up to the dome of the Basilica costs 4€ and an elevator to the dome costs 5€. Head around the corner to the Vatican Museums in the morning and save visiting the St Peter’s Basilica until the afternoon when the queues have died down. The Vatican operate a strict dress code where shoulders and knees have to be covered before entering holy places of interest.

Vatican Museums & the Sistine Chapel

You can buy your ticket for the Vatican Museum for €15 and buy a special queue jump ticket for €4 – well worth it to avoid the scorching midday sun heat in the square. Walk around the outside of the Vatican City walls until you reach the Vatican Museum entrance, avoiding the long queue. The rooms within the museum are a masterpiece themselves, especially the Sistine Chapel. Opening times are Monday –Saturday 9am-6pm, last entrance is at 4pm.

The Colosseum

There is so much to see in the Roman Forum and Colosseum; you can easily spend a whole day here. See the Roman temple ruins and wonder what life might have been like 2000 years ago. Your admission ticket allows entry to The Roman Forum, Palantine Hill and the Colosseum. Admission costs 10€

The Pantheon

Originally built as a temple to all Gods of Ancient Rome, the façade of the pantheon looks like an ancient temple. Almost two thousand years after the monument was constructed, the Pantheon’s dome is still the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome with an open top. The Pantheon is open Mon-Sat 8:30am-7:30pm; Sun 9am-6pm and admission is free.

Trevi Fountain

The largest of the many fountains found dotted around Rome, The Trevi Fountain was originally built on the site of an aqueduct that supplied water to ancient Rome. Traditional legend has it that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they will return to Rome again. It is estimated that €3,000 are thrown into the fountain each day from visitors, the money is used to help Rome’s poor and homeless people. There are also a few good ice cream parlours in the square surrounding the fountain, a great place to rest and admire the architecture.

This is a guest post written by Jack Russell. He has authored an extensive collation of travel-related information for hundreds of cities around the world. You can find his articles as well as Cheap holiday insurance offers on 24/7 Travel Insurance.

Especially significant is the fact that this week begins the 5^th annual Roman Film Festival, Festival Internazionale del Film di Roma. This year will feature a screening of Federico Fellini’s newly restored La dolce vita as well as a showcase of several new American films (The Social Network, for instance), testimonials to actors and directors since passed and many other activities.

Like films discussed below, the festival is also not without its detractors and controversy. Many of the city’s residents have voiced concerns over the festival, arguing that public funds should be spent to solve the city’s problems: improving public transportation, helping with the restoration of many of the city’s treasures, traffic, etc. Others cite the failure of the festival to attract locals, the festival’s inability to fill seats and is often criticized as being too hollywoodiano, snubbing of Italian actors in favor of Hollywood (The first of the festival, the organizer’s failed to invite and involve Sophia Loren, one of Italy’s greatest actresses). The festival, to its credit, has improved since its debut in 2006 and has since earned from its mistakes. Whether you are for or against the festival, you cannot deny that the importance of film and cinema in Rome’s history.

Mamma Roma and the dark side of Rome

Mamma Roma is one of my favorite films because of its gritty and edgy story. It features Anna Magnani, a native of Rome and one of Italy’s finest actresses (she appeared in several American films, too!). The film was written and directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini, a controversial writer and director. Pasolini choose Magnani, who plays the main character Mamma Roma, because she personified Rome with her energy and vitality on the screen. Even Federico Fellini once remarked, “She is Rome” (Although after the film’s release, Pasolini decried his choice of Magnani in the title role, remarking that she lacked the skills to portray a character of that socioeconomic status needed for his film).

Magnani’s character introduces us to the seedier side of Rome, the Rome of the everyman and woman with its dangerous streets bustling with prostitutes, pimps and petty thieves. The film is an excellent example of the kind of changes that Italy and Italians were experiencing during the economic boom of the 1960’s. This film profiles the less glamorous side of Rome, a Rome that tourists never seen. Absent from this film is any kind of romanticized Rome – no Trevi Fountain, no Pantheon, no St. Peter’s Square – as Magnani’s character does her best to make something more of herself and for her son, Ettore. Pasolini uses the city’s suburbs for the backdrop of his film as a means of keeping the film’s main characters just far enough from Rome and the “better life” Roma could offer. Pasolini “traps” Mamma Roma in a sub-proletariat “existence” and creates a living hell for her – torn between her son, her safety and her livelihood. She tries, albeit in vain (although with the best of intentions), to escape her life of prostitution and to make a better living for herself and her son. Scenes of Trastevere and other recognizable areas, neighborhoods and sites of Rome make extremely brief appearances, but the film always manages to swing back to the fringes. Sadly, Mamma Roma fails in her efforts. Her son, Ettore, upon learning of his mother’s true profession, becomes disillusioned with her efforts, is arrested for petty thieving and dies at the end of the film that tragically mimics a crucifixion.

The Rome of Mamma Roma is certainly one that you will not find on postcards. Even the scenes in the film where Mamma Rome is in Rome, you see only briefs glimpses, often in the distance, of Rome. One of the most memorable scenes in the film is where Mamma Roma is strolling through the streets of Rome, having returned to her life as a prostitute. As she walks down a well trafficked Roman avenue, you see very little that concretely places you in the city, but, you still know you are in Rome. Her character is surrounded in darkness (yet the foreground is brightly illuminated), but you know you are in Rome because of the lanterns that barely illuminate the background. The Roman dialect and the characters encountered connect the film (and the viewer) to its location. Rome is nothing more than Mamma Roma’s place of “business”, and Pasolini goes at great lengths to disconnect us from our Rome.

La Dolce What?

Fellini’s greatest film, La dolce vita, stars Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimée, and Alain Cuny. Mastroianni plays the character of Marcello Rubini, a journalist who reports on activities of Rome’s high society. Mastroianni’s character becomes increasingly frustrated with his existence (becoming more and more debauched) as the film progresses, as he meets and interacts with the various characters of the film.

The opening scene of the statue of Jesus “blessing” the city as it flies overhead depicts two Romes: the “common” Rome with its working class housing blocks and the rich and privileged, represented by the sunbathing women (who Mastroianni’s character tries “to pick up” from the helicopter) on the roof of the luxurious apartment building. The film is a curious blend of religious imagery juxtaposed against Italy’s new modernity of fast cars, the economic boom of the 1960’s and a new morality (and decadence), where honesty, fidelity, trust and love are constantly questioned, twisted, abandoned and tormented.

The city of Rome depicted in this film mirrors Mamma Roma’s – the city being a prison and tormentor, especially the rich and famous, like the character of Maddalena (Anouk Aimée). In Mamma Roma we see a dirtier and less hospitable side of Rome. In La dolce vita a more hospitable and alluring side of Rome is portrayed with its bustling cabarets, cafés, nightclubs, and the “high life”. The beautiful side of Rome is not a mirage or “a spot on the horizon” but real and tangible. Maddalena and Marcello decide to escape the Rome of paparazzi and reporters in order to make love by hiding in the apartment of a prostitute they meet while driving through the city. Even Marcello, who remarks that Rome is a jungle with any places to hide, flees with Maddalena to the housing projects of Rome for their tryst, knowing all too well that while there may be places to hide, there is always a chance of being found by the photographers out to make a fast lira!

La dolce vita has one of the most famous cinematic scenes ever produced: the bathing scene in the Trevi Fountain with Sylvia (Anita Ekberg) and Marcello. Again, Fellini employs religious symbolism to make a point about morality, religion and modern life. It is in this scene that the ancient Roman struggle between paganism and Christianity plays out, as Sylvia and Marcello bathe themselves in the waters of the Acqua Vergine. Sylvia sways about in the waters, like a creature from Greek or Roman mythology, tempting Marcello to join her in the fountain. The beautiful and voluptuous Sylvia then anoints Marcello, as if baptizing him and cleansing him of his “sins”. Strangely and without, the waters of the fountain stop just as Marcello tries to kiss her, as if the fountain was expelling them from the like Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden.

The film continues with its curious mix of religious symbolism, misplaced morality and decadence. Even Marcello’s father is not immune to the lure of Rome and shows his fascination for his son’s work and his dalliances with the rich and famous women of Rome. His father, who comes to Rome on business, comes very close to cheating on Marcello’s mother with a showgirl, but he (fortuitously?) suffers a heart attack which puts an end to his romantic escapades, and his father rushes back home to his wife.

The film continues in much of the same vain and ends as Marcello is called to by Paola, a young woman he met earlier in the film while working his book. In that scene he refers to her as an Umbrian angel, not a symbol of Rome but one of another place, as if alluding to her purity. Her smiling face is a symbol of hope for our main character who might also eventually find happiness, even in Rome.

Roman Holiday anyone?

William Wyler’s Roman Holiday (1953) is a beautiful film that explores the romantic side of Rome and coincides beautifully with the romantic aspects of the film – the passionate (but short-lived romance) between the characters Princess Ann “Anya Smith” and journalist Joe Bradley, played by Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, respectively. Gone is the morbid symbolism of Pasolini and the quasi-reality created by Fellini. The Rome we see in this film is the Rome many of us who are foreign to the city see – the Rome of tourists and casual travelers. The Eternal City is exquisitely filmed in this movie as the eventual lovers meander through the streets of Rome. As they travel around the city, you see many of the city’s highlights: the Trevi Fountain, Coliseum, the Roman Forum, and dozens of other Roman locales.

The most famous scenes in the film are the Vespa ride through Rome, where the impetuous Princess Ann careens wildly through the streets of Rome, cutting off buses and cars, knocking over pedestrians and their bags, and disrupting stalls, and the “Mouth of Truth” scene. At the end of their Vespa ride, Hepburn and Peck find themselves at the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin where the famous Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth) is located. Legend has it that if a person tells a lie while placing their hand into the mouth of the stone manhole cover, it will bite off the hand of the liar. Hepburn’s character puts her hand tentatively into the mouth of the stone cover, and, of course nothing happens (much to her relief, as she has lied repeatedly to Joe). Peck’s character then puts his hand into the mouth and then playfully reacts as if the manhole cover were biting down on his hand. Moments later, he reveals that it was a joke (even though, he, too, has been lying). “Anya Smith” and Joe Bradley embrace, and this moment signifies a turning point in the film where the relationship between the two becomes more romantic. Many commentators connect their burgeoning love with the fact that the church contains the crowned and flowered skull of Saint Valentine – what better place for this important climax in the film.

At the end of Roman Holiday, a reporter asks Hepburn’s character, “Which of the cities visited did Your Highness enjoy the most?” The princess hesitates for a moment as she formulates her scripted, diplomatic response: “Each in its own way was…unforgettable. It would be difficult to…” Hepburn’s character then begins to hesitate and quickly reasserts herself, saying defiantly: “Rome; by all means, Rome,” she replies defiantly. The reporters and photographers all gasp slightly and begin to murmur to themselves, recognizing the gravity of her remarks – the princess of a major European power making such a bold statement! As the clamor subsides, she remarks:

“I will cherish my visit here, in memory, as long as I live.”

It is easy to see why Rome provides such an excellent backdrop for films of any style. From the seedy to the romantic, Rome’s history, art and culture have provided inspiration for many film directors. These films, even when their messages seem uninviting and harsh, tempt us to experience Rome on our own. Hopefully after seeing these films and many others, you will consider making your own Roman Holiday a memorable one!

Useful Film Apps & other notes:
If you’re looking for some film related apps, check out the IMDb app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Several Italian films can be streamed online via Netflix’s app, too. The Tribeca Film Festival also has an app, and they often screen Italian films. Last, but not least, TCM (Turner Classic Movie) has an app for those who like the classics!

Also, here is the scene where I describe Mamma Roma strolling down the Roman avenue

Fontana di Trevi

The fountains of Rome are an attraction that simply cannot be missed in Rome because they are virtually everywhere you go. Some are simple with a practical purpose while others, like the Trevi Fountain (La Fontana di Trevi, and pictured to your left), are so magnificent in their splendor that you would have to be asleep not to notice them.

The fountains of Rome speak volumes about the city’s past, and each fountain has a story of its own. Visiting these fountains requires almost no effort on the traveler’s part, since many of them can be seen as you make your way to the various sites and landmarks in Rome without any effort on the traveler’s part to see them. Many of these fountains are located in piazzas or in front of many important churches and basilicas in Rome.

Fountains were often used to showcase the wealth and power of the many patrons who lived in Rome over the centuries and reflected the influence and control exerted on the city’s rich cultural heritage. Very often the fountains served as propaganda “tools” for the noble families and papacy in Rome. Let us not forget that the fountains also had a practical purpose by bringing water into the city. Before the advent of having running water in the home, Rome’s denizens would go to the fountains to collect their water, and those who brought water to Rome could easily curry favor with the populace. Even today, much of the water that pours into Rome’s fountains is potabile (drinkable), and many consider the water to have restorative properties.

Rome’s Most Splendid Fountain

You simply cannot go to Rome and not see the Trevi Fountain, because it is simply breathtaking no matter what time of day you visit. The Trevi Fountain is well marked and easy to find in Rome – just ask anyone, from a tourist to a local – and you will most certainly be pointed in the right direction. If you are in the historic center, just follow the signs, and it will not take you long to reach it! Once you arrive, you’ll be struck not only by its size but also by the intense drama that unfolds as you view the fountain and the crowds of people who come each year to photograph it, spend a quiet moment, or simply to toss a coin into the waters of the Acqua Vergina! Be sure to turn your back to the fountain and toss a coin over your shoulder because, as legend has it, this will ensure a future return to Rome.

The Trevi Fountain is often mistakenly attributed to Gian Lorenzo Bernini. While Bernini played a part in the development of the fountain’s design, it took almost a century before Bernini’s plans could be realized under the guise of Nicola Salvi, whose ideas are seen today by so many thousands of people each day. The fountain is a “swan song” to the Baroque era of Rome because of the cultural and artistic shifts to Paris that took place after the death of Bernini in 1680. Salvi attempts and, for the most par,t succeeds in salvaging the Baroque ideas of theatrics, drama, and energy in his creation.

Papal Power With Fountains

Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi

The Four Rivers Fountain (Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, pictured to your right)wasdesigned by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, whose churches, architectural works and fountains can be found all over Rome. Bernini’s works are hallmarks of Baroque period and are always so striking and captivating, and this splendid fountain located in the Piazza Navona is no different. The fountain represents the four major rivers known to the world during Bernini’s time: Nile, Ganges, Danube and Plata.

Bernini was awarded this commission through a competition and designed this fountain that represented the papacy’s power throughout the known world. Each of the statues represents a river on each of the four known continents: Nile in Africa, the Danube in Europe, the Ganges in Asia and the Rio de la Plata in South America. A granite obelisk rises from the center of the fountain which art historians believe is meant to serve as a conduit to the heavens, whereby the divine power (and, by association, that of the Pope in 1651) would spread throughout the known world.

As with many sites and monuments in Rome, legends and lore can often play a part in the history of Rome. One such “story” is constantly retold by many scholars. Bernini’s fountain stands next to Francesco Borromini’s façade on the church of Sant’Agnese in Agone. A popular “urban myth” often bandied about is that the statue of the Rio de la Plata is holding its hand up, as if in fear of a possible collapse of Borromini’s façade. Since the Church was completed four years after the fountain, this is probably not the case and simply a serendipitous occurrence on Bernini’s part.

Fountain Of A Sinking Ship?

One of my favorite fountains in Rome is the Fountain of the Old Boat (Fontana della Barcaccia, pictured below), located in the Piazza di Spagna. Easily reached by a metro stop on Linea A, the Piazza di Spagna is one of the most crowded and sought out attractions in Rome. On a hot summer day, it is almost possible to miss the fountain completely because it is such a draw to the thousands of people seeking relief from the heat. This fountain typifies the Baroque by using sculpture and stone to create mood, tension and drama. The commission to design and construct the fountain was given to Pietro Bernini, the father of the great Gian Lorenzo. Bernini – father and son – sought to break away from the “severe and repetitive” style of Giacomo Della Porta, an architect and sculptor who died twenty years before. Pietro Bernini and his son sought to break away from the Della Porta’s style by borrowing from local lore.

Fontana della Barcaccia

The fountain is meant to represent a boat which had run aground near the fountain’s present day location. It is said that in 1598 the Tiber (Tevere) flooded and washed a boat near where the fountain now sits. After the water receded, the boat remained, and this lone boat is said to be the inspiration for Bernini’s creation. The travertine boat appears as if it is sinking, filled nearly the brim with water, leaking “slowly” from several “holes” as well as over the sides of the boat while only just remaining “afloat” in the pool which sits below the marbled structure. Bernini honors his patron (as many of the fountains in Rome do) by sculpting two blazing suns which shoot water prominently toward the center of the “sinking” vessel.

One could write volumes about Rome’s fountains. They serve as a gateway into the city’s history and culture, its past and present, and work not only to bring water into the city but also to beautify, refresh and enhance the Eternal City of Rome. Take note of the fountains as you meander around the streets of Rome as they convey much of the city’s past and will continue to do so for centuries to come.

If you are interested in learning more about Rome’s fountains, several books have been written about them. If you are interested in further reading, consult Wikipedia or the following books:

• Castria, Francesca. Squares and Fountains of Rome. Milano: Electa, 2007
• Cope, Frederick, and Maurizia Tazartes. Fontane Di Roma. Ginevra-Milano: Rizzoli libri illustrati, 2004.
• Pulvers, Marvin. Roman Fountains: 2000 Fountains in Rome : a Complete Collection. Roma: “L’Erma” di Bretschneider, 2002
• Rendina, Claudio. La Grande Enciclopedia Di Roma: Personaggi, Curiosità, Monumenti, Storia, Arte E Folclore Della Città Eterna Dalle Origini Al Duemila. Quest’Italia, 283. Roma: Newton & Compton, 2000
• Symmes, Marilyn F, and Kenneth A. Breisch.Fountains: Splash and Spectacle : Water and Design from the Renaissance to the Present. New York: Rizzoli International Publication in association with Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution, 1998.
• Forthcoming: Rinne, Katherine W. The Waters of Rome: Aqueducts, Fountains, and the Birth of the Baroque City. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2010.

Download mTrip’s Rome Travel Guide

Image by Daveness_98 at http://www.flickr.com/photos/31216636@N00/

The Festival kicks off on June 13th with an Opening Gala featuring performances by Robert McDuffie and the Venice Baroque Orchestra. The Festival comes to a close on June 17th, marked by not-to-be-missed performances by Stephen Prutsman on piano, Amy Schwartz Moretti on violin, Julie Albers on cello and a few other notable musical extraordinaires.

For the past seven years the most legendary musicians have been brought in to perform classical and contemporary masterpieces from different musical worlds, combining the traditional with the modern in one brilliant festival unlike any other cultural experience in Rome.

Click here to view the program for June 2010 & have a look at the Festival’s YouTube Channel to get a taste of the talent!