While Rome is pushing forward with its long-awaited Metro Line C — a new subway line whose construction keeps turning up unexpected archaeological finds right under the city center — the monument we’re featuring here owes nothing to those excavations. It has always been there, within arm’s reach, but like so many Roman sites, quietly […]
New Year’s Eve is one of the oldest, most deeply rooted celebrations in Italian culture, but not everyone knows the reason behind some of the (elaborate) traditions that characterize it. In this post, we have gathered some customs and stories related to the last day of the year. It’s an exploration that will also reveal […]
The Tiber Island is a little gem in the heart of Rome: Romans and tourists alike cross it on their way to and from Trastevere, but not everyone knows its thousand-year history! It’s the only “metropolitan” island of the Tiber, with a length of about 270 meters and a width that varies between 67 and […]
by C. P.
Think of this post as a little help/public service announcement of sorts, inspired by numerous conversations and requests for clarification from first-time visitors to the city of Rome! In it, we want to explain why a bathroom in Rome looks the way it does, and why some fixtures are shaped a certain way… or what […]
by C. P.
Every year on June 29th, the city of Rome celebrates its patron saints: St. Peter and St. Paul. These two apostles are revered not only as the founding fathers of the Catholic Church, but also as enduring symbols of courage and martyrdom. We talked about the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul a few […]
by C. P.
Rome is a captivating city that attracts an increasing number of tourists, but unfortunately, it is not the only category of people who converge to the Eternal City. The large numbers of visitors are interesting to scammers or petty thieves are also looking to make a quick buck at the expense of those roaming the city […]
As the new Jubilee approaches, the directors of the Vatican Museums are making plans for an even wider range of visits to the sites they’re responsible for: already up and running is the new dedicated entrance to the Necropolis of the Via Triumphalis. What is the Via Triumphalis? The Via Triumphalis was an ancient road […]
The Egyptian influence on Rome is a well-known fact, even among the general public. The city had pyramids (one of which can still be seen today), obelisks are everywhere, and even their religion was popular among the citizens. With the exception of a handful of landmarks and artifacts, however, ancient Egypt has been erased from […]
by C. P.
As you plan your travel to Rome, you’ll have surely considered devoting part of your trip to the exploration of the Vatican area: St. Peter’s Basilica, with the Vatican Museums and – of course – the Sistine Chapel. This is on every tourist’s “must do”, after all, and there’s little deviation from the rule. At […]
by C. P.
It was just a while ago when visiting the Pantheon used to be a breeze: you walked right into the door and at the very most you could find a little bottleneck by the entrance where people assembled, unsure whether to ask for a ticket or an audioguide. Unfortunately, Covid hit and things were never […]
by C. P.
