April in Rome
Aprilis (April) was originally the second month. The calendar (from the ancient Latin Kalendae), supposedly introduced by Romulus when he founded Rome in 753 BC, consisted of 10 months in …
September in Rome – 2017
In 2017, Rome, and all of Italy, suffered the worst drought in 60 years. Rainfall was close to 80% below normal. The water flow to Rome has been continuous, without …
The Walls and Gates of Rome
The Walls of Rome The Servian Walls If you’re arriving to Rome’s 1930’s Termini Train Station, look to the right as you walk out the front of the station into …
Byzantine treasures of Rome
A short history of Byzantium In 660 BC, Byzantion was an ancient Greek city named for Byzas, one of the many children of Poseidon, there were more than …
Take the A train to Cinecittà
It’s known as ‘Hollywood on the Tiber’, ‘The Dream Factory’ and the ‘House that Fellini built’. It’s one of the most famous movie studios in the world. It’s also less than …
Protect yourselves against Con Artists, Pickpockets and Thieves of Rome
Rome gets over 30 million tourists a year. If you’re a thief, con man or pickpocket it’s a great place to ply your trade. Thieves are mostly looking for naïve, …
Nero’s Golden Palace is Open (Again)
The Domus Aurea is open. These are words rarely heard in the past 1,950 years. After the great fire of Rome in 64 AD, Emperor Nero rebuilt his Transitory Palace …
The Pantheon and Piazza della Rotondo
Our home in San Francisco is close to Dolores Park, a beautiful sloping green hill with postcard views of the city skyline. The park is famous for San Francisco’s oldest …
Attack on Rome!
Sturnus Vulgaris descended on the city and Romans flee by the thousands. Check out this You Tube video. No it’s not a nuclear Godzilla type monster trampling buildings or a …
2013-Rome; A day in the life of a great city
The 21st century Centurions of Rome are one of the silliest tourist annoyance but after so many years. They’ll wave their wooden swords at you, offer replica props for you …
Great Caesar’s Ghost, Rome is Haunted
Haunted Rome I recently received an email from a reader who asked if I had ever taken a ghost haunting tour in Rome. The only ghost tour we’ve ever been …
Satire, Graffiti and Talking Statues
Political satire is once again front and center in Italy. Beppe Grillo, a political comedian recently won 25% of the current Italian election for his 5 Star Movement. This is …
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