Celebrate the Roma Europa Festival this November

By Go City Expert

Rome is synonymous with ancient monuments, sculptures and exquisite art of the Empire; so for a city that’s steeped in such archaic cultural history, competing with any other form of cultural expression, let alone contemporary, is hard to imagine. Rivalling the art of its heyday, the contemporary scene has exploded in Rome and is celebrated with the annual Roma Europa Festival, which runs from 25th September to the 24th November this year. Displaying exhibitions ranging from digital to dance, theatre and photography, the festival promises new visions and innovative approaches to aesthetic expression. Set in the contemporary space of the Telecoms Italia factory, it couldn’t have a more apt location to help shape and structure the ideologies of the festival within its contemporary, glass structure. NB: don’t be put off by the residential street view – it’s what is inside that counts! Having teamed up with patrons and various ministries of culture within Europe, it is a heavily invested event within the contemporary art world and takes pride on its innovation and value as a creative crossroads. So much so that Wall Street Journal even ranked it as one of the top four best festivals in Europe (2006). Since its conception in 1986, the festival has attracted hoards of culture vultures from around the world; from veterans of artistic thought to new, young fresh minds. Now, heralded as one of Italy’s best festivals, it is a must-do for anyone looking to open their minds and challenge the boundaries of high, mass and popular culture while visiting the capital. Location: Ostiense area OPIFICIO TELECOM ITALIA Via dei Magazzini Generali 20/A 00154 Roma tel +39 06 45553000 / +39 06 45553050

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Discover Rome's famous film locations

Rome has played host to numerous Hollywood blockbusters and cult films for decades. With its streets drenched in history and its inescapably intimate (yet chaotic) setting, it’s the perfect location for any movie – be it romantic, moody or thrilling. It all started with the cinematic movement, Neorealism, which addressed the changing political situations of the middle of the 20th century. With power struggles and money struggles, the city made for an appropriate setting – plus, scattered with beautiful actors and cobbled streets, it couldn't help but work towards the creation of a picture-perfect film. Follow our itinerary to create your own Hollywood backdrop whilst visiting Rome: Trevi Fountain Rome’s best loved fountain, the Trevi Fountain, has been the backdrop to many cult films both old and new. Considered a Baroque masterpiece and the largest fountain in Rome, it’s a honey pot for locals and visitors alike who go to throw a coin into its basin, to make a wish to return to the city in the future. Superstitions aside, it’s an impressive landmark in central Rome - who doesn't remember that iconic scene in Fellini’s La Dolce Vita when Anita Eckberg take an impromptu dip. Yes, that one! Spanish Steps Just around the corner from the Trevi Fountain are the Spanish Steps which have featured in many celebrated films. The one that propelled Hepburn into Hollywood stardom was the classic Roman Holiday - one of the best visual guides to the city there is. With a wide range of backdrops, you can’t forget the scene in which she sits on the Spanish Steps to eat her ice cream. Did you know, a few streets behind the Spanish Steps is the address where her on-screen love Gregory Peck lived in the film too. In real life, Federico Fellini only lived a few doors up! Coliseum The Coliseum is one of Rome’s most loved landmarks and an icon of the Ancient Empire. Still standing over 2000 years on, the Coliseum has featured in many popular films over the years, but none as much as Gladiator. Ok, the film set was a man-made construction, but through the film you can really learn about how the Coliseum looked in all its glory and the role it played in Roman society at the time. Today you can still explore the ancient ruins and Roman Forum yourself with free entry with the Roma Pass. Castel Sant’angelo From old classics to modern masterpieces, Castel Sant’angelo is Rome’s impressive fortress overlooking the River Tiber. Its sheer scale and size makes it the perfect backdrop for some impressive footage and you’ll find it’s been used in a number of films, but more recently Darran Brown’s spiritual thriller, Angels and Demons, where its neighbouring Piazza del Popolo also featured as one of Tom Hanks’ first clues. Trastevere This much loved neighbourhood across the river is one of Rome’s most quaint and intimate areas. A maze of cobbled streets and piazzas it’s truly Roman in its terracotta hues and local ambiance. In Woody Allan’s To Rome with Love, it’s home to one of his main characters and you’ll also recognise it as a local haunt of Julia Robert’s character, Elizabeth Gilbert in the adaptation of the bestselling Eat, Pray, Love. Create your own movie this holiday and set your own backdrops with the OMNIA Vatican & Rome Card .
Go City Expert
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Can't-Miss Cultural Attractions in Rome

Bask in the glory of Roman creativity with the best cultural attractions in Rome below. With thousands of years of history, including being the centre of the Roman Empire, it's no surprise that Rome is full of incredible architectural structures, each with their own story to tell. We've scoured the city to find some of the capital's best landmarks you won't want to miss, from mausoleums and historical museums to ancient Roman sites and more, National Museum of Castel Sant'Angelo Castel Sant'Angelo has had many lives as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian, a papal fortress, prison, and now finally as a historical museum open to the Roman public. This stark structure owes its name to a vision that Pope Gregory the Great had, in which the Archangel Michael appeared to him on top of Hadrian's tomb, sheathing his sword to signal the end of a plague. A sculpture of the Archangel now sits atop the museum. With an impressive permanent collection of medieval relics, paintings and sculptures, it's a great way to experience and learn about Rome's long tradition of culture and military excellence. Capitoline Museums Seen in films such as The Talented Mr. Ripley, these archeological museums are testament to the enduring power of ancient Roman art. Spread across three buildings and a piazza designed by Michelangelo, it has persisted as a significant site of Roman creativity since 1471. It features many beautiful works such as a symbolic bronze statue of The She-Wolf, who plays an important role in Rome's origin myth in which she raised the city's founders Romulus and Remus. The Coliseum This gigantic circular structure has captured the imaginations of people worldwide, with complex theatrical performances alongside violent gladiator battles taking place on its stage. At 2000 years old, the landmark continues to stand and remains a must-visit for visitors to Rome who can learn about its history and dive into its network of underground tunnels for more exhibits. MAXXI While Rome might be best known for its historical architecture and Renaissance works, the contemporary art museum MAXXI shines a light on the best in Italian contemporary art. Designed by famed architect Zaha Hadid, its exhibits showcase the best in modern art and architecture and is a refreshing break from centuries-old works. Sistine Chapel Venture into the Vatican City and make your way to one of Michelangelo's greatest artistic accomplishments - the Sistine Chapel. With breathtaking hand-painted ceiling frescoes depicting The Last Judgment and works by Botticelli lining its walls, it's not only a significant religious site but a cultural one worth seeing. Roman Forum See the legacy of ancient architecture at the Roman Forum, which was formerly a collection of buildings including a marketplace, the House of Augustus (home to Julius Caesar's heir) and the Temple of Romulus. While it's mainly in ruins, the remains of its frescoes, pillars and architecture still remains incredible to witness. Borghese Gallery See the works of artistic virtuosos Caravaggio, Botticelli and Raphael at the Borghese Gallery, a converted villa which now serves as one of Rome's most beautiful museums. Comprised mainly of the Borghese family's personal collection which includes hundreds of sculptures and paintings, it's an oasis of calm away from the hustle of Rome and its grounds boast stunning gardens. Vatican Museums Located just a stone's throw from the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Museums are a site of great importance for the Catholic tradition as well as the art world. With exhibits dedicated to the history of the Vatican City as well as a 9 mile long collection of artwork dating all the way back to ancient Egypt, its most noted for its sublime Raphael rooms by the entrance with frescoes by Raphael and Michelangelo. Museum of Rome Discover the artistic history of Italy's capital at the Museum of Rome, located in the halls of the Palazzo Braschi. Not only is the structure a stunning example of Roman Baroque architecture, its exhibits chart the course of Rome's continually evolving creative scene from the Middle Ages to 20th Century. Keats-Shelley House Take a break from art history and dive into the world of literature. Rome was beloved by the famous Romantic poets Percy Bysshe Shelley and John Keats, the latter of whom made Rome his final resting place at the age of 25. Keats' modest dwellings have since been transformed into a museum with the most extensive collection of works, letters, paintings and memorabilia relating to the two literary greats in the world.
Megan Hills
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The history of the Roman Forum: the centre of the Ancient World

The Roman Forum was the hub of commerce and trade in the Ancient World and has been dubbed the most celebrated meeting place in the world – and indeed in all history. The Roman Forum developed over many centuries in the valley between the Capitoline and Palatine Hills and was originally a sodden marsh until it was drained into the River Tiber. Funny to think that one of the most important and powerful Empires was founded on swampland! According to tradition, the Forum was founded as a result of the conciliation of two rivals, Romulus (founder of Rome) who ruled the Palatine Hill, and his nemesis Titus Tatius, who controlled the Capitoline Hill. Their original Forum was used as an open air market place but it was the Comitium which later held public speeches, civic trials and assemblies; driving the Forum into a different politically charged space. Later, in the Republican era, the Senate wanted to expand the Forum's piazza and so purchased private property to turn it into public use. From the 5th century BC, the first temples were constructed – namely the Temple of Saturn and the Temple of Castor and Pollux, as well as the Temple of Concord in the century later, expanding the growing central hub of Ancient Rome. The earliest basilicas were introduced into the Forum in 184 BC which began the process of ‘monumentalizing’ the site. The first basilica to be added to the Roman Forum was the Basilica Fulvia at the north side of the square in 179 BC; nine years later the Basilica Sempronia was constructed on the south side. As the Forum developed with more public buildings and monuments, slowly the public gatherings and important political celebrations that were held in the Comitium moved into the Forum – such as the popular comitia tribute assemblies, funerals of Roman nobility and popular games. It was during the reign of Sulla that major work was undertaken on the Forum including the laying of marble stones – raising the plaza level by almost a metre – how we see it today. In 63 BC Cicero delivered his famous speech to the conspirator Catiline in the Forum. But it was the oration given at Caesar’s funeral – which you’ll recognise from Shakespeare’s play – delivered at the speaker’s podium, the New Rostra, that was probably the most significant and memorable event that has lived in history. The burning of Caesar’s body then took place in the site where the Temple to the Defied Caesar now stands, built by the Emperor’s great-nephew Octavius, aka, Augustus. It was Augustus who later gave the Roman Forum its final form; adding the Temple of Divus Iulius and the Arch of Augustus in 29 BC. Jumping ahead to the medieval era in the 6th century (AD), some of the monuments within the Roman Forum were turned into Christian churches. By the 8th century the whole Forum was filled with these new religious buildings, transforming abandoned and ruined temples into Christian shrines. It was during this time that travellers to Rome noted that the Roman Forum was already falling apart and although the memory of its former glory lasted, the once powerful imperial site was now referred to as Campo Vaccino – meaning cattle field – as it was falling into disuse, ruin and under layers of years of debris. It was also during this period that builders and architects dismantled the surviving buildings to use the original material for the construction of towers and castles in the local area. Later on in the 13th century, the Roman Forum was used as a dumping ground for old medieval buildings – and the Roman practice of building new neighbourhoods over old ruins meant the old Roman Forum was almost nowhere to be seen, with a significant rise in ground level. It wasn’t until the 18th century that any type of excavation work really began thanks to the early efforts to recreate the outline of the Roman Forum by artists in the late 15th century, later supported and completed by antiquaries. Excavation and restoration was only really first attempted in 1803 by Carlos Fea, who began clearing debris from the Arch of Septimus Severus. Archaelogists under Napoleon’s regime then helped carried on his work, but it wasn’t until the early 20th century that the Roman Forum was fully excavated! So when you know the history of the Roman Forum, you can appreciate the history and change that the Roman Forum has witnessed over these thousands of years. Just think about it, the marble and cobbled paths and streets that you walk through are at the real level at which it stood during the Imperial period - now that should make you stop and think. With the OMNIA Card you can discover the ancient world of the Roman Forum for free. You can even skip the queues and jump straight to the front and explore the centre of Empires past. If you want to visit the Forum Museum, to discover more of the ancient world and Roman Forum, including ancient artifacts and old sculptures,, show the OMNIA Card to the ticket staff and you can get free and fast track entry to the Coliseum and museum included as well. It’s your answer to the best sightseeing experience in Rome!
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The Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
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