What and where is the Vatican is a question that we have been asked so many times that we thought would be useful to answer it in our Roman blog. The Vatican City or State of the Vatican City is an independent sovereign state, the smallest in the world by…

  The Vatican Gardens are one of the most marvellous areas of Rome and comprehend about two thirds of the total area of the Vatican State, or about 23 hectares (57 acres).  Visiting the Vatican Gardens is like stepping into a green heaven, is a delightful walk through a variety of medieval fortifications,…

  The underground levels of the Colosseum (Coliseum), together with the upper third ring, have been opened again to visitors in 2011. A visit inside the iconic monument of Rome is a real must for every traveller to the Eternal City. The visit to these areas is amazing. In the lower levels…

  Monte Testaccio, or Monte dei cocci as it is also called by the Romans, is an artificial hill entirely made of broken amphorae dating back to the times of Ancient Rome.  It is located near the East bank of the Tiber, in the Southern part of Rome, close to the ancient…

  A new statue in memory of Pope John Paul II was unveiled in Rome today. The work is placed in Piazza dei Cinquecento, just outside the Termini rail station. The bronze statue made by Oliviero Rinaldi has not been widely appreciated. Many Romans argue that it looks like a sentry box…

  Today the Fountain of Naiades located in Piazza della Repubblica in Rome had its water colored in green red and white, the colors of the Italian flag. The action was done by Graziano Cecchini to protest against the project of privatization of public waters planned by the Italian Government and also…

 For the exhibition “Cinecittà si mostra – Cinecittà Shows Off” Rome’s Cinecittà Studios will be open to the public    Cinecittà are one of the most world famous  studios, the place where have been made films that are in the history of motion picture like Ben Hur and La Dolce Vita.  During…

Celebrating the 2764th Birthday of Rome, Natale di Roma   Every year on April 21 Rome celebrates its birthday, Natale di Roma, remembering the day when Romulus founded the city in the year 753 BC.  The exact date is based on the calculation made Lucius Taruntius, astrologist of the 1st Century BC.   To…

 The Italian sport world is about to welcome the first foreign owner of a Serie A soccer club. Bostonian businessman Thomas DiBenedetto is leading a group of investors planning to buy A.S. Roma, Rome’s soccer team.  DiBenedetto is one of the partners in the Boston Red Sox ownership group. The…

 The beatification of Pope John Paul II will take place at the Vatican on 1st May 2011, second Sunday of Easter.  Huge crowds are expected in Rome during the three-day celebration, thanks to the great popularity and affection that the memory of Karol Wojtyla is still inspiring more than five years…