Italy is a fascinating country, but an infuriating one as well. As someone who has now spent more than half of her life here, much of which was spent working as a foreign correspondent and later as a reporter for an Italian newspaper, I feel that I know the country inside and out. The purpose of this blog, which I set up to accompany the book of the same name I wrote in 2013, is to report and comment on facts, events, proposals and even rumors. I hope you enjoy it.
Anyone visiting Rome who is interested in theater et al might want to check out the Rome Fringe Festival 2014 which began on June 7 and continues through July 13 at Villa Mercede, Via Tiburtina 113, in the San Lorenzo neighborhood. For the program go to: News or Calendario Programmazione
A brilliant idea! Finally, you can get an up-close look at Trajan’s Column without having to climb up scaffolding as I once did when the monument was being cleaned up some 30 years ago. Now the city of Rome has transformed the marvelous relief that snakes up the column into a into a photographic reproduction […]
The massive tomb is located on Rome’s ancient Appian Way, standing within the remains of what was once a sports arena known as the Circus of Maxentius, itself part of a vast imperial complex built by Romulus’ father, the emperor Maxentius, in the early fourth century AD. Valerius Romulus (no relation to the Romulus who […]
If you come to Italy, you will quickly see that Italian women have few qualms abouot showing off their bodies, or at least parts of them. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the latest exhibition to open at the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna in Rome is one centering on the seduction of the […]
Wanna get married in Rome? And in a place with historical significance? Well, you’ll soon be able to do just that. The Rome city council recently decided that starting next fall the number of venues available for unholy matrimony in the Eternal City will be significantly increased so if you’re willing to pay you may […]
Sometime this week, restoration will begin on the magnificently baroque Trevi Fountain that is a major tourist attraction and, for many, a symbol of the Dolce Vita, as immortalized in his 1960 film, La Dolce Vita. The 2.2 million euro restoration of the monument completed in 1762 will be paid for by the Fendi fashion […]
Italy today celebrated the 68th anniversary of its transformation from a monarchy to a republic, following a Landmark popular referendum in 1946, at the end of World War II. As usual, the occasion was marked by a military parade observed by the country’s highest authorities and the placing of a commemorative wreath before the tomb […]
As promised during last year’s election campaign, environmental commissioner Estella Marino has announced that starting next January, horse-drawn carriages will be able to circulate only in Rome’s park. The means predominantly Rome’s Villa Borghese park where new stables are currently under construction. The news was greeted favorably by Rome’s animal rights associations who feel this […]
AS Roma’s management announced Friday that it has renewed its contract with coach Rudi Garcia.Under the terms of his new contract, the 50-year-old former French midfielder will remain in the Roma dugout through June 2018.His contract was due to expire on June 30, 2015 but after Garciaguided Roma to a second-place finish in a Serie […]
While doing a great job at NEGLECTING Rome’s streets – potholes, rampant double-parking and an ongoing invasion by THOUSANDS of illegal vendors – the Rome city government is launching a program of “street art” which may, if successful, do something to discourage – or inspire in a more traditional direction – the efforts of Rome’s persistent […]
Most major European cities now have bike-sharing programs that enable you to rent a bike and use it, free, for short errands, or for a low price (electronically-charged) for longer periods. But not the Italian capital. Bike-sharing was first introduced here in 2008 , with 19 bike-stations and 160 bikes, But it has been downhill […]
On the 21st of April, Rome celebrated it’s 2,767th birthday, but this summer will mark another major landmark in Roman history, the 2000th anniversary of the death ofthe Emperor Augustu who died at the age of 56 s on August 19th, 14 A.D. It is a 40 minute 3D sound and light show designed to called the […]
