The Domus Aurea (or the Emperor Nero‘s “Golden House”) is located in the Colle Oppio Park in Rome. Fears that the building might collapse kept the monument closed for a very long time, but since 2015 it can be visited again, albeit only during the weekend.
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Colosseum Rome
The Colosseum is the symbol of the city of Rome and one of the most famous tourist attractions in the world. As the saying has it: “When the Colosseum will fall, so Rome will fall. When Rome will fall, so the world will fall”.
Continue reading “Colosseum Rome”House of the Knights of Rhodes Rome
The House of the Knights of Rhodes, in the Forum of Augustus in the Monti district of Rome, currently houses the antiquarium of the Forum. It can only be visited with a guided tour.
Continue reading “House of the Knights of Rhodes Rome”Piazza Bocca della Verità Rome
Piazza Bocca della Verità is one of Rome‘s most picturesque squares. It is named for the famous Mouth of Truth in the Santa Maria in Cosmedin Church. Apart from this top tourist attraction there also two ancient Roman temples in the square.
Continue reading “Piazza Bocca della Verità Rome “Pyramid of Cestius Rome
Whoever happens to get off at the line B metro stop Piramide in Rome might be surprised to find an actual pyramid across the road from the main exit of the underground station. Though the only one still standing it was not even the only pyramid in the city during the golden days of the Empire.
Continue reading “Pyramid of Cestius Rome”Sant’Apollinare alle Terme Church Rome
The Church of Sant’Apollinare alle Terme is located slightly north of the Piazza Navona in Rome and is one of the very few churches in the world that (used to) have a notorious criminal buried inside.
Continue reading “Sant’Apollinare alle Terme Church Rome”Fountain of the Porter Rome
The Fountain of the Porter (Facchino) is one of the famous “talking statues” of Rome and is thought to have been carved by Jacopo del Conte, at the end of the 16th century.
Continue reading “Fountain of the Porter Rome”Palazzo Venezia Rome
The Palazzo Venezia, seat of the Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Venezia, is located in the Piazza Venezia of Rome. Highlights, apart from the collection of the museum, are the ceiling frescoes in several rooms and the beautiful courtyard.
Continue reading “Palazzo Venezia Rome”Talking Statues Rome
The Talking Statues of Rome are otherwise known as the Congregation of Wits and from the 16th century onwards formed a way for Romans to anonymously criticize and make fun of the popes and politicians of the period.
Talking Statues Rome
The first one of the talking statues was Pasquino, a statue that was found by chance during excavations near the present Piazza Navona. It was placed on a small square and soon small snide poems and epigrams satirizing the rulers of the city started appearing on it.
There are various theories as to the origin of the custom, but the most commonly accepted one is that the original Pasquino was a tailor working at the Vatican and that the statue was named after him when he died.
Other people took over after his death and, when guards were posted to prevent people from venting their criticisms, other statues (Madama Lucrezia, Abbot Luigi, Il Babuino, Il Facchino and Marforio) came to be used for the same reason.
For a while Pasquino and Marforio even ran a dialogue amongst themselves, Pasquino posting some witticism one day and Marforio answering the day after.
The English word pasquinade (“a satire or lampoon, especially one that ridicules a specific person, traditionally written and posted in a public place”) was coined thanks to the talking statues of Rome.
Santi Andrea and Claudio dei Borgognoni Church Rome
The Santi Andrea e Claudio dei Borgognoni Church is located in the Trevi district, a short distance from the Piazza San Silvestro in Rome. The church is one of several in the city with a French connection.
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