Mostaccioli

Typical roman sweets part 2
I Mostaccioli
Usually eaten: Christmas time

Here are the famous MOSTACCIOLI

The roman “MOSTACCIOLI”, have their origin in the ancient roman empire, as usual!

They were offered during the so called in latin "Sponsali" (marriage), the bride used to offer them to people as the modern “confetti” (bon bon).

There are 2 places were we usually buy them.

One is the pastry placed in the Ghetto between Via del Portico di Ottavia and Piazza delle 5 Scole and the second is a pastry placed in Trastevere neighborhood in Via del Moro, 37 .

You are Welcome!

Pangiallo Romano

Typical roman sweets part 1

Il Pangiallo Romano

Usually eaten: Christmas time

The “pangiallo”, better known as “pangiallo romano”, is a typical roman sweet, which has its origins in the ancient Rome and more precisely during the imperial age.
It was, indeed, one of those sweets that were donated to people during the celebration of winter solstice to facilitate the return of the sun. Traditionally pangiallo was obtained through the mixture of dried fruit, honey and candied citron, which was subsequently cooked and covered with a layer of egg batter. Even durino the ancient times up to the most recent, during the preparation of the “pangiallo romano” the housewife used to put dried kernels of typical summer fruit as apricots and plums instead of the most expensive almonds and hazelnuts. The typical pangiallo romano has undergone to several transformations over the centuries due to the expansion of territorial boundaries. In the modern reinterpretation of the pangiallo romano are now added, to the traditional recipe, the following products: almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, walnuts, raisins and pistachios.

When you go to the Vatican take a few minutes walk to visit this shop and buy the typical pangiallo romano: Via tacito 78

(the link show you the distance from the Vatican square to the shop)

Bacco - tabacco - e Venere

A Latin proverb says: ""Venerem sine Libero et Cerere frigere"

It sounds more or less as:"Without Bacchus (God of wine) and Ceres (god of food), Venus (Godness of love) cools"

Herodotus tells that during the ancient time Greeks used to bring a little statue in a small wooden coffin at the end of their meal showing it to all guests saying: "Look, drink and enjoy because once dead,you'll be like him!"
Fortunately today none of us goes around showing certain things :-/ but the meaning is absolutely clear....

CIN CIN !!

Here is an address that might interest you ....mmmm....it could interest me too!

May be we'll meet there sooner or later!

Your first “A Night in Rome”

What I would like to do on my first day in rome if I wasn’t be roman?
I think that feet are the best way to discover a city so, do you like walking? Yes?
Ok you have said it, I have heard you!
“TAKE it EASY” !!

The alarm rings at about 09:30 am
take care of you for about 45 minutes and then go out: your first day in rome starts now.

First stop: cappuccino e cornetto!!
Our preferred bar is in Piazza San Cosimato, try the cappuccino and cornetto sit outside the bar reading your roman guide; what does your guide say about the Basilica in Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere?
Yes, cause this is your second stop: Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere


Take time to visit the Basilica and its beautiful paintings, the Basilica probably was the first official worship site of Christians built in all Rome. Walking back home take a look on the small alley ways and stop to a bakery or a pizza shop to take something for lunch, we’re going to have a pic-nic so take all you may need!
Third stop: Bocca della Verità

be patience and don’t be afraid of the queue; take a picture of you with your hand in the fabulous mouth….. swear and not tell lies!!

Fourth stop: Circo Massimo

now you need time to rest, with your food bag go on the upper site of the Circo Massimo, the one from which you’ll have a great view on the palatine hill….
relax and enjoy this moment! Your walking day is not at the end….hihihi
Fifth stop: you are now so close to the Colosseo that you cannot miss this appointment….HEY! don’t forget the picture with the gladiators!

(The city council of Roma has finished the Gladiators like the one above, so don't be surprised if the ones you are going to meet are not as the model i showed you in the photo, i brought home with me the latest exemplary ....would to!!!)

Sixth and last stop: a walk along the Fori Imperiali straight to Piazza Venezia to see the so called “type writer” : the Vittoriano.

Your first wondering day in Roma is now at the end but before going to home have a pizza & supplì (so good....SLURP!) in a typical roman pizzeria “Ai Marmi” on Viale Trastevere, 53

Have a good night!

BUON APPETITO!!!!!!!

Buon Ferragosto!!!

“Ferragosto”

is a popular midsummer holiday which coincides with the religious feast of the Assumption of Mary into heaven celebrated on August 15.

The most ancient origins of this event are recognized in the so called “Consualia” from the latin “Conso” god of the stored harvest. In the ancient roman times, during this day, people used to exchanged gifts with the hope of having “Bonas ferias consuales” (a sort of have a "prosperous year").
The name of the month "August" has its origin in the ancient rome back to the Emperor Caesar Augustus, this month was infact dedicated to him and the wish “Bonas ferias consuales” changed its formula in “bonas ferias augustales”, our modern "Buon Ferragosto !!".
It was the emperor's decision to combine in a single summer festivity a whole complex of festivities so called Feriae Augustii or Feriae Augustalis.
Subsequently, the Midsummer Feast taken a predominantly religious fold. On this occasion many spectacular processions were held during the night, an old image of the Savior was transported in the old city of Rome from the chapel of San Lorenzo in Laterano, today inside the sanctuary of Scala Santa, to the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. The image of Christ proclaimed "Acheropita" (not painted by human hand but, according to tradition, by angels) was taken by the Pope in person in the evening of August 14, placed on a canopy and transported all around the old city in the light of torches.

The procession was deleted around the second half of the sixteenth century (1550).

Subsequently, the Roman Ferragosto was linked to profane rituals such as racing horses, fighting bulls. There were also games, particularly uncivilised, as the "strappacolli alli paperi" (strangle the duck) which were abolished by Pope Innocent XI, in 1681.

Bonas Ferias Consuales !!

BUON FERRAGOSTO A TUTTI !!!!

Bonas Ferias Augustales !

HAVE a GOOD MIDSUMMER FEAST !!

Under a falling roman sky

-ROME -

The night of wishes is arrived, the one during which we all turn our gaze up to the sky in the hope of seeing the stars fall down!!!
According to tradition would be the tears that San Lorenzo poured on the day of his torture that roaming the whole universe until they fall to earth, usually the night of August 10.
This year makes an exception, it will not be the August 10 the brighter night, but the one between tomorrow and the day after (August 11-12).

Beware, remeber yourself to be turn your gaze up to the sky again the night between August 16-17 there will be an “eclissi” of the moon, something like this......

Nuove scoperte!

Rome, standing at the bus stop waiting for an invisible bus, the question is: “Why romans don’t have 5, 6 or 7 metro lines like the other capitals of the world?”

The answer is: “Because Rome hides a second ancient city under the ground level!”

(Under Venezia Square)
At Every step you take, on the ground level, remember that you are walking on a history of thousands & thousands years old!
In this post I want to show you what is hidden behind the curtain in Piazza Venezia ( excavation for the implementation of the line metro C, our 3rd line! YUPPIES!!!!!)

Archaeologists have found, one above the other, the different layers of the ancient Via Flaminia, from the ancient roman layers up to the most recent. This ancient route should have started from the current Fori Imperiali, ran around the Campidoglio and then pointed to Campo Marzio cutting, exactly in the half, the current Piazza Venezia. Opened in 223 A. C. by Caio Flaminio became one of the most important ancient Rome way but it was much used always during the Bizantine time and during the Middle Age, then restored during the Renaissance and used up to the 1800: these are the different layers that are returning back to the light under Piazza Venezia.
Look at what is coming back to light, right now………
(Furnace for the production of glass and fragments)

(Glasses of the Medioeval age)

(Metallurgical plant)

(Metallurgical fragments)

(Houses of the Medioeval ages)

(Chafing dish, IX century founded in a home)

(Typical steet of the Medioeval age)

(Medioeval furnace)

(Renaissance age)