lunedì 28 maggio 2007

The voice of Pasquino

"Pasquino” is the first talking statue of Rome, it became a symbol of the city between the XVI and XIX century. Pasquin (Italian Pasquino) was the name ordinary Romans gave to a battered ancient statue (of the hellenistic age III century A.C. probably an ancient warrior) dug up in the course of paving the Parione district and erected at the corner of Piazza di Pasquino and Palazzo Braschi, on the west side of Piazza Navona in 1501, by Cardinal Oliviero Carafa, who inadvertently gave the statue its first voice, by originating an annual ceremony, the first in 1501, for Saint Mark's Day, April 25.

The marble torso was draped in a toga and epigrams in Latin, in verse or in prose (called pasquinade), were attached to it. The statue spoke out about the people's dissatisfaction, he denounced injustice, and he assaulted misgovernment by members of the Church. The decorous event quickly got out of hand when it became the custom, for those who wanted to criticize the Pope or individuals in his government (for a pasquinade is first and foremost a personal attack), to write satirical poems in broad Roman dialect and attach them to the base of the statue or, more often, to the neck. One of the most known “pasquinade” to Pope Urbano VIII is:
Quod non fecerunt barbari fecerunt Barberini
Before long, other statues appeared on the scene, forming a kind of public salon or academy, the "Congress of the Wits" (Congresso degli Arguti), with Pasquino always the leader, and the sculptures that Romans called Marforio, il Facchino, and Babuino (the "Baboon"), Abate Luigi and Madama Lucrezia as his outspoken colleagues.

giovedì 24 maggio 2007

Le "Madonnelle" romane

Wandering along the narrow alleyways of Rome take a look over your head and you will see...

Madonna della Lampada (Isola Tiberina)

During the Roman age people started to built, all along the roads, little sanctuaries to the divinity (named “edicole sacre” now called in roman dialect “Madonnelle”) , to protect and help travellers in their way. As Christianity became more diffused thanks to the official acknowledgment, the divinity images were replaced by sacred pictures representing Maria. At first they were placed all along the city walls to protect the city, after they were placed on the building façade at the street crossings. Usually they were not a solemn or monumental rafiguration, but were essentially an expression of the collective religiosity. During the Medioevo and Rinascimento these pictures of Maria were painted directly on the walls and now the sign of time are strictly visible. View an example on this painted image of Maria located in Rome in Via della Luce.
Madonna col Bambino in Via della Luce

Between the 1600 and the 1800 the sacred edicole knew a period of large diffusion, also thanks to many miraculous events happened starting from 9 july 1796 when the picture representing the “Mater Misericordie”, pictured on the wall in a little alleyway near via di San Marcello, moved her eyes.
Madonna Assunta in Via della Scala

These sacred edicole had also an important public function because the votive lights used to keep the sanctuary illuminated where the only way to light the street and guide travellers in their way. An example of these sacred edicole is in Via della Gensola near our apartments, if you want to have a directory of all the sacred edicole in Rome look here (in the box "find locality" write ROME).

Madonna col Bambino in Via dell'Arco di San Callisto

martedì 22 maggio 2007

S.P.Q.R.

Yesterday while i was walking down a street in Rome, i heard a group of italian tourists talking about the meaning of:
They didn't remember the exact meaning so i think is better to remind...
S.P.Q.R. is an initialism (acronimo) from a Latin phrase, Senatus Populusque Quiritium Romanorum (later Senatus Popolusque Romanus "The Senate and the people of Rome"), referring to the government of the ancient Roman Republic, and used as an official signature of the government. It appears on coins, at the end of documents made public by inscription in stone or metal, in dedications of monuments and public works, and was emblazoned on the standards of the Roman legions. The phrase appears many hundreds of times in Roman political, legal and historical literature.
In modern usage, S.P.Q.R. appears in many of the city's civic buildings and on the:
Garbage basket old style

Coat of arms of the City of Rome

Manhole covers (chiusini)

Fountain (nasone)
Garbage basket new style
Try to find out other modern usages...
Good hunting and good luck!
Let me know!

venerdì 18 maggio 2007

All Rome in your hand!


How is possible to have a so big city all in your hand?
Sometimes people doesn't have enought time to visit the Eternal City, how to say...so many things to see and so little time! We have found a really useful web-page that shows how to visit Rome in 48 or 96 hours! Ready to run? ;-)
This is an invitation to explore Rome and to build an image of it as complete as possible that can be confronted with the city of our imagination in an exciting and evocative journey.
Here are some tips on how to spend your time here, just if you are in decrease of ideas :-)

Rome in pills
-48 hours route: Do you have just two days to visit Rome? No problem for the first day route look here and for the second day here

-96 hours route: Do you have time? May be... four days? Ok, first day route here, the second here, the third here and the fourth here!

If you have more than four days don't mind, we know ho to "fill up" your holiday!
No time to relax!

** It's a joke don't take me seriously! ;-) **

giovedì 17 maggio 2007

City view by the river!

Another beautiful way to see the city of Rome is certainly by the river

Here is a historical view of the Tiber & Tiberina Island, to see photos and "acquarelli" from the disappeared Rome look here, while if you want to know how is the Tiberina Island now...you have to come, because our apartments are just in front of it!

How to see Rome from the river?
Obviously thanks to i battelli sul Tevere! From the moment that many Companies organize tour on the river, prices are sometimes different. Here are just two comapanies: tiber-river and battelli sul tevere (the official web-site). It could be the the right idea to relax and visit the Ostia ancient diggings and why not... to take tanning!! ;-)

If you prefer to discover the city by the river but on foot, here are all information for a one day route along the river and here all information for a walking tours around the most famous sites of Rome with guide! I forgot.... there is onother way to visit the Eternal City for those who want to sweat ;-) do it on your bike or on your motoscooter (like in the movie "vacanze romane") ! There are many routes, some of them along the river (i prefer!) and others along the road between pedestrians and car, not always good for health... :-/
Don't matter how you decide to discover Rome... on foot, by bike, by the river, on a chariot... enjoy and have much fun!

City view from a chariot!

Since the moment that every day post suggest me an idea for the next.....here is the new one!
This blog, now, is like what we usually call in Italy the Sant Antony chain (la catena di san'Antonio per capirci!). Every post is chained to the previous and then to next...going on!
But i swear, to you all, it will arrive the day in which i'll stop the chain and i'll find ideas elsewhere! ;-)
But now, please, give me time to understand how this infernal blog machine works!
Here is our new topic: Hey tourists, what do you have to do today?
I wanto to suggest.....

...what about a walk on the typical roman chariot?
Find all information here!!
It could be a good and more than original idea to take a ride in the historical center on your ancient chariot, isn't it?! Even not during the crowded time of the day, because is not pleasant to stay in a traffic jam even if you are in a typical roman traffic jam! After all traffic jam is always a traffic jam doesn't really matter where you are!
So, don't wait anymore...jump on your chariot and have a good time!

Italian lesson n. 1

Do you remind Antonello Venditti? ok...


Looking at yesterday's post i decided to start, today, my first italian lesson! Obviously as well as i can by the moment, is better to remind, that i'm italian and my english, i know, is probably the most "nonsense english" in the world! ;-)
Let's start from the title: Roma Capoccia
I think we don't have any prblem with the concept of "Rome", isn't it?!
Ok, but what does it means capoccia?!
In roman dialect it could have two different meanings:
-head, that one over your neck yes!
-or chief, that is the right one!And so Roma Capoccia means Roma Chief!!
Going on, the rest is easier...
How beautiful are you Rome, when the evening comes and when the moon reflects itself in the fountain, and lovers go away...
How beautiful are you Rome when is raining down...
How beautiful are you Rome, when is the sunset time and the orange of the setting sun still brights over the seven hills, and windows are like so many eyes that seem to say: how beautiful you are!
Today it seems to me like time has stopped here..
I see the Colosseo majesty and the holiness of San Peter's dome and i feel more alive and kind, no i'll never leave you Rome!Chief of the all over infamous world!
A chariot goes on with two stangers and an old-clothes dealer ask for some rags, birds are like nightningale...
I was born here, Rome, i've discovered you this morning, Rome.
This song nowadays is considered like a new himn to the beauty of Rome.

mercoledì 16 maggio 2007

Welcome to you all!

WELCOME to my new BLOG!
Your open window on the Eternal City!!
I thought that it could be wonderful for you to see & listen to the city of Rome!
This is infact the most representative (obviously for me!) song of Rome and romans
here are the lyrics...
Quanto sei bella Roma quand'e' sera quando la luna se specchia dentro ar fontanone e le coppiette se ne vanno via,quanto sei bella Roma quando piove.
Quanto sei bella Roma quand'e' er tramonto quanno l'arancio rosseggia ancora sui sette colli e le finestre so' tanti occhi,che te sembrano dì: quanto sei bella.
Oggi me sembra che er tempo se sia fermato qui,vedo la maestà der Colosseo vedo la santità der cupolone,e so' piu' vivo e so' più bbono no nun te lasso maiRoma capoccia der mondo infame, na carrozzella va co du stranieri un robivecchi te chiede un po'de stracci li passeracci so'usignoli;io ce so'nato Roma,io t'ho scoperta stamattina.
See you to the next post...

venerdì 11 maggio 2007

Benvenuti sul mio blog!

Iniziare questo blog è difficile quanto rispondere a quelle domande imbarazzanti del tipo “..cosa vuoi fare da grande?”
Non ho mai saputo cosa volessi fare da grande, neanche ora che…sono grande!! :-/
Ho visto, a mie spese, che se nella vita sei troppo organizzato la vita non ti ripaga quasi mai con la stessa benevola meticolosità che ci hai messo tu nell’organizzarla! D’altra parte la vita è come una scatola di cioccolatini…non sai mai quello che ti capita!
Come dire…ducunt fata volentem…nolentem trahunt!
E noi di certo siamo VOLENTEM!
La cosa migliore quindi è che le parole vengano fuori cosi.. un po’ a caso…. a volte caotiche (e lo saranno spesso!) a volte chiare e pacate (non lo saranno quasi mai!).