February | 2025 | Un po' di pepe

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Roma photography, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Jubilee2025, Vatican City

2025 is a Giubileo or Jubilee, also known as a Holy Year or Anno Santo-a Vatican celebration of spirituality and reconciliation, held every 25 years. Roma and Vatican City- the smallest country in the world, will be a destination for millions of pilgrims. The event is expected to attract 32 million people from all over the world. As a reference, in 2023 Roma had 13 million visitors!

The Jubilee has been a tradition in the Catholic Church since the year 1300, started by Pope Boniface VIII as a special year for spiritual renewal, works of mercy, forgiveness and celebration. It was also seen as an opportunity for a fresh start. Originally held every 100 years, the timing was changed to every 25 years to give each generation an opportunity to participate.

The theme of Giubileo 2025 is Pellegrini di Speranza– Pilgrims of Hope. The theme was chosen by Pope Francesco to emphasize hope as a driving force of the Christian faith. He calls on everyone to embrace values such as peace, solidarity and unity, reflecting on the broader world and the role each person can play in fostering a hopeful, compassionate society. The Giubileo is for anyone-those who are Catholic, curious or just passing through. In addition to religious observance, it also a cultural celebration, with special exhibitions, concerts and cultural events.

A central part of the pilgrimage is passing through the Holy Doors, which symbolizes the transition from sin to grace. Each of the 4 Papal Basilicas has a Holy Door. They are usually sealed shut and opened only during a Holy Year. The main one, San Pietro at the Vatican, was the first to be opened on Dec 24^th. The other 3 in Roma are- Santa Maria Maggiore, San Giovanni in Laterano and San Paolo Fuori le Mura. The doors will be sealed shut again on Jan 6^th, 2026 until the next Holy Year in 2050.

In July, I will be in Roma to attend a family wedding! We are all excited-and not afraid of crowds or heat! This will not be my first Holy Year in Roma. In 1975, very young me and my family spent 3 days in Roma with Don Michele, Papa’s cousin who was a priest. Not only did I pass through all 4 Holy Doors, but I actually touched Michelangelo’s Pietà before it was surrounded by bulletproof glass, and we may have visited every major church in Roma! I also had my introduction to Pasta Carbonara at a Vatican cafeteria for pilgrims. Carbonara should NOT be made for large groups….but I will leave that story for another time.

Roma has been a massive construction zone in preparation for 2025, so it should be all shiny and clean, hopefully with improved public transit. There will still be ongoing work on Metro line C at Piazza Venezia, but most of the other renovation projects are completed. Ancient monuments have been restored and refinished. Bernini’s 29 meter high (94 feet) Baldacchino (altar canopy) in San Pietro has been polished for the first time in 150 years. A large area between Vatican City and Castel Sant’Angelo are now pedestrian only, since they have built an underground tunnel for car traffic. Like everything in Roma, tunnel construction was delayed because during construction, they found ruins -the remains of a 2^nd Century Roman wash house. 55 fountains have been restored including the one in front of the Pantheon, Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in Piazza Navona and the Fontana di Trevi. There will now only be 400 people at one time allowed to enter the small piazza to throw throw in their coins and take photos.

Caravaggio 2025 at Galleria d’Arte Antica at Palazzo Barberini is on from March 7th -July 6th!!!! This is one of the most ambitious Caravaggio exhibits ever. More info here. I arrive in Roma July 7^th. Mannaggia! Ecce Homo, which lives at the Prado Museum in Madrid and has only recently been attributed to Caravaggio will be included in the exhibit, as well as Napoli’s Sant’Orsola, the last Caravaggio, painted shortly before his death! Admission is €18 for adults. Book your tickets now! Run! Make me jealous! If they run out of tickets and you want to see 6 Caravaggio works for free, take yourself on my Caffè con Caravaggio walking tour!

What to expect in Roma this year?

Roma always has lots of visitors, even in ‘low’ season, which is only from January 7th until the beginning of March. This year there will be increased crowds, especially in the areas around the Vatican. If you are crowd-averse and not interested in any of the Giubileo activities in Roma, you may want to consider delaying your visit to Roma until 2026. The busiest times are expected during Easter/Holy Week April 13-21^st, Pentecost June 5^th and at Christmas. Different times of year are also aimed at various groups, for example, Jubilee of the sick and health care workers April 5-6^th, teens Apr 25-27^th, persons with disabilities April 28-30^th. Artists, volunteers, public service workers and migrants all have their dates too. It looks like April is definitely a month to avoid, unless you are attending a specific event! Luckily none of the special dates are in the summer. Here is the link to the calendar of events Tickets are not required but you may need to book on the App.

Tickets for Colosseo, Galleria Borghese, Musei Vaticani and admission to the Basilica di San Pietro and the Pantheon will be in high demand. Book early! If possible, plan to visit in the early am or evening. Look for accommodation that is not near the Vatican. for more info on how to ‘schedule like an Italian’, read Surviving Summer in Roma.

Download the Iubilaeum 25 APP from the App store or Play store (android) and apply for a Pilgrim’s card a free digital pass needed for most Jubilee events. This Portal allows individual or groups to register for events and highlight any special needs or access requirements.

It may be worth buying a 72 hour Roma Pass for €58.50. The 36 hour Roma pass is already sold out! A Metro pass is always a good idea.

Don’t forget to read my post ‘Beat the heat: Surviving Summer in Roma’

For some of my favourite things to do in Roma-‘Un Giorno a Roma‘.

If you need to get out of town to get away from the crowds, go to ‘Ostia Antica‘. Buon Viaggio e Buon Giubileo! Cristina

Grazie to Lucia for a few of the Vatican photos!

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Eurovision, Festival di Sanremo, Italian song contest, Liguria, Musica Italiana, Sanremo viewing guide

The 75th edition of the Festa della Canzone Italiana di Sanremo is February 11-15, 2025, broadcast live on RAI. Once again this year, I have put together a handy viewing guide to the annual 5 day song competition held in the town of Sanremo, Liguria. The Festival di Sanremo is the world’s longest running national televised music competition.

In 1950. Piero Bussetti of the Sanremo Casino and Giulio Razzi, conductor of the RAI orchestra launched a competition for previously unreleased songs to boost the local economy. The first edition was broadcast live on RAI radio in January 1951 with 3 artists performing the 20 songs. Since 1955 it is broadcast live on television.

From 1951-1977 the festival was held at the Sanremo Casino. Since 1977 it has been at the iconic Teatro Ariston. The Festival is a massive media event in Italia and has launched many careers, including Domenico Modugno, Zucchero, Mina, Andrea Bocelli, Il Volo, Giorgia, Laura Pausini, Eros Ramazzotti, Mahmood and most recently Måneskin and Angelina Mango. I love to watch Sanremo every year with Mamma!

The winner will have the first option to represent Italia at the 68th annual Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland May 13, 15 and 17, 2025. Eurovision is huge in Europe with 39 countries participating, but hardly known at all in North America. 2021 Sanremo winners, Måneskin won Eurovision with their brilliant song ‘Zitti e Buoni’. As the reigning country, Italia hosted Eurovision 2022 in Torino.

The 75th edition of the Festival di Sanremo February 11-15, 2025 will be broadcast live on RAI (RAI International for the rest of us) and on the RAIplay App, hosted by Carlo Conti, with different cohosts each night. They are: February 11th Antonella Clerici and Gery Scotti, February 12th Bianca Balti, Nino Frassica and Cristiano Malgioglio, February 13th Katia Follesa, Elettra Lamborghini and Miriam Leone, February 14th Geppi Cucciari and Mahmoud and February 15th Alessandro Cattelan and Alessia Mancuzzi. Former winners and guest artists will perform, including Jovanotti February 11th and Damiano David February 12th.

The Sanremo prize goes to the winning song, although in most cases the performers are involved in the songwriting. This year, there are 29 contestants, plus the top 4 winners from the junior contest, ‘Sanremo Giovani’. Judging is complex and contestants perform with the full RAI orchestra-complete with maestro.

A summary of what happens each night:

Night #1 February 11th. All 29 contestants perform their competing song, with no eliminations. Voting is 100% by press jury-(accredited journalists from press comprising of print, TV and web).

Night #2 and #3 February 12th and 13th. 15 of the contestants perform each night and there are no eliminations. Voting is 50% televote and 50% radio jury.

Night #4 February 14th is ‘Duetto night’. Each artist performs a cover song or medley of their choice as a duet with an Italian or international artist as a guest, or another competitor. Voting is 34% televote, 33% press jury and 33% radio jury. A winner will be announced. Unlike previous years though, the night’s results will NOT be added to the overall score, which is why performing with another competitor is permitted.

Final night #5 February 15th. There are 2 rounds the final night. In round 1, all 29 acts perform and voting is 100% televote. The top 5 artists of the combination ranking are announced and advanced to the superfinal. For round 2, voting is reset, the top 5 perform again, and there is a new, final vote. The winner is decided by juries and televoting.
The lineup of concorrenti /contestants includes 3 former Sanremo winners, 4 who have represented Italia at Eurovision, many former contestants, and some first time acts. Below is a list of all 29 performers, the song titles and a few other details to help you watch and enjoy the festival:

Achille Lauro –‘Incoscianti Giovani’-This is Achille’s 4th time as a Sanremo participant. In 2021, he gave 4 stunning ‘shock glam’ guest performances. In 2022 his song Domenica was sung with the Harlem Gospel Choir. Achille also won the 2022 San Marino song contest and represented San Marino at Eurovision in Torino. In 2024, he was an XFactor judge. I am looking forward to his duet night performance with Elodie.
Bresh –‘La Tana del Granchio’. Bresh (Andrea Brasi) released his first album in 2020 and his 2021 single ‘Angelina Jolie’ was 4X platinum. At Sanremo 2023, he was a guest, performing ‘Guasto d’amore‘, dedicated to Genoa, and joining Emma on Covers night. This is his first time as a competitor.
Brunori Sas –‘L’Albero delle noci‘. Dario Brunori released his first album in 2020. He has also written several film soundtracks and goes on tour in March. This is his first time in the competition.
Clara –‘Febbre’. Clara Socini is the winner of 2024 Sanremo Giovani, the first female to win in 14 years! Clara has released 4 singles since 2020. In 2023-2024, she played the role of Giulia/Crazy J on the RAI series Mare Fiori and her 2024 collaboration with Mr Rain ‘Un Millione di Notte‘ made the top 10. For Duet Night, she is singing ‘The Sound of Silence’ with Il Volo!!!
Coma_Cose –‘Cuoricini’. Milanese indie duo, life and music partners since 2016 Fausto Zanardelli (aka Fausto Lama) and Francesca Mesiano (aka California). They participated in Sanremo 2021 with the song ‘Fiamme negli occhi’ which went gold in 3 weeks. They were married after their 2023 performance. This is Coma_Cose’s third time at Sanremo.
Elodie -‘Dimenticarsi alle 7‘ The Roman singer participated in Amici* in 2016, and Sanremo in 2017 with ‘Tutta colpa mia‘ and in 2020 with ‘Andromeda‘. In 2020 Elodie was the most listened to female artist on Spotify Italia. In 2021 she was the cohost for Sanremo night #2. Most recently, Elodie is the voice of Sarabi in ‘Mufasa: Il Rè Leone’. This is her 4th time competing.
Fedez -‘Battito‘. Rapper Fedez (Federico Lucia) is one of Italia’s most influential performers. He placed 2nd at Sanremo 2021 with Francesca Michielin with ‘Chiamami per nome‘. His catchy hit ‘La Dolce Vita’ with guests Tananai and Mara Sattei was the tormentone** of summer 2022. In November he started ‘Pulp Podcast’. This is Fedez’s 2nd time competing at Sanremo. For Duet night, he is performing ‘Bella Stronza‘ with Marco Masini.
Francesca Michielin –‘Fango in Paradiso’. Francesca won XFactor at age 16 and debuted at Sanremo in 2016, coming in 2nd place and representing Italia at Eurovision with ‘Nessun Grado di Separazione‘. In 2021, she came in 2nd place again, with Fedez, and in 2022 Francesca was back as an orchestra conductor for Emma. She has also been nominated for the David di Donatello*** for musical score. This is her 3rd time as a competitor. She is duetting with Rkomi.
Francesco Gabbani -‘Viva la Vita‘. The winner of Sanremo 2017 with ‘Occidentali’s Karma‘, everyone will remember Francesca performing with a gorilla. He won the newcomers category in 2016 and came in 2nd at Sanremo 2020. This is his 4th time competing.
Gaia -‘Chiamo io chiami tu‘. The XFactor 2016 runner up and winner of the 2020 Amici* talent contest, Gaia competed at Sanremo 2021 and was a guest in 2024 on covers night, singing with Big Mama. She has collaborated with Madame, Rkomi and Guè. Gaia mixes Italian and Brazilian Portuguese in her songs, and will be opening for Elodie.
Giorgia –‘La Cura per me’ Giorgia Todrani has 12 top 10 albums, 24 top 10 singles, and a vocal range that spans 4 octaves. In 1994 she placed second in the Nuovi Proposti (newcomers category), losing to Andrea Bocelli! Giorgia won Sanremo 1995 with ‘Come Saprei’, came in 3rd in 1996, and 2nd in 2001. She even won a David di Donatello*** in 2004 for original movie song. She has performed with Pavarotti, Mina, Eros Ramazzotti, Elton John, Alicia Keys, Jovanotti, Ray Charles, and Andrea Bocelli (‘Vivo per Lei‘). Giorgia was a musical guest at Sanremo 2017 and a cohost in 2024. In 2024 she also made her acting debut in the film ‘Scordato‘.This is her 5th time in the competion and the 30th anniversary of her Sanremo win. For Duet night, she will belt it out with Annalisa doing ‘Skyfall’.
Irama -‘Lentamente‘ In 2016 Irama was in the Newcomers category and his 2019 song went double platinum. His 2020 song ‘Mediterranea‘ was the most listened to song of the summer. In 2021, Irama was not able to perform live due to one of his staff testing COVID positive, although he still placed 5^th based on his pre-recorded rehearsal performance! In 2022, he was my favourite to win, with the 4th placed ballad ‘Ovunque Sarai’ dedicated to his recently deceased nonna. Irama has several recent collaborations with Rkomi, including the game show Celebrity Hunted. In 2024, Irama sold out L’Arena di Verona. This is his 6th time competing at Sanremo. He is duetting with Arisa, singing ‘Say Something’.
Joan Thiele -‘Eco’. Joan grew up between Columbia and Italia. She won the 2023 David di Donatello*** for best original song ‘Proiettili‘ for the movie ‘Ti mangio il cuore‘ This is her first time at Sanremo.
The Kolors –‘Tu con chi fai l’amore’. Formed in 2009 by cugini Antonio ‘Stash’ and Alex Fiordispino and Dario Iaculli with a distinct 80’s funk vibe. They were the resident band in the Milanese club ‘Le Scimmie‘ and won the Amici* talent show in 2015 with Elisa as their coach. The Kolors made their Sanremo debut in 2018 with their first song in Italian ‘Frida (Mai, mai, mai)’. They have done many collaborations and Stash has been an Amici judge. Their 2023 hit ‘Italdisco‘ was the tormentone** of the summer! Their 2024 Sanremo entry ‘Un ragazzo, una ragazza’ went double platinum, and even gold in Poland! The Kolors are in the middle of their first European tour. This is their 3rd time competing at Sanremo.
Lucio Corsi -‘Volevo essere un Duro‘. Lucio has released 3 albums since 2017. In 2023, he opened for The Who at Firenze Rocks. This is Lucio’s first time at Sanremo. For Duet night, his partner is Topo Gigio!
Marcella Bella -‘Pelle Diamante’. Following an absence of 18 years, this is Marcella’s 9th time competing at Sanremo, including in 1990 and 2007 with her older brother Gianni. Her first recording contract was in 1969, at age 18, and she had several hit songs in the 1980’s.
Massimo Ranieri -‘Tra le mani un cuore’ 1988 Sanremo winner for ‘Perdere l’amore’. In 2022, after a 25 year Sanremo absence, his song ‘Lettera di là dal mare’ received the Mia Martini Critic’s Prize. This is his 7^th time participating, as well as guest appearances, and judging Sanremo Giovani in 2016. Massimo represented Italia at Eurovision in 1971 and 1973.
Modà -‘Non ti dimentico‘ One of my favourite bands, Modà was started in Milano in 2000 by Francesco ‘Kekko’ Silvestre. This is their 4th time competing at Sanremo. In 2011 their song ‘Arriverà’ with Emma Marrone came in 2nd place and in 2013 ‘Se si potesse non morire’ came in 3rd place. 2023 was the 20th anniversary of the release of their first album. On duet night they perform with Francesco Renga.
Noemi -‘Se ti Innamori muori’ In her 15 year career, Noemi has had 3 gold records and 18 platinum. She was on X Factor in 2009 and a judge for The Voice of Italy 2013-15. In 2022 she and Ermal Meta were conductors for the 1°Maggio concert at Circo Massimo. This is her 8^th time in competition at Sanremo and her song was written by Mahmoud.
Olly -‘Balorda nostalgia‘ ’The Genovese rapper has collaborated with singer Arisa and earned a spot in 2023 via Sanremo Giovani. His song ‘Polvere‘ was one of my favourites that year. He released ‘Per due come noi’ with 2024 winner Angelina Mango and is back at Sanremo for the 2nd time.
Rkomi –‘Il Ritmo Delle Cose’ The successful Italian rapper released his first album in 2017. His first time at Sanremo was 2022 with the hit song ‘Insuperabile‘. In 2023 he was an XFactor judge and did several side projects with Irama. This is his 2nd time competing at Sanremo. He performs with Francesca Michielin on Duets Night.
Rocco Hunt –‘Mille volte ancora’. The urban poet/rapper from Salerno has 40 platinum albums in Italia, Spain and France. He has collaborated with and written for many international artists. This is his first time at Sanremo.
Rose Villain -‘Fuorilegge’.This is Goth singer/rapper Rosa Luini’s 2nd time competing at Sanremo. In 2023, she performed on Covers night with Rosa Chemical. She also released her first album ‘Radio Gotham‘ and ‘Fragile‘ a single with Achille Lauro. Her hit ‘Io, me e altri guai‘ is awesomely described as ‘Tainted love meets Wednesday Addams’. Her 2024 Sanremo entry was the catchy hit ‘Click Boom’. Rose opened for Coldplay their 4 nights at Stadio Olympic Roma!
Sarah Toscano -‘Amarcord’. 19 year old Sarah is the winner of Amici* 2023. Last July, she opened for the Black Eyed Peas in Milano. This is her first appearance at Sanremo.
Serena Brancale -‘Anema e Core‘. A Pugliese polyinstrumental performer and composer with a passion for soul, R&B and jazz, Serena has written for many international artists. She participated in Sanremo 2015 and is back for the 2nd time. She performs with Alessandra Amoroso for Duet night.
Simone Cristicchi –‘Quando sarai piccola’. 2007 Sanremo winner with ‘Ti regalerò una rosa‘. Simone became director of Teatro Stabile d’Abruzzo and wrote several books. He was back in 2019 receiving the critic’s prize for ‘Abbia Cura di me’. This is his 3rd time at Sanremo.
Shablo featuring Gué, Joshua and Tormento-‘L’amore in Bocca‘. Shablo is an Italo Argentinian musician, producer, DJ, and talent scout. He has worked with Achille Lauro, Rkomi, Irama and Madame and produced several Sanremo songs, including Irama’s beautiful ‘Ovunque Sarai‘. This is his first time performing. Gué was in the rap/hip-hop group Sacre Scuole with Dargen D’Amico. In 2011 he went solo and has had an eventful career. He has been to Sanremo twice as a guest, performing with Mahmood in 2019 and Geolier in 2024. Joshua Bale is an Italoamerican R&B singer and rapper. His first single was produced by Shablo in 2024. Soul singer and rapper Tormento was in a hip hop band for 17 years called i Sottotono. They split up in 2011 and he has had a solo career. He participated in Sanremo in 2001 with i Sottotono and was a guest for Covers Night in 2019.
Tony Effe -‘Damme ‘na mano’. In 2014, founded an Italian trap band Dark Polo Gang. In 2021 he released his firs solo disc and has since collaborated with many rap and pop artists, including ‘Michelle Pfeiffer‘ with Rose Villain. In 2024, he and Gaia released the summer hit ‘Sesso e Samba‘. This is his 1st time at Sanremo. He performs with Noemi on Duets night.
Willy Peyote ‘Grazie ma no grazie‘ since 2013, an interesting figure in the Italian Indy music scene. In 2021 at Sanremo, he received the Mia Martini Critic’s Prize for ‘Mai dire mai‘. He is back at Sanremo for the 2nd time.

The 4 winners of Sanremo Giovani:

Alex Wyse-‘Rockstar‘-Alex was on Amici* 2022. In 2024, his tour was called ‘A Night with Alex Wyse’.
Maria Tomba-‘Goodbye (Voglio good vibes)’ -Maria started songwriting and poetry in Verona at age 14. She participated in XFactor 2023.
Settembre-‘Vertebre‘-Andrea Settembre from Napoli started dancing at age 6. In 2019, he participated in The Voice of Italy on team Gigi D’Alessio, and was a semi-finalist on XFactor in 2023. His version of Amandoti in Napoletano went viral.
Vale LP & Lil Jolie-‘Dimmi tu quando se pronto per fare l’amore‘-Valentina is a singer/rapper from Napoli. In 2024 she released her first album ‘Guagliona’. Lil Jolie, a rock/pop singer was on Amici* in 2023.

*Amici is an Italian talent show on television since 2001. 20 ‘students’ aged 16-30 years, interested in being professional singers, songwriters and dancers participate. **Un tormentone is a catchy song that replays in your head, like an ‘ear worm‘! ***David di Donatello is a film award-the Italian equivalent of an Oscar

Read the contestants’ full bios on the Festival di Sanremo website. RAI International usually airs the shows twice-once live at 1900 -0100ish Italian time, and a replay later. Check the local listings for your country. The RaiPlay app is another way to watch -and it will not be Geoblocked!