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~ …… (oon∙poh∙dee∙PEH∙peh) Cristina writes about interesting stuff /Cristina scrive di cose interessanti

Un po' di pepe

Tag Archives: Roman Forum

The Miracle Players, Roma

15 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Culture, Italia, Roma, Travel tips

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Foro Romano, Italian history, Italy travel tips, Roma, Roma english speaking theater, Roman Forum, The Miracle Players

Miracle PlayersIf Monty Python meets the history of the Roman Empire sounds appealing, you will love the Miracle Players.  They are an English speaking theater group in Roma made up of expats from around the world.  They perform hysterically historical original comic works at the Foro Romano (Roman Forum) each summer.

Miracle Players2

Miracle Players performances feature volunteer swordfighters and high tech special effects!

Miracle Players performances feature volunteer swordfighters and high tech special effects!

I have been to 3 of their performances; ‘Caesar-More than just a Salad’, ‘The Life of Michelangelo’, and ‘The Seven Kings of Rome’.  This year they are performing the rhyming ‘Rome in a Nutshell’.

Miracle Players4

If you will be in Roma on a Friday between June 26 and July 31, check out the performance at 7:30pm sharp.  It is free and no reservation required. Get there early to sit on the stairs of the church facing the action-Chiesa dei Santi Luca e Martina. Bring something to sit on if your culetto doesn’t like hard stairs or pavement.

The production crew takes a break

The production crew takes a break

The performance is across from the Carcere Mamertino (Mamertine Prison) at the Roman Forum.  This is below the Campidoglio and behind Il Vittoriano.  The location is easy to get to.  Take the Metro B blue line to Colosseo and walk down Via dei Fori Imperiali.  There is a map on The Miracle Players website. The stage backdrop is the Roman Forum itself-how can you top that!  ForoRomano

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Un Giorno a Roma

15 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Italia, Roma, Travel, Travel tips

≈ 10 Comments

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Bernini, Caravaggio, Colosseo, Elefantino, Fontana di Trevi, Il Vittoriano, Italia, La Barcaccia, Pantheon, Roma, Roma photography, Roma walking tour, Roman Forum, San Luigi dei Francesi, Tazza d'oro

TreviRoma truly is ‘la Città Eterna’-the eternal city! I usually fly in and out of Roma then take the train to Foggia on my way to Orsara di Puglia. I often have one full day in the city at the beginning or end of my trip. When i’m in Roma for just 1 day, I have a usual ‘itinerary’. I do not actually recommend anyone go to Roma for just one day, especially for the first time. 5 days will do but more is better.  One day only gives you enough time to visit a few sites, so it is mostly an entire day of exploring the city on foot. The sites I choose to visit change a bit each time, but the route is basically the same.

I stay with a friend in the Basilica San Paolo area so I take the Metro blue line to the Colosseo stop, exit the station and take a few minutes to absorb the view across the street.

The view across the street from the 'Colosseo' metro stop!

The view across the street from the ‘Colosseo’ metro stop!

Then I turn right and walk along Via dei Fori Imperiali.  If you visit Il Colosseo, the ticket includes entry to the Forum, so you can walk through there.  Visiting these 2 awesome sites will take all morning, so they are not usually part of my ‘1 day’ itinerary.

View of the Roman Forum (Foro Romano)

View of the Roman Forum (Foro Romano)

Old meets new at the Foro Romano

Old meets new at the Foro Romano

I walk along Via dei Fori Imperiali all the way to Piazza Venezia and Il Vittoriano, which is the neo-classical monument that looks like a giant wedding cake .

Il Vittoriano

Il Vittoriano

If you want some great views of Roma and are not afraid of heights, you can take the glass elevator to the rooftop terrace.

'Roma dal cielo' view from the roof of Il Vittoriano

‘Roma dal cielo’ view from the roof of Il Vittoriano

Then I turn right again and cross Piazza Venezia, which can be a bit of a challenge, and walk along Via del Corso. Via del Corso is lined with shops and goes all the way to Piazza del Popolo.

Crossing the street can be challenging! Photo taken by Vito!

Crossing the street can be challenging! Photo taken by Vito!

I turn into one of the side streets on the left and walk to the Pantheon-the domed architectural masterpiece that is absolutely not to be missed! The 2000 year old roof is the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. IlPantheon

Across the street I have an incredible granita di caffè at Tazza d’Oro.

Tazza d'Oro, Via degli Orfani 84

Tazza d’Oro, Via degli Orfani 84

Granita di caffe

Granita di caffe

Behind the Pantheon is Santa Maria Sopra Minerva with Bernini’s adorable ‘elefantino’ sculpture in the piazza.  I sometimes like to sit and sketch the pudgy little elephant carrying a 5m Egyptian obelisk on its back.

Bernini's elefantino in Piazza Minerva. Behind the obelisk, you can see the domed roof of the Pantheon.

Bernini’s elefantino in Piazza Minerva. Behind the obelisk, you can see the domed roof of the Pantheon.

The molto fancy ‘Grande Hotel de la Minerve’ across from the church has a roof bar with incredible views. Down a side street – Via del Gesù- is Poggi art supplies www.poggi1825.it , so of course I have to stop there and drool at all the stuff I can’t carry home. I also pop into the little Baroque gem San Luigi dei Francesi, which is the National church of France in Roma. It has 3 incredible Caravaggio paintings-the ‘San Matteo’ cycle, in the Capella Contarelli which you can see for free! No lineups, no online bookings!  I always put a coin in the box and light a candle when I visit a church.

I walk down some side streets and get back onto Via del Corso going left.  A few blocks down I cross the street and walk to the Fontana di Trevi to toss in my coin. I am very superstitious about this, so I have to do the coin toss or I’m afraid I might not come back to Roma!  That would be awful! Fontanaditrevi

Fontana di Trevi

Fontana di Trevi

I look at all the tourists then head to my last stop- Piazza di Spagna. I never miss drinking from the Fontana della Barcaccia.  This is the Baroque fountain at the bottom of the steps that looks like a sinking ship. It was sculpted by both Bernini, Pietro and Gianlorenzo (father and son).  La Barcaccia has the best water ever, especially on a hot day –it comes straight from an acqueduct and is always ice cold.

La Barcaccia, Piazza di Spagna

La Barcaccia, Piazza di Spagna

Mmmm! Acqua freddissima!

Mmmm! Acqua freddissima!

From here I usually walk all the way back to the Colosseo metro stop to take the metro back home to San Paolo and pick up take-out suppli on the way. If I am too tired or have evening plans, I take the metro at Piazza di Spagna (red line) to Stazione Termini then change to the blue line for San Paolo.

Ci vediamo a Roma!

Handy signs at Piazza del Popolo

Handy signs at Piazza del Popolo

PS Stay tuned for future posts on things I like to do if I have more than one day in Roma:

  • Go to a Miracle Players performance at the Forum on Friday evenings in the summer
  • Spend the day at the Vatican
  • Trastevere at night
  • Centrale Montemartini
  • Palazzo Massimo
  • Sketching at Piazza Navona
  • Visit more Caravaggio paintings for free at Santa Maria del Popolo
  • Go to Mass sung by cloistered nuns at Santa Brigida near Piazza Farnese

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Piccoli gladiatori! Beware of fierce gladiators in training!

Piccoli gladiatori! Beware of fierce gladiators in training!

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