San Giovanni in Laterano, also known as the Basilicae of St. John Lateran, is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, of which the Pope is bishop.

The Catholic Church has named it “The Mother of All Churches“. The cathedral is dedicated to Our Saviour, and to Sts John the Baptist and John the Evangelist.
Many people enter the church from this piazza - note that it is the back door, and you will get a very different impression of the church if you enter from the front.
The façade is flanked by two Romanesque bell-towers. Modifications to the design were made by Valadier. The benedictional loggia is by Domenico Fontana, designed in 1586. The statue in the portico is of Henry IV of France, who was a protector of the basilica.
The obelisk was originally quarried by Tuthmosis III in the Eighteenth Dynasty, but most likely erected by his son, Tuthmosis IV, at the eastern end of the temple of Amun Re in Karnak, Egypt, around 1400 BC. While St Peter saw the obelisk now at Piazza San Pietro, Moses may very well have seen this one.
It is the oldest and ranks first (being the cathedral of Rome) among the four major basilicas of Rome, and holds the title of ecumenical mother church among Roman Catholics.

The cathedral itself is located outside of the Vatican City boundaries, territorially located within the city of Rome in the Italian Republic. However it has been granted a special extraterritorial status as a property of the Holy See. This is also the case with several other buildings after the solving of the Roman Question with the Lateran Treaty.

If you want to know more about thr Roman History you have to come and visit our fantastic Capital… and for a pleasant stay in Rome, have a look of th B&B Trinity web site, a perfect accommodation solution for special Roman holidays.

Versione Italiana

Once in life everybody should go to Rome, and see all the greate artworks in the city…

If you are planning some days in Rome, here you will have some good advices for yur stay, the things to do and the places to visit!

Let’s have a brief description of one of its precious artwork, the Vatican Museum Setting, The Sistine Chapel.

“The frescoes that we are contemplating here introduce us into the world of the contents of the Revelation. The truths of our faith speak to us here from all ses. From them human genius took its inspiration undertaking to clothe them in forms of incomparable beauty” . With these words pronounced in the Homily during the Holy Mass celebrated on 8 April 1994, on the occasion of the completion of the restoration of the Last Judgement, the Holy Father John Paul II wished to place emphasis on the sacredness of the place in which the paintings, like the images of a book, serve to render the truths expressed in the Holy Scriptures more understandable.

The Sistine Chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV della Rovere (pontiff from 1471 to 1484) who had the old Cappella Magna restored between 1477 and 1480. The 15th century decoration of the walls includes: the false drapes, the Stories of Moses (south and entrance walls) and of Christ (north and entrance walls) and the portraits of the Popes (north and south and entrance walls).

It was executed by a team of painters made up initially of Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Rosselli, assisted by their respective shops and by some closer assistants among whom Biagio di Antonio, Bartolomeo della Gatta and Luca Signorelli stand out. On the Ceiling Pier Matteo d’Amelia painted a starry sky.

The work on the frescoes began in 1481 and was concluded in 1482. This is also the date of the following works in marble: the screen, the choir stalls (where the choristers took their places), and the pontifical coat of arms over the entrance door. On 15 August 1483, Sixtus IV consecrated the new chapel dedicating it to Our Lady of the Assumption. Julius II della Rovere (pontiff from 1503 to 1513), nephew of Sixtus IV, decided to partly alter the decoration, entrusting the work in 1508 to Michelangelo Buonarroti, who painted the Ceiling and, on the upper part of the walls, the lunettes. The work was finished in October 1512 and on the Feast of All Saints (1 November), Julius II inaugurated the Sistine Chapel with a solemn Mass. The nine central panels show the Stories of Genesis, from the Creation to the Fall of man, to the Flood and the subsequent rebirth of mankind with the family of Noah.

For a short stay in Rome, try Rome Cheap Accommodation a Bed and Breackfast in Rome near the major touristic attraction and the strategic points of interests of the Eternale City…

HAve a good stay in Rome and Rome Cheap Accommodation!

Versione Italiana

Here you can find a brief itinerary to visit the beautiful city of Rome in less than 48 hours!

Some of the most famous places all over the world, and the must to see once in Rome…

FIRST DAY
1-Piazza San Pietro – St. Peter’s Square: you’ll be immediately impressed by the size of the memorable square facing St. Peter’s, surrounded by the magnificent four-row colonnade masterpiece of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The building is 136 m. high, the diameter of the Cupola, designed by Michelangelo, measures 42 m. It is possible to reach the top of the Cupola climbing 330 steps: once up there the view of the square below and of Rome is unforgettable.
2-Castel Sant’Angelo – St Angelo Castel: from St. Peter’s walking along Via della Conciliazione one can reach the second stop of our itinerary: Castel Sant’Angelo. The unique monument houses the National Museum where, besides the stuccoes, frescoes and furniture of the papal apartments, one can also admire an important collection of ancient arms.
3-Piazza Navona – Navona Square: from an air view, the arena-like shape of Piazza Navona can be easily noticed. As a matter of fact, the piazza was built on the Stadium of Domitian, whose ruins can still be admired in the adjacent church of Sant’Agnese in Agone. Traditionally, from the beginning of December till the Epiphany, this piazza is occupied by stalls selling sweets and toys.
4-Pantheon: The Pantheon is an impressive example of the exquisite architectural technique of ancient Rome. It consists of a huge cylindrical body of equal height and width, covered by a great hemispherical dome.
5-Piazza di Spagna – Spain Place: a meeting place for both Romans and tourists, Piazza di Spagna is famous for its theatrical staircase, a creation of Francesco De Sanctis, and for its fountain known as La Barcaccia, designed in 1629 by Pietro Bernini and his son Gian Lorenzo in the shape of a boat semisubmerged in water.

SECOND DAY

1- Il Colosseo - The Colosseum: it owes its name to a colossal bronze statue, representing the Emperor Nero, more than 35 m. tall, that used to stand in this area. Symbol of Rome worldwide, the Colosseum was built by the emperors of the Flavian dynasty between 72-80 A.D.
2-I Fori Imperiali - The Roman Forum: they are the most important archaeological area in Rome, extends from the Capitol Hill to the Palatine. As far back as the 7th century B.C., the Forum was the centre of political, commercial and religious life.
3- Il Campidoglio - The Capitol: Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by Michelangelo, is surrounded by three noble palaces: the central one, Palazzo Senatorio, is the seat of the Municipality whereas the two on the sides, Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuovo, host the treasures of the Capitoline Museums.

Have a pleasant stay… and for a comfortable accommodation near the train station and to the tube line, so that you can easily visit all the touristic attractions below, stay in Hotel il Papavero, a very nice accommodation in the heart of Rome!

Versione Italiana

Near Navona square, in the centre of Rome, there’s a friendly bed and breakfast that I found delightful: La Danesina B&B.

They have few rooms, I think only 3, and the atmosphere is really warm and comfortable. Obviously, it also is very central.

The b&b owners also have the restaurant La Danesina, that is situated in the same building. I think  this is a quality guarantee: it’s not easy for a touristic business to survive in the centre of Rome, because of the competitors, just imagine that they have 2 businesses which both have success…

Italian version.

Appia teritur regina longarum viarum

That’s how’s called the Appian way, one of the most important Roman roads, that connected Rome to Brindisi, in Apulia (south of Italy).
The Roman army’s military success depended on the use of this type of ways and Appian way was used for military supplies for many years since the mid 4^th century BC and it remained an important connection to the southern Italy for centuries.

Now the Appian way has many fascinating remains near Rome, very interesting for the tourists that want to discover a unique part of the eternal city: you can follow the way in the country just outside the city, where the road is flanked by pine trees and cypresses and find out some of the earliest Christian cemeteries like San Callisto’s and San Sebastiano’s catacombs.
But the most interesting part of Appian way is the one which goes from the tomb of Cecilia Metella to Casal Rotondo, near 5 km of marble ruins and statues covered by grass: a sight that have inspired poets like Goethe, Byron of D’Annunzio.

Stay close to Appian way means have a quiet holiday in a very silent place, being well connected to the centre of the city.
Daniel’s Inn is a bed and breakfast placed 100 metres far from the Colli Albani Metro A station, two steps away the new Appian way.
Born in 2007, Daniel’s Inn is a nice accommodation in Rome with comfortable and fully equipped rooms, either with or without bathroom.

Close to the city, far from the noise: Appian way is one of the best place to enjoy Rome.

Roma Termini (in Italian, Stazione Termini or Stazione di Roma Termini) is the main train station of Rome. It is named after the ancient Baths of Diocletian (in Latin, thermae), which lie across the street from the main entrance.

The station has regular train services to all major Italian cities as well as daily international services to Paris, Munich, Genève and Basel. With its 29 platforms and over 150 million passengers each year, Roma Termini is one of the largest train stations in Europe.

Termini is also the main hub for public transport inside Rome. Both current Rome Metro lines (A and B) intersect at Termini metro station, and a major bus station is located at Piazza Cinquecento, the square in front of the station. However, the main tram lines of the city cross at Porta Maggiore, some 500 metres east of the station.

On 23 December 2006, the station was dedicated to Pope John Paul II, more or less like Rome’s main airport at Fiumicino is dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci.

The Termini station is, obviously, very central and well linked to every part of the city.
If you want to visit Rome and want to accommodate near the station, try out Hotel Mari. It comprises two hotels (Hotel Mari 1 and Hotel Mari 2), and you can ask for a bedroom with private jacuzzi…

Italian version.

Texts taken from Wikipedia.

For those who want to live Rome in a different way…

Here for you an accommodation suitable for long period holidays or for business travels: comfort, nature, luxury and much elbowroom.

The Petra Hotel has a strategical location, nearby the Great Ring-Junction, and for this reason is fit for the tourists, that can relax in the swimming pool after a tiring day spent visiting Rome; as well as it’s suitable for the managers, who can also hold business assemblies in the rooms of the hotel.

If you like breathtaking panoramas, you’ll love the roof garden and its view of Roman Castles.

Italian version.

Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work (called an opera) which combines a text (called a libretto) and a musical score.
Opera was born in Italy around the year 1600 and Italian opera has continued to play a dominant role in the history of the form until the present day. The word opera means “work” in Italian (it is the plural of Latin opus meaning “work” or “labour”) suggesting that it combines the arts of solo and choral singing, declamation, acting and dancing in a staged spectacle.

Italian opera is both the art of opera in Italy and opera in the Italian language.
Many famous operas in Italian were written by foreign composers, including Handel, Gluck and Mozart. Works by native Italian composers of the 19th and early 20th centuries, such as Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini, are amongst the most famous operas ever written and today are performed in opera houses across the world.

Dafne by Jacopo Peri was the earliest composition considered opera, as understood today. It was written around 1597, largely under the inspiration of an elite circle of literate Florentine humanists who gathered as the “Camerata de’ Bardi”.

Have you ever watched Opera? Come in Italy and experience it!
If you choose the Capitol, I advice you the accommodation: the Opera street bed and breakfast.
The b&b has thematic rooms (like Tosca room or Traviata room) and overlooks the Opera Theatre of Rome: perfect!

Texts taken from wikipedia.

Italian version.

Discovering Rome’s hidden beauties…

From Wikipedia: “Piazza Barberini is a large piazza in the city center (Centro Storico) on Quirinal Hill of Rome, Italy. It was created in the 16th century.
The current name was given in 1625 after Palazzo Barberini which is located nearby. Until the 18th century, unknown human corpses were displayed here for public identification. One of the plaza’s feature is the Triton Fountain. Another fountain nearby is the Fontana delle Api (work by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, 1627-1629) at Via Vittorio Veneto.
Between 1632 and 1822 an antique obelisk stood here but has been transferred to Villa Medici”.

If you’re interested in this place of Rome, you’ll enjoy a hotel close to this square: Hotel Azzurra is a one star hotel that accepts also big groups of people and has rooms perfect for families (holds ‘til 5 people per room).
The hotel is really economic and well kept, completely restored. Every room has its bathroom and frigobar, tv and telephone. And, last but not least, is really close also to Spanish Steps.

Italian version.

Rome, Rome, Rome… art, history and nature.

If you want to visit one of the most beautiful cities of the world but you also need a bit of silence and relax, you could accommodate in an apartment not situated in the chaotic historical centre.

If you want to totally enjoy your stay and you are searching an accommodation near Rome, than I can help you!

I found www.travertinoholidays.com, in this website there’s a description of 2 apartments, for up to 4 people each, that have an unbelievable price!

If you’re planning to visit the Italian capitol take a look to that house vacations, situated between nature and art.

Italian version.