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Posts Tagged ‘pantheon’

Take A Walk In Rome, See Typical Shops And Handcraft Workshops!

July 31st, 2009 No comments
by Cristiano Rubbi

The centre of an old city like Rome is not only art and history but is made up of sensations, feelings and atmosphere. Walk along the narrow streets and quietly pick-up the ancient spirit and the smells that have made it so fascinating and kept it alive till now.

Old stores, workshops and street stalls still exist in Italy and make an ancient city like Rome as unique as it is. Of course these stores and workshops and little markets are typical in little villages but Rome is certainly well equipped, especially in the centre, in the old part of the city.

Would you like to visit a very typical suburb of Rome? Visit San Lorenzo! The stone work and marble and statues of all shapes and sizes are to be found there. Not to speak of the very characteristic name signs for old time mechanics. Very Roman in their attitude.

Have you not had the opportunity to use your credit cards? Via de’ Coronari, near Piazza Navona and the Pantheon is the place to go to. See antiques, jewels, prints, carpets and anything else you may wish to give free vent to your fancy.

There are two ways of approaching a vacation in Rome. One is that you bring an extra suitcase or buy another one on the spot or simply do window shopping! It is not less gratifying and less enjoyable than the first. You can always pick-up the trend in fashion and the colors that go with the season you are travelling in.

Are you looking for something really special to take back home? There is tiny little shop in Via de’ Coronari that is a collectors’ dream from jewels to old medals, from frames to expensive paintings and whatever may come to your head can be found in Il Collezionista at No 198.

Travelling with children? Get your child’s haircut done in Via Metastasio No 17 where a barber called Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will gladly entertain your children on a rocking horse or miniature car instead of the same old chair. Your children will want to come back!

Piazzetta San Simeone not far from Via de’ Coronari is where Osteria dell’Antiquario is and is ready to welcome you for a typical Roman meal. Don’t want to spend too much? Half way between Campo de’ Fiori and Largo Argentina is a very small historic place of the 50′s that offers stuffed fried zucchini flowers and fried fish.

More on food, between Piazza Navona and the Pantheon is a super pizza shop that exclusively at lunch time makes the most delicious and varied sliced take-away pizza. Everything under the sun is stuffed onto this pizza at a very reasonable price. A little story to go with this: 2 little kids go back to school after summer holidays. One little kid says to the other: “my father has just opened a pizza shop and the peculiarity is that you can ask him to top your pizza with anything at all”. He asks his friend to come along and he will serve him personally. In the evening his little friend is out to catch him on that statement and orders a pizza with whale. He waits patiently for his friend to return with his pizza and grins to see him come back without it. He thinks to himself: “I got you”. His friend’s reply is: “my dad says that he’s not going to cut up a whale just for a simple slice of pizza”.

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Sight Seeing in Italy

February 23rd, 2009 No comments

Once in a while, every individual deserves a break from the intensive work load in the office. The ideal scenario for a break would be a nice long vacation in an attractive and culturally rich part of the world with one’s friends and family. There really is nothing like a good vacation to relax those over worked nerves and take a moment to enjoy and appreciate life, rather than just being a machine working 24/7 without any rest or relaxation.

When it comes to vacations, what better place to spend one’s vacations would be than some place historically rich in culture? Especially for those who are interested in history, historic events, and landmarks. Italy is one of the oldest and most culturally rich places of the world. The existence of civilization in various parts of Italy predates the Roman and Greek civilizations.

There are many historic places to visit in Italy, in fact it wouldn’t be wrong to say that to absorb the entire cultural heritage of Italy one would need more than a life time. Never the less, Italy is a great vacation spot and with all the historic buildings and landmarks, no one would ever say otherwise. Rome and Venice are home to many historic buildings. Furthermore, following are some of the must see historic buildings in Italy.

The first place to visit in Rome would be the Pantheon, as it is one of the most remarkable and historic buildings in Rome. It was built around 126 AD by the emperor, and was intended to be an open temple for people to worship the gods of their belief. Later around the 7th century, it was converted into a Christian church.

The colosseum is an additional wonder of history in Rome. It was built in the last quarter of the first century and was considered to be the largest amphitheatre in Rome. It was used to host wild and cruel games, and in the days of its fame almost 50,000 people would fill the colosseum to see these violent games. There is not enough left of the colosseum at present, but it still attracts a lot of tourists from around the world. In the early 18th century a further great structure was built in Rome i.e. the Spanish Steps. There are a total of 138 steps presently leading from Piazza di Spagna up to Church of Trinit dei Monti.

Venice, one more rich in culture city of Italy, is home to many historic buildings and landmarks. These constructions include the famous Fondaco dei Turchi, The Rialto Bridge, The House of Carlo Goldoni, Palazzo Ducale, and Ca’ d’Oro and Ca’ Rezzonico. These landmarks should not be missed by anyone who visits Italy as they hold an immense amount of culture and history in them.

Fondaco dei Turchi meaning the Turks warehouse is one of the oldest constructions of Italy. It was built by Gaicamo Palmieri, the initiator of one of the respectable families in Italy, and was later on rented to the Turks of the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century for trading purposes, hence getting the name of Fondaco dei Turchi.

The Rialto Bride is an additional historic building of Venice. It was originally constructed around the 4th quarter of the 12th century, but was ruined several times until its final version was built with stone which has survived the test of time. This last version was built around the 16th century, and is around 8 meter high.

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Traveling In Rome

February 7th, 2009 No comments

Rome may not have been built in a day, but you can spend several days sightseeing around Rome. There is no other city like this history-filled, beautiful city. There is no wonder why Rome was ranked #2 in the 2004 Conde Nast Traveler’s Choice Awards. It was only ranked higher by Florence, which is in the northern part of Italy.

The population of Rome numbers almost 3 million people. The summertime climate is hot and dry, while the wintertime climate is mild and rainy. Except for a few specific countries in Europe, passports are a necessity to enter this country. If you are not staying for more than 90 days, then you do not need a Visa, either. October to March are the off-peak months and if you want to have a relaxing time without having to fight the crowds, then these months are the ones that you want to travel.

If you are more into the artistic side of Rome, then you will want to venture out on foot. This will allow you to take side trips into shops. Taking a private guided tour is another great way to see all of the local artistic hangouts. Ask around to see how you can make the best of this artistic side of this gem in Italy.

There are a few places that you do not want to miss in Rome. The Coliseum is one of these places and you can walk across the street and visit The Roman Forum, too. Touring these places on your own or with a guide can make a memory that you will never forget in this history filled locations.

The Pantheon is over 1800 years old and it has not changed in all of this time. It was built as the “temple to all gods” in 125 A.D. This concrete dome is the final resting place of many different people, including the painter, Raphael, and two different Kings of Italy. The building has retained much of the same feel and form as it had during the time of the Romans.

If you have visited all of the places in this article, then you will want to make at least one more stop. The Vatican is not to be missed, with its collections of books, artifacts, sculptures, and more that tell of the history of the Catholic Church. Don’t miss St. Peter’s Basilica and Michelangelo’s Pieta. The Sistine Chapel is not to be missed as well. We all know that this is one of the most visible pieces of art in Europe and possibly in the world. The Vatican is a part of Rome that you definitely do not want to miss.

Many different cafes and restaurants are around these locations, so you should not have an issue with finding somewhere to eat. You will want to wear shoes that are comfortable and try not to carry very much, so that you will be as comfortable as possible. Before you begin your jaunt, check with your hotel concierge to see if there are any discounts that you can use, too.

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Visit Italy’s Historical Sights

February 4th, 2009 No comments

Once in a while, every individual deserves a break from the intensive work load in the office. The ideal scenario for a break would be a nice long vacation in an attractive and culturally rich part of the world with one’s friends and family. There really is nothing like a good vacation to relax those over worked nerves and take a moment to enjoy and appreciate life, rather than just being a machine working 24/7 without any rest or relaxation.

When it comes to vacations, what better place to spend one’s vacations would be than some place historically rich in culture? Especially for those who are interested in history, historic events, and landmarks. Italy is one of the oldest and most culturally rich places of the world. The existence of civilization in various parts of Italy predates the Roman and Greek civilizations.

There are many historic places to visit in Italy, in fact it wouldn’t be wrong to say that to absorb the entire cultural heritage of Italy one would need more than a life time. Never the less, Italy is a great vacation spot and with all the historic buildings and landmarks, no one would ever say otherwise. Rome and Venice are home to many historic buildings. Furthermore, following are some of the must see historic buildings in Italy.

The place to start from in Rome would be the Pantheon, because it is one of the most notable and historic buildings in Rome. The emperor built it around 126AD, and was planned to be an open temple for people to worship the gods of their faith. Afterwards around the 7th century, it was changed into a Christian church.

The colosseum is one more marvel of history in Rome. It was constructed in the last quarter of the first century and was the biggest amphitheatre in Rome. It was used for hosting brutal and violent games, and in the days of its magnificence more than 50,000 people would fill the colosseum to be a part of these violent games. There is not a great deal left of the colosseum today, however it still attracts a lot of tourists from all over the world. In the beginning of the 18th century one more great structure was constructed in Rome i.e. the Spanish Steps. There of 138 steps in total at present leading from Piazza di Spagna up to Church of Trinit dei Monti.

Venice, one more rich in culture city of Italy, has a lot of historic buildings and landmarks. These buildings comprise of the famous Fondaco dei Turchi, The Rialto Bridge, The House of Carlo Goldoni, Palazzo Ducale, and Ca’ d’Oro and Ca’ Rezzonico. These monuments must be seen by anyone who visits Italy as they reflect immense amount of civilization and history in them.

Fondaco dei Turchi meaning the Turks warehouse is one of the oldest constructions of Italy. It was built by Gaicamo Palmieri, the initiator of one of the respectable families in Italy, and was later on rented to the Turks of the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century for trading purposes, hence getting the name of Fondaco dei Turchi.

The Rialto Bride is an additional historic building of Venice. It was originally constructed around the 4th quarter of the 12th century, but was ruined several times until its final version was built with stone which has survived the test of time. This last version was built around the 16th century, and is around 8 meter high.

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