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A Birthday Weekend Filled With Strikes

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Buon Compleanno, bella Roma!

This Saturday, April 21st, Rome will celebrate its 2,765th birthday.  (Can you imagine being around that many years?!)  This is based on the legendary founding of Rome by Romulus in 753 BC.

 
In case you’re not familiar with the legend, here is a brief overview.  Romulus and Remus were twins.  Their mother, Rhea, was a Vestal Virgin, and their father was a god (Mars, the god of war).  Before they were born, male descendants in the family were killed by their Grandfather’s brother.  When the twins were born, they were left to die.  However, a she-wolf came along and nursed them.  The boys grew up to become natural leaders.  They decided to found a new city, but couldn’t agree on the exact location.  The two quarrelled, and Remus was killed in the end.  Romulus then founded the new city on the Palatine Hill, and named it after himself … Rome.To celebrate Rome’s birthday, the city will have plenty of events taking place throughout the weekend … music, dancing, theatre performances and ceremonies.  For further information on the events taking place, you can check here (in English) or here (in Italian).Rome’s birthday will be celebrated with an extra bang this year.  The bang will come to the people of Rome in the form of strikes!  Strikes for buses, trains and flights. The scheduled sciopero (strike) details for each day are below.

Friday, April 20th – ATAC, Rome’s public transportation company, is scheduled to strike from 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM, then from 8:00 PM to end of service.  This will include all buses, metro lines and light rail trains.  
 
Saturday, April 21st & Sunday, April 22nd – Trenitalia is scheduled to have a 24-hour train strike from 9:00 PM Saturday to 9:00 PM Sunday.Monday, April 23rd – The personnel of Alitalia, Italy’s largest airline, will be on strike for four hours … from 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM.  If you have a flight to/from Italy on Monday, it would be a good idea to check with the airline to make sure your flight plans will not be affected.  Click here to access their website.Here’s to hoping the scheduled strikes don’t impact your travel plans or birthday celebrations too much.

Tanti Auguri e Buon Compleanno, Roma!  Just in case you’re wondering, that translates to Happy birthday and many good wishes. 🙂

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Why Rome?

Lux In Arcana: The Vatican Secret Archives Revealed

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Photo courtesy of  http://www.luxinarcana.org
One hundred original documents from the Vatican Secret Archives are now on display at the Capitoline Museums in Rome from March through September.  The documents have been sealed in the Pope’s archives for 400 years, and this is the first time they have been made available for the public to view (and may possibly be the only time), or have even left the confines of the Vatican City walls. 
 
Some of the documents available for viewing at the exhibition include:
  • A handwritten note by Marie Antoinette of France while she was in prison
  • Proceedings from the heresy trial of Galileo Galilei on his scientific theories
  • A letter from Michelangelo to the bishop of Cesana regarding the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica
  • An appeal by the English Parliament asking the Pope to annul Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon
  • A letter written on silk from Empress Helena of China to Pope Innocent X, dated November 4, 1650.
  • A letter from Abraham Lincoln to Pope Pius IX
The documents will be on display at the Capitoline Museums, located in Piazza del Campidoglio, until September 9, 2012.  The exhibition is open Tuesday – Sunday from 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM, with last admission at 7:00 PM.  Regular tickets are €12, and include entrance to both the exhibit and Capitoline Museums.  For further details, you can visit the official exhibition site by clicking here (available in English and Italian).  

 

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Why Rome?

International Women’s Day, March 8th

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This Thursday, March 8th, is International Women’s Day.  It is a day marked to celebrate women of the world and their achievements.  In Italy, the celebration is known as Festa della Donna.  On Women’s Day in Italy, the tradition is for men to give the women in their life (wife, mother, daughter, sister, etc.) a bouquet of yellow mimosa flowers.

To make the day even sweeter, Italy is opening the doors to all state run museums and monuments, with free entry for all females.  That’s right, many of the museums and monuments will be free for all women in celebration of Women’s Day.  In Rome, this includes sites such as the Coliseum, Roman Forum, Capitoline Museums, the National Museums of Rome, and many more.

Enjoy the day and celebrate being a woman (or, for all you men, the women in your life)!  


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Why Rome?

Theatrical Light Show in Piazza del Popolo

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During Carnevale, we really enjoyed the parades, fireworks, horse show and the various entertainment in the piazzas, but one of our favorite things was the theatrical light shows displayed on the gateway, Porta del Popolo, located in Piazza del Popolo.

Porta del Popolo on a regular day. 


A little history on the gateway:  Piazza del Popolo, known as the people’s square, was the entrance and first impression visitors received when arriving to ancient Rome.  The Via Flaminia, built in 220 BC, was the road built to connect Rome to the Adriatic Coast, and was one of the most important roads leading to Rome.  A gateway connected Via Flaminia to Piazza del Popolo.  The large gateway was originally known as Porta Flaminia, but was later renamed Porta del Popolo (this is the name used today).  The gateway we see today was reconstructed by Bernini (yes, the same Bernini who constructed the magnificent Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona) and Pope Alexander VII in 1655.

During the light shows, images bounced around to the beat of the lively music, and it was a lot of fun to watch as the ancient gateway seemed to come to life.

You can see a video of one of the theatrical light performances below.  Be sure to watch until the end for the finale.  Hope you enjoy!

 

The Close of Carnevale With Fat Tuesday Fireworks

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Below are a few photos and a short video from the fireworks display the city of Rome put on in Piazza del Popolo for the finale of Carnevale the night of Fat Tuesday (known as Martedi Grasso in Italian).

I apologize for the quality not being the best, but hopefully you will be able to get a feel of the festivities.  Hope you enjoy!