Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cultural Events in Rome
Concerts at Rome's
Parco della Musica
(Via P de Coubertin, 15; box office
%
06-
8082058; www.musicaperroma.it)
and
Teatro dell'Opera
(Piazza B. Gigli, 1;
%
06-
48160255; www.opera.roma.it)
range in price from a few euros to several hundred
for big name performers. The Italian president's office sponsors free concerts
(www.quirinale.it) around the city, including a weekly Sunday morning concert
inside the Quirinale Palace. Churches cannot charge admission for concerts and,
therefore, host many events sponsored through advertising.
Romac'e
(www.
romace.it) is a weekly guide, published each Wednesday, that tells what's going
on in the city.
On the other side of the Colle Oppio is what would be an otherwise ordinary
church by Roman standards, if not for its hidden masterpieces.
San Pietro in
Vincoli (St. Peter in Chains;
Piazza di San Pietro in Vincoli, 4A;
%
06-4882865;
daily 7:30am-noon and 3:30-6pm)
has one of Michelangelo's greatest works, the
statue of Moses. Its angry horns are a result of a mistranslation of a Hebrew text
of the Old Testament in which the transcriber mistook the word for “radiant” to
mean “horned.” At the altar are the chains that the devoted believe were used to
shackle St. Peter to his cross.
PIAZZA VENEZIA
Piazza Venezia is Rome's center square. This is where the city puts its Christmas
tree, where parades generally culminate, where demonstrations usually start, and
where the official New Year's Eve countdown is held. It is a square rich in histor-
ical significance and it would be a wonderful place to spend time if not for the
screeching, screaming, maddening traffic that whirls around the center flower
beds at lightning speed.
Il Vittoriano
(Piazza Venezia; free admission; daily 9:30am-4pm),
the Victor
Emmanuel II Monument, is the centerpiece, but many Romans consider it to be
an ugly eyesore polluting the antiquity park behind it. The most common com-
plaint is that the marble is “too white” in contrast to the worn travertine of the
surrounding buildings. It is often referred to as the typewriter or the wedding cake
for its shape. The Vittoriano was built to commemorate Italy's unification under
its first king, Victor Emmanuel II, in 1885, so it is a relatively new addition to
this part of Rome. Inside is a war museum, and on the steps in front is the tomb
and eternal flame for the unknown soldier. The best way to appreciate this mon-
ument is to climb to the top. Enter through the small opening in the wrought-
iron fence in front and climb the steps, veering to your right (the guards will point
you that way).
The terrace on top is generally quiet and empty, even though it offers some of
the best views, free or otherwise, of the Colosseum, forums, and expanse of
ancient Rome. From here take your binoculars and look out across the rooftops
for an army of statues of angels, martyrs, saints, and Romans that line the church
tops and private gardens all around, seemingly keeping watch over the city.
