Photo - turismoroma.it

It’s hard to write about museums in Rome, considering Rome itself is an open air museum, and apart from that museums are in abundance, scattered all over the city. Some museums however are more visited than others...probably the most popular, the Vatican museum, is a tourist favourite and rightly so. There is one museum however that despite fascinating history, important sculptures, beautiful treasures, ancient roman statues and an impressive collection of medieval and Renaissance art, it is surprisingly overlooked by tourists and locals...

The museum or rather museums in question are The Capitoline Museums, Musei Capitolini which are a group of art and archaeological museums in Piazza del Campidoglio, situated on top of the Capitoline Hill, one of the Seven Hills of Rome, and one of the oldest parts of the city, which is said to have been the heart of Ancient Rome.

The Capitoline Museums are said to be the world's oldest public museums, dating back to 1471, when Pope Sixtus IV donated a collection of important ancient bronze statues of great symbolic value to the people of Rome and located them on the Capitoline Hill. Since then, the museums' collection has grown to include a large number of ancient roman statues, inscriptions, and other artifacts; a collection of medieval and Renaissance art; and collections of jewels, coins, and other items.

The Capitoline Museums are made of two buildings facing each other on the impressive Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by none other than Michelangelo, it is worth seeing itself. Back in the 16th century when the capitoline was just a muddy derelict hill, Michelangelo was commissioned to redesign this irregularly shaped area, coming up with an original, intricate design that played with perspective, the completion of which was executed  over 400 years. Piazza del Campidoglio is bordered by three stunningly elegant buildings. The central and oldest one is Palazzo Senatorio, to the right is Palazzo dei Conservatori and to the left its mirror image, Palazzo Nuovo. The museums of Capitoline Hill are kept inside the latter two palaces, Palazzo dei Conservatori and the Palazzo Nuovo. 

The museums are reached by a grandiose impressive staircase, the Cordonata, (Italian for 'graded ramp’) that leads from the bottom of the Capitoline hill to the piazza. Construction of the staircase started in 1548 but work dragged on and even came to a standstill after Michelangelo's death. It was finally completed in 1582 by Giacomo della Porta. 

In the centre of the square stands an equestrian statue of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The statue is a replica; the original was replaced in 1981 and moved to the Capitoline Museums to protect it from the elements. 

The Palazzo dei Conservatori is the main entrance to the museums and it is in this Capitoline Museum that most of the core collection is kept. You'll find the original core of the sculptural collection on the first floor and the Pinacoteca (picture gallery) on the second floor. The museum houses one of the most impressive and finest collections of classical sculptures in Italy, many iconic statues can be found here, the most famous of which being the familiar symbol of Rome, even today, the Lupa Capitoline,the Capitoline Wolf, a bronze sculpture of Remus and Romulus under their wolf mother which dates back to the 5th century BC. 

Other highlights include the Spinario, a delicate 1st-century-BC bronze of a boy removing a thorn from his foot, Bernini's Medusa and the original Exedra di Marco Aurelio - the original of the replica equestrian statue that stands outside in Piazza del Campidoglio. 

Upstairs, on the second floor of the Palazzo dei Conservatori the museums formidable picture collection is on show in the Pinacoteca, each room harbouring various masterpieces. The stunning collection is sure to be a highlight for art enthusiast visitors with masterpieces from renowned artists such as Titan, Tintoretto, Rubens and even two works (The Fortune Teller and St. John the Baptist) by Caravaggio.

One of the most interesting aspects of the museum is the way in which the two parts of the museum, are linked – An underground tunnel that leads through Rome’s ancient archive links Palazzo dei Conservatori to Palazzo Nuovo on the other side of the square beneath Palazzo Senatorio.

The aptly named Palazzo Nuovo “New Palace” was built in the mid-seventeenth century after a design by Michelangelo to complement the Palazzo dei Conservatori and opened to the public in 1734. It contains two floors of ancient Roman artifacts including statues, sarcophagi, busts, and intricate mosaics. The palace contains several notable sculptures, the two most famous being the Galata mordent (the dying Gaul), a Roman copy of a 3rd-century-BC Greek original and the Venere Capitoline (Capitoline Venus), a portrayal of the nude goddess. 

For me one of the highlights of the museum was the Hall of Emperors, where they keep all of the busts of Roman Emperors. If you were ever curious as to what emperor Nero, Titus, Caracalla, Geta, Macrons, Probus, Maximinus Thrax, Decius, Otho, Elagabalus and Alexander Severus looked like, you can find out here!

The hall of emperors photo credit - www.fodors.com

After exploring the museum you will be rewarded with a unique and stunning view of the Roman Forum and colosseum from one of the balconies of the building, where you can imagine the works you’ve just seen adorning the ancient roman forum.

Talking of views, another highlight is the rooftop restaurant, where whilst resting your weary feet, you can absorb and enjoy some of the finest views over the city.

As mentioned before, despite housing some of Rome’s most notable history, the museum is relatively overlooked and unvisited by tourists - a shame, but the upside of the relative quietness is that if you decide to visit, you will more than likely have the place to yourself, leaving you the space to explore all the secret treasures, fascinating history and admire the great views and paintings in peace. When I visited there were no crowds or queues despite it being high season.

I was lucky enough to have my highly knowledgable friend there as a guide to explain all the collection and it really did help to bring life to the sculptures and paintings. Therefore, for added appreciation, getting the audio guide would probably be informative and useful for a wide range of items in the museums.

The entry price of €11.50 is reasonable for all that you see, there are also the usual concession prices for students, under 25s, children etc. However ticket prices do go up when there's a temporary exhibition on.

It is worth noting that as the museums are owned and operated by the municipality of Rome, they are free the first Sunday of every month for residents.

With the collection being so closely linked to the city of Rome and its history, the museums are a must-see for anyone who is entranced by ancient Roman history and want to see the city's treasures. They are also must for lovers of art and history which crossover here effortlessly. That said, with ancient statues, Roman emperor busts, the famous wolf of Rome, Caravaggio art and a fascinating underground passage The Musei Capitolini have something for just about everyone.

Ciao for now

Zoe 

The 17th edition of the annual Six Nations rugby union championship, which kicks off on the 6th of February and finishes on the 19th of March, will see England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales battling it out for the prestigious title. The eternal city will host England on the 14th of February and Scotland on the 27th of February, both games to be held and enjoyed at the glorious Stadio Olympico.

During the course of the 15 match tournament, the other three Italian games see Italy take on France in Paris on the 6th of February, Ireland in Dublin on the 12th of March, and Wales in Cardiff on the 19th of March.

All teams will be attempting to snatch the prestigious cup from reigning champions Ireland and avoid being handed the dreaded wooden spoon (a figurative spoon given to the team placed last at the end of the tournament) which last year was surprisingly awarded to Scotland and not Italy!

All of the games are being played in Rome and will take place at Stadio Olimpico, which is the home of the A.S. Roma and S.S. Lazio football clubs. With football games played every week you can always go to a football match in Rome, but this February and March you can experience probably the closest thing to a modern brutal gladiator showdown, minus the blood guts and lions of course! 

Each year rugby becomes more popular in Italy, I can personally vouch for this - having attended all the games over the past two years, this year was the first time tickets were sold out in certain areas of the stadium, despite a slight rise in price in respect of other years. (The tickets are still much cheaper in comparison to prices of games in the Uk) 

The rise in popularity is also probably due to the relaxed and fun atmosphere of the rugby games, all the fans of both teams sit together in the 73,000 capacity of the Stadio, chanting, drinking beer and enjoying the wonderful setting and atmosphere of the games.

Thousands of English and Scottish fans are expected to descend on the Italian capital this month, unsurprising given the fact they could also factor in a visit to the city's most famous sites during the their trip. Aside from the most beautiful setting (I'm biased obviously) the city offers one of the best weathers and climates for the matches, a short respite for the fans from the freezing cold stands of Twickenham or Murrayfield.

The fun doesn't stop at the blow of the final whistle as after the games ‘terzo tempo’ or the ‘third half’ commences, which is essentially an open air party outside the stadium where fans can celebrate or commiserate with a pint of Peroni. Weather depending, it has been quite fun most years I have attended, with music,  silly party games and performances entertaining the crowd. 

For those unable to get tickets (unlikely as they are still on sale) or if you can't make the stadium, you can find the games shown at many of the city’s bars and pubs, (Scholars Lounge, Druids Rock, The Shamrock, Finnegans, The Fiddlers elbow, The Highlander and the Abbey theatre pub) which guarantee a lively atmosphere of locals and fans, during and after the game. After the games the visiting fans and locals pour into these bars and pubs often to continue the celebrations.

How to get to the stadium? 

The stadium is located around 4 miles north of the city. To get there by public transport is relatively easy, but can obviously get very busy due to the amount of people heading in the same direction. Depending on where you are located, I would recommend leaving 1.5-2 hours in advance, there are bars outside the stadium where you can sit, eat, drink and relax before the game. 

There are two ways to reach the stadium from the central Termini train station. 

Metro - Take Metro line A, the red line, in the direction of Battistini, get off at stop Flaminio located in the centre, just next to Piazza Del Popolo. From Flaminio you can then take Tram number 2, the only tram from Piazzale Flaminio in the direction of Mancini and get off at the last stop Mancini. 

Bus - You can also take bus 910 which leaves from Piazza del Cinquecento which is the main bus station in front of termini station. The bus will take you directly to Piazza Mancini. 

Both options leave you in Piazza Mancini where you can then follow the crowd of fans over the river where the site of the imposing stadium will meet you. 

If you are in a group, a taxi could be a cheap, viable option costing around 20 euros from the centre, traffic depending, which there is guaranteed to be a lot of. 

Tickets are still available and can be bought online here, the websites also includes a list of sale points which include La Feltrinelli and Media World. 

All information can be found here on the official 6 nations website. 

See you in the stadium!

One of the things firmly top of the ‘to do’ list for many visitors to Rome, is a visit to Colosseum, the Palatine hill and the Roman forum and I don't blame them. I still marvel (after 2 years) at the Colosseum as I go past on my way to work or as part of a Sunday afternoon passeggiata.

It was for this reason that despite having been in the Colosseum many times playing tour guide for various visitors, when given the opportunity to participate in the VIP Caesar's Palace with Roman Forum and Palatine Hill tour with Walks of Italy....I jumped at the chance.

The tour isn’t just your normal giro of the Colosseum/Palatine hill/Forum, but rather an amped up, VIP, big sister version. The tour allows you to take a step off the normal tourist trail, as it culminates in exclusive access to Caesar’s Palace, that is, the home of Rome’s first emperor, Augustus Caesar (nephew of Julius Caesar) and his formidable wife, Empress Livia Drusilla, previously only accessible to archeologists and historians.

The tour started on a bright December morning at the Colosseum, where we were greeted by our Walks of Italy tour guide, Giulietta. Giulietta started off by ‘setting the scene’ giving us a brief recap of ancient Rome, using her creative props and colourful metaphors, such as "Rome is like a lasagna with all of its layers".

The tour started in the Colosseum and includes skip the line pre-reserved ticketing. I have always said to understand a monument of this importance you need a guide and Giulietta confirmed this. Despite having been inside the Colosseum many times, Giulietta brought the place to life with her vivid explanations and stories. She filled us with interesting facts, new things that I hadn't heard even from doing various tours previously. Did you know for example that the Colosseum was built in only 10 years? Or that wild animals in the Colosseum weren't limited to lions? Animals such as crocodiles, hippopotamus and even one giraffe were fought in the colosseum.

Though we covered quite a bit of history, as well as physical ground, we never felt overwhelmed or rushed, with frequent opportunities to stop, look, and ask questions, Giulietta eloquently answered all of our questions. 

There was also plenty time to take pictures and Giulietta recommended the places to get the best shot, the centre of the Colosseum with a great 360° panoramic view of the arena.

The tour continued to the Roman Forum, again by-passing the regular entrance lines.

Although the colossal, impressive ruins are majestic themselves, I know I'm not alone in thinking that the Roman forum can look like a remainder of a lot of old broken ruins if you don’t know the importance and the history behind it, again it was Giulietta who changed this, her in-depth knowledge brought the ruins to life, she also had a book of pictures that truly enhanced what she was saying.

She also strategically chose the highlights of the vast area to give us a broad overview. She didn’t skip on detail though, stopping to show us her personal favourite parts.

After the Roman Forum it was time to step off the touristy trodden trail for the ‘piece de resistance’ of the tour if you will, that is exclusive access to ‘Caesar’s Palace’. Haven't heard about it? That's not surprising considering, admittedly sadly, most people haven't.

For thousands of years, the house of Rome's first emperor, Augustus, nephew of Julius Caesar, and the man who created the ancient Roman Empire and its framework, was tucked away uncovered in the most sacred corner of the Palatine hill. It wasn't until 1961 when excavations on the Palatine revealed a small fragment of a painting that led to the colossal discovery of the house of the Emperor.

Its safe to say that Augustus was a pretty important guy, his influence still reverberating around the world today (after all we still have one of our months after him). The word ‘palace’ itself comes from the Palatine Hill, its modern meaning from the fact that Emperor Augustus built his home here.

After years of closure, renovations and restorations and previously only available to archeologists and historians, the lavish houses are now open to explore on the Walks of Italy tour. 

The security gates were unlocked for us and the doors swung open to he original caesars palace, the house of the Emperor and his formidable wife Empress Livia Drusilla.

For many years archaeologists and preservationists have been hard at work restoring these ancient treasures, recapturing the colours and details of 2000 year old fresco paintings. So if the colosseum and the ruins in the forum weren't quite ancient enough for you, rest assured the palace will take you 1000 years further back in time, it is even older than the ancient colosseum.

The entrance to the house 

Inside, we were greeted by colourful and vibrant ancient mosaics and frescoes, some of the best from the Roman world, and the exact same ones enjoyed by Augustus and Livia 3000 years ago.

We explored the bedrooms of the emperor and his wife, rooms where they would enjoy their meals and Augustus private office.

Sources say Augustus, lived and stayed for all his life, using the same bedroom, quite humble for an emperor. The whole house was in fact humble by ancient Rome standards, most of the rooms were small, however it isn't the size of the house or the grandeur of the palace that is striking, rather the intricate, glorious fresco adorned walls.

The “Large Oecus” the room in which elaborate dinner parties were staged.

The frescoes are so well preserved because they were completed covered by earth, preventing them from being damaged by air until they were excavated in the 1960’s. The fragility of the frescoes is the reason that the rooms are limited to a certain number of visitors at a time, the advantage of that however, being that you marvel them almost on your own.

It's breathtaking to be standing in the same spot the Emperor and his wife walked, dined and lived in.

The left hand room, dining room of the House of Livia.