Throughout its rich and storied history, Rome has come back from invaders and setbacks of all descriptions.
The Eternal City will surely do so once again. The world’s prayers are will you.
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As you all know, the situation in the country we all love so much is dire. ‘We the Italians’ founder, Umberto Mucci has undertaken a fundraising campaign to assist on behalf of the Spallanzani Hospital, the leading Italian hospital for infectious diseases. Spallanzani Hospital represents one of the front lines of doctors, nurses and researchers who are working tirelessly to save as many lives as possible. In this video link the hospital’s Director General, Marta Branca, explains the situation and what the Spallanzani Hospital needs most urgently. https://www.gofundme.com/f/we-the-italians-against-coronavirus
Please donate and help the Italy that you love and want to visit again. No amount is too small; and please share the video link on your social media accounts. Whatever you are able to do as well as your prayers, will be gratefully appreciated. Both Marta and ‘We the Italians’ promise that the entirety of funds raised will go directly to the hospital and be used for the most urgent needs related to the coronavirus crisis.
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The Eternal City is filled with some of the most extraordinary works of ancient art; one the most beautiful is surprisingly one of the least visited. It’s the summer dining room from the Villa of Livia, who was the wife of Emperor Augustus. Life-size frescoes of trees, flowers, fruit and birds decorate four walls to create a continuous 360° view. The luxuriant paradise was unearthed in 1863 and dates back to 39 B.C., now housed in Palazzo Massimo, Rome’s Archaeological Museum (located near the train station and Santa Maria Maggiore).
Allow yourself to be completely immersed as Livia’s garden casts its enchanting spell. A lush Eden grows improbably beyond an illusionistic fence where birds take flight in sky whose color variations create a mesmerizing atmospheric effect. You can almost detect the rustling of wind through the leaves. Scholars have recognized a plethora of vegetation including umbrella pine, oak, red fir, quince, pomegranate, orange, myrtle, oleander, date palm, strawberry, laurel, cypress, ivy, acanthus, rose, poppy, iris, violet, chamomile, chrysanthemum, fern and more! Livia lived to 83, extraordinary for the time, and was the only woman to be deified for her service to the Empire.
Palazzo Massimo also has an extensive collection of statuary, mosaics, frescoes and coins. Be sure and visit the next time you are in Roma!
Even if you’re not a “church person” this is one church that must NOT be missed and, in my opinion, is among the most magnificent in all Rome with its dazzling mosaics, frescoes and coffered ceiling. Tucked away from the more traditional tourist draws, Santa Maria in Trastevere is considered the first church built and dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is one of the oldest churches in Rome with its foundation dating back to the mid-300’s A.D.
Nestled among many wonderful shops, bars and restaurants in the charming old neighborhood of Trastevere, it makes for a great afternoon sojourn. The piazza in front of the chiesa can be a lively entertaining scene … Trastevere’s open-air great room, with an ongoing soccer game on the south edge and an ancient Roman fountain in the center where you’ll often find modern-day vagabond minstrels. Step inside and into the coolness and calm and prepare to be mesmerized … proving that all that glitters is not just gold!
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