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For centuries, Italy was the preferred destination for poetically-minded nobles from across northern Europe. The “grand tour” was an exercise in communing with the ancient Roman world at a time when it was considered the height of culture to contemplate its romantically crumbling relics and vine-clad temples. But these “grand trippers” gave little...

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During the spread of mad cow disease several years back, serving pajata (the intestines of milk-fed veal) was banned in Rome. And locals weren't happy as Roman cuisine is rooted heavily in the so-called quinto quarto, or fifth quarter – the “less noble” parts remaining from the animal slaughter. Once destined for the poor, the fifth quarter can be...

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"To look down on ruin, ruin, ruin, all about; the triumphal arches of Constantine, Septimus Severus, and Titus; the Roman Forum; the Palace of the Caesars; the temples of the old religion, fallen down and gone; is to see the ghost of old Rome, wicked wonderful old city, haunting the very ground on which its people trod. It is the most impressive, t...

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Quentin Tarantino was at the Rome Film Festival last night to receive a lifetime achievement award from the festival and Italian horror legend Dario Argento. During a wide-ranging on-stage talk about his career with fest head Antonio Monda, Tarantino discussed his influences, behind-the-scenes anecdotes from his movies and his appreciation for Ital...

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The Roman Pantheon is, without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest surviving structure from the ancient Roman Empire. And not only does it survive, it radiates a vision and elegance that are nothing short of modern in their execution. To stand on his porphyry-inlaid floor and look up into the giant occulus in its dome is to forget completely that you...

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To stray in spirit better through the land/ This morn of Rome and May," recommends Robert Browning’s poem Two in Campagna. Or for €5, in whatever month, one can take a train, a day-return from Guidonia to Tiburtina. First stop for Romeward journey is Bagni di Tivoli, bringing home how this often-neglected hinterland was part-and-parcel with Rome's...

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Rome's Jewish community commemorates today the 78th anniversary of the deportation of more than 1,000 of the city’s Jews to the Nazi extermination camp at Auschwitz. The raid occurred at dawn on 16 October 1943, when 1,024 Roman Jews, including 200 children, were rounded up in the city’s Ghetto district and taken across the Tiber to the Collegio Mi...

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The largest complex of catacombs is found in Rome, hosting approximately 60 excavations. Visiting these ancient cemeteries through their long tunnels and passages, allows tourists and locals to explore the rituals, customs, and traditions of the ancient Romans. The ancient term to designate these monuments is “coemeterium”, which derives from Greek...

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La Bella Italia, interesting and enchanting. My dear friends, my journey continues as I discover the wonders of this beautiful country. I would like to thank all of you for following me on my travel, hope you are enjoying the stories from my trip. My diary page today will be written on the region that lies very much in the shadow of its largest cit...

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The story of the Trevi Fountain, one of Rome’s most famous fountains, starts with a young girl. According to legend, the source of Acqua Vergina aqueduct, which feeds the Trevi, was discovered by a young girl (the titular “virgin”) who later showed it to a group of thirsty Roman soldiers returning to Rome. When Marcus Agrippa caught wind of it, he...

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