My Hotel Rome Blog

Ostia Antica  is about 25 km southwest of Rome only therefore it makes an ideal day trip outside the city of Rome,

It was a major port and military base during Republican times. Its aim was to protect and defend the coastline and the mouth of the river Tiber.
In the 2nd century despite the development of a new port called Portus (just slightly to the north west), Ostia port continued to flourish under the Empire.
Unfortunately during the 4th century the reduction of trade and also the silting up  of the harbor damaged the town.

Video of Excavations Ostia Antica

When malaria  became endemic in the area, the town, which  at its peak had a population of around 100 000 was then completely abandoned.
Ancient Ostia  has been buried for centuries under the sand but is nonetheless very well preserved. It enlightens on the every day life during the Roman Empire and indeed people from  all  social classes and from all over the Mediterranean lived and worked there.
Visitors can easily see the lay out  of Ostia from the main road through the town and you will locate many public and private buildings, bath houses such as the Baths of Neptune and the Baths of the Cisiarii in which you can still see the fine black and white mosaics.
Visitors also see the restored theatre with its three large masks which are part of the stage decoration, and during summertime the Ancient Ostia Theatre hosts musical plays.

Away from the main street is where the Ostia inhabitants lived, most of them stayed in rented apartments in a block of 3 or 4 stories high.

Other buildings must have been absolutely pretty like the house of Diana with its elegant look : It bore a balcony around the second floor, a private bath house  and a central courtyard.
For the wealthy there were detached houses called domus such as the House of Dioscuri which has fine colored mosaics. Other houses are the ones of Cupid and Psyche.
Among houses and shops there were also other buildings like  laundry and firemen’s barracks.
Various religions were practiced in Ancient Ostia. There were no less than 18 temples dedicated to the persian god Mithrus, Jewish synagogue dating from the 1st century and a Christian basilica.
To make the most of your visit why not take a guided Ancient Ostia Tour  with a pick up from your Rome Hotel ?

Ostia Antica - Its location

How to get to Ostia Antica from My Hotel Rome :
Take B line Metro from termini Station and get off at ‘Piramide’.
From there switch to a local train to Ostia .
Excavations and museum are open from 8:00 am till one hour before sunset.

 See here for their timetables.
Telephone number . +39 06 5635 8099

Read more about Ostia Antica.

Who

Carlo Levi was born in Turin in 1902 , he died in Rome in 1975. His family was quite rich and he had the possibility to follow the studies and received a university degree in Medicine, but his passion has always been painting to which he attributed the value of freedom. He was a diversly talented artist, as his artistic interests sweep between the painting and the writing.

He was a great writer, wrote a good number of books during his life but his masterpiece remains “Christ stopped at Eboli”. Levi is the symbol one of the major exponents of the Italian culture of twentieth-century.

Against the futurism avant-garde and after some years spent in Paris Carlo Levi joined the movement called “The six of Turin” starting doing some exhibitions all around Italy. If at the beginning he started to paint in chair colours then after his Roman stay he began to prefer more realistic paintings.

This is exactly what you can see in the Rome exhibition, which has on display 46 paintings of Levi, paintings in where you will be able to observe the passage from a chair style to the one of a more expressionist with dense brush-stroke. Most of the paintings are portraits, but in the ones where the city of Rome is the subject , appear one secret city distant from the one of “Caput Mundi”.

Where

In Torlonia Villa, one of the Rome’ s best preserved villas.

Villa Torlonia is a huge park scattered with plenty of small monuments. Torlonia’s Villa has also been the residence of Mussolini, during the Second World War and was occupiedby the allied Anglo-american military forces in Rome.

Then in 1975 the Italian government (Rome’s municipality) bought the Villa and from the 1976 it opened to the public.

You can enjoy a beautiful walk after you have admired Carlo Levi’s masterpieces.

When

From 27 of February to 15 of June.

Entrance fee 9 euro.

Where to stay

Certainly in the Hotel of the Artistes of Rome such as Hotel Des Artistes, or the sister Rome Hotel and romantic My Hotel Rome.

Still want to read more ? Then see  here for another Carlo Levi Exhibit Rome read in italian.

Easy to cook typical Roman food.

Rome does not have only monuments, history, squares and statues: the eternal city has a long tradition of regional food.

The roman cuisine is based on simple fresh ingredients and it is not very complicated to achieve a good result even for a beginner. Now try some of these mouthwatering recipes according to the traditional roman way.

Before you begin I would suggest a couple of things :

First of all: it’s important having Italian ingredients.

Second. Relax your mind while you are cooking with some music that is going to help your fantasy.

And you may want to pour yourself a glass of good regional Latium wine  to put yourself in the mood.

Do not forget a cute apron, possibly with the map of Italy and its wines and foods scattered around it.

Now let’s start with fried “antipasti” (appetizers)

Called “Supplì”

The suppli are oval shaped rice balls. You will need 500 gr of rice, 180 gr of butter, 1 carrot and a branch of celery, 50gr of minced beef, 50gr of pork, mozzarella cut in small squares, flour, oil to fry, crumble bread, one glass of white wine.

In the meantime prepare the tomato sauce . Put some oil and some onion in a pan and when the onion gets some colour add the meat , the carrot and celery which you first cut in your mixer and wash down with the wine, then add the sauce and only a little of salt. Pour the rice and cook for at least 40 minutes on very low gas, mixing and adding water whenever necessary.

Leave to get cold. Now prepare the beaten egg and start to do the rice ball. Put the square of mozzarella in the middle of your rice ball, the size of an egg , pass it into flour and then crumble bread and finally, fry your suppli in scalding oil for a couple minutes and allow it to take a nice golden colour. You will certainly want to sample the supplì in a good restaurant in Rome on your next trip !

Now let’s go on with the “Primo” (First course)

Bucatini all’Amatriciana

150 gr of smoked bacon(more precisely "guanciale" which you may find in your local italian deli)  cut in small pieces, olive’s oil, one chilli, two cloves of garlic, two onions, tomato sauce, pecorino and parmigiano.

While the bucatini are cooking, brown garlic and chilli. Then take out the garlic and put the onions and when is it turns golden then add the bacon. Let the bacon cook for a couple of minutes wash down the wine and when it is dry off add the tomato’s sauce.

When the pasta is ready put all together and add pecorino and parmigiano. Enjoy !

Cooking lesson to achieve great bucatini all’amatriciana

And then here is our suggestion of a “Secondo” to carry on (Second course, you may have guessed…)

Abbacchio al Forno

1kg of lamb, 3kg of potatoes, rosemary, half glass of white wine, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper.

Season the lamb with garlic and rosemary, add salt, pepper, swab with oil e put in a roasting pan.

Put in the oven with the wine and then add the potatoes cut in a small pieces.

After 10 minutes put the remaining garlic and rosemary and cook for another 30 minutes.

What wine to accompany ? Being in Rome and Latium, I would suggest a red Frascati DOP (the initials stand for Di Origine Protetta, which translated means it is a very good wine)

And to finish off nicely, a nice dessert !

Maritozzi alla Romana (biscuits)

4 eggs, 600gr of flour, 100 gr of dough, 200gr of sultanas, 100 gr sugar, 100 gr of orange rind, 100 gr of pine- kernels and 2 glasses of olive oil.

Knead the dough with 200 gr of flour, two eggs, 1 glass of oil, and a pinch of salt. Let the mixture stand for 8 hours in a warm place. When the 8 hours have elapsed, mix the remaining flour, the egg and oil, sugar, salt, orange rind and sultanas in a little hot water. Shape the biscuits in an oval size or in a round ball and leave them for another 7 hours. Eventually, oil the surface you will use to cook them and you can put them in the oven on a very high temperature (250 °C) for about 7 minutes. Take them out, add sugar on top, they are ready!

What wine to accompany your dessert ? My suggestion is a Frascati cannellino. (Frascati is a small town up in the hills close to Rome and the region is known as Castelli Romani). If you happen to be in Rome, you can taste them  in the best Rome wine bars.

You love italian food and to cook too ? then see here for more italian cooking !

And for your next trip to Rome, we suggest a nice comfortable hotel in central Rome such as My Hotel Rome.

Fall in love

I don’t won’t to be boring giving tons of cultural information about Rome that you can find anyway , but rather to give some ideas that may help you save precious time anyway. It’s amazing the fact that in few days you can have a very good picture of all the beauty that the Eternal city of Rome gives and inspires also.

You just have to know how, I will offer you some support about the matter, saving time relaxing , enjoying, enjoying and enjoying.

The fist thing you have to do is to fall in love with Rome, and that is the easiest part. Some ideas about how to :

-Climb the Cordonnata, which are stairs designed by Michelangelo – and don’t worry, you will not feel the effort because of it is a gradual ascension - to get to the Piazza del Campidoglio (the Capitol Square) then turn left at the end to have the most breath taking view of the Imperial and Roman Forums.

-A glimpse of the Colosseum at night, high moon shining over even better, should be enough, even for a heart of stone.

-The peaceful sensation of Saint Peter’s Square in the evening when almost no one is around, just like being inside a temple and after a short walk along the river side till the Castel Sant’ Angelo (ancient fortress of the Pope), views from the Ponte Sant’Angelo (beautiful bridge decorated with statues).

Let’s begin

Ok, Morning, you wake up to a good breakfast in your cosy hotel in Rome, go out and now after climbing the Cordonnata you’are looking at the Forums admiring their beauty, next step is to go there. It’s free. At Via San Gregorio, 36 (beside the Colosseum) lays the Palatine Hill entrance where you can rent an audio-guide containing all the information about the forums, for as little as 4 euros. Tell me: Do you want to wait one hour line before entering the Colosseum? If your answer is no, at the Palatine hill entrance you buy the ticket for Palatine Hill and Coliseum, (paying only two euros more) and you enter straight there saying ciao with your hands to all the people waiting!

And so, having the information you can stroll around the Forums and the stones will tell you so many things, instead of feeling like a caveman. Not only to see or to hear the stones talking it’s wonderful, but try touching them and you tell me.

After seeing Colosseum and Forums you deserve a rest, go to the Palatine Hill, which is a beautiful archeological park, being at the very centre of the city you will feel miles away from the buzzing city, for it is so green and birds are singing. (don’t tell anyone you could have a healthy hamper with no harm at all).

You will want to take a nap but set your alarm clock before sunset !

Now we cruise to the Temple of all Gods, The Pantheon. It’s from the same classical period, but all in one piece as it is undoubtedly the best preserved ancient building! Even if the Barbarians took little away (but not much indeed) and the Barberini’s the bronze, for the Bernini’s Badalchino at Saint Peter’s. I will not say anything about it’s perfection and beauty, or the greek legacy breathing in and out from its walls and marvellous god-connecting oculus. (When rainy day go and check, the floor is almost dry).

Having already listened the hits of the classical period, walk three minutes and dine at Piazza Navona, feeling more roman now, if you want roman pizza in a roman place with roman prices try one of our recommended Restaurants.

After that you could go for a drink at Campo di Fiori, Giordano Bruno statue with moon behind, good view for a drink with friends you know or to make new buddies while hanging around.

Small country, big art treasure

The morning for the Vatican Museums (closed on Sunday except last Sunday of the month when it’s free) , the best is to be there at 08:30 am (in a beeline that you cannot avoid unless you have booked a Vatican tour), line goes faster that it seems so don’t fret and use your time to read about the masterpieces you will find. My, you have already arrived, time is an illusion, so the oriental sage says, once inside you can get the audio-guide for 6 euros with the whole information.

Don’t overstay in the Museums looking at this and that else by the time you get the Sistine Chapel you will only be concerned about a beer and grab something to eat and you will miss out on the best of Michelangelo’s works. Since you have paid your fee for entrance better get streetwise . First things first : first the Sistine Chapel (which is at the very end), anyway we have to give back the audio-guide at the entrance, remember?. Well, keep on the way to the Rafaello’s rooms and the Pinacoteca (masterpieces of Giotto, Leonardo, Perugino, Beato Angelico, Raphael, Caravaggio etc, what else do the want, the Gioconda? Go to Paris).

Once you have a glimpse of that go wherever you want, the choice is endless and fascinating, special mention for the Laoconte wich inspired Michelangelo’s conception of the body.

After a quick lunch break in one of our recommended Rome’s restaurants, then get ready to go to the second biggest church in the world. Hey! Don’t blame me, the biggest one is in Ivory Coast.

So, we are talking about St Peter’s in Rome at the Vatican. The Square with the colonnade designed by Bramante symbolizes the embrace of the Catholic Church to the pilgrims arriving there. If you stand on certain point marked with a circle here and there, the two lines of columns will become one by a trompe oeil (visual effect, in French sounds better, isn’t it?).

Up there are 140 saints watching out, Jesus and the twelve disciples. In the Piazza on the left Saint Peter with the great key, and Saint Paul with a sword (he died decapitated, as roman citizen he could no die on the cross). The basilica was ordered to be constructed by Constantine on the IV century on the place it’s believed that Saint Peter died, the ancient Nero’s Circus (Saint Peter died under the Nero’s rule) to remark the victory of the Church.

The Pieta of Michelangelo’s, the Altar of Bernini, the Heavenly view from the dome, having the whole city at your feet with the must beautiful and surprising orange skyline, are only examples of the marvellous impression you will have entering this temple (cover your shoulders and knees).

After you may take a walk until Castel Sant’Angelo for a sunset view not easily forgetting and Yes! Say will love her forever (she will even believed for five minutes).

To walk inside the centre is easy, distances are short. There are many ways to do it, I began by Campo de Fiori with the open market, see Giordano Bruno statue on the place he was executed by the Church, looking peacefully at the people going around.

Then, since it is just aside, Piazza Navona (better in opinion during the evening) artists can be found there offering a quite bohemian atmosphere, here used to be the Ancient Domiziano Stadium and in the past it was fill with water for festivities. The Pantheon (remember?) it’s around the corner, allow your self to visit the very near church of San Luigi dei Francesi  and the French Embassy in Rome and enjoy Three Caravaggio Masterpieces for free (Not bad eh?).

Walk towards the east after only five minutes you will hear (not see) that you are arriving to the surprising Trevi Fountain. Drop the coin, so you will come back for sure, I did it as a tourist, now I live in Rome. (A guy went to prison been caught at four o’clock at night getting the nickels , good business by the way, who could blame him).

And so, now you can play the intellectual going to Antico Caffe Greco at Via Condotti (where luxury shops are found and where of course I didn’t buy anything) Antico Caffe Greco used to be one of the spots where you could find Goethe for example (So why not you).

Piazza Spagna opens its beauty to your eyes, with flowers in springtime (Ladies  will love it, and males can play the romantics with a poetical face).

At piazza del Popolo you will see an interesting visual effect, standing at the arc looking at the twin churches you will swear they are the same size, and you will be wrong.

You have quite a picture now, next time I‘ll tell you something about the outskirts.

And since Rome was not built in a day, don’t imagine you can see it all in one day so while around, why not stay in a central and cosy hotel like My Hotel Rome?

ARRIVEDERCI FELLOWS

(Your friend Big-Mouth-Knows-all-about-it)

The region of Trastevere is situated on the west bank of the river Tevere (Tiber in English) and south of the Vatican City. Its name means ‘beyond the Tiber’  and comes from the Latin ‘trans Tiberim.

Around 753-509 BC the area across the river belonged to the hostile Estruscans. Rome took over it so they could gain better control of and access to the river from both sides.

In the beginning Rome was not interested in building on the other side of the Tiber River and as consequence, there was only one wooden bridge that used to connect both parts. Pons Sublicius or bridge built on piles.

But by 509 the number of fishermen and sailors making a living from the river steadily increased and many were those who settled down in Trastevere along with the many immigrants from Eastern countries such as Jews and Syrians, who came and settled.

Slowly the area got more  populated and under Augustus it started being considered as part of Rome. He divided the city into regions and the modern Trastevere was the XIV and was called Trans Tiberim.

But the district really got included under Aurelian (270-275) who made the protection walls larger so Trastevere and the Vatican Hill were inside the borders.

Some important figures from the Imperial Age decided to build their villas there. Julius Caesar had his Horti Caesaris villae (garden villa) built there.

The region also includes 2 important ancient churches of Rome: basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere and Santa Cecilia in Trastevere.

In the middle ages Trastevere had narrow and winding streets because the houses had this kind of structures in front that would not let the carriages and carts move easily.These structures were removed in 1400 but the region remained with the same kind of streets. Sixtus IV in the late 1400 paved the streets first with bricks and later with cobble stones.

Because of its partial isolation and mixture of people from different parts of the world they developed their own  culture and its people were therefore named the Trasteverini.

Nowadays still, Trastevere still keeps its own character-cozy narrow cobbled streets and beautiful medieval houses.

During the evenings and at night both locals and tourists are flooding its streets and enjoy the amazing and buzzing atmosphere created by the many painters, actors and musicians combined with the beautiful houses, churches and small squares with fountains. There also is a significant number of good Rome restaurants and pubs.

Important international institutions in the Trastevere district are : the John Cabot University and the American Academy in Rome but also the  campus of Thomas More College of Liberal Arts and the Canadian University of Waterloo School of Architecture.

Some worldwide famous personalities have their origins in Trastevere : take the  “westerns” movies director Sergio Leone and the composer Ennio Morricone who lived and studied in Trastevere, and who briefly attended the same class at school too.

To visit the beautiful and romantic Trastevere from My Hotel Rome is easy: You can take bus ‘H’ or bus 75 fro termini Station which just a few minutes walk from our hotels.

You should get off on the first stop after crossing the river. Take one of  the main streets, Via Della Lungaretta .

Live at the Boat Show Rome 2008

The new “Fiera di Roma” - the New Rome Fair, the space of Rome for different expositions, trade fairs, special events, festivals and exhibitions will accommodate for the second year The Blue Big Rome Exposé.

From the 28th of February it will be possible to visit this big and unusual event that will bring together the different realities of the fantastic water world.

1000 mq of exposition space present from underwater field to the nautical one, from the sails field to the tourist offers.

“Boat show”, “Eudishow”, “Gommoshow” are the 3 respective events inside the BIG BLU, which are displayed all over this fair. But this year there is as well another event inside the biggest one: The Pelagos project.

Boat show is the biggest one. 80000 mq of exposition shows nautical accessories and boats of different types.  See here for

last year Rome Sea Expo.

Eudi show (European Diving news) comes to its XVI edition and it’s the European event that put together a crescent number of people who practise the underwater sport.

Gommoshow comes to its VII edition characterised by exposition of nautical  boats especially, turning again the attention, to the pneumatic boats. Passing from a pavilion to another one voilà that you have exposition and furniture for people who are working with this trade, nautical school, specialized books, a dedicated area for nautical tourism and finally shopping and beauty area.

Pelagos project celebrates its 10 years and in this expò proposes plans dedicated to the Mediterranean sea and the valorisation of the marine heritage.

Some example of the activities during these 5 fantastic days:

28 of February: 10.00-13.00 pavilion 9 “ Navigar m’è dolce” sails to disposition of the young people in the ventilated swimming pool.

29 of February, 12.30-13.30 pav.1 : tracks from Antibes’s

festival .

1 of march, 10.30-11.00 pavilion 9 Nase and Greenpeace.

2 of March 11.00-11.30 convention about sea’s rights

3 of march 13.00-15.00 Exposition in swimming pool.

The New Rome Fair location is along on the highway to Fiumicino outside Rome, and  is certainly worth staying in Rome for a few days and  if you stay in our My Hotel Rome  by the Termini station it is in easy reach by train with Trenitalia, the journey is only 45 minutes and your stop will be "Fiera di Roma".

See all the Rome Fair Events in 2008.

The Rome Mamertine Prison is among the most ancient jails in Rome. It is mostly famous for the stay of the Apostles Peter and Paul and for its capital executions. The Mamertine Rome Prison was discovered during archeological searches within the area of the Oblati of Maria Vergine, which is an annexe to the church of San Giuseppe dei Falegnami (St John of the Carpenters).

The prison is also known as Carcer Tullianum and is located in a very central area of Rome next to the Capitole Square – Piazza Campidoglio -  and the famous Capitoline she-wolf, while you can also admire also the famous statue of the Emperor Marc Aurel refurbished recently– and near the Scale Gemonie and beneath the very church of San Giuseppe dei Falegnami.

The Mamertine Jail is divided in 2 levels and the deepest floor which is the Tullianium was built under the King Anco Marzio (VIII – VII centuries B.C) during archaic times. The Tullianum is a floor constructed with blocks set in a circular way. Due to its shape it was believed to be a fountain or a water tank.

The upper floor, better known as the Carcer (jail) was built only at a later stage, presumably in the VI century B.C under Rome King Servius Tullius (Servio Tullio). This level was made in a square shape with huge blocks the colour ochre and red.

Within the building’s pavement still exists a small stream of water, which has almost completely disappeared nowadays, and the story goes that the stream would be sufficient to fill up the Tullianum to be used as a well for the Capitoline Rome Hill during ancient times.

Both floors are connected thanks to a round shaped hole in the pavement between Carcer and Tullianum. An inscription on the walls of the holes says Consoli C Vibio Rufinio and Cocceiro Nerva, both supposed to have contributed in the building the monument during the first century AC.

Nowadays a modern staircase goes down from the Carcer to the Tullianum but in ancient times you could only enter by the circular hole joining the 2 levels.

Famous prisoners stayed there, such as the Apostles Paul and Peter with other followers, and legend goes that Peter miraculously made a water hen to appear and subsequently using it to convert and baptize the jail guards Processo and Martiniano who then were martyrs also at a later stage. The Apostles were not to be executed in the prison, but Peter was taken to the Vatican Hill, and Paul to the Acque Salvie now known better as the Abbazia delle Tre Fontane (the Three Fountains Abbaye). Nowadays in Rome the 29th june is the commemorative day of St Peter  and Paul, and is a  bank holiday and mostly religious celebrations take place.

Among other famous personalities who stayed in the prison and who were decapitated or strangled were the followers of Gaio Gracco, the King of the Numidia Giugurta and Senators Lentulo and Cetego.

How to get there : From My Hotel Rome, go to the Termini station and Take line B metro and get off at Colosseo (2 stops away) and walk down the Fori Imperiali  to the Mamertine Prison.

Nero (year 54-68) was famous for  his self indulgence. The legends say he sang watching from a tower how Rome was burning down in flames.
It is not proved he had the fores set himself using the Christians to be accused and in this way putting them for centuries under persecution.
Nero  was  a malicious, cruel and even mad character.
He became an emperor after his mother poisoned his step father  Claudius. In turn Nero murdered his mother.
His self indulgence brought him to the extent that he built a  palace dedicated to himself. So he did and It used to occupy part of the Palatine Hill and most of the Celian and Esquiline Hills.
As a  comparison this area is 25 times bigger than the Colosseum.
The vestibule of the palace itself contained a huge gilded statue of Nero.
There even artificial lake with gardens and wood where wild beasts were let to live free.

The palace had collection of nymphaeums,bath houses ,banquet rooms and all surrounded by vast complex of fountains with water drained from the surrounded hills.
Inside the palace some of the walls and colons were covered with gold and mother-of-pearls.
The ceilings of the rooms were designed in a way that they showered the guests with flowers of perfumes.
The dining hall rotated according to the moving sunlight.
Big garden parties and banquets serviced by aristocratic women have been happening often.
After time Nero was forced into killing himself in year 68.
His successors wishing to distance from the emperor-monster made their best to destroy and erase all the traces of Nero and his ‘Golden House’.
Vespasian was the one who drained the lake and started building the Colosseum on its place.
Hadrian placed the Temple of Venus and Rome over the vestibule.
Recent excavations revealed large frescoes and mosaics.
How to reach the  Domus Aurea from My Hotel Rome :
Take line B of the metro and get off at stop ‘Colosseo’
Go out and start walking left around 200 meters.

Mr Wiltshire is not your average Londoner. Born in 1974 from West Indian parents, affected of a form of autism he never was able to communicate with the outside world like the rest of us. He grew up with his mum and sister. It soon became obvious that he had an exceptional talent at drawing and recreating scenes of what he saw.

As early as 1987, he was spotted by the BBC and the very same year some of his works were already published. Since then Stephen Wiltshire became the subject of many Tv documentaries.

If at the beginning Stephen would draw animals, then London buses, he eventually dedicated to landscapes, cities and great buildings of all over the world: In 2001, further to flying over the city by helicopter, he then did a perfectly detailed and accurate drawing of London. Subsequently , he also drew Tokyo in 2005, and at a later stage he drew Frankfurt and Hong Kong.

Stephen Wiltshire, now known as the Human Eye because of his extraordinary ability to memorize all visual details and to recopy them on paper, came to Rome in June 2005. He took a short trip on helicopter during which he admired the Trevi Fountain, Rome St Peter’s Cathedral, the Ancient Rome and the Colosseum and the Venezia Square, and also flew over our My Hotel Rome.

His drawing of the city of Rome took him a couple of days only, and the accuracy of it all is simply amazing.

Watch here for the full video of the Rome trip and drawing:

The Palatine Hill is one of the 7 Roman hills and is proved to be one of the oldest parts of the city.
It is situated in between the The Roman Forum , Circus Maximus and The Colosseum, and all these sights are close by our Myhotel Rome.

According to the legends here the twins Romulus and Remus were kept alive by a she-wolf until a shepherd found them and raised them together with his wife.Later Romulus decided to build a town on that hill-Rome.This is the place from where
the Roman Empire begun. The word “palace” comes from the latin word Palatium.

The view from the Palatine Hill is so amazing that back in the centuries it already attracted the attention and became an exclusive location to live in and the rich and powerful would build their palaces there.

The height of the hill reaches 230 feet(which is about 70 meters)
Over the centuries, the hill got eventually completely covered with beautiful buildings of famous Roman men and emperors and to name a few, Mark Antony, Cireron and Augustus(who was also born here) dwelled on the Palatine Hill in Rome.

It was believed that living on the hill meant breathing cleaner air and the danger from catching diseases from the lower working classes would be kept at bay.
According to archaeological digs the palatine Hill was inhabited in ancient times as far back as 10 century BC.

During the middle ages the Rome Palatine hill was owned by cardinal Alessandro Farnese.
Indeed, the ruins are from different periods of the history.
The palace of Septimus Severus (who ruled between 193-211 AD)
The so called stadium with the palace of Domitian.
The stadium might have been used also like a private imperial garden.
Famous palaces like Domus Augustina, Domus Flavia and the House of Livia(1st century BC)-home of emperor Augustus and his wife Livia.
Other ruins discovered are from the Temple of Cybele and Temple of Appollo.

On the Palatine Hill have been also the ruins of palace of Tiberius ( best known as palace of Caligula), built 1st century AD.

In 1550 cardinal Alessandro Farnese decided to fill the ruins up with soil in order to create a garden atop, also known as the Farnese Garden. It is connected to the Roman Forum through a few stair flights.

And if you are a lover of the ancient remains, then you will discover many statues and other artifacts which are on display at the Palatine Museum, definetely worth a visit while in Rome.