Yes Hotel Rome Travel Blog: The Rome travel guide

Our blogger is : Nic

FESTIVAL INTERNAZIONALE DEL FILM DI ROMA

Italian film stars are set to take the limelight at this year’s Rome Film Festival but that doesn’t mean there won’t be room for the Hollywood giants.

Al Pacino has been named as one of the leading guests at the festival this October and he will be meeting fans in the flesh as part of a newly created section called “L’altro Cinema” – meaning “other cinema”. It looks to give film fanciers a different look at the silver screen, featuring displays, clips and interviews with a handful of movie stars and special effects production staff.

Joining Al, who famously played mob boss Michael Corleone in the Godfather, will be Italian actors Toni Servillo and Carlo Verdone.

The Rome Film festival, which is in its third year, has recently been in the news worldwide following a radical shake-up to its programme. It will now have a closer emphasis on Italian film rather than international premieres, a decision which was taken by the festival’s new president, Gian Luigi Rondi.

The biggest sign of the change is of course shown in the festival’s new title – Festival Internazionale Del Film Di Roma – as opposed to the Rome Film Festival which is the English translation.

The change is also clearly demonstrated in the chosen opening and closing films – led by Italian sex symbol, Monica Belluci. Her new film, L’uomo Che Ama, which is directed by Maria Sole Tognazzi, will open the festival on October 22.

Monica, who has recently been posing in a series of kinky lingerie TV ads, stars alongside Pierfrancesco Favino and Kseniya Rappoport.

Meanwhile the closing film will be Huit or “Eight”, a film inspired by the eight millennium development goals decided by the United Nations.

Other international highlights include Keira Knightly and Ralph Fiennes in “The Duchess”, a film about the 18^th century Duchess of Devonshire. Bob Marley will also be on the lips of many film fans as “Bob Marley Exodus 77” is revealed for the first time. Anthony Wall’s widely anticipated film retraces the life of the reggae king.

Fans are not just being asked to watch movies this year – they’ll also get a chance to vote for the best film in the official section. The one with the most votes will be awarded the Golden Marc’Aurelio award at the closing ceremony of the Rome Movie Festival on October 31.

The festival takes place in the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Viale Pietro de Coubertin.

Rome Cinema Festival : A video !

For a full movie programme, and how to buy tickets, visit the official Rome Cinema Festival

Read related blogs :

Venice Film Festival

Independent Film Festival Rome

Federico Fellini

Needless say that if you plan to come to Rome you will need a few days to take a good look at what the Eternal city has to offer, and why not try our Yes  Hotel Rome with its  discounted rates ?

For the thirtieth successful year in a row here comes again the lively Roman Summer in Rome, Italy.

The Estate Romana is more than an event but more like many different activities organized and scattered around the city of Rome. You will get music, food, drink… basically, all the entertainment you could possibly dream of.

Romans and the foreign people alike crave it and simply look forward to it simply because it allows you to stay out al fresco and further into the warm nights of the Eternal City.

In Rome :

For Rock lovers, you cannot miss the Rock Festival in Rome from 30 June till 27 July 2008 that takes place at the Hippodrome of the Cappanelle on Via Appia.

Still at the Hippodrome of the Cappanelle is the now famous Fiesta! From 19 June until 17 August 2008 : still music themed, with the Vip of latin music, and various open air theme restaurants. A lot of fun and entertainment is guaranteed.

If you are a music freak then you can also head to the very beautiful Villa Doria Pamphili where all throughout July concerts are played.

Every summer is also the Festa dell’Unità , which takes its origins from the left wing party, but which is basically a popular place for every one : watch out, this year it is located at the Caracalla Baths in Rome, so you may want to take a peep of the labourist Italy !!! Concerts of rather good artists , food and drink are guaranteed in this unformal and friendly fair.

Outside Rome :

Many private beaches and their establishments organize their own beat at night during summer so if you hit Lido di Ostia or Fregene for a tan you may just want to stay until dawn after partying all night in a cool club which may have a swimming pool also : You will be able to find elegant places and more casual clubs if you prefer, for a drink only or for dancing the night away.

Here you can try some locali in Lido di Ostia as the locals call them (meaning :clubs, bars) and some beaches in Fregene.

Want to read more about the Estate Romana? See more here.

Have fun and chill out …

and while in Rome why not book our new and trendy Yes Hotel Rome ? check out our cool and cheap offers for this summer…

Rome Anniversary

On April the 21^th is celebrated in Rome the legendary foundation of the City. According to legend, the foundation took place in 753 BC. The tradition says that the founders of Rome were the twins Romulus and Remus. 

Romulus and Remus were sons of Rea Silvia. She was the daughter of Numitor, king of Alba Longa. But Amulius, Numitor’s younger brother, in order to take the throne, expelled Numitor and forced Rea Silvia to become a Vestal virgin.

This would prevent any threat from her children, he thought. Nevertheless Rea Silvia conceived by intervention of gods and gave birth to twins, Amulius ordered the boys to be thrown into the river Tiber in a basket.

Romulus and Remus survived the attempt on their lives, however. They landed on a riverbank and were saved by a she-wolf. The twins are often pictured drinking the wolf’s milk. Recently there has been some polemic on whether Italian archeologist found the place where she-wolf saved the twins on the Capitoline Hill.

Faustulus, a shepherd, found the twins and raised them.

When time arrived and they were old enough, Romulus and Remus took their revenge on Amulius. They killed him and restored their grandfather Numitor as king of Alba Longa. Romulus and Remus decided to found their own city in the land in which they had grown up.

They argued about exactly where to start building and the rule of it, and eventually Romulus killed Remus. Hence Romulus actually founded Rome. They were believed to be descendants of the Trojan hero Aeneas.

Beautiful story, don’t you think?

In this Myth there are many interesting coincidences with other sacred stories: a virginal conception by divine intervention (Christ), babies left in a basket on a river (Moises), one brother’s killing (Cain and Abel). The fact that the twins were raised by a shepherd remind us the main activity of the first member of roman community. 

Spontaneously groups of people, like the ‘’Gruppo Storico Romano’’ or the ‘’Scuola Gladiatori Roma’’ meet in commemoration performing the ‘’The Trench Diggin’’ at 11.45 a.m. in Via Appia Antica 76 close to the Priscilla’s Tomb (Free entrance)

So, visit Rome in April. Enjoy variety of Special offers of fancy YES HOTEL, and wish Happy Birthday to ROMA- Eternal and always Gourgeous!

Jazz is the American invention that Europeans love the most. Every big city in the old continent has places dedicated to jazz, and the Ethernal City can’t be an exception.

A beautiful villa confiscated to the roman mafia became the jazz house at initiative of Rome ’s open-minded major, Walter Veltroni. Here you’ll enjoy jazz from a different perspective: not in the crowded streets of Chicago or New Orleans, but in an immense house surrounded by a flawlessly kept garden.

The jazz house has its own recording studio, a library and, of course, an auditorium where the best Italian jazzists play frequently. And if you want to please all your senses you’ll find there also a restaurant.

La casa del jazz is open from Monday to Friday from 10 A.M. until 18:00 A.M. If you are going to stay in the Yes Hotel Rome, you can reach it easily with the blue subway line: just get off at piramide station and look for Viale di Porta Ardeatina 55.
For further information you can visit La Casa del jazz web site, (available only in Italian) to check the next concerts and even the menu of the restaurant!

Casa del Jazz

Via de Porta Ardeatina 55

Phone:06 704731

The carnival is a feast of the Catholic tradition of ancient origin. It is celebrated just before beginning the fast preceding Easter and is the last concession to “carnal pleasures� before the abnegation of the fast. In fact, the term “carnevale� is said to derive ethymologically form the Latin words “carnem levare�, that is, “take away the flesh� meaning that after this last banquet there was to be no feasting but a strict fast up until Easter.

Because of this atmosphere of “last chance “ to celebrate, enjoy, misbehave, the carnival traditionally represent absolute liberty, fun and breaking all the rules that normally bind us. Also wearing masks makes it easier to take a break from the everyday life and from our usual, controlled selves. The carnival today is theoretically a Christian celebration, but it actually has origins far more ancient than that. The Saturnalia festivities of the ancient Romans can be seen as a predecessor of the Christian carnival, and even the Egyptians had similar celebrations with same kind of significance as long as 4000 years ago!

Today the carnival is still very much alive in the Catholic countries as Italy: it is, of course, a feast of the children, but not only. It should be celebrated 40 days before the Easter, even though it really extend over several weekends in the end of January – beginning of February. In Sunday afternoon you see all the squares and streets of Rome crowded with families, the children parading proudly in their costumes: a princess dress seems to be the eternal favourite choice of the little girls, and for boys the classics are Superman, Zorro and then there are more “trendy� figures that come and go each year. Small children may be dressed as animals. Some of the best places to admire the parade are the Gianicolo hill in Rome, or Villa Borghese park on the top of the hill Pincio.

The carnival is not just for children: adults like to dress up too, though maybe not on streets but rather at dress parties, either private or organised by associations or night clubs. So if you happen to be in Rome in this period, be sure not to miss your change to dress up as you probably haven’t done since you were 10 years old! Now is your chance to try on the princess dress of your dreams, or dress as Zorro in public!

For your stay in Rome book the “artistic� and fun Hotel Des Artistes in the center of the city, or the newly opened, elegant and original Yes Hotel. For lower budget try the hotel and hostel Carlito’s Way, centrally located near the station.