If you happen to be traveling in Italy on February, I would like to familiarize you with a festival called “Carnevale”. It is most celebrated in Venice, where it first began, but all of Italy is festive during this period. This year, Carnevale started on the 12th of January and will end on the 24th of February.

The 19th of February is called “giovedì grasso” or “mardi gras” in other countries and it is the peak of the festival, when adults and children dress up and participate in the various activities organized throughout Italy. In Rome, where I experienced Carnevale, there are many activities such as theatre plays  and activities in the museums for the young and theme nights in the pubs and dance clubs for adults .

 Carnevale time is mostly for children, where they wear costumes almost every day and go around the streets throwing confetti, however for adults “giovedì grasso” is a sort of Halloween where you can either dress up totally or just wear a mask. The last weekend before February the 24th is very fun with many parades organized throughout the city and towns nearby. There are many typical pastries to eat such as “frappe” and the city becomes more colorful with confetti covering the streets. This festive time is celebrated by young and old and it’s an experience I recommend to anyone traveling to Rome during this time. Information is available on internet, on the city of Rome website and posted in the various pubs and dance clubs.

To experience the carnival in Rome and get a taste of many others Italian traditions make a booking in the strategically-located Yes Hotel or Hotel des Artistes!

You can’t get much more romantic than Rome. The atmosphere, the great wine and the food make falling in love so easy. That’s why it’s only fitting to have a big wedding fair in the city.

Either if you are looking for a dress, a photographer or suggestions for a great wedding reception, RomaSposa is the place to go to. Last year, the fair was a great success and this year its going to be bigger and better.

It takes place in the Fiera di Roma, on the outskirts of Rome (but don’t be afraid, it’s not difficult to reach, as you’ll realize later) from January the 9^th 2009 until the 11^th and then again for two days from January 16^th.

You’ll find 30,000 square meters of flowers, wedding keep-sakers, male and female fashion shows, furniture, and even travel agencies to organize your honeymoon.

If you are in the city and are thinking about getting married this is a great opportunity to take a look at the Italian approach to a wedding ceremony and to get tons of ideas to make your ceremony unique and elegant. Or if you are more intrepid than that this is the perfect occasion to start organizing your wedding in the Eternal City.

Reaching the Fiera di Roma is really easy if you are staying in a well-located hotel like Yes Hotel or Hotel Des Artistes. Take the blue subway line from Termini and get off at Tiburtina. From there take the train to Fiumicino Airport and get off at the station “Fiera di Roma.” Voila. Now you’re ready to plan the most important day of your life in the most beautiful city in the world.

From the 5^th until the 8^thof December 2008, ‘’Più libri, più liberi’’ (more books, more freedom) the Roman fair will be held at the Rome Palazzo dei Congressi . Seven years ago the Lazio Region, Province and Municipality of Rome, and the Italian publishers decided to match and dedicate this fair to our unconditional friend, the book.

Mister Fabio del Giudice, who developed it, said: ‘’The fair will host this year more than 400 publishers, 200 meetings, editorial previews and international guests’’.
This year the fair welcomed around 50,000 people but in 2009 the expectations are even higher.

The Rome Universities of La Sapienza and Tor Vergata gave some help, aware of the fact that most books are aimed at young people. Even the youngest ones, with the traditional set dedicated to children, so they will become happy readers in the future by knowing a friendship with books from the early age.

Several spaces for professionals and foreign publishers will be provided alongside stands of their Italian colleagues for this seventh edition. If you are one of them, you may want to  stay in one of our central  hotels such as  Yes Hotel Rome.

As Fabio Del Giudice explained ‘‘often the small and medium Italian publishers cannot be known abroad and we felt this was the right way to publicize the Italian books. We also hope that the  Book Fair in Rome, the only of its kind, will become an international event. "

Tickets fee: 6 euro

Where  : Palazzo dei Congressi, Piazza John Kennedy 1, Rome

More Information on the official website of the Rome Book Fair.