As every spring from 1951 you will have the chance to admire one of the most beautiful sights the Eternal City has to offer: the stairs of the Spanish Steps will be embellished with flowerpots of azaleas as a colourful way to celebrate the arrival of the new season.

Why use Azaleas to celebrate spring? The answer, besides the fact that azaleas are beautiful and are in full flowering during April, is hard to guess. For some, the idea might be somehow connected to the legend of the Roman goddess Proserpine who escaped from her husband Pluto to go back to her mother Ceres, but due to a spell cast on her by her husband she had to spend six months on earth and the other six months in the underworld with him. According to the legend Proserpine, by going back to earth, gave start to spring and summer, while during the six months that she had to spend in the afterlife autumn and winter arrived on earth.

The dates can slightly vary in operation of the flowering of the azaleas, but the office of the tourism will provide all the necessary information.

If you’ll be in Rome in that period don’t miss this opportunity!!! The Spanish Steps are waiting to celebrate with you! Book at the Hotel Des Artistes or Yes Hotel located only a walk away from the Spanish Steps!

For those not in the know, the Etruscans were a civilization that flourished in Italy before the foundation of Rome with whose people they merged. They developed advanced techniques of sculpture that influenced roman art and left many objects and works of art that can be seen today in some specialized museums in Rome.

And is on this museums where you can get acquainted with the Etruscans in a different way. A group of comic artists were invited to stay for a week in different Etruscan locations and now their works are on display on the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome and in the museums of Tarquinia and Cerveteri. The exhibit has been organized in suggestive ways to underline the themes that had an impact on the artists, placing the drawings near some of the objects that inspired them.

The exhibition will be open until October 25 2009 and it’s a great opportunity to be introduced to the Etruscans and to the solid tradition of comics authors in Italy.

The Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia (National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia) is located on piazzale di Villa Giulia 9. You can get there easily using the public transportation from Yes Hotel or Hotel Des Artistes. Stay with us and discover the beauty of Rome!

After a long restauration process and the reinforcement of walls and ceiling, now, after 30 years of closure, finally visitors from all around the world will be able  to visit the “Hall tenth" of the Baths of Diocletian in Rome.

Finally, now that the Baths of Diocletian are open again the Romans and tourists, the public can see the tomb of Platorinus.

Gaius Sulpicius Platorino was one of three coin minters in the city, in Augustu’s age. His tomb was discovered on the right bank of the river tiber in 1880. It contained decorated cinerary urns and two statues of Platorinus and his daughter.

The funerary objects have now been reunited and the tomb of Platorinus has been reconstructed. it is located in the Hall X, the museum’s renovated space at Diocletian’s Baths in Rome.

The tomb of Emperor Marcus Aurelius will also be open for exhibition in the hall.

In the museum in the coming months will be shown the grave of Macrino too. He was a proconsul for Marcus Aurelius and he was erroneously identified as the man who inspired the movie "Gladiator" by Ridley Scott.

In the X hall you’ll find exposed too tombs, sarcophagi and reliefs with portraits of the deceased. Besides the great tomb that reigns in the great hall, called the Platorini, there are also two chamber-tombs dug out of tufa stone, discovered in 1951 in Quirino Majorana that were part of a necropolis of Via Portuense between the end of the first and the third century AD. Among the other exhibits on display in the hall from a sarcophagus via Labicana with Dionysus and Ariadne, and two large marble sinks.

The central part of the room has been left intentionally left empty to allow his organization of concerts and conferences, so that it can become a place of cultural events.

In fact, from April 4 to May 2, on occasion of "The Night of Museums" every Saturday evening meeting is planned with music, theater, literature.

Now the baths of Diocletian come back at the city, and we wait for the other rooms to be opened.

The Baths of Diocletian are only a stone’s throw away from Hotel Des Artistes and Yes Hotel, your home away home in the Eternal City!

If you loved the concept of a recent film with Ben Stiller you’re gonna love this idea: on may 16th 2009 many museums in Rome will be open to allow you to admire its treasures in a unique way.

Among the museums you”ll be able to admire you have Palazzo Massimo (near hotel Des Artistes and Yes Hotel!), The National Museum of the Diocletian Baths, and the Caracalla Baths. All these museums and monuments will be open from 8:00 P.M until 2:00 A.M. That day is Saturday, and as usual in Rome, you’ll have the subway working until 1:30, so getting around will be easy too. Besides, the entrance will be free- All you have to do is show up and have a great time!

This activity, that started on the year 2005, and is now followed on many other European cities is meant to invite citizens and tourists to rediscover museums and see them too as a place to develop social interactions. Many of the museums will organize special activities for that day, like Hadrian’s Villa, near Tivoli, where a night walk (with illumination of course) will take place.

Another tempting options are The Market of Trajan, The Capitoline Museums (an excelent choice!), The Pantheon and the Ara Pacis museum. All of them will be open during the night and the  entrance will be free.

Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to enjoy the cultural richness of Rome under (literally) a different light. Hotel des Artistes and Yes Hotel are great choices for accomodation not only for its incredibly convenient location, but also for its great comfort standards

This year to celebrate the bimillenium birthday of Saint Paul, who is believed to have been born seven to ten years after Christ, between June 28th 2008 and June 29th 2009 "a series of liturgical, cultural and ecumenical events” take place. The Year is known as ”Paolina” and the various pastoral and social initiatives are set to inspire Christians worldwide. 

So now is a goodtime to go on a pilgrimage to the places which the great apostle visited during the final part of his life. These are some of the most important places.

A l’abbazia delle tre fontane – The Three Fountains Abbey 

The place where St Paul was locked in a cell before receiving martyrdom is found in  the abbey of the Three Fountains (ex.Waters Sages) on Via Laurentina in Rome. The church is S.Maria Scala Coeli inside the courtyard of the abbey. Then inside, underneath, the crypt opens, and there is a sixteenth-century altar devoted to St. Zenone and the Martyr soldiers that kept St. Paul prisoner before his decapitation.

To the right of the church crossing a small piece of land full of trees is the place where St. Paul was killed. As the story goes, he was decapitated and jumped three times on the earth below. On those points of contact, it’s said three springs of water miraculously gushed out, and thus the name “The Three Fountains”.

Il Carcere Mamertino:

The Jail Mamertino or Carcer Tullianum is the most ancient jail in Rome, known also as Jails mamertine.

Here St. Paul was imprisoned together with St. Peter .The story is that there was a miracle release of spring water in the jail and the two saints succeeded in converting the custodians of the jails. And it was from here that St. Paul was taken to be beheaded (The Church of the Three Fountains)

La Basilica San Paolo fuori le mura:

The great apostle was buried on the road that leads to Ostia, and for many centuries pilgrims visited his grave. Later, the Basilica was built on that spot, and today you can visit the sarcophagus of the Saint.

The values of the Saint are considered to have a strong influence on Christianity because his missions helped increase the number of Christians in the Greek and Roman world. After St. Giovanni the evangelist (St John), St Paul is the most wise and gifted writer of all the Apostles.

So don’t miss this great opportunity to visit these monuments of religious and historical importance in Rome. And for your own convenience, why not stop by Hotel Des Artistes? Being so centrally located it’s a great choice for your holiday hotel.

Today I would like to tell you about a small and a big story, regarding The mythology of Rome, the importance and the social function that it used to have in old roman society.

As in every capital city, in order to celebrate its greatness, everything was colligated with myth –the foundation of the city for example, goes back to “Enea”. For those of you who don’t’ know who Enea is, I’m going to explain quickly: Enea is the protagonist of Eneide, an epic poem written by Virgilius, who ran away from Troy and once in Lazio married Lavinia, Latino’s daughter. They had a son called Silvio, who founded the family of Romulus and Remus.

In reality, genuine mythology in Rome started with the adaptation of Greek mythology.

You probably already know about the story of Romulus Remus. The difference between Greek legends and roman ones is that while Greek divinities assume a behaviour prevalently human (they were implicated in loving wars, revenges) the Romans had a social function and they interacted with the normal unwinding of life.

At the beginning, roman working people were very humble – many were farmers and shepherds. So many of the Roman Gods related to this way of life – for example, Jupiter was the god of weather, the elements etc. 

Despite this, it’s possible to glimpse into the “res-publica” concept (the public government).

In this society two figures deserved a particular mention: the Pontiffs and the Vestals.

The pontiffs were the highest ranking priests because they used to decide bank holidays and public celebrations, most of the time the pontiff sovereign was an emperor.

The Vestals were priestesses devoted to Vest, they lived in chastity for 30 years before they were able to marry.

Sadly those who didn’t respect this law were killed in terrible circumstances – infact they were buried alive.

The main gods in Rome were : Jupiter, Giunone and Minerva, Diana, Venus, Ceres, Mars, and finally Mercurius.

In all of Rome it’s possible to research the signs and symbols behind the myths. For example Barbo’s Palace portrays Hercules while in one old heating stove at the Vatican palace you can admire Venus etc.

So why don’t stay here at Hotel des Artistes the perfect base to discover the beauty of myths in Rome?

The Real Name

What can be surprising when it comes to talk about evidence of the past one could find in Rome ?

You might remeber that film (see the picture)…Yes, that one. Russel Crowe was named Maximus Decimus Merida, but that was not the real name of the Gladiator. 

A great discovery was made recently in Rome by a group of Archeologists! The tomb of the Roman commander who inspired the Gladiator of Ridley Scott, a magnificent funerary monument that came to light on the Via Flaminia, in the Eternal City.

The inscription discovered in the marble mauseoleo, give the name of Marcus Nonius Macrinus, the soldier Roman patrician, who would be named many centuries later as Maximus Decimus Merida, the heroe with the face Russel Crowe, to fight in the arena..
The archaeologist of the Superintendence of Rome, Daniela Rossi announced in a press conference at the headquarters of the Ministry for Cultural Heritage this "exceptional discovery" this month. "It’s been at least twenty or thirty years since pieces of such importance were found in Rome"

The monument is located close to Vitorchiano street and was discovered by chance during the construction of a building. The works had been stopped immediatly.
It is remarkable not only because of the beauty of the pieces considered individually , with fragments finely decorated, but also for the fact mentioned by Daniela Rossi: ‘’It is possible to recreate the whole monument. The tomb has been kept almost intact, this was produced by the action of the silt of the Tiber, the tomb had been covered by a flood’’.

So this flood, almost two thousands years ago, give us now in the present the chance to know a little bit more about the life of Mister Marcus Nonius Macrinus.

Do not miss this opportunity and visit this tomb, once you are in Rome.

Book our strategically located YES hotel  and make your Roman stay unforgettable!

Our author: Stefano

As a continuation of a good tradition, I will keep telling you the stories of the famous places and monuments in Rome. I have already mentioned once the Dioscuri theme, but this time I would like to deepen and enrich your knowledge! So, let’s talk about the Dioscuri Temple.

The temple of Dioscuri is a temple of the Roman Forum in ancient Rome. It is better known as a temple of Càstori. 

Castor and Pollux are two characters of Greek and Roman mythology, twin sons of Zeus and Leda, known primarily as the Diòscuri, namely “sons of Zeus.”

Really, some claim that the twins would have originated from Tindaro, king of Sparta, having as sister Elena, subject of contention in Troy, and Clitennestra. Others tell that only Pollux and sister Elena were sons of Zeus, and therefore immortal; Castor and Clitennestra were therefore sons of Tindaro and intended to death.

The Dioscuri participated in many battles and many temples and statues were dedicated to them (we can remember the Dioscuri’s groups in Capitol Hill).

In Rome, the temple was the southeast corner of the square of the Forum, near the source of Giuturna, its official name was aedes or templum Castoris ( “temple” or “Sanctuary of Càstore”), but in the sources is reflected also appointed as “aedes Castorumâ€? or “aedes Castoris et Pollucisâ€? and was dedicated to Dioscuri.

The temple was built for a vote offered by the dictator Aulo Postumio Albo in 499 or 496 BC, before the famous battle of Regillo.
He was one among those who fought and won against the Tarquinio Superb in the battle of Lake Regillo between in 499 BC and 496 BC: own on this occasion was appointed dictator.
This victory earned him the triumph, which he dedicated to Ceres and the nickname “Regillense” which completed its name. He was consul in 496 BC. This victory was important for the future of Rome, much to be celebrated even in the years to come, during the empire. To understand the importance of the Temple in question, one must first understand the importance of Dioscuri. Their worship, born in Sparta, quickly spread throughout the Magna Grecia, especially given that were believed protectors of sailors: the myth recounts fact that Poseidon gave them the power to dominate the wind along the sea. They are two warriors generally represented in heroic nudity with the head frigio pointed headgear. Usually are accompanied by a horse, from a helmet-shaped shell (remember the myth that would be born from an egg together with her sister Elena) and a cloak. Many times bear with it a spear. It is said that after the battle of Lake Regillo there was an appearance of Dioscuri with their horses at the source Giuturna, precisely in the space of the temple.

The temple had a great deal of importance in the years to follow, because on July 15, the anniversary of the battle, it was tradition that the equites play a pompous procession on horseback towards the temple, as it were deemed to their protectors. The parade was established by Fabius Maximus Rullianus in 304 BC and even then the temple was always tied to the class of equites.
It was used in 160 BC as a place of meeting of the Senate and in the same period before the temple was established an important court. Throughout the first century BC was more a function of public building, but was always linked to political life.

Currently remain, the building rebuilt by Tiberius, three columns of the side along East and the core of the podium and it can be found in the ancient city of Rome Italy, at the foot of Palatine Hill.  Commonly referred to as the “Three Sisters”, the remaining three Corinthian columns provide an indication of how beautiful the Temple of the Dioscuri must have been.

By the 16th century the number of pilgrims increased so much that Rome turned into an unbelievably congested medieval centre.

To help the pilgrims  move more smoothly from the north gate Porta del Popolo to The Vatican a new triangle of roads was built.

By 18th century as the district developed   many hotels were set up to accommodate the increasing and constant flow of visitors. Famous poet John Keats lived in a house on the square, now converted in the Keats-Shelley House which you can visit.

Nowadays one can enjoy many of the attractions the area offers, mainly great works of Renaissance and Baroque art in Santa Maria del Popolo and Sant ‘ Andrea delle Fratte and Art exhibitions in the Villa Medici. You can enjoy the beautiful views of the Eternal city from the top of the Spanish Steps in the Pincio where you will be able to admire, amongst other unique monuments, the dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica and enjoy amazing sunsets.

The Piazza Di Spagna district is also very famous for its most exclusive  Rome shopping streets such as the high fashion Via Condotti, where the expensive couture shops such as Prada, Gucci and Ferragamo have set up their shops.

Piazza di Spagna in Rome (the Spanish Square) is the shape of bow tie and is no doubt the most famous “Piazza” in Rome ! Visitors but also the locals love sitting on the stairs for a chat, a drink or to enjoy an ice cream while looking at the passers by. Italian males here are renowned to flirt with the foreign girls, and some of them are actually called “Paparazzi”, because they are looking for rich women to go out with !

The Spanish steps are surrounded by tall houses painted in different warm colors, muted shades of ocher, cream and russet.

Why is it called ‘the Spanish square’ ?

In 17-th the Spain’s ambassador to the Holy see had his headquarters on the square.So this area around was deemed to be Spanish territory.

In 18-th and 19-th century Rome was almost as popular as now and the Spanish square was in the center of the city and it was a mai hotel district.

The small fountain in the square is called Fontana della Barcaccia. During spring and autumn it may not be noticeable because of the many people gathering around it. This fountain was designed either by the great Gian Lorenzo Bernini or by his father Pietro. The bees and suns that decorate the fountain are taken from the family coat of ars of Pope Urban VIII Barberini who commissioned the fountain.

In the 17-th century the French Owners of the church Trinità dei Monti decided to link it with the Spanish square by building magnificent new flights of steps to celebrate the newly found peace between France and Spain, and the square was named accordingly, “Spagna” meaning Spain in Italian. The famous church of Trinità dei Monti was under the French influence as early as the sixteenth century. Later on, the Accadémie de France in Rome was transferred to the nearby Villa Medici.

Nowadays the famous “Scalinata” (staircase) is used during summer for famous fashion catwalks such as “Donne Sotto le Stelle”.

How to get there : From Yes Hotel Rome    take metro Line A , direction Battistini and get off at stop ‘Spagna’, only 3 stops away from your comfortable Yes Hotel.

Almost in every country an ancient statue is an object to be admired and preserved in a museum. But there are exceptions.

When in comes to sculptures, Rome is unbeateable. It seems that all you have to do is to dig a hole in a random spot of the city to find some archeological treasure. As i said before, the sound thing to do with an archeological treasure is to keep it in a museum, but when you have many treasures (and that’s the situation in Rome) you start to use them in odd ways. To make the most of the city , buying a Roma Pass is definetely a must.

There was a time when Pasquino had no name. It was just an sculpture without face or limbs found in the 16th century, placed in an alley near Piazza Navona. An interesting classical Tour of Rome is a suggestion for detailed information .But someday someone decided to use him to voice the people’s dissatisfaction with the church’s government of the city hanging form his neck a sheet of paper with satirical verses, The idea was terrific for its time: the church never hesitated to hang or decapitate its critics, so a spokesperson made of stone was the perfect solution for the Romans.

Pasquino became really popular (and apparently got his name from a professor who used to write satirical verses, but nobody is really sure) and many popes tried to throw him into the tiber or put guards to vigilate him during the night, but all they got was the sudden creation of other “talking statues”.

After Pasquino the most famous talking statue of Rome was Marforio, a Roman sculpture representing the Tiber river or the Ocean that’s preserved now on the Capitoline Museums. Marforio became Pasquino’s interlocutor, and they eventually formed the Congress of the Witty, with other talking statues of less importance as Madama Lucrezia or Abate Luigi.

Madama Lucrezia is a monumental bust of a roman priestess located now near Piazza Venezia. She wasn’t as outspoken as Pasquino but was also popular on its day.

When the popes weren’t allowed to rule Rome anymore, the purpose of the talking statues dissapeared and they weren’t as popular as before, but if you walk past near them while visiting Rome you’ll still be able to see letters expressing the most poisoning feelings of the romans towards the italian government.