Published on Monday, August 31, 2015 by Kathy McCabe On December 8th of this year, the Roman Catholic Church’s 29th Jubilee Year (only the 29th since the tradition was established 700 years ago) begins. A Jubilee, or Holy Year, is one in which devout members of the church make pilgrimages to Rome and the Holy See. The last one took place in 2000 and was declared by Pope John Paul II. Pope Francis has dedicated the ...

Published on Thursday, August 20, 2015 by Kathy McCabe At 136 acres, the grounds of the Castel Gandolfo, the Pope’s private residence in Lazio, are larger than the entire Vatican City (108 acres). The land includes gardens, woodland, a working farm, beehives, a dairy, and even hay fields—but you don’t need to take our word for it. As of this this year, the public can tour these previously closed areas that are just ...

Published on Monday, August 10, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Fifty years after its release, Federico Fellini’s iconic film La Dolce Vita will be remade by Andrea Iervolino’s AMBI Group. The Fellini family has approved this new film, which will be “a contemporary story every bit as commercial, iconic and award-worthy as the original,” said Iervolino. Starring Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg and Anouk Aimée, the 19...

Published on Monday, June 29, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Back in 81 AD, the Roman Emperor would have entered the Circus Maximus in grand style, standing in a chariot steered through the newly constructed Arch of Titus. But until recently, the only records of that structure existed in medieval-era documents; stone that wasn’t pilfered sank beneath the ground and was lost for eight centuries. However, this spring archaeo...

Published on Thursday, June 25, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Fellini. Rossellini. Zeffirelli. Those celebrated names of Italian cinema whose careers flourished at Cinecitta Studios during the post-war 1950s and 1960s may soon find themselves joined by a newer crop. Although the 22-stage facility’s luster dimmed in the 1980s, a 2014 Italian tax rebate of 25% on movie production has lured some big movies and big stars back to C...

Published on Friday, June 12, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Rome’s gladiator barracks, part of the city’s famous Colosseum, may soon be accessible to the public—thanks, in part, to the Kuwaiti government. An ancient tunnel linking those training chambers to the main arena could be restored with funds from a multi-million dollar grant from Kuwait, writes The Telegraph. The Ludus Magnus (Great Training Facility) was the...

Published on Tuesday, May 5, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Visitors to Rome's Colosseum will once again be able to walk in the footsteps of the gladiators. Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini announced that he will approve putting the floor back in the iconic amphitheater. "Rebuilding the arena of the Colosseum, taking it back to the way it was until the 19th century, is the best way to protect the monument," Franceschi...

Published on Friday, April 24, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Via Urbana, a quiet cobblestone street, will be the first car-free street in Rome after a municipal council vote to make the street a wholly pedestrian area. Anyone who has ever visited The Eternal City will testify to its eternal din from scooters, cabs and honking cars of all shapes and sizes. But the noise is a secondary ill; the real problem is safety, since agg...

Published on Monday, March 16, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Looking for the perfect excuse to visit Rome and the Vatican in 2016? Pope Francis just gave you one. He has declared 2016 a Holy Year.  The last one was in 2000. The Holy Year, also called a Jubilee, will start this year on December 8th – the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception – and will close November 20, 2016 with the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ...

Published on Monday, March 9, 2015 by Kathy McCabe New tickets for use on Rome’s public transportation network – including trams, buses, local Trenitalia trains (excluding airport trains) and the metro – are now available, replacing the old 24-hour and 72-hour tickets and adding a 48-hour ticket. Unlike the former ticket system, under which tickets were valid only until midnight on the last calendar day of use, ...