Rome blog for Bed & Breakfast Chaplin Hostel

AS Roma supporters exhibition celebrates 80 years’ anniversary

As of tomorrow (Monday August 27th) one can visit the exhibition “80 anni di tifo per la Roma”(80 Years a Roma Supporter) Pavillion 9/c of the ex-Mattatoio (ex-Slaughterhouse) in the quarter Testaccio (not coincidentally one of the most quintessentially Roman quarters of the city of Rome).

The exhibition will continue until September 15th and is opened from Monday till Friday from 6pm till midnight and during the weekends from 10am till midnight.

Banners, balls and crutches

The 27 stands, together occupying 1500 square meters of space, each relate an aspect of AS Roma’s history, particularly of course the 3 championships won by the team.

Over 3000 photographs, 500 objects and hundreds of statistics relate AS Roma’s history. Apart from the obligatory banners and shirts there are also (at least for Roma’s tifosi) important relics like the autographed ball of the second scudetto (championship), shoes and shirts of famous players from the past and of course Francesco Totti: the shirt he wore when Roma won the Italian supercup a couple of weeks ago, the crutches he used during his injury two years ago, and the shirt in which he won the world cup, the only relic in the exhibition that is not colored yellow and red.

How to get to Testaccio from B&B Chaplin Rome

The quarter Testaccio from Hostel Chaplin Bed and Breakfast Rome can easiest be reached by taking metro line B to the stop Piramide.

La Città in Tasca – Roman park dedicates two weeks to children

Today August 25th, the 13th edition of “La Città in Tasca” (The City In Your Pocket) will begin in Rome. It is held in the Parco di San Sebastiano ( The entrance is in Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 55). The program is meant for kids between 3 and 13 and is a mixture of culture, theatre, exhibitions, and, of course, all kind of games. Every day until September 9^th various  kinds of artists, jugglers, clowns, etc. will perform for and play with the kids from 16,30 till 23 hours.

One of the recurring features is the “La Città del Artingioco” (The City of Art-in-Game), where the children can play with the works of contemporary artists.

Every Saturday and Sunday there will be a Punch and Judy show in the Teatro degli Accettella.

On September 8th, the day of the White Night, the fable “Ali di Seta” (Wings Of Silk) will be performed, with music and dance. On the same day Raffaello Simoni will play a concert, using musical instruments from all over the world.

Admission is free, except for special theatre shows, which will cost 6 Euros. Part of this money will go to the organization Save the Children.

How to get there from the Chaplin and the Little Italy B&B

From Chaplin Bed and Breakfast Rome you take metro line B to Circo Massimo, where you look for the Viale delle Terme di Caracalla. From Bed & Breakfast Little Italy Hostel you first take line A to Rome Termini, and change onto the B line.

What is the White Night in Rome?

The Notte Bianca (White Night), themed “The World In One Night” this year, takes place on Saturday September 8^th in 2007. All museums and art galleries are open all night during the Whie Night and open air events are organized all over the capitol. And it is all free.

Bars and restaurants, as well as shops, are also allowed to stay open all night, though this is not obligatory.

The music program starts at 9pm in the Piazza del Campidoglio with a concert dedicated to the Italian composer and musician Armando Trovajoli and ends Sunday morning in Piazza di Siena in Villa Borghese with a concert by the duo Zero Assoluti. There is also a concert by the singer-songwriter Franco Battiato and from 6pm until 6am various performances by young Italian artists will take place in the Palazzo delle Esposizioni on Via Nazionale.

The center (ZTL, or Zona a Traffico Limitato, or Zone with Limited Traffic) will be blocked for traffic during the Notte Bianca while at the same time there is an increase in public transport. Both Trenitalia and Alitalia give discounts during the White Night weekend.

Waiting For The White Night

During the evening before the Witte Nacht there is a more limited program titled “Aspettando la Notte Bianca” (Waiting For The White Night). Of particular interest are Giancarlo Neri’s installation “Massimo Silenzio” (Maximum Silence), which will illuminate the entire Circus Maximus with lights of a myriad of different colors, and the inauguration of the Palazzo delle Esposizioni after a restoration that took several years.

For details about the program you can visit the website of the Witte Nacht.

On the night after the White Night we will allow you to have your breakfast later than the usual 10am at the Chaplin Bed and Breakfast Rome.

End of Rome’s Love Lock bridge

The locks that had been attached to lamp posts on Rome’s Ponte Milvio in the wake of the romantic movie Tre Metri Sopra Il Cielo (Three Metres Above The Sky) have been removed. Imitating the film’s protagonists, young Romans had started writing their names on the locks and throwing the keys into the Tiber.
A minor political row had ensued when the left wing mayor had announced he wanted to remove the locks, the bridge not being able to bear the extra weight. The opposition claimed that the left does not understand the importance of love. The left declared that they have nothing against lovers (no kidding!).

The poor tour groups that had started including Rome’s lover’s bridge in their itineraries will have to find another cute spot to take their pictures, while the fish below Ponte Milvio can breathe easier.

Domus Aurea reopens to the public

After having been closed for a little bit over a year for restorations on February 4th the Domus Aurea will open its doors to visitors again.

Weekend without football

After major irregularities leading to the death of a policeman after the football match between the Sicilian teams of Catania and Palermo the government has decided to suspend all league football matches for the weekend, including the top match between Roma and Inter.

Car-less Sunday

On February 18th no cars will be allowed in the center of Rome. For one day you will be able to cross the road without having to fear for your lives. Enjoy!

Rome’s first golf course to be ready in 2008

Mayor Walter Veltroni has official announced the construction of Rome’s first golf course, to be built near the Rome-Fiumicino motorway. The 7,000 meter course is supposed to be ready in 2008. Time to get out the funny pants