Rome Meet spring 10 or 11?

[caesar novus]

Palazzo Farnese (it was worth the wait), but I'm not blown away by this list.

It's almost not too late to request a free tour of P.F. if we had a group set up, according to contact info in http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/italy/r...lass:30981.html . That page shows a number of Palazzos that are only open a half day per week - duly entered in my calendar.

 

I wonder if the Naples event list has more potential; there is an empire related conference and such. Anyway the free run of most museums really excite me because of the flexibility. Normally the small ones are hard to cover because they are included in the ticket price of a far away big site/museum or they are overpriced for their size. Now you can just sweep them all up when you are in their neighborhood (beware hitting small ones at opening time because only a small part may be open due to late arriving staff). Also you can revisit big ticket sites briefly to see what you missed earlier, without feeling you have to linger to get your moneys worth.

[caesar novus]

or the translated http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=e...AC%2Findex.html

The above event list is daily giving a cornucopia of new events for spring and summer, even unrelated to culture week. For instance Pompeii will be lighted at night, and will open 2 new villas: http://www.pompeiisites.org/Sezione.jsp?ti...SezioneRif=1714

 

I can't find map or reference to "HOUSE OF GIULIO POLIBIO", but wonder if "Polybius" is another spelling such as in http://sites.google.com/site/ad79eruption/...julius-polybius ? From there you can get to maps and such, as well as do a search for "HOUSE OF THE CHASTE LOVERS - One of the most beautiful houses (Domus) of the ancient city has been opened to the public. The House of the Chaste Lovers, named after a decorative panel representing the innocent kiss of two lovers, was the house of a rich baker. Since its discovery in 1987 it has never been accessible to the public."

 

Coordination of this monumental opportunity for readers of this forum now fulfills my final requirements for "Sixth Good Emperor". With my expert assessment of your needs and desires, I have designated our official meeting place as l'Isola, a nudist vegetarian restaurant just off Via del Corso: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/rome/restaurants/389595 . Please attend nightly planning sessions wearing a purple figleaf for easy identification of participants.

Edited March 29, 2010 by caesar novus

[Maladict]

I can't find map or reference to "HOUSE OF GIULIO POLIBIO",

 

If this is the one with the wonderful altar in the corner (or maybe that's Menander, I always get confused) then it's my favorite Pompeian domus.

 

"HOUSE OF THE CHASTE LOVERS

I think I've been inside, saw a bakery and a horse skeleton being excavated, it's quite impressive and a treat if you can get to see it.

 

Do you have an itinerary planned yet?

[caesar novus]

I think I've been inside, saw a bakery and a horse skeleton being excavated, it's quite impressive and a treat if you can get to see it.

 

Do you have an itinerary planned yet?

If you start at the rightmost grey tip of this tiny map and project straight leftward until hitting a small and then tiny pale yellow rectangle, that is the house of polybious and chaste lovers respectively.

 

Itinerary not yet researched enough. Of Apr 16-25 event week, my first 2 days will be in Florence and last 2 around Naples (+pomp+herc), leaving almost a week in Rome (+ostia+tivoli). Some might do better to spend that last (Sun)day in Rome when I guess the Vatican museum is free.

 

There is always the issue of hitting what's not closed on Monday. Sunday's have special opportunities and I may try to hit Quirinale palace morning hours on 18th, and am wavering about trudging the traffic free Appian way in afternoon. Colonna (sp?) palace is only open on Sat mornings, but I may have that penciled in for a later week.

 

There is a minor special event in Tivoli that may draw me to that day, and special events may dictate the best day for Ostia as well. Gonna be a busy week ahead pounding the keyboard to gather info and train schedules and such...

 

EDIT> P.S. Looks like another Pompeii house is reopening tomorrow with nice restored painting. House of the small fountain is at the top of the orange rectangle within the yellow area. If you follow that street to the right until it ends, I believe that is the once-famous house of silver wedding (closed for years?).

Edited March 31, 2010 by caesar novus

[caesar novus]

More new exhibits showing up daily on MiBAC site, like reopening of Temple of Venus on colosseum side of forum (picture taken near base where 24 elephants dragged away the colossus statue of Nero).

 

That is on the convex side of the red line on below map. On the concave side is the first ever opening of a vineyard on the Palantine, which actually contains the new find of Nero's rotating dining room (or at least the hole for it surrounded by orange netting). The line indicates a walkway atop the elevated area:

 

For Nerophiles, I think there are further bits among Domitians Palace dominating the Palantine. One book indicated you could find part of his Domus Aurea below (dining room?) rectangular area in SW quadrant of palace. Another said some other Nero constructions were peeking out here and there, including amazing colored flooring. Domitian may have been a mediocre leader, but his palace seems more interesting the more I read. One book called it a landmark... the first systematic organized palace (including the residential part sometimes called something like domus agustana).

Edited April 3, 2010 by caesar novus

[Maladict]

the first ever opening of a vineyard on the Palantine,

[caesar novus]

the first ever opening of a vineyard on the Palantine,

Well, I'm going to think of it as Barbarini's terrace rather than vineyard, because it functions as a lookout rather than a look-at (assuming you can't see much ento the Nero excavation). BTW the MiBAC site shows interesting photos of that, including some circular floor channel for rotation bearings(?). I don't post the links because you can't bookmark in translation mode, but have to do some torturous workaround.

 

Also the reopened Temple of Venus had been closed for decades. And on Domitians palace (so easy to ramble over) I read a possible reason why it glazed my eyes over in the past. Like Ostia it was subject to overly hasty Fascist restoration that (to my eyes) takes away from the normal Roman majestic architecture. Domitians was particulary quickly thrown together for the famous Hitler visit according to Coarelli (I remember Hitler said to be fearful on this visit because he didn't have his phalanx of bodyguards). So now I can mentally separate some of the dufus superimposed features of Domitians and Ostia archeology, and appreciate the sites more.

 

Gonna be a busy week ahead pounding the keyboard to gather info and train schedules and such...

http://www.summerinitaly.com/planning/strike.asp has planned airport, train, ferry, and local transport strikes during this period (see apr 16, 22, 23). Should check again later, but almost every one near misses my sched by a single day, although the local transport shutdown may cause problems for my freshly broken toe.

Edited April 3, 2010 by caesar novus

[caesar novus]

Comments and advice for next year's Culture Week meet organizer:

 

- Most sites now want you to collect a free ticket for entrance.

- Hit major ones EXACTLY at opening time for less crowding, esp on weekends (Capitoline, etc).

- Mondays mostly everything except forum, palantine, colloseum and vatican are closed (see the Profano museum in vatican for incredible Roman stuff)

- Nero's possible rotating dining room is already on clear display in the new Barbarini Terrace (Palantine)

- Don't miss Pozzuoli (serapide temple, amphtheater, etc) near Naples!

- Don't miss Poppeas Villa one train stop west of Pompeii (maybe worth audio set rental)!

- Spend time at EUR for Civilta museum with molds of entire Trajan column storyline.

- Hit the far end of Ostia for best preserved mosaics and frescos

- Devote lots of time to Hadrians Villa

- Can store your luggage at train station for Naples archeo museum visit

- See museum of Roman walls before strolling them a bit (counterclockwise from museum nice)

- Appia Antica seems geared to walkers from the center going out, not for someone who trains out to Terricola and walks inward. The innermost attraction (Maxentious Villa?) with the huge, pristine racetrack/circus only open in morning. The further out Villa Quintillus(sp? the one with amazing baths) only opens it's backdoor to appia antica in the afternoon (main entrance is excruciating to walk to... back door maybe only open to those already with tickets from nearby Celias tomb).

 

Somehow WW2 sites seem to me in spirit with ancient Rome, and kind of opposite the racetrack there is a Y branch one lane road outbound with a wide sidewalk. At the end of that (1km or less on via della sette cheise?) cross the road and walk left to an extremely well done memorial to a big SS atrocity against civilians. Also maybe use nearby Ostianese or St Peter train station for an hour trip to Bracciano. Walk to the lake (Brac.) and it's shore to the east for an hour or so to find a superb flight museum. Tons of WW2, WW1, and racing planes displayed really well with facinating captions in english

Edited May 19, 2010 by caesar novus