Catacombs in Rome cover many kilometers and some are four storeys below ground zero. They contain slots carved into walls, carvings, passageways, worship halls and/or frescoes. Paintings found in this below ground complex narrate biblical stories of both old and new testaments or simply religious symbols.

 Catacombs of Domitilla, for example, spread over 15 kilometers of underground caves and are Rome’s oldest underground burial complex still containing bones.

 Catacombs are believed to have been used as burial place, worship area and refuge by persecuted Christians/Jews starting from the second century A.D. Jewish catacombs, discovered in 1918, make part of the belowground graves enriched by frescoes.

Some of the catacombs in Rome are: Marcellinus and Peter, Commodilla, Generosa, Praetextatus, Priscilla, San Callisto, San Lorenzo, San Pancrazio, San Sebastiano, San Valentino, Sant’Agnese, Jewish and so on.

 To visit the San Callisto, the most famous of all catacombs, take bus 218 from San Giovanni Metro A.

 For the Jewish Catacomb, get off at Metro B Policlinico and walk to Villa Torlonia.

For more detailed info about catacombs or elsewhere in Rome please stay in Hotel Des Artistes and you will enjoy complete instructions at reception.

Adu K

 The construction of the Basilica of St. Peter, built on a Christian Cross plan  comparing to the original design of the Greek cross, has dismissed the prospect of the dome, no longer visible at close range. Never mind: the dome, known in Rome as “Er Cupolone”, dominates the Borgo and Prati districts.

But there’s one place in Rome, where you have the feeling of being in front of the St. Peter’s dome, and touch it with your hand. It’s Via Niccolò Piccolomini, near Villa Pamphili, a park situated between the areas of Monteverde Vecchio, Aurelia and Trionfale.

Via Niccolò Piccolomini is a small residential street in the heart of the city, one of those fascinating points, from where you can have s breathtaking view of the Eternal City.

The feature that makes this place a real gem, is that from Via Piccolomini, you can see the dome of St. Peter as you’ve ever seen.

 Via Piccolomini is a street in a nice residential neighborhood, close to Via Gregorio VII. From the beginning of the road can see the dome of St. Peter and, as is natural, approaching the end of the road, we expect to see the dome getting bigger and bigger. But no.

Follow the path, looking at the Dome. Something strange happens: the closer you get, and more the Dome goes away. If you step back, the dome will seem bigger and closer. A game of perspectives that makes it fascinating.

The reason for this optical illusion? It is not known. Perhaps it is a deception of proportion, perhaps due to the orientation of the road from the Dome. It doesn’t matter a lot since it is really an amazing little magic of Rome.

This is the reason why Via Piccolomini is such a special place. The perfect ending to an evening in the center or to start an very romantic walk.

For more advice on what to do in Rome and specially to get the best rates for accommodation, check our website or contact us!

Laura Pausini is one of the most visible ambassadors of Italian pop around the world.

The singer will be visiting the Eternal City after couple of years of absence: she will be offering concerts in Rome on the 31/12/2011, 01/01/2011, 03/01/2011, 04/01/2011 and the 06/01/2011 at the Palalottomatica Arena.  Those nights are going to be special for the city of Rome that has always supported this fantastic singer. These concerts are going to be unforgettable for everyone, as she will be presenting her new album .

If you are already a fan of Laura, or if you only want to get a full immersion course in sweet Italian pop, this is an opportunity not to be missed. And don’t forget to check our website or send us an e-mail to get the best rates for accommodation in Rome!

Pope Paul IV on 14^th of July 1555, decreed the Cum nimis absurdum papal bull  to confine the Jewish minority which at that time were 2,000. The bull degraded the Jews of their personal freedoms as property ownership and imposed economic restrictions. Absurdly the bull ruled out that the Jews may not presume in any way to play, eat or fraternize with Christians. The oppression continued for 315 years until its abolition in 1870 (reunification of Italy).

At present, though the ghetto has undergone changes from its original look, it is still quite attractive area full of restaurants, bakeries and shops.

Major tourist attractions in the ghetto are: Portico di Ottavia, Ponte Fabricio (originally called Jews’ Bridge), Jewish Museum of Rome, the Synagogue of Emancipation and Santa Maria della Pietà.

Largo 16 Ottobre 1943 is a square in remembrance to the suffering of the ghetto’s residents during the second world war. At that time, Nazi soldiers threatened the Jews to bring forth 49,90 kg of gold in 24 hours or transfer them to concentration camps, the demand was met with the help of the Romans. But later the Jews were taken to the concentration camps.

The fascinating ghetto is located on the east of river Tiber, facing the Vatican. It is, easily accessible by buses and tram and though surrounded by churches, the ghetto still has fragrance of Jews among the nations.

our blogger: Adu K

Some of the Rome attractions include the cinematic costumes from the collection of Fondazione Annamode on Via Vittor Pisano, a visit to the house museum of writer Alberto Moravia on Lungotevere della Vittoria, the new collections at the National Etruscan Museum at Villa Giulia, and guided tours of Porto di Traiano near Fiumicino.

Not all of Rome’s museums or institutions are participating fully in culture week however. The National Museum of 21st-century art joins in only from 17-19 April, with reduced-price tickets. The Borghese Gallery charges a fixed rate of €2 a ticket throughout the week while the Planetarium and Museo Astronomico are excluded entirely.

For full details of Settimana della Cultura tel. 060608 (09.00-21.00) or see www.beniculturali.it.

Meanwhile from 4 May the Vatican Museums open their doors every Friday evening from 19.00-23.00, with last admission at 21.30.

The late Friday openings run until 13 July, and then from 7 September until 26

October. Now in its fourth consecutive year, the popular initiative attracts an audience of mainly Roman residents as opposed to tourists.

Our blogger: Joseph

Chinatown in Rome is booming. Yes, compared to other Chinatowns, the later is 15 years old phenomenon and its growth is fascinating. Restaurants, shops, travel agents, hotels, market, internet and telephone centres are blossoming in this little town.

Regarding Chinatown, the first thing that one imagines is a beautifully adorned gate which over the years has become an identifying landmark for Chinese in exile. In Rome the landmark is not available but the area is noted for its multi-ethnicity.

After busy weekdays explicitly on Saturdays, the area is jam-packed with people of varied tribes, nations and languages to acquire the best of fresh fish, meat, vegetables available by the open market inside Chinatown. Asians, Africans, Latinos and Italians flock to this quarter for cheap shopping and also to find shops that specialize in homeland merchandise.

Chinatown Rome’s diversity is what gives it beauty. It is nice little town full of cultures interesting to visit.

After hunting down all major tourist attractions in Rome, visiting such an area is a good experience. Cheap souvenirs, African objet d’art, clothes and variety of dishes (Chinese, Indian, Eritrean, Philipine, Bangladesh etc) are a plus to the shopping experience in Rome. 

This area of Rome, though, close to Rome Termini Central Station remains unexplored by many tourists. Interested clients are able to get information from Hotel Des Artistes’ staff of visiting Rome Chinatown. 

Chinatown located on one of Rome’s seven hills – Esquillino- is five minutes walk from Hotel Des Artistes.

our blogger: Adu K

Though basketball is not as popular in Italy as in the U.S., Italy has a score of NBA players who make a difference in a basketball game. No matter the popularity, Harlem Globetrotters will exhibit in Rome.

Harlem Globetrotters is an exhibition basketball team. Since 1926 the team accomplished 20,000 exhibition games in over 110 countries.

The show is full of acrobatic dunk, regular game, street basket, dribble show, theatre, comic basket and more.

Kids love this kind of shows wholeheartedly. In Harlem Globetrotters’ show some children may have the opportunity to play with the basketball stars. Amazing experience children will never forget.

Moreover, Emporio Armani Milano’s Coach Sergio Scariolo, has notified that the Harlem Globetrotters’ Italian Tour 2012 is also a solidarity occasion.

Shot Events promoters, has decided to dedicate part of the Italian Tour 2012 to Fondazione Candido Cannavò. This in turn will contribute the abet to Minibasket dei Bambini giocato in Carrozzina (literally: mini-basket children players wheelchair).

Tickets vary from Euro 3.5 to 40.50. For more info visit: http://en.romeguide.it/

For fair accommodation, easy & fast transport to and fro the Palalottomatica click: www.hoteldesartistes.com

Our blogger: Adu K

There are vacations and then you have experiences. A vacaction is a little time off where you get to relax and maybe see some new places. Doesn’t sound bad, but for some is not enough: some people want to really experience the places they visit and live their time there as an exciting opportunity to see life with different eyes and to live things the way other people do.

The outcome of the match is predetermined and the different stories that come out  between the wrestlers (known also as “storyline”) are invented by people called “bookers”.

Although wrestling is somewhat protected and secure, injuries do occur quite frequently.The dominant wrestling organization has its headquartered in the U.S. and is known as the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The WWE was known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) until 2000, when the World Wide Fund for Nature filed a lawsuit against the company claiming that it was violating the agreements for the use of the initials WWF.

The President of WWE Vince McMahon, with his wife Linda and their children Shane and Stephanie, appear often in the plots designed to add interest to the shows of  Raw, SmackDown and ECW.

If you are not familiar with the world of professional wrestling, you might assume that this is an activity for men only. However, many women are quite successful as  professional wrestlers. In WWE, the female wrestlers are called Divas and an annual competition called the WWE Diva Search is held every summer to discover new talent.

For all the fans of wrestling hold on tight, because this spring arrives, in Italy, the WWE RAW WrestleMania Tour Revenge with a double event for this year: jumps, moves, entertainment and much more.

The return of wrestling athletes, performances and the breathtaking spectacle of the fight: Wrestlemania returns to Italy! the most important event of the WWE, the most important league in the world of pro wrestling. The fans will have the chance to see the WWE Superstars including John Cena, CM Punk, Alberto Del Rio, The Miz, R-Truth, Kelly Kelly and many others.

WWE Raw Wrestelemania – Revenge Tour will stop in Italy in Rome Tuesday, April 17, 2012 and Wednesday, April 18, 2012 in Milan.

In Rome you can admire them from 20:30 at Palalottomatica in Piazzale dello Sport (suburban area)

tickets are available on ticketone.com and the cost of are :

€ 34.50 for the third numbered ring,

 € 46.00 for the second numbered ring,

€ 57.50 for the first numbered ring and

 € 69.00 for the audience numbered.

Its sure to be a spectacular show so don’t miss it and don’t forget to write us or visit our website to get the best accomodation in Rome at the most affordable rates.

Our Blogger: Rhodora

Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell have both confirmed they will run on the fore mentioned date in Rome. Sensational! Last year’s spectators were mounting 47.732. Not only numbers but both have had a nice sprint and in the end Bolt overcame his co-national by only 0.02 sec. 9.91 to 9.93. The presence of such competitive sports women and men make events like this enjoyable. 

Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell are just a drop in the ocean, there are also other professional first class athletes, ideal to watch. And the Samsung Diamond League is a superb occasion.

The Samsung Diamond League is an annual series of track and field meetings held from 2010 onwards, beginning with the 2010 IAAF Diamond League. It is organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and was designed to replace the IAAF Golden League, which was held annually since 1998.

While the Golden League was formed to increase the profile of the leading European athletics competitions, the Diamond League’s aim is to “enhance the worldwide appeal of athletics by going outside Europe for the first time.” In addition to the original Golden League members and other traditional European meetings, the series includes events in the United States, China and Qatar.

The winner of each of the 32 Diamond Races will receive a 40’000 USD cash prize and a spectacular Diamond Trophy created by Beyer, one of the oldest and most respected jewelers in the world, which was established in Zurich in the 18th century.

Samsung Diamond League IAAF 2012

Doha, QAT – 11 May

Shanghai, CHN – 19 May

Rome, ITA – 31 May

Eugene, USA – 2 June

Oslo, NOR – 7 June

New York, USA – 9 June

Paris, FRA – 6 July

London, GBR – 13 / 14 July

Monaco, MON – 20 July

Stockholm, SWE – 17 August

Lausanne, SUI – 23 August

Birmingham, GBR – 26 August

Zurich, SUI – 30 August

Brussels, BEL – 7 September

For a reasonable price and competitive accommodation click: www.hoteldesartistes.com

blogger: Adu K