Events in Rome: MAY 2008

MUSIC: La notte (The night) by Salvatore Adamo (1962)

By Roman Homes' staff, with contributions of RomaTurismo, the tourist site of the municipality.

• Exhibitions
• Music: Jazz, Pop, Rock
• Music: Classic, Opera Ballet
• Theatre
• Rome with a view
• Kids
• Eating and drinking
• Sports
• Fairs and markets
• Culture, environment
• Off the beaten track
• Preview 2008

Rome, New Year midnight: the Pantheon, the best preserved ancient temple, observes the fireworks with the Italian flag colours green-white-red

Excitement and emotion is what Rome in May is all about!

For the fans of poetry and of photographic image we recommend a visit to the International Photography Festival and to the "Vita in Comune" exhibition. Classics aficionados shouldn't miss the Sebastiano del Piombo and Renoir exhibitions. Also not to be missed is a show dedicated to the 15th century and artists like Donatello, Perugino, Pinturicchio, and another to the 14th century Riminese artist Giovanni Baronzio.
Finally, a particular mention must go to the traditional and atmospheric painting festival along Via Margutta ("Cento Pittori Via Margutta").

Musically speaking the highlight this month are the concerts of Vasco Rossi, Jovanotti, Sergio Cammariere, Enrico Ruggeri and Michele Zarrillo.
The classical music landscape is filled with many highlights in May, such as the opera "Viaggio alla fine del millennio", the "Il corsaro" and "Ulisse" ballets, concerts by the Accademia Filarmonica and the final performances of "Tosca" and "Il sabato in Galleria Doria Pamphilj".

The theatre season ends with a bang offering up performances by actors including Christian De Sica, Massimo Ranieri, Tullio Solenghi, Umberto Orsini and Paolo Villaggio...

A lot of attention must also go to dance event "STOMP", a spectacular and overwhelming tour de force.

Last but not least is the electronic music festival "Dissonanze" and sports events such as the Italian Tennis Open, the Piazza di Siena show-jumping event, the "Race for the Cure" marathon and the canoeing competition along the Tiber river.

Palazzo Venezia, via del Plebiscito, 118. Info 0669994319
Until 18 May: 10 Grandi Mostre. Sebastiano Del Piombo. Venezia 1485 - 1547
Sebastiano Luciani, known as "del Piombo" - who famously argued with Michelangelo regarding the execution of the Sistine Chapel’s decorations - is a Renaissance painter from Venice who has always been underrated by critics. Given that the Venetian Sebastiano Del Piombo was the only painter capable of being a counterpoint to Raphael’s poetics in the 16th century, this assessment is unjust. The artist spent much of his artistically more mature period in Rome and now the city has put on the first retrospective dedicated to him featuring large canvases, life-size portraits, paintings on wood and preparatory sketches. The show tracks Del Piombo’s artistic development, from the warm colourful work of his beginnings to the darker atmospheres of the later period. Tue-thu h10-20; fri-sat h10-22. €10, reduced €8

GIL, largo Ascianghi, 5
Villa Glori, via Argentina, 10
IILA, via dei Catilinari, 3
Until 25 May: FotoGrafia. Festival Internazionale di Roma.
The cycle of "Lezioni romane" (Roman lessons) opens the seventh edition of this festival with talks by Josef Koudelka and Martin Parr. The theme this year is "Vedere la normalità. La fotografia racconta il quotidiano" (Seeing normality. Photography recounts the everyday) and aims to underline how the seventh art reigns supreme as to the narrative potential of the everyday. There will be events, screenings, lectures, presentations and discussions looking at the work of Paolo Woods (presenting "Chinese safari"), Leonie Purchas and Gabriele Basilico. A lot of space is devoted to photojournalism during this festival, reportages on Tokyo and Burma and the work of up-and-coming photographers in the newly opened Pavilion 9C venue in the Mattatoio.

Musei Capitolini - Palazzo Caffarelli, piazza del Campidoglio. Info 060608
Until 8 Jun: Ricordi dell'antico. Sculture, porcellane e arredi all'epoca del Grand Tour (Memories of the Past. The sculptures, ceramics and furnishings of the Grand Tour era)
The 18th century was enamoured of classical art and placed it at the base of every modern artist's creativity. The 150 works on show - including ceramic pieces, paintings, drawings and etchings - help us understand how much attention is given to antiquity. Visitors will be able to admire Luigi Valadier's Callipygian Venus and Apollo of Belvedere, or the figures of Laocoon, Castor and Pollux and Bacchus and Ariadne sculpted by Francesco and Luigi Righetti. Paintings, watercolours and etchings will illustrate the figurative and cultural environment of this period. Among these the views of Rome by Panini are particularly worthy of mention. Tue-sun h9-20. €4,50, reduced €2,50

Scuderie del Quirinale, via XXIV Maggio, 16. Info 0639967500
Until 10 Jun: Ottocento. Da Canova al Quarto Stato (1800s. From Canova to the Fourth State)
This is the first major exhibition dedicated to Italian 19th century painting, a century during which our country was conquering the rest of Europe with the likes of Verdi, Puccini, Rossini, but still wasn't considered to excel culturally. The over 100 masterpieces to go on show at the Scuderie del Quirinale show how this century boasted a rich selection of interesting paintings. Artists such as Appiani, Palagi, Hayez and representatives of the Milanese Romantic School, the Macchiaioli (Fattori, Lega, Signorini) in Florence, the Vedutists of the Posillipo and Morelli School in Naples created works that were free of classical restrictions and who nourished themselves with ideas from the Risorgimento and Romanticism. These paintings showed everyday scenes and highlighted the existential unease of modern man. Sun-thu h10-20; fri and sat h10-22,30. €10, reduced €7,50

Complesso del Vittoriano, via San Pietro in Carcere
Until 29 Jun: Renoir. Tradizione e innovazione (Renoir. Tradition and innovation)
The city of Limoges gave birth to one of the greatest Impressionist artists, Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The artist was a huge fan of music and profoundly smitten with female sensuality – female nudes were among his favourite subjects. His first significant experiences in the field of painting were had together with other talented artists Monet and Sisley, with whom he painted outdoors under the sky of Fointainebleau. Approximately 150 creations on loan from Italian and international museums go on show and explore Renoir’s human and artistic journey. These works are suffused with sun, light and colour; they are snapshots of intimate and tender moments, immersed in an atmospheric intensity. Mon-thu h9,30-19,30; fri and sat h9,30-23,30; sun h9,30-20,30. €10, reduced €7,50

Colosseo, piazza del Colosseo. Info 0639967700
Until 4 Sep: Trionfi romani (Roman Victories)
The bas-reliefs, bronzes, coins, sculptures and paintings on display aim to get the concept of ‘Roman vistories’ across to the public by telling us about the ceremonies and festivities surrounding the historic big battles. The first section of the exhibition relates to victories and their development, from the Etruscan to the Hellenistic worlds; the second section shows images of illustrious victors and the illustrious defeated – among which Caesar, Pompeius and Octavian – and reproduces battle scenes. The last section is devoted to conquered peoples: the Greeks, the Judeans, the Dacians and the Barbarians. Until 31 Aug h8,30-19,15; from 1 Sep h8,30-19. €11, reduced €6,50

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Museo del Corso, via del Corso, 320. Info 06916508451
Until 7 Sep: Il Quattrocento. La Rinascita delle Arti da Donatello a Perugino (The 15th century. The Renaissance of the Arts from Donatello to Perugino)
Mantegna, Perugino, Piero della Francesca, Pinturicchio, Donatello, Michelangelo, Lippi are just some of the artists featured in an exhibition that does justice to the value of Rome’s artistic output during the Renaissance. The 170 works on show are on loan from prestigious international museums and are accompanied by a large panel illustrating life in the city in the 1500s and a 3D reconstruction of the Carafa Chapel of Santa Maria sopra Minerva Church created using the application of colour optical radar technology (usually used for spatial investigations) on an artistic monument. Curated by Claudio Strinati and Marco Bussagli, with the coordination assistance of Grazia Bernardini. Tue-wed and sat-sun h10-20; thu-fri h10-23. €9, reduced €7

Palazzo delle Esposizioni, via Nazionale, 194. Info 06489411
Until 18 May: Il mito della velocità. Arte, motori e società nell'Italia del '900 (The myth of speed. Art, engines and society in 20th century Italy)
Eugenio Martora and Patrizia Pietrogrande curate this exhibition that explores the concept of 'speed' in the 20th century. Design, cinema, art, cars and fashion are explored through the cars, motorbikes, airplanes, photos and videos of various periods. These items look at the salient and relevant moments of Italian history, such as the birth of the big Italian car companies or the economic post-war boom.

Palazzo delle Esposizioni, via Nazionale, 194. Info 06489411
Until 18 May: Cina XXI secolo. Arte fra identità e trasformazione (China 21st Century. Art between identity and transformation)
China is examined by its contemporary artists: Chen Chieh-Jen, Liu Xiaodong, Sun Yuan e Peng Yu, Wang Du, Wang Qingsong, Weng Fen and Yang Fudong. Each has his/her own style but all denounce the sort of modern society that alienates the individual. Located somewhere between communism and capitalism, China is changing to the core of its genetic code at vertiginous speed. This is having an impact on the country's citizens. The Chinese today live in a context of chaos, mass consumption, nihilism and hyper-realism and these works examine the modern lives of these people in an intimate and psychological dimension. A series of film screenings entitled "New Chinese Cinema 1992-2007" curated by Marco Muller and readings with contemporary Chinese authors in "The new Chinese Literature" curated by Maria Rita Masci will take place alongside the exhibition.

MACRO, via Reggio Emilia, 54. Info 06671070400
Until 18 May: Nahum Tevet
This Israeli artist lives in Tel Aviv and has already had solo shows in Paris, New York, Zurich and Jerusalem. For the Rome exhibition the artist has selected a series of works made of wood materials, namely "Untitled 1995-96", "Take Two" and other wall installations. The margin of separation between contemporary art and architecture loses itself in Tevet's creations; the space is redefined by these complex labyrinths designed according to a minimalist style. Geometric and colourful juxtapositions should be observed in an infinite variety of ways, therefore multiplying perspectives, departure and arrival points, and escape routes... Tue-sun h9-19. €1

Palazzo Incontro, via dei Prefetti, 22
Until 25 May: Magnificenze Vaticane. Capolavori d'arte dalle collezioni della Fabbrica di San Pietro (Vatican treasures. Artistic masterpieces from the Fabbrica di San Pietro collections)
This exhibition featuring 130 works kept in St Peter's Papal Basilica in the Vatican is divided into four sections dedicated to architecture, paintings, sculpture and the applied arts. Among the many pieces by artists living and working between the 14th and 20th centuries - all of which have been restored for the occasion - those particularly worth pointing out are the beautiful frescoes and drawings by Michelangelo and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Tue-sun h10-19. Admission free

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Museo Napoleonico, piazza di Ponte Umberto I, 1. Info 060608
Until 25 May: Napoleone. Fasto Imperiale. I tesori della Fondation Napoléon (Napoleon. Imperial Splendour. The treasures of the Napoléon Foundation)
The paintings, drawings, miniatures, furniture, clothing and jewellery exhibited in this show tell of the pomp and everyday existence of the Imperial Napoleonic Court and are on loan from the Musée de l'Armée, the de la Malmaison and Praz museums and from a private collection. Both the ceremonial and the everyday are explored in the form of elegant ashtrays (an item that Napoleon was very attached to), vases, crockery and coffee sets, pocket watches and so on... Among the many works on show, particularly worthy of mention are a canvas by Boze, Lefèvre and Vernet depicting the battle of Marengo and some fascinating objects in the military section: the Aigle de drapeau (a standard - or flag - used by the Grande Armée), a helmet and a breastplate used by the French cavalry and a collection of sabres. Tue-sun h9-19. €5,50, reduced €4

Museo Carlo Bilotti, Aranciera di Villa Borghese. Viale F. La Guardia. Info 060608
Until 25 May: Una storia privata. Fotografia e arte contemporanea nella Collezione Cotroneo (A private story. Photography and contemporary art in the Cotroneo Collection)
Anna Rosa and Giovanni Cotroneo have brought together an amazing collection of contemporary photography based on their own personal taste. This collection is therefore, to all intents and purposes, “a private story”. This story includes the nocturnal scenes of Raffaella Mariniello, the Naples landscapes of Mimmo Jodice, the abstract forms of Lorenza Lucchi Basili, the mirrors of Michelangelo Pistoletto, the light-filled icons of Silvio Wolf and the work of many other contemporary artists. Closing the show is an exclusive installation by Alfredo Pirri that presents art as a new – and always creative – window on to the world. Venue: the Bilotti museum. Mar-dom h9-19. €6, rid. €4

Museo Nazionale Romano Palazzo Massimo, largo di Villa Paretti, 1. Info 0639967700
Until 1 Jun: Rosso Pompeiano. La decorazione pittorica nelle collezioni del museo di Napoli e a Pompei (Pompeian Red. Pictorial decoration in the collections of the Naples and Pompeii museums)
A hundred fragments of frescoes from buildings in Pompeii, Stabia, Boscotrecase and Herculaneum, the red and black walls of the Moregine and Casa del Bracciale d’Oro triclinia are on display in the Museo Nazionale Romano Palazzo Massimo, near Rome’s train station. The same museum houses the most prestigious Roman painting collection in the world. h9-19,45

Casa dei Teatri - Villa Doria Pamphilj, Villino Corsini - ingresso Arco dei Quattro Venti, largo 3 giugno 1849 (angolo via di San Pancrazio). Info 0645460693
Until 1 Jun: Dal colore alla luce. Beni Montresor. Un protagonista del teatro internazionale (From colour to light. Beni Montresor. A star of international theatre)
The London Times has called him "one of the most enchanting performers of the stage", while Le Monde refers to him as a "visionary poet". The great director, costume and set designer, writer and illustrator Beni Montresor was born in the province of Varese in the 20s. He worked in the most prestigious theatres in the world, proposing innovative solutions that were all characterised by one thing in common: a refined elegance. Sketches, drawings, photos and costumes created for the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome are on display in this exhibition and allow us to explore Montresor's artistic journey, his dedication to the language of colour, the progressive evolution in his work towards a stark simplicity. A simplicity that saw the artist commit himself exclusively, during the creation of a scene, to light effects and movement. Tue-sun h10-19. Admission free

Museo delle Mura, via di Porta San Sebastiano, 18. Info 060608
Until 8 Jun: Pechino 2008: il tempo, gli animali, la storia. Un’opera di Huang Rui (Beijing 2008: Time, Animals, History. A work by Huang Rui)
A major site-specific installation created for the Museo delle Mura by Chinese avant-garde artist Huang Rui. The artist derived his inspiration from the large stone buildings and monuments in Rome and created a striking piece made out of 2,008 bricks collected from the ‘hutong’ neighbourhoods in Beijing, old quarters which are being demolished to create new developments for the Olympics. The soul of the show is its Eastern chronological articulation, which sees time as a perpetual cycle of long temporal cycles, whereas in the West time is a succession between one number and the next with no sense of continuity. Each of the 2,008 bricks features a western numeral (from 1 to 2008) and a date taken from the Chinese calendar, as well as the name of the emperor of that time. The bricks are further organised by Chinese zodiac signs and animal spirits. Tue-sun h9-14

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Museo Barracco, corso V. Emanuele, 166a. Info 060608
Until 8 Jun: Ex-volto. Le sculture di Paolo Delle Monache al Museo Barracco (Ex-volto. The sculptures of Paolo Delle Monache on display at the Barracco Museum)
The 25 works of Paolo Delle Monache are exhibited alongside the regular displays of Assyrian, Egyptian, Cypriot, Phoenician, Etruscan, Greek and Roman art. Almost all the sculptures - "Réverie", "Cherub who meditates", "Cherub who observes" and "Aurora" – are splendid examples of faces and expressions from which sentiment and intensity transpires. These faces are composed according to a timeless style. In Delle Monache the thread of memory leading him to incorporate Etruscan, Classical and Renaissance elements is very strong... Tue-sun h9-19. €3, reduced €1,50

Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica di Palazzo Barberini, via Quattro Fontane, 13. Info 0632810
Until 15 Jun: Giovanni Baronzio e la pittura a Rimini nel Trecento (Giovanni Baronzio and Riminese painting in the 14th century)
This is the first of the major exhibitions that the Galleria Barberini is dedicating to the many works of art simply gathering dust in the nation's many storage facilities. The focus of the show is on 14th century Riminese painting - one of the key artistic moments this country has known. One of the star pieces on display is the "Dossale" by Giovanni Baronzio. This artist explored the Passion of the Christ and featured images of Franciscan preaching depicted in "pittura narrante" style. Tue-sun h10-19. €5, reduced €3

Fondazione Memmo Palazzo Ruspoli, via del Corso, 418
Until 15 Jun: Capolavori che ritornano. I dipinti della collezione del Gruppo Banca Popolare di Vicenza (Masterpieces return. The paintings of the Gruppo Banca Popolare di Vicenza Collection)
A show organised chronologically by school and period - the Tuscan School from the 13th to 15th centuries, the Veneto school in the 15th and 16th centuries – has been put together with works made available by Gruppo Banca Popolare di Vicenza and on loan from prestigious Italian and international museums. There’s also a virtual gallery dedicated to Tuscan and Veneto art in the 17th and 18th centuries. The last section is dedicated to the 19th and 20th centuries, in particular to marble sculptures from that period. Among the works on show a particular mention must go to Bartolomeo Montagna’s "Madonna and Child", Tintoretto’s "Portrait of a Young Man with an Ermine Trimmed Coat”, Antonio Canova’s bust of "Calliope" and Tiepolo’s "Head of an Oriental Man".

Musei di Villa Torlonia - Casino dei Principi. Via Nomentana, 70. Info 060608
Until 15 Jun: Carlo Levi e Roma. Il respiro della città (Carlo Levi in Rome. The breath of the city)
This exhibition makes clear the desire for artistic renewal and innovation in the early 20th century, when art was no longer satisfied with representing man according to predetermined aesthetic canons but rather wanted to empathise with him. The exhibition displays 28 paintings by painters from the Roman School (among which Pirandello, Mafai, Scipione, Trombadori, Afro, Ferrazzi, Scialoja, Melli and Capogrossi), but above all 46 paintings by Carlo Levi (dated from 1926 to 1954). Levi’s (and his followers’) style evolved with the passing of time: the colours became more decisive, the brush strokes gained body, the still lifes moved closer to the Expressionistic style, the views became visionary. Levi’s portraits should garner a special mention: the painter conceives of them first as a form of auto-representation and an account of our own subjectivity, and in second place, a way of establishing a dialogue with the subject represented. Tue-sun h9-17,30 until 29 Mar; tue-sun h9-19 from 30 Mar. From €5 to €9

Musei Capitolini, Palazzo dei Conservatori - Sala degli Arazzi. Piazza del Campidoglio
Until 6 Jul: La regina Arsinoe. Un ritratto bronzeo tolemaico da Mantova a Roma (Queen Arsinoe. A ptolemaic bronze bust travels from Mantua to Rome)
Visitors to Rome can admire this extraordinary bronze bust of Arsinoe III, the legendary Ptolemaic Queen who reigned over Egypt from 220 to 204 BC, which is on loan from the Museo Civico di Palazzo Te in Mantua. Make sure to see this enchanting, mysterious and fascinating work during its exclusive visit to Rome.

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Love it or loathe it, few can fail to be impressed by the pompous grandeur of the Victor Emmanuel monument. Also known as the Vittoriano - nicknamed "the type-writer" by the Romans, or 'the wedding cake' from the American GIs of WW2, - this over-the-top symbol to national unity has been open to the public for the past year, but only recently has it been possible to visit the vast, labyrinthine innards of the building as well. Take this chance to marvel at the sheer scale of the construction, admire the fin-de-siècle mosaics at close quarters - and have unsurpassed 360 degree views over the city from the dizzy terraces. Entrance is free.
10am-6pm Tue-Sun, Vittoriano, Piazza Venezia (06 678 0363). Bus to Piazza Venezia (just next to Capitol Hill).

Park of the Appian way - "Archeobus"
The Appian Way or "Regina Viarum" - Queen of Roads - of ancient Rome is the best preserved of ancient roads leading to Rome. As it was forbidden to bury within the city walls, it was flanked by many impressive graves - some still extant to this day. The road is still endowed with the ancient cobblestones, and it also flanked by impressive sights: the Circus of Maxentius (second largest after the Circus Maximus), the Tomb of Cecilia Metella, the majestic Villa dei Quintili, and finally various aqueducts, some 15 meters high (Claudius aqueduct). To preserve also the landscape around the road, the entire area surrounding was transformed into a lush archaeological park.
The Appian Way is very hard to reach by normal bus or taxi, so it is best visited with the specific "Archeobus", leaving from Piazza Venezia every day at 9:00 am and 5:00 pm. You can ask information and book every day except Sat., Sun. and holidays from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm – Tel: (+39) 0646954695

To detailed presentation of Appia Antica-Ancient Appian Way

Frattocchie-Boville (ancient Bovillae) is situated very near Rome, in the Roman Castles. Just outside town you still find beatufil landscapes, century-old olive groves, lush vineyards, and old country houses. The highlight is the ancient Roman stadium, built by Tiberius to commemorate Augustus. Ecologists are trying to preserve the area from speculative plans aimed at building a shopping centre and soccer fields. Click here for a complete presentation, also with insight on the Italian left