Beyond Rome Archives - Revealed Rome

The Best Roman History Books: 9 Favorite Reads on Ancient Rome

January 2, 2021 No Comments

Some of the best Roman history books I own

What are the best books to learn Roman history… especially if you’re not an expert or academic? I get this question a lot. It’s usually after someone has seen a documentary about ancient Rome and wants to learn more, but feels overwhelmed by all of the options out there.

I studied (and love!) history. And I know ancient Roman history pretty well. But I also love clear, accessible writing and — most of all — a good story. All too often, Roman history books can be the opposite — dense and academic.

There’s another problem, too. So many of the lists I’ve seen of “best Roman history books” only cover expected ground. (Think lots of recommendations for what to read read about Caesar and Octavian, not so much about… anything else).

Looking for books on ancient Rome that are exciting, compulsively readable and refreshing? Here are some of my favorites for 2020.

Also: books about Italy I’m compulsively reading and where famous movies were filmed in Rome.

Veni, Vidi, Vici: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Roman but Were Afraid to Ask by Peter Jones

This is a great Roman history “taster”. Breezily written, it’s divided up into digestible stories that tell the story of Rome from birth to decline. Read them all together for the full sweep of Roman history. Or dip into the different bits for short anecdotes that bring Rome’s history to life. Either way, you’ll get a sense of why those of us hooked on ancient history are the way we are.

Beyond Rome, Rome

Lockdown in Italy: Locals on What Life is Like

March 14, 2020 3 Comments

Like many parts of the world, Italy has been on coronavirus lockdown on and off since March 2020.

We’ve heard what lockdown in Italy is like from the news. And many of us, sadly, have experienced some form of lockdown ourselves.

But what do locals say? Here are some of my favorite stories from locals in Italy on how it all feels, what it’s really like, and how they’re keeping themselves busy. Plus, some social media accounts to follow for live updates (which include images of beautiful meals and landscapes. Because Italy is still Italy!).

Also, make sure to check out my previous post on how you can help Italy.

Are there any stories you’ve read from locals in Italy, or other social media accounts, that you think should be on this list? Pop your suggestions in the comments.

Life on lockdown in Italy: must-reads from locals

Even before the lockdown, Rome was… different. My dear friend Eric Reguly, the Rome-based European bureau chief of the Globe & Mail, went for a strange sort of passeggiata: “For the first time in my dozen years in Rome, I could hear the water from Piazza Navona’s baroque fountains the moment I entered the square.” His postcard from a bizarrely quiet capital city is lovely, and strange.

Even the first day of lockdown “wasn’t as quiet as I expected,” writes Rome resident Jeannie Marshall. “Oblivious to government directives, the parrots were squawking in the eucalyptus trees and the neighbourhood cats were sunning themselves on the sidewalk.” Her beautifully-written account of the early days of lockdown reads like a love letter to Rome that manages to warm your heart, despite the sometimes chilling details.

Then it all changed. “Welcome to the Zona Protetta,” writes blogger and journalist Erica Firpo, who lives in Rome with her family. She describes exactly what everyone in Italy can and can’t do and how they’re coping.

Erica also is updating followers @ericafirpo on Instagram and @Moscerina on Twitter. And her husband Darius Arya, whose nonprofit the American Institute for Roman Culture I mentioned here, is posting regularly on Instagram at @dariusaryadigs and on Twitter and on Facebook at @saverome.

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Rome in the time of coronavirus. Welcome to the Zona Protetta, a more cautious #Italy with the same vibe as those quiet Ferragosto days of closures, but with much more temperance and some new rules. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte put into effect country-wide DPCM 9 decree fondly known as #Iorestoacasa (I’m staying at home), deigning the entire country a protected zone where all citizens, residents and guests follow the same (understandably) rigid decorum regulations, closures and travel rules to prevent the spread of the #coronavirus, aka COVID-19. It’s a big deal, it’s serious, and we are following these rules through (at least) April 3, 2020. What does this mean for me? For my family? For my neighbors? First and foremost, it means there is nothing to be afraid of, instead everything to admire as Italy is doing its very best to shut down the virus. Our part is easy, we just have to follow through and be responsible to ourselves and our fellow citizens. This is more than washing hands and staying one meter distance apart. We’ve been asked to remain at home and make smart, conscientious choices. I’ve shared more about what we are doing (and not doing) on my site (link in bio) and you may have caught me frustrated this morning after attempting to write and homeschool at the same time. We’re all in this together and we’ll get through this. I ❤️🇮🇹

A post shared by Erica Firpo (@ericafirpo) on Mar 10, 2020 at 3:31pm PDT

Elyssa Bernard of Romewise has a no-nonsense take on the situation, answering questions from curious readers and would-be travelers to Italy like is it safe to visit Rome right now? and should I cancel my trip to Italy?. She’s also updating followers on Instagram and Twitter.

The magazine The Local in Italy has a heartwarming roundup of ways that Italians are keeping their (and one another’s) spirits up. (Yes, there are all those great videos of people singing from their terraces).

Beyond Rome, Shopping, Tips & tricks

Coronavirus in Italy: How to Help Italy

March 8, 2020 20 Comments

Italy is ground zero for the coronavirus outbreak in Europe. It’s sad and frightening. But the fear and anxiety in Italy isn’t just about health. It’s also the blow to the Italian economy. Italy was previously predicted to grow its GDP by 0.5%. It’s now expected to see GDP drop by up to 0.7 % instead. Tourism, which contributes 14% of the country’s GDP, is one factor. Italy is expected to get 4.7 million fewer international tourist arrivals this year.

For anyone who loves Italy, lives in Italy, or wants to travel there, the danger of an economic slowdown isn’t theoretical. In Italy, most businesses, including restaurants, shops and even tour companies are small, private and often family-owned. Many rely on tourists. That means individuals, artisans and families across the country are being seriously affected. Some are laying off employees. Others will have to close.

This economic impact is concerning in more ways than one. You don’t have to know an Italian business owner to feel it. The variety and vitality of all of these small businesses is what so many of us love, and find unique, about Italy. It’s one reason why many people choose to travel there.

So one thing that’s been on my mind — along with all of the health concerns — is what we can do to help Italy’s small businesses and artisans stay on their feet.

Even if you’ve decided against traveling to Italy anytime soon because of coronavirus, there are still ways you can help.

Most business owners in the tourism industry say that the most helpful thing is to book your next trip there, now, at a date that you feel more comfortable with.

In many cases, this can save you money, too — not just on airfares, which we know are rock-bottom at the moment, but on hotels and tours too. (I’ll share some discount codes I know of below, and if you know of any others, please pass them on).

But here’s another thought. If you’re cancelling or postponing a trip, what about considering putting a small amount of that money that you’ve saved… toward supporting something about Italy that you love (or were hoping to experience)?

For example: Were you especially excited about tasting cacio e pepe and wine in Italy? Then consider treating yourself to a chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano or a bottle of Barolo. The art? Consider donating to a foundation that restores and protects cultural heritage. The history? Buy a book written by a historian, expert or tour guide living in Italy. Shopping? Support Italian artisans by buying from them directly online. (And if you can’t buy from them, consider following them on social media or engaging on their pages. Every little bit of support counts!).

Not only will you help keep the things we all love about Italy going, so that when you do go, it’s everything you dreamed of — you’ll also get to enjoy just that small part of your Italy experience without even going there. (Yet).

Beyond Rome, Rome

Italy Photography Prints for Sale (Along with Other Goodies)

June 16, 2019 No Comments

Every once in a while, readers ask if I have any of my Italy photography for sale. I’m now very pleased to say that I do! I’ve opened a storefront on Redbubble, a premier website for all things photography. You can find canvas prints, posters and greeting cards of some of the many, many Italy photos I’ve taken over the years.

It’s a place where I can offer other gifts and goodies made out of my images, too. Here are some of my favorites so far:

A laptop case that will take you right out of the office and to the country roads of Tuscany:

The classiest bag for toiletries:

The prettiest clock featuring Rome’s rose garden in bloom:

Beyond Rome, Christmas, Food & drink

What Is Panettone? (…It’s Not What You Think)

December 5, 2018 No Comments

If anyone were to ask you “What is panettone?”, you’d say it’s pretty easy to answer: It’s that dry, bread-like cake, shaped like a dome, sort of tasteless, that pops up around Christmas and that supposedly nobody likes… right?

Not quite.

Last Christmas, I went to Milan to investigate where panettone comes for BBC Travel. I learned about the history of panettone, how it’s made and the traditions of how (and when) it’s eaten in Milan (and around Italy).

What is panettone? — Beautifully-wrapped *panettoni* are in the window displays of every self-respecting bakery in Milan this time of year — like this one at Pasticceria Cucchi

And, needless to say, I learned what all the fuss is about.

Spoiler alert: When it’s made properly — and good Lord, is it laborious to make properly — it is a completely. Different. Food.

Archaeological sites, Beyond Rome, Churches & holy sites

Why These Catacombs in Naples Might Be the World’s Creepiest

March 18, 2017 No Comments

I’m constantly telling people to visit Naples, and I’ve finally written about one of my favorite reasons why: the catacombs of San Gaudioso. While Rome has no dearth of spine-tingling sites (hello, Capuchin crypt), these catacombs — which include a gallery in which desiccated heads were attached to the walls… and portraits of the dearly departed frescoed around them — are, hands-down, the creepiest place I’ve ever visited.

The run-down: Like the spectacular catacombs of San Gennaro, the catacombs of San Gaudioso were first dug out in Greco-Roman times. They were used as an ancient necropolis and then — later — an early Christian cemetery. (If this sounds familiar, it’s because the catacombs in Rome have similar backstories, too). But after being inundated with the lave dei vergini (literally, the lava of the virgins; great name, right?) and abandoned in the 9th century, they were forgotten about. Until, that is, some enterprising Dominican friars decided to build a church here in the 17th century… and pay for it, at least in part, with their really gruesome fancy-schmancy burial practices. (So fancy, in fact, only nobles and high-level officials got the benefit of it. Really, who doesn’t want to be drained, beheaded and put on display for all eternity?!).

Read more over in my story on the catacombs of San Gaudioso for BBC Culture, and remember: You have been warned.

If you’re already sold and just need the details:

The catacombs of San Gaudioso are located in the Naples neighborhood of Rione Sanità. (If you go, don’t miss the equally creepy Cimitero delle Fontanelle). The entrance is at the Basilica Santa Maria della Sanità in Piazza Sanità. The catacombs are open from Monday to Sunday, 10am-1pm, but visitable only with a tour, which leaves every hour; the guides (who are super-enthusiastic and knowledgeable, by the way — not always the case in Italy!) speak English, so you can ask for an English-language tour. More info here. It costs €9 per adult, which also gets you entrance to the catacombs of San Gennaro (also a must-see).

Also: two facts about ancient Rome you probably didn’t know, why you should visit Rome’s only pyramid and some other reasons to visit Naples.

If you liked this post, you’ll love The Revealed Rome Handbook: Tips and Tricks for Exploring the Eternal City, available for purchase on Amazon or through my site here! I’m also free for one-on-one consulting sessions to help plan your Italy trip.

Art, Beyond Rome, History, Rome, Shopping, Tips & tricks

Books About Italy I’m Compulsively Reading (and Re-Reading)

December 4, 2016 7 Comments

No matter where I am in the world, I have a shelf devoted to books about Italy. Which may be why, although I started out this post planning to write a gift guide — something I do every couple of years — I found that everything that came to mind to include was… a book.

While that partly speaks to the fact that I’m a ~~nerd~~ bookworm, it also speaks to something else: whether you’re interested in fiction or memoir, food or art, ancient history or World War II, there are a number of compulsively-readable books about Italy out there these days.

What is my bar for “compulsively readable”? In the last three years, I’ve gone through two transatlantic moves. Each time, I’ve had to winnow down my library. Most of the books on this list are ones that I found myself re-buying after my last move. That’s how much I couldn’t live without them.

So. Here are the books about Italy I’ve sometimes bought not once, but twice — and the person on your gift-giving list (other than you!) who might like them best.

The best book about Italy for the one on your list… who, faced with a table of magazines at the doctor’s office, always reaches for the New Yorker.

Haven’t heard of Elena Ferrante? First, crawl out from under your rock. Second, run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore to pick up the first novel in her “Neapolitan quartet”: My Brilliant Friend.

The series pins down human emotions, flaws and foibles with such searing precision, it’s sometimes almost excruciating to read. On the surface, it’s about two girls who grow up together in the shadows of a working-class neighborhood in postwar Naples. And if you love Italy, especially the south or bella Napoli, it will give you a raw, intense look at a people and culture that tend to be stereotyped, not examined.

And yet, as in any true masterpiece, so many of the observations Ferrante makes apply far beyond the backstreets of Naples. For example…

Beyond Rome, Food & drink, Tips & tricks

Seven of the Best Autumn Sagre in Italy

September 26, 2016 1 Comment

I’ve been obsessed with Italy’s sagre since my first introduction to them. So much more than food festivals (though food’s a big part of it), these are celebrations of a local community, culture and cuisine. The particular foodstuff they celebrate completely ranges — anything from white truffle to chocolate to pumpkins to chestnuts to wine. And the best season for them? The autumn! Which is why I just wrote about seven of the best sagre in Italy in autumn — from a little town just outside Rome to Puglia to Piedmont — for The Guardian. Check it out here.

Beyond Rome, Food & drink, Rome, Tips & tricks

What to Know About Coffee in Italy — And Where to Find the Best Coffee in Rome

March 5, 2016 12 Comments

The sad news arrived this week that Italy is truly, finally getting its first Starbucks… which seems like the perfect time to talk about coffee in Italy. You know, Italian coffee in Italy. What it is. How to order it. What the various kinds (macchiato, lungo, cappuccino, mamma mia!) really mean. And, naturally, where to find the best coffee in Rome (and beyond).

But first, let’s get one thing out of the way: what coffee in Italy is not.

What is Italian coffee, really?

Italian coffee is not something you would mistake on the first sip for a weirdly hot milkshake.

It does not require 10 minutes of you patiently waiting for a barista to make it only to then grab it to go and rush out the door with it in your hand as if, at that precise moment, the urgency of your situation suddenly became apparent.

It is not served in a cup so large it could be mistaken for an army barracks stock pot.

And it does not in any way taste like peppermint, spiced pumpkin or like what would happen if you burned butter, added it to raw bitter greens, then boiled the two together. (Yes: That last point means properly-done espresso, from good-quality beans, does not have that burned, bitter taste that you get from a mug of classic Starbucks roast).

Got it? Good!

Okay, fine, but what’s the big deal with Italian coffee, anyway?

You mean, why does Italian coffee have such cachet that leading coffee chains worldwide all give their menu items Italian names… no matter how American/British/fill-in-the-blank their drinks really are?

Best coffee in Italy at Naples Caffe Mexico — At the best Italian bars, like Caffe Mexico in Naples, making an espresso is down to a science

For one thing, because Italians invented coffee culture. No, they weren’t the first to harvest — or brew — the beans. But they were the first in Europe to open a coffee house (Venice, 1629), to invent the espresso machine (Turin, 1884) and to come up with the macchinetta (the stovetop percolator first produced by Bialetti, still the leading creator of the moka, in 1933).

Or, as the owner of Caffè Sant’Eustachio in Rome once put it to me years ago, when I asked him why he thought not a single Starbucks had opened in Rome:

“Macchiatto, espresso, cappuccino — these are all Italian names. Why would we buy the American version of these drinks when we’re the ones who invented them?”

Beyond Rome

Should I Take a Day Trip from Rome to Naples?

January 16, 2016 3 Comments

Why take a day trip from Rome to Naples?

Actually… the issue isn’t necessarily whether you should take a day trip from Rome to Naples. The issue really is that a day in Naples is not enough time to explore the city’s art and archaeology, its ridiculously good food and fascinating underground, its vibrance and energy.

Stazione toledo in Naples, Italy — One of Naples’ new and trippy “art stations”, Toledo, on the metro (photo: Wikipedia)

Or to even start to grasp its contradictions. Naples is a place where a spate of contemporary art museums have opened in the last few years — but where people still lower baskets outside their window to the street to trade cash for cigarettes.

It’s a place where traffic patterns will sometimes completely break down — but where the buses are frequent and the brand-new subway stations have all been beautifully designed by contemporary artists.

It’s a place where whole families will cram onto a scooter without a single helmet between them — but where you’ll be admonished by a well-meaning local if you dare to go out on a chilly night without a scarf around your neck.

Whether to take a day trip from Rome to Naples — There’s way more to food in Naples than pizza… hello, sfogliatelle!

To really start to dig into (and grasp) Naples, you need at least two, three days. Or, frankly, a lifetime. (For a very good sense of why it took me a few visits to capitulate to bella Napoli — but why I wound up falling for the city, hard — then read this piece I wrote for New York Magazine).

But most people coming to Italy aren’t considering whether a day trip from Rome to Naples is enough. They’re considering whether to visit Naples at all.

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