Italy Archives - Revealed 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.

View this post on Instagram

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).

Tips & tricks

Driving in Italy: Tips for Your First Time (or Tenth)

June 2, 2019 2 Comments

Beautiful view in Italy for post on driving in Italy tips

Driving in Italy used to be something I found incredibly daunting. I was fine as long as I was in the passenger’s seat. But driving in Italy myself? Or by myself? Terrifying. And that’s coming from someone who will jump on pretty much any chance to do things like scuba diving, bungee jumping or paragliding.

It took me a long time to get over my fear… almost a decade, in fact. But I finally took a deep breath, rented a car and took my first trip, solo, last year. That was followed up by not one, but two more several-day road trips throughout Italy — from cities to countryside.

And you know what? It was fine. (With one caveat. More on that later…).

But knowing some key tips before I started driving in Italy definitely helped.

Whether you’re wondering what it’s like driving in Italy as an American (or Australian, or…), and whether it’s your first time driving in Italy or your tenth, here are answers to some of the most common questions I hear.

First things first: Should you drive in Italy?

If you’re planning on spending all of your time in cities, no. You don’t want a car in downtown Rome, Florence, Milan, etc (and you probably aren’t even allowed to drive one there — read on for more about why). And train connections between cities, and many towns, in Italy are very good — so it’s just not necessary and more of a hassle than it’s worth.

It’s if you want to explore beyond the city limits that it gets more complicated. It’s true that you can still take trains and buses to even rural towns in many parts of Italy. And for some people, that may be the best way to go. But you’re still limited.

I love staying at agriturismi (farm-stays) in the countryside, for example, and they’re usually all but impossible to get to without a car. Same for vineyards, hot springs and, really, many of the other things that make Italy’s countryside so special.

A rural road in Tuscany for driving in Italy tips post — Hotels like this are all but impossible to access without a car.

(While some towns will have taxi services from the train station, I wouldn’t rely on this; you’d have to book a taxi in advance. And then you’d be stuck at the agriturismo/vineyard/whatever until, of course, you hired a taxi again).

Archaeological sites, Churches & holy sites, Museums, Outdoors, Rome, Tips & tricks

What To Do in Rome When You’ve Done… Everything

October 1, 2017 4 Comments

Sometimes, I get a call from a client who needs help planning their second, third, even fourth trip to Rome. The issue isn’t that they need to know how to use Rome’s public transport, or where to eat, or whether to book the Vatican Museums in advance. What they want to know is if there’s anything to do in Rome when you’ve done… everything.

The good news: I always can help. And it’s not because I’m some kind of genius. It’s because you could spend years, even a lifetime, in Rome and never see everything the city has to offer. (I’d know). As much as it seems like you’ve checked off just about every item in your guidebook, I promise: You haven’t. There are always more fascinating, unique sights to see.

So whether you’ve already seen Rome’s main attractions — or you already have them in your itinerary and have more time to play with — here are some sights to add.

Yes, there’s much, much more to Rome than sights like the Pantheon… as beautiful as they are

Nota bene: I’m assuming you really have seen “everything in Rome” for this post, so I’m not including things that have been written about many, many times already, like the Colosseum underground, Borghese Gallery or even Basilica of San Clemente or Appian Way. My litmus test for this list was whether a visitor normally would have seen these attractions in their first three or even four trips to Rome (no!) — and whether I’d recommend that they do (yes!).

(PS: There’s so much you can do in Rome once you’ve done “everything”, this won’t be the only post like this. Stay tuned!)

What to do in Rome when you’ve done everything? Here are 10 more sights to explore:

Rome’s other “Central Park”: You’ve visited the lovely Villa Borghese and seen views of Rome from the Janiculum Hill and Garden of Oranges. What’s next? Monte Mario. Little-known to most visitors, this massive park (actually a nature reserve) is located on Rome’s highest hill just northwest of the city center — and has some extraordinary views of the city. (Also shown at top of post).

What to do in Rome when you've done everything -- Monte Mario park — Views from the little-known park of Monte Mario in Rome

The ancient world of Aventine Hill: If you’ve been reading Revealed Rome, you know I’m a big fan of ancient underground sites — and that many of them can be found beneath churches. One of my favorites, though, is the Church of Santa Sabina in the Aventine.

That’s not just because of the church’s underground, which includes 2nd-century homes and a 3rd-century shrine. It’s also because, even if you can’t access the underground (open only on pre-reserved tours), you can get a glimpse of how the ancient/early Christian world would have looked: this is one of the few churches in Rome that’s been left with its 5th-century structure largely intact.

The Church of Santa Sabina on Aventine Hilla — The ancient Church of Santa Sabina on Aventine Hill: stunning and often nearly completely empty

Rome, Tips & tricks

The (New) Revealed Rome Guidebook Is Out!

April 17, 2017 12 Comments

I couldn’t be more excited to announce that, after five years, my new Rome guidebook is out.

The original 2012 version of the Revealed Rome Handbook: Tips and Tricks to the Eternal City sold thousands of copies (and got rave reviews). This book builds on that success with an in-depth update and serious expansion: It’s crammed full with more than twice as many fun, easy-to-digest tips and tricks than the previous version.

Like the previous version, the new book is not your normal “Rome guidebook”. Instead of providing information easily found elsewhere, it gives you tips and tricks to experiencing Rome like a local, including items like…

how to pick an authentic Roman restaurant at a glance
budget accommodation options you may not have considered
the one place to never take a taxi
secrets to skipping the lines at the Colosseum, the Vatican and more
off-the-beaten-path neighborhoods that should be on your list
how to eat gluten-free, vegetarian or with other dietary restrictions
key tips for booking (and taking) trains
here to find drinking water, and bathrooms, while out and about
how to protect yourself from pickpockets
the best neighborhoods in Rome for shopping

…and much, much more. Buy it on Amazon here or by clicking the cover at left.

I’m also really excited to say that, for the first three months of publication, I’m donating a significant portion of the profits (€1/$1/£1 per book, depending on location of sale) to a cause I believe in: the American Institute for Roman Culture, a nonprofit which protects and campaigns for Rome’s cultural heritage. So if you’re thinking of buying a book, now is the time to do it!

The book comes on Amazon as an e-book which can be read on any tablet, iPhone, laptop or Kindle.

Note: Bought the book before today, and now wish you’d waited for the new version? Don’t worry: You can replace the older version with this update. If you’re using a Kindle device or app, turn on Annotations Backup to back up your notes, highlights and bookmarks. Then go to the Manage Your Content and Devices page, select “Automatic Book Update” under the Settings tab and select “On” from the dropdown menu. Your e-book automatically will be updated to the new version.

If you’d prefer to receive the book as a PDF, order it through Paypal by clicking on the button below. When I receive the order confirmation, I will e-mail you the book as a PDF. (Just be aware that this is a manual process, so can take me up to 48 hours to e-mail over).

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.

Explainers, Rome, Tips & tricks

What is the Weather in Rome Really Like? (And How to Pack for It)

June 1, 2016 12 Comments

Want to know the weather in Rome, Italy? You could obviously just check out the forecast. (Not that that’s necessarily that reliable). But you’ve wound up here instead, so I’m guessing you don’t want to know the Rome weather coming up in the next few days — you’re looking further ahead and curious what, say, the weather in Rome is usually like a few weeks or even months from now.

Maybe you’re trying to decide when to come to Rome. Or you’ve already chosen your dates, and you need to know what to pack.

Although I resisted writing a post about weather in Rome for a while (compared to all of the incredible art and unknown museums and underground ruins and gelato gelato gelato the topic just seems so… banal), I get asked about it enough that it seems like it’s time.

So: here’s what to expect, season by season, in terms of the weather in Rome. And what this means in terms of what to pack and prepare for.

(PS: If you are looking for the weather forecast in the near future, two of my go-to sites are Weathercast and Accuweather).

Weather in Rome in… summer (spoiler: it’s hot, and they’re not that into a/c)

This is when things get nice and sweaty. Temperatures peak in July — that’s when you’re looking at an average high of 88°F (31°C). (While the average low is a comfy 62°F/17°C, if Rome ever hit that temperature in July, I’m pretty sure it’s while I was sleeping). It’s also the driest month of the year, with less than an inch of average rainfall. August is about the same — plus you have the double-whammy of the uber-crowds and that it’s ferragosto (read: when many restaurants and shops close as locals, reasonably, flee to the seaside). If you can swing it, June is milder and less crowded, especially earlier in the month.

Rome

Where Famous Movies Were Filmed in Rome

May 13, 2011 No Comments

“Cinecitta Shows Off,” the new exhibit at Rome’s famous movie studios, isn’t the only way to delve into Rome’s cinematic past.

The other way: Simply walking around Rome.

Many famous movies, including many of Fellini’s, were, of course, filmed here. Want to go on a cinema-themed walk? Here are some top stops. (Note: Obviously, I can’t take credit for any of these movie-still photos).

Piazza del Popolo. The piazza is one of the first clues in Tom Hanks’ Angels & Demons.

Spanish Steps. This staircase is so famous, it’s shown up in lots of films. Some of the most famous, and most recent: Roman Holiday, where Hepburn enjoys her gelato, and The Talented Mr. Ripley, where Ripley arranges for Meredith, Marge and Peter Smith-Kingsley to meet (above).

Via Margutta, near the Spanish Steps. Number 51 is where Audrey Hepburn spent that fateful night in Joe Bradley/Gregory Peck’s bed (without him — we’re talking 1953 here) in Roman Holiday. In real life, Fellini himself lived here at number 110.

Via della Stamperia, near the Trevi Fountain. Here, at number 85, is where Audrey got her (oh-so-shocking!) haircut in Roman Holiday.

Trevi Fountain. It’s the location of one of the most famous scenes in Rome movie history: Anita Ekberg wading through the waters, getting Marcello Mastroianni to come join her, in Fellini’s 1960 blockbuster La Dolce Vita . (If you haven’t seen it, now’s your chance, above). Hepburn and Peck had a scene here, too.

Via Veneto. The slick shopping street where Ekberg and Mastroianni meet, before driving to a castle, in La Dolce Vita.

Pantheon. One of the pivotal clues for Tom Hank’s character in Angels and Demons; Hepburn and Peck come here, too.

Via dei Fori Imperiali. Here’s where Hepburn passed out on a bench in one of Roman Holiday’s first scenes, only to be roused by Peck. At the nearby Forum Hotel’s rooftop bar, The American Bar, the characters from the 1991 rom-com Only You (played by Robert Downey, Jr. and Marisa Tomei) share a romantic dinner.

Piazza Navona. In that moment recreated on movie posters worldwide (although it looks like they changed the background for it… hmm), here’s where Julia Roberts sat on a bench in front of the Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone and ate her gelato in Eat, Pray, Love (below). Hepburn and Peck had a scene here. This is also the final clue, and culminating scene, in Angels and Demons. And it’s where Faith and her sister-in-law hunt for Faith’s “soul mate.”

Via dei Portoghesi. Here, at number 7, is where Julia Roberts stayed as Liz Gilbert in Eat Pray Love. At nearby Ristorante Santa Lucia (Largo Febo 12), Liz shows off her Italian to her friends by reeling off the Italian on the menu.

Colosseum. Shots of the famous theater play a part in Roman Holiday, Eat Pray Love, Only You, and many others.

“Mouth of Truth.” Here’s where Hepburn stuck her hand, much to her fear and delight, in Roman Holiday… a scene recreated in Only You nearly 40 years later.

Castel Sant’Angelo. Where all the dancers fell into the water in Roman Holiday; the exterior was shot for Angels and Demons, too.

St. Peter’s Basilica. Used in TThe Godfather Part III. And the piazza was part of that pivotal last scene in that instant classic… Eurotrip.

Santa Maria in Trastevere. The church here served as a backdrop in a pivotal romantic scene between Tomei and Downey, Jr. in Only You. The nearby Trastevere restaurant, Galeassi Ristorante, is where they eat.

Porta Portese. Key scenes from Bicycle Thieves were filmed at this Sunday market in Trastevere.

Also: the most idyllic island escapes from Rome, 11 etiquette mistakes not to make at an Italian meal and one of the loveliest little leather shops around.

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, Events, Museums, Rome

In Rome, the Night of (Free!) Museums

May 10, 2011 No Comments

Great news: Across Europe, museums will be free and open late the night of May 14.

Here in Rome, that includes all state-owned museums, like the Musei Capitolini, MACRO, Galleria Borghese, Palazzo Barberini, and Castel Sant’Angelo.

A little more unusually, it also includes museums not often part of these free events, like the Scuderie del Quirinale (currently with a Lorenzo Lotto exhibit); the MAXXI, with its great Michelangelo Pistoletto exhibit; and the Palazzo delle Esposizioni, with its show on European 19th- and 20th-century art including pieces by Corot, Monet, Renoir, Ernst, Klee, and Picasso.

All will be open, and free, from 8pm-2am, with last entrance at 1am.

Another bonus? The Palazzo dell Esposizione hosts two piano concerts by Michelangelo Carbonara, one at 9pm and one at 10:30pm, celebrating the same time period that’s also shown with the exhibit.

Happy free culture!

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