Maria Callas.

Many argue that our language sounds almost like a song and proves likeable and gentle.
They are, of course, judgments that often stem from personal taste and are very difficult to evaluate on an objective basis.

Opinions regarding the Italian language in the history of European and foreign culture are, in fact, too many to count: think for known example of an opinion on our native language dates back to 1388 and is of English origin; it is found in the prologue to the second edition of the Wycliffe Bible.

We must consider that already in pre-Renaissance Italian was the language of the European culture and that during this period flourished the great humanists and writers who contributed to the affirmation of Italian from Latin.

The appreciation of Italian as a noble language, however, was achieved only in the seventeenth century. For the Englishman James Howell, Italian is “the best composed language in terms of fluency and smoothness”. Voltaire spoke of the “beautiful Italian language, Latin’s firstborn sibling”.

The recounts of travel through Italy by the North and Central European nobility, in the time of the so-called grand tour, are the peak moments of the glorification of Italian as a noble and musical language.

Which are the reasons that underlie such judgments?

We could start by borrowing the opinion of one of the most important Italian humanists, Piero Bembo, who claimed in 1525 that “two are the reasons that make beautiful every composition, gravity and pleasantness; and the things that than fill and make these two parts are three: sound, number, variation “. From this point of view Italian has unique characteristics.

Gravity is mainly given by the amount of syllables and the characteristics of each in the construction of the word, i.e. their length in pronunciation. The modulation of the syllables in Italian is very interesting because certain words, if taken singularly, show a distinguished syllabic pronunciation from those obtained if contextualized in a sentence: this for pronunciation needs.

In fact, one of the main reasons why this occurs is because almost all Italian words end with a vowel.

But there is another, almost unique characteristic that distinguishes Italian from many other languages: Italian has the invaluable advantage of the use of double consonants. The intrinsic dance, the musicality that is often atributed to our language is probably due to this peculiarity, which creates a very interesting change in respect to the preceding vowels. Take for example the word “pena” (pain, punishment, …): here the first vowel has a normal duration and comparable to the second one, while the “n” is barely perceptible, almost only a support of the language. In the word “penna” (pen), on the other hand, the “e” undergoes a sharp contraction and the double consonant is rich, resonant, clear: pure rhythm.

The practice of certain phonetic and poetic choices, as the elision – or the elimination of a letter from a word – contributes greatly to changing the length of the syllables and to creating an alternative to the monotonous rhythm of a constant repetition of similar syllables.

This is because the elision creates the same effect of the double consonant where this cannot be used. An example is given by the famous concluding verse of L’infinito by Leopardi: “e il naufragar m’è dolce in questo mare” (and it is pleasant for me to be shipwrecked in this sea). The elisions (in bold) create a very strong rhythmic break, which affects the previous syllables.

Of course, the presence of the double consonant is not the only feature that makes our language so musical and lyrical. In poetry, in fact, examples abound with phonetic solutions and rhetoric figures, capable of altering the rhythm and cadence of the speech.

However, it is precisely the double consonant, so common in ordinary language that fascinate the foreign listener and transmit this sweet feeling of a rhythmic dance in the Italian language.

L’article The musicality of the Italian language est apparu en premier sur Scuola Romit.

First of all, we must say that in Rome time is very elastic and dilated, so evenings begin very calmly, you meet after dinner and begin to analyse the various choices, similar to those of many other cities: pub, brewery, disco, a walk downtown or just a small square where to sit on some steps and encounter friends. The climate allows for this for most of the year and it is an easy and inexpensive form of entertainment, very popular among those who would like to spend a peaceful and not too expensive evening.

Which are the most popular areas where to spend the evening having fun? Certainly Pigneto and San Lorenzo (with its famous square, where many young people stop to relax and chat with a cocktail in their hands) are the emerging areas full of informal pubs and cafes, Piazza Bologna, a university area, Testaccio and Ostiense, where you’ll find plenty of places where to dance salsa, house and electronic music, discos, risto-cafès and gay clubs, Trastevere with Piazza Campo dè Fiori, literally assaulted on summer nights, the area of Piazza Navona and Via della Pace, with pubs and very chic wineries, the rione Monti, a kind of mini bohemian Trastevere, rich in literary cafés and art shops, and Ponte Milvio, with very fashionable clubs, cafés and restaurants.

In these neighbourhoods most of Roman nightlife is concentrated and there are so many young people ready for fun and eager to spend their evening in various ways.

At the end of the evening, especially if it is very late and you are tired and hungry, you might want to stop for a warm croissant with Nutella or honey in one of the many artisanal bakeries scattered around the city, which you will discover a bit by chance or as a revealed secret from some true Roman. Love for food is there even in the small hors of the night and is a real treat!

In summer, with the arrival of the hot and sultry evenings, often people move to the Roman coast, which offers beach resorts that in the evening become outdoor pubs and clubs where to have fun while breathing the sea air or participating to festivals and outdoor parties. The most popular places are Ostia (close to Rome), Fregene, Fiumicino, Santa Marinella, Cerveteri.

The opportunities to enjoy yourself are many; up to you to choose and explore, so that you may understand what you prefer and spend your evenings in full Roman style. Have fun!

L’article Where do young Romans go to have fun? est apparu en premier sur Scuola Romit.

Each district has its own characteristics, which often have determined the given name:

1. Monti (mountains): the name comes from the three hills on which it extends (Esquiline, Viminal and Caelian). It is a very large district, which houses some of the most interesting remains of the ancient capital, as well as some of the more noticeable and now rare remains of the medieval city (the tower-houses)
2. Trevi: owes its name to the Latin trivium, which indicated the conjunction of three roads in the Piazzetta dei Crociferi, located not far from the Trevi Fountain. The medieval city originated precisely from this area.
3. Colonna (column): as is easy to imagine, the name derives from the presence of the Column of Marcus Aurelius located precisely in Piazza Colonna.
4. Campo Marzio: not much remains of the ancient Campo Marzio, which in the past was extended also to the current Pigna district, apart from the name and the presence of green areas (the Pincio).
5. Ponte (bridge): owes its name to the bridge Sant’Angelo, which originally belonged to the district, until it was absorbed, for wish of Pope Sixtus V, by the new-born Borgo district. In this ancient era it was the most densely populated district and also the only one that has been inhabited from the city’s origins until today.
6. Parione: this district includes the famous squares Navona and Campo de’ Fiori. In ancient times it was full of commemorative monuments and it is precisly to these that the district owes its name (from the Latin pares which means “wall”)
7. Regola: contrary to what you might think, the name of the district comes from the Latin arenula, to indicate the sand deposits that were created along the Tiber, which runs along its entire length.
8. Sant’Eustachio: the characteristic square from which it takes its name is also at the origin of the dense urbanization that took place in this area already in ancient times.
9. Pigna (pine): the origin of this curious name is due to the discovery of a gigantic pine cone located in medieval times near the Baths of Agrippa.
10. Campitelli: this is probably the most touristic and frequented district, despite being the least populated. This is due to the many institutional objects in the area, including the Capitol and the Roman Forum. The name probably derives from the Latin campus telluris, or dirt field.
11. Sant’Angelo: this district, home to the Jewish ghetto, is the smallest one and takes its name from the church Sant’Angelo in Pescheria.
12. Ripa: the name suggests the location, at the bank of the Tiber immediately next to the Tiber Island.
13. Trastevere (on the other side of the Tiber): one of the most popular districts, especially for its nightlife. Since ancient times the right bank of the Tiber hosted the main shops and was one of the hearts of the commercial town.
14. Borgo (burg): located on the right bank of the Tiber, it expresses the typically medieval characteristic of calling its streets “borghi”.
15. Esquilino: the Esquilino district was founded back in 1870 and was named after the hill on which it extends. In ancient times this area was located outside the city walls, but was annexed to the city in the Augustan age. The name comes from the Latin ex colere, literally “live out”.
16. Ludovisi: the Ludovisi district, which in the Renaissance hosted numerous noble villas, including Villa Ludovisi, was made known to the whole world by Fellini’s film La Dolce Vita.
17. Sallustiano: of the Horti Sallustani, the sumptuous gardens built in the first century BC by Emperor Sallustio, remains only the name. It is located on the northern part of the Quirinal Hill.
18. Castro Pretorio: characterized by the presence of the Termini train station, it welcomes the main arteries of communication and trade.
19. Celio: known worldwide as the district that is home to the Coliseum, its name recalls the presence of African legionnaires led by Scipio, stationed on the Celio hill.
20. Testaccio: owes its name to the mount testaceus, a huge accumulation of debris created by the port of Ripa Grande in ancient times.
21. San Saba: the district with the most recent denomination (even if it was a an already urbanized burg) and housed the monastery of the same name, for centuries the only inhabited site.
22. Prati: in imperial times this area housed vineyards and farmlands, known as horti. It is adjacent to the Vatican.

L’article The districts of Rome est apparu en premier sur Scuola Romit.

From enigmatography to quizzes, to nursery rhymes, which, thanks to their phonetic features help memorize, many are the tools available to the student getting ready to learn a foreign language. The study of Italian includes also moments of play.

When studying Italian, a series of these instruments can be of help; in fact, their playful nature helps maintain high levels of attention and reinforces the learning and memorizing processes. Integrating the theoretical study with more carefree moments and sharing with others, becomes a useful element for enhancing motivation, which plays an important role in learning in general.

How many times, while intent on studying a subject, we seem to immediately forget what we had just read in the books? Well, when studying a language we must be even more receptive and exercise not only the theoretical aspects of the language, the syntactic, grammatical and morphological ones, but also delve deeper into the dimension of the use of the language.

For the study of Italian there are indeed a number of online resources that can be used in this sense, such as certain tabs, which help improve the pronunciation, or games designed for all ages and learning levels, such as those that focus on verbal tenses, on synonyms and antonyms, on the vocabulary and the grammatical structures.

Some exercises use the riddle formula, others to the “memory” one, a sort of game that consists in recognizing phonetic similarities, like in the traditional game where similar images are juxtaposed in pairs.

It must be clear, however, that resorting to the “play” factor in the study of Italian does not mean reducing the study of the language to a moment of entertainment that is an end in itself, but to give it a playful perspective. This learning approach is increasingly appreciated and supported in various studies on the matter.

In particular, thanks to this repetitiveness, certain compositional forms like nursery rhymes or riddles successfully secure in the memory of those who learn them certain linguistic aspects, thus facilitating the process of learning.

Similarly, memorizing poems, rhymes and songs is also part of this approach, alongside with motion games such as mime, exercises games such as the completion of sentences, word chains, dialogues and even dramatizations with puppets, masks and simulations of various types.

An example?
‘Fu, tre, re, me, no, so, va, sta, fa, vo, sto, fo, io mai accenterò!‘ (…I will never put an accent on!) It is a refrain that can help you remember that these Italian words are never accented.

Even board games like scrabble, dominoes, memory, tombola let you dwell on the most interactive and creative aspects of a language, together with crossword puzzles and riddles of various types, which prove suitable for this purpose.

In addition, as is easy to imagine, using a nursery rhyme or a song that is part of the tradition of the studied language is also an opportunity to discover curiosities and learn about important aspects of the country’s cultural life where the language in question is spoken.

L’article Games and nursery rhymes to learn Italian while having fun est apparu en premier sur Scuola Romit.

Piazza del Popolo is certainly among the most beautiful squares of the city. In ancient times, the famous Porta del Popolo, formerly called Porta Flaminia, was one of the main access points to the city. Porta del Popolo opens today on this elliptical urban space, always visited by the many visitors who come every year to the capital.

Piazza del Popolo, 1890/1900

Its name is linked to the presence of the neoclassical church of Santa Maria del Popolo, which houses particularly important works of art, such as the two paintings by Caravaggio, the Conversion of St. Paul and the Crucifixion of St. Peter.

The physiognomy of the piazza, with its spectacular and harmonious effect, and its monuments are the work of the architect Giuseppe Valadier, to whose genius we owe many interesting spots in Rome. Those who arrive in Piazza del Popolo are struck by the presence of a massive obelisk, the Flaminio obelisk, built under the reign of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II and currently located in the centre of this space. From the urban point of view, the square constitutes an important hub. Several particularly popular streets branch off from here: via del Babuino, Via di Ripetta, Via del Corso.

Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Vedute di Roma. Piazza San Pietro.

Among the most famous squares of Rome and of the world is also St. Peter’s Square, located directly in front of the Basilica that goes by the same name, built to commemorate the first Christian Pope, the martyr Peter. This is one of the most important pilgrimage places for the Christian community, and its square welcomes the faithful, tourists, lovers of art and architecture. It was Bernini who designed the square with its wonderful colonnade during the seventeenth century.

Here too, like in Piazza del Popolo, one is struck by the presence of a massive obelisk, the obelisk of Heliopolis, and of two fountains, whose style blends perfectly with the general appearance of the square.

Campo de Fiori.

There is a less known square than the previous one, which does not host Christian places of worship but a monument dedicated to a philosopher. It is Campo de’ Fiori and the philosopher in question is the Dominican friar Giordano Bruno, who lived in the seventeenth century.

He was sentenced to death for heresy and his execution took place in this piazza. Today Campo ‘de Fiori is a quaint place, home to a local food market, popular especially at night, when many visitors, but also non-residential students, spend time in the bars and pubs that scatter the square and the surrounding areas.

Another important square in the capital is Piazza Navona. What impresses here is the beauty of the buildings, the aesthetic aspect of a place designed in baroque style.

Piazza Navona.

Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers, the Fountain of the Moor, the Fountain of Neptune, as well as Borromini’s Church of St. Agnes in Agony are among the monuments that make the square so famous from an artistic and cultural standpoint.

During the Christmas season this urban space becomes very busy due to the many stalls that exhibit some of this festivity’s most typical products together with the usual souvenirs. Street artists and portraitists expose their work here, depicting views of the square and making portraits and caricatures of the tourists.

Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Piazza del Quirinale.

As you know, one of the highest hills of the city of Rome is the Quirinale. Today this site important to the political life of the country, home to the Palazzo del Quirinale, the official seat of the President of the Republic, in the same space that once was the residence of the popes. Here too, in Piazza del Quirinale rises an obelisk next to a marble sculpture of great artistic value dedicated to Castor and Pollux with their horses. It is not by chance that in ancient times the square was called Piazza di Monte Cavallo (Square of Horse Hill) because of this characteristic monument.

Giacomo Brogi, Chiesa della Trinità dei Monti (Piazza di Spagna).

Those visiting Rome cannot leave without seeing the wonderful Piazza di Spagna, recently at the centre of unpleasant incidents regarding the fountain of “La Barcaccia”, violated by vandals.

Piazza di Spagna is found at the bottom of the stairway of Trinità dei Monti, crowded at any time of day. The Fountain of “la barcaccia”, designed by Pietro and Gian Lorenzo Bernini in memory of a flood that hit the city in the sixteenth century, is one of the most beautiful monuments of this urban space packed with a constant flow of tourists all year round.

Here we find bars and famous cafés, and from here depart the most characteristic streets of Rome, home to many shops and boutiques dedicated to the world of haute couture.

L’article Six memorable piazzas to see in Rome est apparu en premier sur Scuola Romit.

Every manual of Roman history will punctually report the list of the famous seven hills over which the city developed from a native settlement. Aventine, Capitoline, Caelian, Esquiline, Palatine, Quirinal, Viminal are precisely the names of all the hills, as specified even by Plutarch and Cicero.

Regarding the Caelian, we know that originally it was known as Mons Querquetulanus, or “mount of the oaks” and it is only later that it is called Caelian, from the Latin word “Caele”. More precisely, its name is linked to an historical figure of the same name, Caelius Vibenna, from the Etruscan Gens, whose help proved fundamental for the rise to power of the sixth king of Rome, Servius Tullius.

From an administrative standpoint, although the district was officially established only in 1921, therefore in the modern age, today it is one of the most strategic places for visiting the city thanks to its proximity to the Coliseum, which is located right in this area.

According to sources, the neighbourhood was originally divided into different geographical areas: Coelius, Coeliolus, Succusa. The three zones formed the so-called Coelimontium. This part of town has been populated since the classical age; in fact, several important families lived here, such as Mamurra, a political figure linked to Julius Caesar, whose house was adorned with rich marble columns according to reports by the historian Pliny. Also in the Caelian district, the Emperor Marcus Aurelius was born in the imperial age in the villa of Domitia Lucilla Minor.

A dense network of streets which even today preserve some of their original names crossed the Caelian district. Among these are the Caelimontana and the Tuscolana. We also know that in the fourth century BC the aqueduct of the Water Appia crossed the hill. In this area we also find one of the most famous tombs of Roman history; it is the tomb of the Scipios, a funerary monument of which remain the galleries extracted from tuff that were used to accommodate the various sarcophagi.

During the pillage by Alaric in 410, the city was damaged, and this area was particularly affected by the descent of the Goths in general. Precisely Totila, in the sixth century, cut the aqueducts and from then this urban area was abandoned. During the medieval period, churches and places associated to the Christian cult were built, such as the Basilica of San Clemente, the Church of the Holy Four Crowned Ones and the Church of Saint Stephen in the Round.

At the end of the nineteenth century, precisely in 1870, this urban area was at the centre of the project “Capital Rome”, which intended reformulating various aspects of the capital’s urban plan. During this time the Military Hospital was built, and at the end of the century the popular Caelian neighbourhood rose.

This district now covers about 60 hectares. In one of the highest areas rises Piazza della Navicella with access to Villa Celimontana, one of the most famous green areas of the capital, dating back to the XVI century. Compared to other Roman districts, the Caelian is not overly populated, although in recent years many and touristic facilities have been created.

The district’s coat of arms depicts the profile of an African character with a headgear resembling an elephant’s head and with golden spikes. Surely its meaning is linked to the history of African legionnaires who were once on this hill, led by the famous Consul Scipio Africanus. This heraldic detail shows once again how the Eternal City is rooted to its mythical origins still today, and shows this bond in the various aspects of the cultural and social life.

L’article The Caelian, the hill near Monti and the Coliseum est apparu en premier sur Scuola Romit.

Dear Romulus,

founder of a city originated from nothing, which has over the years become great, rich in history and charm, full of wonders, chaotic, sometimes difficult and problematic, stressful but also warm, bright and welcoming. Thank you.

Thank you for having had 2768 years ago (yes, soon it will be Rome’s birthday) the idea and the determination to found what would become one of the most important cities in the world for its history and culture; a city that has evolved over time, to become an important protagonist of wars, conquests, victories, expansions, dark and golden periods.

It cost you great effort, but achieving success and everyone still remembers you as one of the most important figures in history, along with your brother Remus, whom, however, you did not allow to have a nice end, eh…

Would you like to know what Rome is like nowadays, in 2015? I was born here and I have been living here for years and I can tell you that there are problems today also (although different from those that you faced), many and varied, but they are compensated by the beauty, by the sunsets, by the antiques, which appear all around as you walk in the old town, by the charm of living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, even if somewhat neglected, full of history and with the nearby sea to enjoy on the sunny days.

Living here, you get sometimes used to the beauty and you stop paying attention to it (you get used to everything, you know) but a walk to the Pincio, the Gianicolo or to the Orange Garden to admire the view, a tour through the Coliseum and the Imperial Forum, or through Piazza Navona, the Pantheon and Campo de’ Fiori, or a walk through the streets of Trastevere, can raise the spirits of anyone in a bad mood and are most certainly worth the price of living in a doubtlessly complicated city.

What are these difficulties? Should I start the listing Romolo? Alright, I’ll be good. Let’s start with the traffic: if you have never been stuck in the traffic along the Tiber during rush hour or on the Grande Raccordo Anulare (Ring Road of Rome), when everyone is returning home from the office, well you were lucky! It is not a pleasant experience, but it happens very often to all Romans who, between demonstrations, strikes, rain and various disasters, have now acquired a high level of patience (although a few swear words sometimes slip out).

If you want to avoid taking the car, you will encounter the terrible public transportation, which, again, put another strain on the limit of tolerance to stress of Rome’s citizens: long waiting times to get on, on often overcrowded busses or trains, where you get squeezed like sardines. Getting an idea? There is then the chapter on street cleaning which in some neighbourhoods leaves much to be desired: overflowing garbage bins and litter on the ground. The people’s lack of manners is always a problem.

Thank you all the same Romulus, because I love this city, it belongs to me, I know it like my own pockets, I live it every day and, although sometimes I cannot stand it, for most of the time I love it and I am proud to belong to it. With more care, more organization, less complications, cleaner, I would certainly live here better, but Rome is Rome and it is always worth it.

L’article Dear Romulus I write to you: open letter to the founder of Rome est apparu en premier sur Scuola Romit.

Certainly, so far, Paris, the Ville Lumière, the romantic city par excellence, has always held on tightly to the title of the city of love, where feelings bloom just like that and where couples in love can get lost in a romantic experience among picturesque neighbourhoods, bridges and the Tour Eiffel.

Audrey Hepburn in Vacanze romane.

Rome, despite its undeniable charm and some of its similarities to Paris, has never enjoyed the reputation of being a city for lovers, even though it would have every right. Films like “Roman Holiday” with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck remind us of the romantic charm of the Eternal City, but, for example, in the famous “Eat, Pray, Love” with Julia Roberts, Rome is chosen as the city where to give oneself to food and enjoy pizza, pasta and cappuccino, while love is left to distant India.

Good food is definitely one of the highlights of the city (and of the whole Italy) but love? What role does it take on?

If you are in Rome for study, work or holiday, single and, with the complicity of the arrival of spring, and feel like falling in love, this might just be the right place and the right time to say: “I love you” or at least come close to it.

Do not let yourself be put off by the wild traffic or the nervousness that sometimes dominates among Romans. Let yourself discover the slightly slower pace we grant ourselves at the café for lunch or during cocktail hours in one of the many bars or after dinner, when you gently open yourself to chatter and relaxation, getting to know other people and, perhaps, birthing a more confidential relationship that might lead to something more serious.

If you are in Rome for a prolonged period you may meet people also in more traditional places, such as the gym or the laundry or in line at the supermarket or at some voluntary association, where you could also find people with common interests and perhaps stop being single.

The beauty and natural seduction that Rome enjoys make this city an ideal place to prepare oneself for romance and for the birth of a love story with the right person if you are looking for that (but even if you are not!).

There is an abundance of romantic places and it will be really difficult to choose between charming views, ruins, archaeological sites, fountains, parks and breath-taking views of the city: the orange garden, Villa Borghese, the Pincio, the Zodiac, the Coliseum with the park Colle Oppio, the Trevi Fountain, Villa Pamphili, Villa Torlonia, a walk in Trastevere or around Rione Monti, the municipal rose garden which opens in spring, the Imperial Forum, Castel Sant’Angelo, the Milvian Bridge and the several beautiful bridges over the Tiber.

Rome awaits you with all its charm, whether you are already happily coupled or on trip as a single, like Julia Roberts in the movie “Eat, Pray, Love”. At worst, there will always be a great pizza to comfort you!

L’article Is Rome is the city of love? est apparu en premier sur Scuola Romit.

And, if a Roman is stressed, imagine a tourist or a person who is staying in the eternal city on a study trip or for business reasons but comes from different realities. A basic prerequisite would definitely be, especially in some days, to arm oneself with patience and adaptability and to just breathe (not the smog though)!

Which solutions can be adopted to move around in Rome and make mobility less problematic (don’t worry, you can succeed and you will also be proud of yourself once you pass the test “moving around in Rome”)?

• Public transport: sour note, its the “cross” of every true Roman, although sometimes very useful and non optional, especially if you are moving around by car, for both convenience and lack of parking. The subway (in Rome there are presently two lines, A and B, (the latter of which branches into B1) is definitely the quickest and fastest means of transport if there are no break downs or strikes (sometimes it happens but not to be afraid of); waiting times are short and you can get from the centre to the outskirts very quickly. Buses and trams sometimes impose longer waiting periods and loads of patience to deal with the delays (but with a book and some music in your headphones everything goes faster and is better dealt with), but they link areas of the city that are not served by the subway. The ticket in both cases is 1.50 Euros.



• Scooter: it is probably the best means, if driven with attention and caution, to slip through traffic with agility, not to get stuck in long lines and to park easily without stressful searches. If you do not have one, there are several centres scattered around the city where you can rent a scooter for a day or for an extended period.
• Car 2 Go: the latest option, recently introduced in several Italian cities is growing rapidly and very useful. What is it? It’s the possibility to rent a car (often a small and practical Smart) parked in various points in the city and close to where you are at a given moment: It can be used for the needed amount of time and then parked again to make it available to other people. A practical, fast and cheap way to move by car around the city, convenient also if you do not have your own car in Rome. To use this service you simply need to register and you will receive a swipe card or otherwise use an app for smartphones.

With patience and adaptability even Rome can become an easy city to move around in… of course if it doesn’t rain!

L’article Best ways to move around in Rome est apparu en premier sur Scuola Romit.

Obviously, however, as in all big cities, it is important and normal to pay a little attention and to avoid just going around with naivety as if you were in a small village in the province, where everything goes by quietly and nothing ever happens.

Generally, especially during the day, you can walk peacefully almost everywhere in Rome but there are some places where, especially at night, you should pay a little ‘more attention and keep your eyes open to avoid getting into unpleasant situations.

The area of Termini, like every other city’s railway station for that matter, is somewhat more a risk due to the presence of a large number of people from many different places and therefore of potential pickpockets or robbers, who might take advantage perhaps of a moment of distraction and confusion.

If you really need to pass that way at night, it is best to look around, to avoid waiting for the bus for a long time alone and, if possible, call a taxi to return to your destination. Near Termini is the Esquilino neighbourhood, around Piazza Vittorio and up to Porta Maggiore: here too, in general, you can relax, but in the evening it is always best to avoid walking in poorly lit and crowded areas.

Another area where you have to pay some extra attention at night is Campo de’ Fiori, a beautiful place in the heart of the city and destination to many youngsters who go there to spend the evening, especially during summer, in the many cafes and outdoor pubs.

The risk here comes from the large number of people and alcohol, which sometimes flows copiously, lowering inhibitions and sometimes creating rather risky and chaotic situations, such as fights, where it is better to be careful. It is absolutely not an area to be avoided (plus the square is really beautiful!) but simply a place to go with some extra caution and prudence if it’s late at night.

Near Campo de’ Fiori is Lungotevere, one of Rome’s long and very busy avenues during the day, which will practically turn in a freeway at night. Here too it is best to be cautious, both during the day, when it is very likely you will find yourself in the middle of the congested traffic, and at night, to avoid accidents, given the speed at which cars whoosh past. The area can also turn out to be a little dark in some parts, hidden by the many trees and here too it is better to keep your eyes open so as not to have your evening ruined.

Rome is certainly a peaceful city, certainly a bit chaotic but not especially risky, where you can serenely move around with just a little forethought to what surrounds you, and a little common sense, necessary to everyone who is staying in a large metropolis with many different people.

L’article Places in Rome’s historical centre that is best to avoid est apparu en premier sur Scuola Romit.