marigross

bookmarking...May 2008.

cnuck_becky

bookmarking

Lyndell

bkm

Eliza26

bookmarkin'

lovesroses

bkmkg Thank you, franco!

StLgrrl

Bookmarking for further use. Thanks!

Marit77

bkm

Squeak

Bookmarking

Bokhara

Thanks Franco!

AmanteDelLimoncello

thankyou franco, 21 days until I go!

franco

Update:
1. Some of the monuments under the administration of the national Soprintendenza Archeologica are now more easily accessible since they're organizing regular guided tours there once or twice a month: see http://www.pierreci.it/do/home/lang/en for details. For the rest of their monuments, the old rule of making the appointment directly with the archeologist in charge is still valid. And the Soprintendenza also has a website now that describes most (NOT all) of their monuments: http://archeoroma.beniculturali.it/it/node/5
2. The municipal archeological authority, the Ripartizione X, has been renamed "Sovraintendenza Beni Culturali Roma", and has also a new (additional) website http://www2.comune.roma.it/sovrainte.../home/home.asp, while the old site continues to work - in fact, they have no less than FOUR different versions of their website online at the moment(oh, Italy and the www...), but I won't quote the two others since they are far less practicable. So we have now a "Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma" (national) and a "Sovraintendenza Beni Culturali Roma" (municipal), which makes life certainly MUCH easier...

franco

Another update after coming home from a most interesting week in Rome: I've finally seen SS. Quattro Coronati, and as expected, it was really worth it. Of the more unusual sights, it was exciting to see the ancient columbarium under Villa Doria Pamphilj, complete with frescoes, marble with the names of the deceased covering the niches, and all the ashes still being there since the time of Augustus. This is also the only possibility to see, at least from outside, the Casino Doria Pamphilj, the summer palace around which the large Villa (Roman word for park) was built up - the Casino is being used by the Italian Prime Minister for representation purposes, and therefore closed to the public, but when you're visiting the columbarium nearby, you can see it really well - it's an important late mannerist architecture by Alessandro Algardi. Other off-the-beaten-track monuments that were on my list this time are the Ipogeo di Via Livenza (a subterranean fountain or sanctuary from late antiquity, nobody knows what it was, with excellently preserved frescoes), the Mitreo di S. Prisca (a Mithras sanctuary), the Roman Houses under SS. Giovanni e Paolo (VERY interesting, good ancient frescoes here, as well, www.caseromane.it), the Horti Sallustiani (a huge imperial garden pavilion from around 130 AD, in a state of preservation as if built two years ago) and the Palazzo dei Penitenzieri, with some great frescoes by Pinturicchio (make your date with the Ordine Equestre del Santo Sepolcro di Gerusalemme, an order of knights who owns the building).

Phyllish

bookmarking

TRSW

Thanks for the list. It will come in handy when I am there next week.

Tom

ChanB

Bookmarking

flygirl

bookmarking!

Momliz

what a great thread! thanks, franco! and thanks also for the index to your other threads.

franco

Regularly over the last weeks, people who wanted to contact me opened new threads and addressed me in the title, like "Franco (and others), ... question, please". I hope I've noticed all of them, but nevertheless, this is a little hazardous since I'm not such a diligent forum reader - rather the lazy type. Very often, I'm just checking the threads on which I've already posted before...
So if you want my opinion, please post your question on "my" appropriate thread (all the links are above, near the top); or, if you open a new thread for your question hoping that this way, more others might weigh in, then please post a short notice or a link to your question on "my" thread as well to prevent me from overlooking it. Thanks!

SusanP

Franco, could you please give more information about a couple things you mentioned above?
Ipogeo di Via Livenza - I see that Via Livenza is just east of Galleria Borghese, but just where do you go, and do you know the hours?

Mitreo di S. Prisca - where is this, and again do you know the hours?

Horti Sallustiani - same questions!

Thanks for any further info.

franco

Susan, I'm always amazed how few people are asking questions on this thread - THESE are the really difficult questions, not where to stay, true? Here we go: for the Mitreo di S. Prisca, there is a link with all the necessary information plus some pictures (as soon as you'll find your way through that not overly clear website - I'm providing the direct link to the visiting hours): http://www.pierreci.it/do/show/content/0000010102 - a bit of good luck to be in Rome on a weekend when it's accessible. The Mitreo is on the Aventine hill, under the church of - you name it - S. Prisca.
The Ipogeo di Via Livenza can be visited anytime, but strictly on individual appointment with the ex-ripartizione X (now the - communal - Sovraintendenza, see above). They're actually answering emails, though with some delay. Or you call them at the number given on their website, during the restricted office hours of Italian public offices (about 9 am to 2 pm, from Monday to Friday). Ask for Signora Bassani, who is very helpful and kind. They'll tell you the precise address when making the appointment.
As far as Horti Sallustiani, this one is REALLY difficult to figure out how to visit, but I've already done the work for you - it was worth the effort! Make your appointment with Dottoressa Pompei of Tecnoholding, the property management of the Italian Chamber of Commerce, who now owns the Horti pavilion. Here you'll find her contact details: http://www.tecnoholding.it/index.jsp...p;ixMenuId=113 (Pompei, isn't this a WONDERFUL name for a person responsible for an archeological monument in Rome?) The location of both the Tecnoholding and Chamber of Commerce offices and the Horti Sallustiani is Piazza Sallustio 9 (that's right in the center of the square).