For an outline of what you can visit in the first few miles, have a look at this introduction.
Once you've got your bearings, join your guide Vic Stafanu for a walk through history...
So we come to the final day of our mini-break with a visit to one of the most famous of the roads which lead to Rome - Via Appia. Built in 312BC by censor Appius Claudius Caecus, the Appian Way connect Rome to Brindisi in south east Italy. There is a huge amount to see on the Appian Way, and today you'll just touch the surface (ha!) along with a little of what lies beneath... For an outline of what you can visit in the first few miles, have a look at this introduction. Once you've got your bearings, join your guide Vic Stafanu for a walk through history... There are numerous catacombs near the Appian Way; here is a visit to just one with Vic - the Catacombs of San Castillo. For an excellent overview of the importance and history of the road, join Dennis Marks as he takes a journey from Rome to Brindisi in the company of politicians, historians, writers, musicians and the Latin poet Horace. This was a Radio 3 documentary and is accompanied with a series of still images to fire your imagination; this is part one, there are four episodes all together, which you can find online here: 2, 3 and 4. And that is the end of our Roman mini-break. All that's left is time for a final film, so why not sit back, relax and enjoy Federico Fellini's classic La Dolce Vita?
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We visited the Pantheon on Day 1 of the trip; now it’s time to head into the heart of the imperial city. Start at the Piazza Venezia, on the northern edge of the ancient centre. Have a look at a webcam showing the enormous Altare della Patria, built in the late 19th century after Italy had unified under Victor Emmanuel II, who became the first King of Italy in 1861. You can see the Altare della Patria in the background in the opening shots in the walk video below. This walk starts and ends at the southern entrance next to the Arch of Titus, and is quite long at 50 minutes in total. The different sites you see are linked in the Youtube description. Take in two chunks if you prefer, using the link below this one first, which starts just below the view from Via Monte Tarpeo. You can explore the area using this map: https://www.italyguides.it/en/lazio/rome/ancient-rome/roman-forum/roman-forum-map Now that you've had a look at what remains, have a look at a virtual reality recreation of what it might have looked like when it was all built... Now you've got your bearings, time to head for the Colosseum. And marvel at the Colosseum recreated in film... Now that you've had your cultural hit for the day, why not head for the beach? When you get back from the beach, you need to decide on your evening entertainment... So why not join Stjepan Hauser at the Colosseum for some fine cello-based entertainment? You could always watch the final chariot race from the 2016 remake of Ben Hur: If you're in the mood for a full film, why not watch John Geilgud and Charlton Heston in Julius Caesar? Now that you've got your bearings after Day 1, you head north west of the city to the heart of the Holy Roman Church. Start off in the company of a giddy guide at Castel Sant'Angelo, just over the Tiber from the historic centre of Rome. Now join a tour of the Vatican Gardens. See if you can follow your route using this map. You can explore the area using the map here. Join the crowds entering St Peter’s Basilica before looking around Piazza San Pietro. To take a close up look at the interior of the Basilica, along with a commentary. If you have Google Cardboard, you can use the image to view the Basilica. Play the soundcloud file for a commentary on the interior. Go and have a coffee and a cake (or something more substantial, if you prefer) at Borgo Nouvo. When you are done, walk around to the eastern entrance to Vatican City. Go inside and head for the Sistine Chapel. Have a look around using this fantastic interactive tour. When you come outside, take a trip along the River Tiber, watch Sir Kenneth Clark discuss the Catholic Church’s response to the threat of Protestantism, or return to the Vatican Garden’s for a riposo. All that is left is the choice of dining venue for the evening before you head to the opera to watch Tosca (set in three locations you have visited in your first two days in Rome - Basilica Sant'Andrea della Valle, Palazzo Farnese and Castel Sant'Angelo). If opera isn't your thing, why not head to the Olympic Stadium to watch a Champion's League Final? Or you could simply relax watching Three Coins in the Fountain. Oh, and see if you can spot any places you've visited today in this car chase...Enjoy your evening, and we'll see you tomorrow for a trip into the heart of Ancient Rome. The world may be closed, but it is still possible to visit places if you put your mind to it. Join us as we fly to the eternal city on Monday 6 April 2020. We begin at 10am on the approach from the north... As you fly in, look out for the Olympic Stadium (5:00) and the River Tiber. The bridge on the long straight road (guess who built that?) is the southern end of the Via Flaminia; it crosses the Tiber at Ponte Flaminio. The bridge to the right is the Ponte Milvio, built around 300BC. You now see the ancient heart of Rome, with the Villa Borghese and its extensive parkland in the foreground. The Via Flaminia ends at the Piazza Popolo at the western side of the Borghese grounds. At the southern end of the grid of streets on the opposite bank of the Tiber is the Vatican City, with St Peter’s Basilica at the entrance to the Vatican Gardens (5:45). To the south west of the Roma Termini railway station façade is the Collusium on the edge of the Roman Forum complex (6:05). You then fly over the remains of various aquaducts (7:15), housing complexes and a hippodrome (8:00) before you land in the suburbs of Ciampino. Take a taxi to your hotel, and then start your visit with a walk to get your bearings. You enter the city via the ancient northern entrance into Piazza Popolo and stroll down to the Spanish Steps. This stroll will introduce you to the ancient city of Rome, giving you a sense of the densely packed apartment buildings with ground floor shops and exclusive private courtyards. This northern area grew up in the 16th century when pilgrims flocked to Rome. The area further south became hugely popular during the era of Grand Tours (1720-1800) when English and German aristocrats fell in love with the ancient world. Begin by visiting the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, the church on the northern side of the Piazza del Popolo. Santa Maria is just one of hundreds of churches with amazing art. Find out a bit more about Caravaggio's Crucifixion of St Peter and try out your Italian. You might want to sign up to Duolingo while you're at it, so you can learn or practice whilst you visit the city. When you leave the church, head south into the historic centre of the city. Once you get to Piazza di Spagna (4/5), walk down the Spanish Steps and visit the Keats-Shelley house where Keats died in 1821, aged 25. If poetry isn't your thing, why not do a bit of window shopping in Balenciaga, Valentino or Versace? After having had your fill of romantic poets and/or shopping, head towards the Trevi Fountain (6). This part of the city became a lavish residential area when Rome became the capital of Italy in 1870. Time for a coffee? Head to Pane and Salame. And now, time to see some of the treasures of ancient Rome. It’s a short walk to the Pantheon. Once you’ve seen the extraordinary Pantheon, it’s a meandering walk to Piazza Navona (7). Before you leave the area, take another break in a church. Why not visit the Basilica di Sant'Andrea della Valle? Once you've caught your breath, take a rare peak inside Villa Farnese, now the French Embassy and the setting for act two of Puccini's Tosca... Get out of the cramped streets and take a taxi to Villa Borghese (1/2). There’s loads to do with kids, for adults; you could watch a film set in the park, eat ice cream or learn some more about ancient Rome All you need to do now it to decide what to do for supper – choose a restaurant and make yourself something to eat. For the evening, why not watch Muse at the Olympic Stadium, Roman Holiday or a film set in Villa Borghese park Now, kick back and relax and get some sleep ready for tomorrow - a trip into the heart of Papal Power.
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AuthorMe? I work in primary education and have done for 18 years. I also have children in school. I love teaching, but I think that school is a thin layer of icing on top of a very big cake, and that the misunderstanding of test scores is killing the love of teaching and learning. Archives
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