Aielli & Benevento

Here are a few choice venues most travelers don’t find time to find…

MASS IN THE PARK OF VILLA DORIA PAMPHILJ:

In 1806 Prince Filippo Andrea VI of the noble Doria Pamphilj family asked architect Edoardo Collantini to create a new chapel. Works were completed in 1914 on the neo-medieval design and the chapel was used by the family until 1970 when a new low forbade private masses. The building fell into disrepair, until the recent intervention of the Doria Pamphilj family, who restored the building and reinstated the Sunday masses at 1 pm, now open to the general public.PALATINE HILL’S GARDENS:Visit the Palatine hill, through the Orti Farnesiani is one of the Eternal City’s most evocative corners. The gardens overlook the enchanted ruins of the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. They were designed by Vignola and commissioned by Cardinal Alexandre Farnese who later became Pope Paul III. The idea was to create a botanical gardens, one of the first botanical gardens ever seen, with new plants imported from every corner of the known world like sweet acacias, flowering aloes, exotic palms. Terraces and a nymphaeum were added at a later date.

The Orti Farnesiani represent the ideal destination for explorers in search of archaeological thrills and a return to nature. For those who are in search of the beauty arising from the perfect combination of art and natureA DAY AT THE ZOOThe Rome city zoo, newly-named, Bioparco, has undergone some fabulous changes over the past few years. What was a dilapidated ant antiquated collection of exotic beasts has transformed in to a humane environment providing animals with natural habitats and stimulating activities. The new zoo, dedicated to protecting the environment and conserving endangered species, is a wonderful place to spend a sunny spring afternoon.SANTA SUSANNA CHURCHThe Santa Susanna Church is considered the first example of Baroque architecture in Rome. The combination of columns and pilasters, and the exquisite decoration, are the marks of Baroque architecture preceding the golden age of Bernini and Borromini.

The Santa Susanna church has been the official American Catholic Church in Rome since 1922. The Church is close to the American Embassy, and is a natural haven for visiting American Catholics. For anyone interested in participating in the vibrant social life of the American Catholic community in Rome, Santa Susanna offers a welcome embrace.ART NOUVEAU IN VILLA TORLONIAVilla Torlonia in one of the capital’s lesser known parks, but now you have a good reason to visit it: restoration of “casine” has just been completed.

The art nouveau fittings of the beautifully eccentric “Casina delle Civette” are fresh from restoration. Best known for the stained glass windows which give it the air of fairytale cottage, the Casina also boats numerous nature-inspired designs for stained glass, which line the walls and trace the evolution of the craft in the early 20 th century.

The “Casino Nobile” is also worth a visit. It was bought by Giovanni Torlonia at the end of 18 th Century. In 20 th Century it was used as Mussolini’s private residence during the World War II.

After the war the Casino fell into a state of disrepair until the restoration returned it to its former glory.THE ROSETO COMUNALEThe garden, next to Circo Massimo, boasts 1.200 species of roses, coming from any corner of the world as China, Mongolia including some curious specimens: the Chinensis virdiflora has green petals, another Chinensis variety changes colors with time. Many roses are dedicated to movie stars like the “Lollo”, roses dedicated to the actress Gina Lollobrigida, or Sophia dedicated to Sophia Loren. The beginning of May to end of June is flowering season. Be sure you don’t miss the breathtaking sight of acres of roses in full bloom.SANTA SABINA ALL’AVENTINOThe basilica of Santa Sabina is the first Dominican church and was originally built in the 5 th century. The original cypress-wood doors are carved with ancient biblical scenes and inside you will be able to admire Corinthian columns and 16 th century frescos. Don’t miss a walk in the “Giardino degli aranci ” (orange garden) with its dozen of orange trees, planted in memory of Saint Dominic, the first to bring Spanish oranges to Rome in 1220.

Tuscan cuisine with its heartiness and simplicity is Europe’s ultimate ‘comfort food’. As touristy as Florence has become, it is still easy to get a great Tuscan tasting. Here are four of A&B’s favorite places to eat in Florence.> La Giostra Borgo Pinti 10/12/18 r; Tel. #: 055 24 13 41The chef/owner is Dimitri d’Asburgo Lorena). Among the favorites are tortelloni alla Mugellana (handmade potato-stuffed pasta in ragù), gnocchetti alla Lord Reinolds (potato dumplings in a sauce of stilton and Port), homemade tagliatelle, and ravioli stuffed with Brie. This place has become (justifiably) popular, and even with a reservation there’s often a short wait. Directions: Giostra is intentionally difficult to find. Outside the front door there is no sign. The street on which it is found is far away from the typical turistica routes. Yet it is only a few hundred meters from the Duomo, in the very center of Florence, in Borgo Pinti at number 12, near to the San Piero arch.> Trattoria Garga Via del Moro 48/r, Florence; Tel. #: 055 239 8898 An A&B favorite. This casual restaurant is associated with a cooking school. Try the Pasta Garganelli or the House salad with artichoke, arugula, avocado, tomato, pecorino and pine nuts! ***Please let them know A&B sent you! Call ahead. Reservations suggested.> Il Latini Via dei Palchetti, 6; Tel. #: 055 210.916, < mailto:info@illatini.com> , Closed Mon.Rustic Tuscan, very, very good but you share tables with strangers!> Trattoria Baldovino Via san Guiseppe, 22R Tel #:055 290 076; info@baldovino.com; Hours: Lunch: 11:30a-3p M-Su, dinner: 6p-11:30p M-Sun.For a light Tuscan Luncheon, Baldovino is simple trattoria next to Piazza Santa Croce. Owned by Englishman David Gardner. Traditional pasta starters and main meat courses. The impressive wine collection is served by the bottle or by the glass.> Cibreo Via a. del Verrocchio 8r / Via dei macci 122r; Tel #: 055 234 11 00.One Florence’s very best, Michelin ranked, curiously they don’t serve pasta but still worth the effort. Cibreo has trattoria, café and restaurant…make sure you are in right place.

>The Vatican’s Scavi (Excavations)

With only 120 visitors allowed each day, the Scavi (excavations) Tour is one of Rome’s hottest tickets. The tour, which goes beneath St. Peter’s Basilica to the tomb of Saint Peter, must be booked in advance – months in advance.

> Historical BackgroundAfter being crucified, Peter was buried in a hillside necropolis, a city of the dead. It was a place, fashioned to look like a city in miniature, where wealthy pagan families entombed their dead in houses where they could continue their new lives. Emperor Constantine eventually became a Christian and, in the 4th century, ordered the construction of a church over the tomb of St. Peter. The church also covered the other mausoleums in the ancient cemetery. In the 16th century, the present basilica was built on the site. Donato Bramante designed the basilica; Raphael, Frea Giocondo da Verona, and Antionio da Sangallo continued the design after Bramante’s death. When the last of the new architects, da Sangallo died, Michelangelo was commissioned to complete the design. He designed most of the apse and the main dome before dying. The dome was completed by Domenico Fontana in 1589, and inaugurated in 1593. As the centuries passed, so did the memory of the necropolis beneath the basilica. In 1939 workers digging a tomb for the deceased Pope Pius XI, broke through a wall beneath the church and rediscovered the necropolis. Pope Pius XII ordered the excavation of the necropolis, but kept the work secret in case Peter’s tomb was not found. Since the necropolis acts as the foundation for St. Peter’s Basilica, the entire area could not be uncovered without the possibility of having the Basilica collapse. Work continued for a decade and on December 23, 1950, Pius XII announced the discovery of St. Peter’s tomb. On June 26th 1968, Pope Paul VI announced that the remains of St. Peter had also been discovered.

> The TourOn the day of the tour, you wait outside the Excavations Office for a guide. When he or she arrives, you are led inside and down a staircase. After a scanner reads the guide’s handprint, a glass door opens and you are admitted to the crypts beneath St. Peter’s Basilica. After going under a low, narrow arch in a 16th-century wall that supports the basilica, you walk along a dimly lit lane lined with Christian and pagan mausoleums. As you walked, the path went slightly uphill and the guide points out that you are walking on what was Vatican Hill more than 1,900 years ago. Highlights of the tour include what is thought to be Peter’s original tomb, a “graffiti wall” which has Greek letters for “Peter” and fragments of words that may have said “is here,” “within,” or “in peace,” and a second tomb built by Constantine as a more fitting resting place for Peter. The other side of the graffiti wall has a small hole with two small clear plastic boxes containing 18 of the 19 human bones found on the site. The 19th bone has been retained by the pope in his private chapel.

> Practical InformationThe tour, which ends at the tomb of St. Peter, lasts approximately 90 minutes and costs 10 euro per adult, 5 euro for children. The group size is 12. Children under 12 are not allowed. Children 12 – 15 are allowed, if accompanied by a parent. While the tour is not strenuous, it does require climbing stairs and going through narrow corridors. Claustrophobic people might experience difficulties on this tour because it takes you beneath St. Peter’s Basilica and has some tight spots in the narrow paths, dim lighting, and no windows. The Excavation Office reserves the right to modify the schedules of the visits in case that the Basilica is closed and for other reasons. If the visit cannot be rescheduled, the Excavations Office will cancel the scheduled visit and refund any payments made.The Excavations Office does not have any place to check large items-so don’t bring them! If you do, you will not be allowed to take the tour. And, please, once inside don’t touch anything! Finally, remember that you are visiting a holy site. You must wear appropriate clothing. Shoulders must be covered. Shorts are not permitted, and skirts should fall in length below the knee. A head covering is not necessary. Good walking shoes are recommended.

> Making Reservations/Requesting TicketsPlease be patient when requesting tickets. The Uffico Scavi is a small operation (there were only two people working there on any given day and the tour guides are specially-trained volunteers. Only 120 people (10 groups of 12 people) are allowed in each day in order to preserve the integrity of the archeological site. The 10 tours are given in different languages, so you must request an English-speaking tour, if appropriate. There may be a limited number of English tours a day, so be sure to have some back-up times or dates.How your reservation is made:1. Request tickets for a tour by email, fax or a visit to the office (see contact information below). Do not phone them. They need the following information:The number of people in your group.The name of each person (group leaders should give their name and address).The language you’d like the tour to be conducted in.The day and time period you’d like to visit (it helps if you give a wide latitude of times, the office will then determine the time of your tour). Tours are not given on Sundays and church holidays.Where you are staying in Rome (name and phone number).Failure to include any of this material, may cause your application to be turned down!2. Receive email auto-confirmation and wait…3. After a month or so, you will receive an email with a reference number, number of visitors, language of the tour, day, time, and cost. To confirm the reservation, you will have to pay for the tour within 20 days of receiving the confirmation (tickets are not refundable). You can pay by faxing or emailing your credit card info to the office (emailing credit card information is not a good idea!). Be sure to include the reference number you received in the confirmation.4. On the day of the tour, go to the Excavations Office 10 minutes before the tour is scheduled to begin. The Excavations Office is reached through the Holy Office Gate (through Colonnade to the left) or from St. Peter’s Square through the Arco delle Campane (to the left of the facade). At either gate, ask the Swiss Guard for the Excavations Office. On the day of a tour, the Guards may make you wait outside the Colonnade until a few minutes before the time of the tour. When you get to the Excavations Office, you may wait outside the office for about 15 minutes (after our tour’s scheduled time) because the earlier tour has not yet left.

> Contact Information www.vatican.va: Scavi Tour websiteExcavations Officeemail: scavi@fsp.va tel: +39-06-6988-5318, fax: +39-06-698-73017Hours: 9:00am – 5:00pm, closed Sunday and Holidays

Here are a few well known spots for families wishing a comfortable, easy lace to share a meal….

> Scarpone Via San Pancrazio, 15; Tel # 06 58 14 094. This restaurant, managed by the same family since 1849, has two large rooms and a large garden with a pergola, pleasant for eating out in summer. It also has a wood-fired oven for pizzas. The dishes offered are based on classical and traditional cuisine, including recipes such as spaghetti with clams, soups, linguine pasta with lobster, vegetables au gratin, grilled meats and fish. Sumptuous desserts trolley. Kid friendly, about a half-mile due south of Vatican City.

> Osteria dell’ Angelo Via G. Bettolo 24; Tel. 06 37 29 470. Relaxed dining, a very good fixed price lunch deal limited choices, Roman food – they have an oven they fire up in the evenning but we were there at noon on Christmas Eve – patrons mostly local, groups of guys, families with strollers, all sorts – servers of character – supposedly ex-rugby players and looked it. Kid friendly, about six blocks north of Vatican City.

> Ditto L’Isola della Pizza Via degli Scipioni, 43-47; Tel. 06 39 73 3483; www.isoladellapizza.com Pizza at lunch is not all that common in Rome – this place offers fine wood oven pizzas along with a fine antipasti spread and I am sure other good things – Convivial good humored atmosphere, patrons from local business people to students – their pizzas were excellent. The owner/guy in front of the huge oven is reputed to be an avid hunter and game is featured in season – on a non-food note, funny sanitizing toilet is worth seeing – a new thing in Rome. Kid friendly, about a block and a half north of Vatican City.

> Etablì Caffè /Restaurant/ Winebar Roma Vicolo delle Vacche 9/A, Tel. 06 97 61 6694; www.etabli.it Very good roman food and exellent wines. Kid friendly, across the river from Vatican City (a little over a kilometer to the east).

> Buccilli Ostaria Via dei Due Ponti 48; Tel # 06 33 40 048A typical country trattoria, where the kindness of Alberto, along with the professionalism of Rita and Romelia’s mastery in the kitchen, give a welcoming, family atmosphere. The trattoria is also blessed with a very pleasant garden. The menu offers traditional Roman cooking alongside fish dishes and seasonal game and ‘Porcini’ dishes. Simple dishes can be prepared for children and are available on request. Kid friendly, just west of the Due Ponti subway stop.

Florence is indeed an art lover’s dream. But not all art is oil paintings and sculpture. Here below are a few antique shops worth visiting…(Note: three of these shops are on Via Maggio, on the Otrarno side, of the river, a few blocks from the Pitti Palace. From city centre cross Arno at the bridge S. Trinita, Via Maggio runs directly from this crossing.

>Antonio Esposito AntiquarioVia Maggio, 81; Tel#: 328 70 93 913; www.galleriantiquariaespositofirenze.it/

<http://www.galleriantiquariaespositofirenze.it/

>Antonio Espositio Antiquario carries wonderful examples of ornately crafted Italian furniture. Many large pieces, along with accent tables, can be found. The large store also offers marble and bronze statues, oil paintings, and mirrors. You could spend quite a while just browsing through their selection and searching for the right authentic Italian piece for your home.

>Guido Bartolozzi Via Maggio, 18r; Tel#: 055 21 5602; <http://www.guidobartolozzi.com/ita.htm Bartolozzi has been around since the end of the 19th century. The same family has owned and run the establishment since its opening. The treasures you will find here mostly come from the 1500’s to the 1800’s. You may be able to find artwork from the 18th century or matching furniture pieces from the 16th century. (An alternate location is at Via Maggio, 11.)

>Sandro Morelli AntiquaVia Maggio, 51RAt Sandor Morelli Antiquia, you will find the larger antique pieces. Among the many beautiful antiques are Italian tables, desks, chairs, and chests – all with highly intricate designs and elegant appearances. Some porcelain and textile pieces can also be found.

>Moscardi Lungaro Corsini, 36RYou’ll definitely notice that this is a different kind of antique store from all the rest. Plenty of gold leaf frames, prints, lamps, and candleholders are for sale. All very ornate and Italian in design. You won’t find furniture here, but you will find plenty of pieces to accentuate any residence, no matter what your taste is. Its popularity has kept it around for nearly 20 years.