(Sotterranei di Roma)

Sotto l’asfalto di via Lamarmora, dove il traffico caotico che scorre tra il mercato Esquilino e piazza Vittorio fa dimenticare la bellezza di Roma, sono stati scoperti i resti di una dimora antica, con muri in parte con reticolato, in parte intonacati e con decorazioni.

I tesori archeologici sommersi e dimenticati sono stati svelati dagli speleologi della Soprintendenza che si sono calati per ispezionare la cavità sotterranea svelata dall’apertura di una voragine, mentre erano al lavoro gli operai dell’Italgas.

There are lots of amazing museums to see when you’re in Rome. One that shouldn’t be missed for those looking to discover Ancient Rome is the National Roman Museum – Palazzo Massimo alle Terme.

The building itself is a late 19th century palazzo and was purchased by the Italian state in 1960 to house parts of the collection of the National Roman Museum. The museum opened to the public in 1998.

The museum contains four floors of antiquities, including sculptures, frescoes, mosaics, grave ornaments and a huge collection of coins spanning the entire Roman Empire.

There are many impressive statues on display, including the famous Augustus as High priest statue (This statue was also recently on display at an exhibition at the Scuderie del Quirinale, see my post on the Augustus exhibition), the bronze Dyonisus, and the discus thrower.

One of the highlights of the museum is the…

Snow is pretty rare in Rome. And even rarer in August.

But every August, since Ancient Roman times, snow falls over at least one part of the city to reenact the Madonna della neve (Madonna of the snow) tradition.

Each August – to be precise, the 5 August –  the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major) witnesses an impromptu ‘snowstorm’.

The  staging of this particular snowstorm comes from a 4th century story from Ancient Roman times.

In 358 AD, a wealthy, patrician Roman, Giovanni, had a dream in which the Virgin Mary appears to him in a snowstorm at the spot where the basilica now stands, asking that a basilica be constructed there and dedicated to her. He speaks to Pope Liberio, who admits he had the same dream.

Pope Liberio decides to construct a basilica, financed by Giovanni, on the same spot, and thus was founded Santa…