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Used mainly for opera and ballet performances, the Teatro dell’Opera is also known, albeit to a less degree, as the Constanzi Theatre after the contractor who built it, Domenico Costanzi.

Neo-Renaissance in design, the theatre was opened on 27th  November 1880 with a performance of Semiramide by Gioachino Rossini, conducted by Giovanni Rossi, which was attended by the Italian royal family. It was purchased in 1926 by Rome city council which also took over its management. Architect Marcello Piacentini, who was at the time entrusted to enlarge the building, added a fourth tier of boxes as well as a balcony and installed a magnificent Murano chandelier, one of the largest in the world. In 1956 Piacentini was once again asked to drew up building plans, radically altering the existing architectural style and designing the present facade, entrance and foyer, work which was completed in 1960.

Today the Opera House, renowned for its fine acoustics, can seat around 2,200 people.
Opera lovers should also absolutely not miss the summer season held in the enchanting open-air setting of the Terme di Caracalla (Caracalla Baths)

A corner of England nestling in the lavish green of Villa Borghese public park.

The Silvano Toti Globe Theatre is an exact replica of London’s illustrious Shakespearean theatre: circular shaped, open centre and rectangular roofed stage, all unfailingly constructed in wood. In this splendid location, the stage designs also aim to bring out the very best of the acting. Although its programme offers a traditional Elizabethan repertoire, it also often includes experimental works so as to be able to attract different kinds of audiences.

The curtain goes up in the summer for a chance to soak up a very special theatrical atmosphere in a unique setting.

More information www.globetheatreroma.com

Be it for its programme, be it for its location, India is an experimental theatre in every sense.

Home, along with Teatro Argentina, to the Theatre of Rome, it is situated inside the production line building of the former “Mira Lanza” factory.

In an evocative industrial archaeological setting, the theatre virtually acts as a foil for the huge gas works rising on the opposite bank of the River Tiber. The tall main building, with its roof truss design, is both an out of the ordinary and highly versatile stage.

The gates to one of Rome’s most romantic gardens are open in spring at the foot of the Aventino Hill. In May, 1,100 rose varieties triumphantly blossom in innumerable colours and scents, adding their magic to an already very special park. These exceptionally beautiful grounds in fact also offer us a chance to forget the noise of the city traffic for one moment and enjoy a wonderful view onto the Circus Maximus (Circo Massimo) and the Palatine Hill.
N.B. The rose garden is only open during a some spring months when the roses are obviously in flower.

So we start off from the Pincio (Pincian Gardens), overlooking Piazza del Popolo. Here, wooden or papier-maché pyrotechnical machines, designed by renowned architects, were once ignited on special occasions. The gardens directly spill into 85 hectars of Villa Borghese public park, which belonged to Borghese Princes’ private villa up until the end of the nineteenth century.

There is something for everyone in Villa Borghese’s all-embracing sumptuous grounds: art-lovers may enjoy the invaluable collection of paintings and sculptures in the Galleria Borghese or, for example, families might choose a day out among the vast variety of mammals, reptiles and birds in the Biopark.

Comfortably nestling among the pine trees is the Casa del Cinema, which offers a full programme of screenings, film editing and direction classes as well as conferences … while it is ideal for a simple break seated outside its Cinecaffè. An opportunity should neither be missed to also visit the Globe Theatre, a faithful reproduction of the Elizabethan original.

Located in the heart of the Tridente district, Palazzo Chigi is the seat of both the Italian government and the prime minister’s official residence.
Palazzo Chigi, work on which was first begun in 1562 by Giacomo della Porta and completed by Calo Maderno in 1580 for the Aldobrandini family, may only visited for free with a guide from 9 a.m. to midday Saturday. Visits must be booked in advance. Further information is available by dialling the following number: 06-67793417

Those of you who have already visited the Capitoline Museums will certainly have admired the fragment of the colossal statue of Emperor Constantine.
But inside where could a sculpture whose foot alone measured 2 metres have fitted? The answer is simple: in the apse of a 35 metre high building, the Basilica of Maxentius.
First started in 306 A.D. by Maxentius and completed by Constantine, the basilica measured 100 by 65 metres and had a 80 metre long central nave whose roof rested on 8 marble columns. Sadly only the northern nave has survived the test of time, whose lacunar vaults provided inspiration for Renaissance architects.

A circular marble sculpture of a large face with an open mouth, which was in all likelihood used as drain cover, owes its allure to the superstition according to which the “Bocca della Verità” bites off the hand of anyone not telling the truth.
Today it is to be found in the portico of the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin and is of Rome’s major attractions, each year drawing thousands of visitors.

While being the lowest and smallest of the seven hills of Rome (The Aventino, Capitoline, Caeline, Esquiline, Palatine, Quirinale, Viminale), the Capitoline is perhaps the most closely bound to the city’s history, as it has been the hub of Rome’s political and religious life since ancient times.
Today the Michaelangelo piazza, reached by climbing a splendid  flight of steps, is encircled by two identical buildings (Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuovo, home to the Capitoline Museum) and Palazzo Senatorio, which serves as the seat of the Mayor of Rome.

A celebrated and picturesque market by day, Camp dè Fiori quickly turns into a hub for nightlifers in the evening. The piazza, in the morning heaving with people bustling among the fruit and vegetable stands, at night sees its restaurants and bars open for business.
For centuries Camp dè Fiori was the stage for public executions. Here in 1600 the Dominican Friar, Philosopher, Mathematician and Astronomer Bruno Giordano was burnt alive. A domineering statue stands in the middle the piazza marking the exact spot of his death.
An absolute must is a visit to the nearby historical streets, such as Via dei Baullari, Via dei Cappellari or Via dei Giubbonari, which are lined with an assortment of small shops still bearing the name of craftsmen who once worked there.