Wanted in Rome - January 2022

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Rome

AMANDA THURSFIELD BIDS FAREWELL TO ROME’S NON-CATHOLIC CEMETERY

OUTGOING DIRECTOR SPOKE TO WANTED IN ROME BEFORE STEPPING DOWN FROM ROLE AFTER 15 YEARS

Andy Devane

On a rainy day in December, Rome’s NonCatholic Cemetery is quiet. This hallowed graveyard in the city’s Testaccio district is the final resting place of a diverse range of notable people who left their mark on the world.

Two of the cemetery’s big draws for visitors are the Romantic poets Keats and Shelley. In the shadow of the pyramid of Caius Cestius, a ginger cat guards the gravestone of Keats – “Here lies

One Whose Name was writ in Water” – sitting on a bed of flowers and tiny hand-written notes.

In another corner of the cemetery, under the Aurelian Walls, a fresh red rose lies on Shelley’s tomb which reads: “Nothing of him that doth fade, But doth suffer a sea-change, Into something rich and strange.”

For more than three centuries this silent custodian of souls has offered solace to the grieving and served as a romantic oasis to visitors. Shelley himself wrote not long before he drowned and his ashes were buried here: “It might make one in love with death, to think that one should be buried in so sweet a place.”

But away from the otherworldly romance, this is an active cemetery run by a director, with the help of a panel of experts, a board of foreign ambassadors and a team of dedicated volunteers.

Amanda Thursfield, known to most people as Mandy, stepped down from her role as director on 31 December, after 15 successful years, but not before being awarded an MBE at Buckingham Palace in recognition for her services to the bereaved in Italy.

Competent, cultured and kind, Thursfield exudes compassion, all key qualities for her job. But how did she end up running one of Rome’s most evocative places?

After obtaining her first degree in art history in the late 1970s, she moved to Bologna where she worked in the libraries at the British Council,

Amanda Thursfield receives MBE at Buckingham Palace.

Rome

got married and had a child. After 20 years she moved south to the British Council in Rome where she was director of programmes and handled cultural diplomacy.

“But 40 years before I’d been down to this cemetery and thought ‘what an amazing place! I wonder what you have to do to work there?’ It always stayed in my mind. And then I opened the newspaper one day, in 2007, and I saw this advert looking for a director who had to have these particular experiences and qualifications. I ticked all the boxes.” She applied and got the job, starting her demanding new role in 2008.

She immediately set about catching up with arrears and tried to help people if they had problems meeting the payments. “We spent a lot of time on communications and making sure that new people coming in knew what they were taking on because a concession on a tomb – the right to use a plot for 30 years – is quite a big thing. It’s a bit like getting a piece of property and when you die it passes on to your heirs. People forget that, they’re interested in the here and now but they don’t think about what might happen in 30 years’ time.”

She computerised the archives and accounts, simplifying the process of accessing information. “In the past if somebody rang up with a query about payments we would have to call them back in 20 minutes” – she says – “the new system made our lives a lot easier.”

Another important change related to the gardeners. The cemetery moved from employees to an external company, Il Trattore, a social cooperative that helps young people who have had very slight psychological problems. Thursfield describes it as a mutually beneficial experience. “The gardeners benefit immensely from being outside, working in the seasons, it’s not too stressful, they see life going on”, she says. “And it’s good for us because they’re sensitive people and are very kind to the concessionholders. Some very nice relationships have built up over the years.”

Thursfield has also continued the “never-ending” restoration and conservation work on historical tombs. The cemetery is a treasure trove of ornate tombstones and notable sculptures including the Angel of Grief by the 19th-century American sculptor William Wetmore-Story.

Asked what the biggest challenges the cemetery has faced in recent times, she is quick to say climate change. In addition to increasingly strong

storms and extremely hot summers, she has had to deal with plant disease and parasites that risk causing irreparable damage to the cemetery’s landscape. Experts have been drafted in to treat box blight, which threatens the distinctive box hedges demarcating graves and paths. Thursfield says the disease is “more or less under control” but fears “tough decisions” may have to be made in the long run about whether box needs to be replaced with some other more resistant plant.

The cemetery’s pines have been threatened by the pine tortoise scale insect, a deadly parasite that feeds off sap and can kill the exhausted tree within two years. When it first came to light a couple of years ago, the cemetery acted quickly and began to treat its sick trees. It is a continual process but, for now at least, is proving successful.

A cat guards the grave of Keats.

Shelley's grave by the Aurelian Walls.

Rome

Hot summers have caused the roots of pine trees to “come up for oxygen”, bursting through paths, with the gardeners regularly covering them back up. Other problems have included toppling pines, one of which fell over the Aurelian Walls into a public street in Testaccio, after the sap inside “exploded” on a particularly hot day last summer. The top of the tree “blew off like a champagne bottle”, Thursfield says, taking a bit of wall with it but “luckily a section that had been restored in the 1950s and not ancient Roman.”

In other cases of nature being problematic, last winter an invasion of starlings covered the cemetery in foul-smelling guano and knocked down a huge pine through the birds’ sheer weight. The tree fell over the wall in the parte antica of the graveyard, near where Keats is buried, onto the base of the pyramid. Thursfield engaged a team of biologists with amplifiers emitting a loud alarm cry that frightened the birds away, with “really effective” results.

Another recent challenge was posed by the covid pandemic. “It was so sad, doing funerals with just a couple of people present, filming them, it was grim”, Thursfield says. The cemetery was closed to the public for a year, although concessionholders were allowed to visit their loved ones. The pandemic also prompted people to contemplate

their mortality, leading to an uptake on preconcessions, “when somebody is over 75 and they choose a plot and start paying for it, in the hope that they won’t need it too quickly.”

So how many people are buried here annually? “There are on average 20 burials a year – those might be coffin burials or cremation urns – which is not a lot but it’s very good for our finances”, Thursfield says, adding: “It keeps the place alive, if that’s the right word to use for a cemetery.”

As for visitors, the numbers have “certainly gone up four of five times” since she took up her role when the cemetery was “open rather spasmodically and sometimes not at all.” There are “easily 100 people a day and at weekends a lot, lot more” she says, stressing that they don’t count exact numbers, “almost on purpose”. The busiest time is at the start of November, for the day of the dead, when concession-holders visit their loved ones and members of the public come “to consider these matters; it’s a wonderful thing to see.”

Thursfield has reduced tour groups down to a maximum of 15 people, to maintain the cemetery’s intimacy. “We don’t want hordes of people coming”. She is against the concept of closing the gates to the public and introducing “guided tours four times a day at €12 a head” because “it would ruin the democratic aspect of

The Angel of Grief tomb by sculptor William Wetmore-Story.

Rome

at the door. Others work from home on a quarterly newsletter written in English and Italian and sent around the world to “friends” in exchange for an annual contribution. These funds are spent on “things that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to do”, Thursfield says, together with generous oneoff donations from individuals. Current projects include refurbishing the visitors’ bathrooms, with additional facilities for women and disabled people.

The person behind the newsletter is Nicholas Stanley-Price, former director-general of the Rome-based International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM). A leading expert on archaeological site conservation, Stanley-Price is the author of a fascinating book about the cemetery’s history, published in 2014. “We are so lucky to have him ” – Thursfield says – “he does his own original research. He’s excellent.”

The parte antica of the cemetery, where Keats is buried, is a popular place for reading.

this garden.” Instead, those who visit are asked to make a voluntary donation.

Where do most visitors come from? “We have local residents, Italian tourists, lots of tourists from abroad, of all nationalities” – she says – “Japanese, Indians – the Indians love the Romantic Poets and know much more about them than we do – Americans, Australians, northern Europeans.”

Keats and Shelley, whose bicentenaries occurred recently, are the star attractions. Germans come to visit the only son of Goethe. Many Italians visit the tombs of Antonio Gramsci, founder of the Italian Communist party, and Sicilian crime writer Andrea Camillieri who was buried here in 2019. “Thousands arrived for his funeral, the carabinieri had to let people in just 20 at a time” – Thursfield says – “We’d never seen anything like it.”

Another aspect introduced during her tenure is the staging of events and small-scale exhibitions, which must relate in some way to the cemetery. “It started about 10 years ago when we restored the Garden Room, a lovely little space full of light”, she says. The exhibitions are held in spring and autumn and can be viewed by visitors as they walk around.

The day-to-day running of the cemetery involves around 40 “fantastic” volunteers who patrol the paths, work in the visitor centre and greet people

Parallel to the director is an advisory committee of specialists in their fields, including law, finance, conservation and religion. At the top are 15 ambassadors of the countries most heavily represented, currently headed by British ambassador Ed Llewellyn, whose collective approval is required for major decisions.

As Thursfield bids farewell to the cemetery, she is “very sad to leave” but is looking forward to painting watercolours in her retirement.

Her successor is Yvonne A. Mazurek who is of Polish-American origins and brings to the role “valuable experience of education, volunteer and project management, and research in the arts and cultural heritage”, according to a statement from the cemetery.

“I think she’ll be very good”, says Thursfield, who leaves behind a lasting legacy on so sweet a place.

Wanted in Rome has especially fond links to the Non-Catholic Cemetery. Thursfield described Wanted in Rome as an “important part of what we do here”. Indeed many of the magazine’s founding members and dear friends are buried or remembered in the cemetery. These include Richard Mason (author and husband of one of the founders of Wanted in Rome), Edith Schloss (artist and art critic for the magazine), Geoffrey Watson (political correspondent), Cynthia Rockwell (expert on restoration and conservation), Peter Rockwell (sculptor and one of the world’s greatest experts on stone carvings), Daphne Wilson Ercoli (historian who specialised in 19th-century Rome).

Mary Wilsey

Politics

WHY IS ROME SO DIRTY? Charles Seymour

Rome’s waste crisis is hard to miss, but its causes are far from obvious. Just metres away from the Roman Forum, the charmed alleyways of the fashionable Monti neighbourhood are often littered with fermenting pizza boxes, cigarette packets and plastic bottles.

In the early mornings, apartment doorways and shop fronts are stuffed with rubbish from the night before. Local residents and Airbnb guests struggle to find dumpsters for their sacks of rubbish after many of them were removed by the city council a year ago.

The situation hints at Rome’s catastrophic waste crisis - a battle which has been played out along administrative and political lines for the last decade. The crisis has long been a source of unrelenting ire for the city's inhabitants, as well as a mark of shame for local authorities.

BULLET

Last year, Roberto Gualtieri, of the centreleft Partito Democratico (PD), put Rome's waste troubles at the centre of his run to be mayor of Rome. He promised to clean the city by Christmas as well as hire an army of new workers and lobby the government for additional funds to make it happen.

But after more than a year in office, Gualtieri’s plans to clean and regenerate Rome are still barely visible. The mayor admits he underestimated the scale of Rome’s rubbish troubles. In early November he addressed a packed crowd at the Auditorium at Parco della Musica to mark his first year in office. “The city is cleaner but not as clean as it should be,” he said.

His new plan is to push ahead with a 600,000-ton waste-to-energy plant built on a 10-hectare site in an industrial area of Santa Palomba, in the southern fringe of Rome. The confirmation came in early December as the mayor presented his new “ambitious” waste plan for the city. Construction is set to begin in the summer of 2024, ahead of its planned completion in 2026. The plant is hailed by many as a silver bullet for Rome's rubbish crisis. It will hopefully wean the city off its toxic dependency on landfills, and produce energy for people's homes with relatively little environmental pollution.

Yet the incinerator is a political lightning rod. Last July, it was the catalyst for the

HAS ROME'S MAYOR FOUND THE SILVER

FOR THE CITY'S NEVER ENDING RUBBISH CRISIS?

Rome is seeking to clean up its act. Photo: MZeta / Shutterstock.com.

Politics

insurrection that brought down the Mario Draghi government. It was fiercely opposed by the populist Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S), as well as members of Gualtieri's own political party in the PD, chief among them Nicola Zingaretti, the outgoing regional president of the Lazio region. Even Gualtieri himself has not always been wholly convinced of the need for such a plant.

Nevertheless, with the 2025 Jubilee Year around the corner and a bid to host 2030 Expo still pending, the mayor is under increasing pressure to do something bold to sort out the rubbish problem. Rome needs to show it can be at its best: efficient, welcoming and clean.

Gualtieri is confident that the €700 million incinerator, on which construction could begin next year, will prove a good return on investment.

However Rome’s rubbish issues are deep and complex. Many warn that Gualtieri could still find himself fighting a losing battle against Rome’s rubbish-strewn and littered streets.

Luigi Piga, professor of raw material engineering at the Sapienza University in Rome, has spent years researching the problems of waste management. He believes that the need for the new incinerator - while a good and safe initiative in the long run - is overshadowed by the question of recyclingor lack of it in Rome's case.

“Without an adequate culture of recycling in the city the incinerator will be an inefficient solution…it is vital to reduce waste and recycle first and burn only what is not recoverable,” Piga says.

Rome recycles a meagre 43 per cent of its total waste, considerably less than the national average of 63 per cent. Smaller cities in the north, like Treviso, have pushed that fraction up to four-fifths.

Critics of the new incinerator - like Zingaretti and Gualtieri's predecessor as mayor Virginia Raggi of the M5S - argue that the plant disincentivises a recycling culture in

the city and will merely kick the waste crisis down the road.

The reason for Rome’s poor recycling culture is partly because AMA, Rome's calcified municipal environmental agency responsible for rubbish collection, has been slow off the mark. The company has been notoriously badly managed, changing chief executive officers five times in seven years, and has failed to allocate sufficient resources to build a citywide recycling infrastructure.

"The culture at AMA is still that of street sweepers and rubbish collectors, not recyclers," says Piga, "That has to change." Without a better circular economy, AMA has been unable to keep on top of the colossal 2,700 tonnes of non-recyclable rubbish produced by the city every day - all of which needs to be treated and sorted before being sent to landfills.

AMA has become increasingly dependent on private companies and individuals to shoulder this burden, as well as waste operators as far afield as Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands. And leaning on the private sector in this way, especially those operating in the notoriously shadowy world of Italian waste management, brings its own unique challenges.

Rubbish piles up in the Ostiense district. Photo Massimiliano Pacilio.

This summer, thousands of plastic bags, tyres and boxes burned for days at a privatelyowned processing plant in Malagrotta in the west of Rome, enveloping the capital in a cloud of choking, acrid smoke. Malagrotta was once Europe's largest landfill. It was closed in 2013 for failing to contain its toxic waste. However, before the fire, part of the site was still being used by AMA for processing non-recyclable rubbish.

The fire brought much of the city’s waste processing to a standstill, transforming the disastrous disposal problem into an emergency. AMA’s trucks had nowhere to drop off their refuse, resulting in serious bottlenecks and rubbish being left on the streets.

The fire at Malagrotta was not an isolated incident. Other blazes broke out in a number of waste treatment plants around the city this year, raising the spectre of arson and organised crime. Whether man-made or not, the fires highlight AMA’s thorny reliance on private companies and privateers, many of whom know when to exploit their power, especially during crises, to demand higher rents and hold the city to ransom.

Meanwhile, the decade-long rubbish crisis has fractured the fragile relationship between citizens and their institutions. Years of jumping from one environmental crisis to another has created a reluctance for people to take personal responsibility for poor waste disposal habits in the city. Many Romans are quick to blame the mountains of rubbish on AMA but do little to change their own behaviour.

Sabrina Alfonsi, Rome's environment councillor, has been leading the response

by the mayor to the city’s rubbish troubles since 2021. While she is clear that Rome's administration is most responsible for the troubles, she also emphasises the need to improve incentives and penalties for citizens who don’t pull their weight: “years and years of inefficient waste collection and disposal services have contributed to generating indifference in part of the population,” she says. “There is certainly a need to intensify controls and stiffen penalties for improper behaviour, just as there is a need to relaunch civic and environmental education campaigns to encourage citizens to adopt more responsible behaviour.”

However local associations in the city are already fighting to change public attitudes. Paola Carra is the co-founder of Retake Roma, a grassroots initiative that fights against the decay of public spaces by organising cleanup days throughout the capital.

Carra advocates for all citizens to play a more active role in cleaning up the city: "AMA can not solve everything," she says, "so we push for a soft revolution to change citizens' attitudes and show them what's possible and what a clean city could look like," she says.

In September, 500 Retake Roma volunteers met in Parco Caffarella, near the Appia Antica, where they removed one whole tonne of rubbish from the park, from old shoes to mattresses; they even unblocked the famously polluted Almone river.

Through its work Retake Roma is helping spread a sense of civic responsibility. In late November Retake collaborated with the Institute of Child Neuropsychiatry Giovanni Bollea in the S. Lorenzo district. Together with the young patients and doctors, their volunteers spent the morning cleaning up the streets near the hospital, painting the walls and restoring some dignity to the dilapidated institute.

Gualtieri is moving ahead with his new incinerator but he may find it takes much longer to rebuild the faith and goodwill of Rome residents. However thanks to associations like Retake Roma, some pride and hope is already being restored to the city’s streets.

Overflowing dumpsters are a common sight in many districts of Rome. Photo: Kraft74 / Shutterstock.com.

Art

LO SPAGNOLETTO: JUSEPE RIBERA’S ROMAN STAY IN FOUR SENSES

RIBERA CREATED THE FIVE SENSES SERIES DURING HIS FOUR YEARS IN

Three years after Caravaggio’s lonely death on a beach outside Porte Ercole, a Spaniard, still in his early twenties, arrived in Rome via Parma where

ROME

Martin Bennett

his depiction of St Martin for the S. Prospero church had won him recommendation from another great Baroque master Guido Reni. As apparent from the parish records, soon he was lodged with his brothers in Via Margutta, then like now an artistic hub. His four-year stay (1612-1616) is attested to by the register of the Academy of S. Lucia, with which evidently, despite earning a princely five or six scudi a day, he had run up debts. Perhaps seeking parallels with Caravaggio, biographer Giulio Mancini hints at riotous living, though this was to end with Ribera’s departure for Naples. “Lo Spagnoletto” came into contact with long-established Sicilian artist Bernardo Azzolino. By way of a test, Azzolino asked Ribera to draw him a head. This Ribera did to such perfection that, as in a fairy tale, Azzolino made the young arrival an offer: “Everything you’ve seen shall be yours since, should you wish to marry my daughter, it’s to her that are destined all my earthly goods.”

So Jusepe took the then 16-year-old Caterina as his wife. Unlike Caravaggio, his existence from thereon was comparatively settled, one of his daughters even becoming his model. When offered work back in his native Spain, Ribera stayed put, by all accounts an exile by his own volition, eventually being laid to rest in Naples’ Margoglino district in 1652.

But to get back to his Roman stay. Thanks to the support of Caravaggio’s ex-patron

Smell by Jusepe Ribera.

Books Culture

Art

Marquis Vincenzo Giustiani, Ribera would have had time to study the late genius’s work. To cite Palomini writing in 1724, “Ribera mastered Caravaggio’s chiaroscuro, making daily progress, with repeated imitation from nature.” Another link with Caravaggio would be the Baroque’s ‘Theatre of Cruelty’, an arena where Ribera might be even said to upstage his tormented, more famous mentor.

As Byron’s Don Juan describes some paintings in the poet’s family mansion: “Of martyrs awed, as Spagnoletto tainted/ His brush with all the blood of all the sainted.” He would depict the flaying of Saint Bartholomew times over. In a pagan context, there’s his Marsyas in Naples’ Capodimonte museum, Apollo presiding over the scene with a set of scalpels as the dentally-challenged satyr writhes towards the viewer in a feat of foreshortening.

Yet Ribera could produce work more beatific than violent. Such, for instance, is his radiant portrayal of Jacob’s dream. Nor in the paintings completed during Ribera’s Roman stay is there an instrument of harm or speck of blood in sight: The series of the Five Senses evokes a studied calm. (Hearing has been lost, the other four are dispersed in collections around the world).

Take Smell, here noun or verb, transitive and intransitive at the same time, pungently indicative. Ribera’s pauper is accompanied by a trio of vegetables, bringing together still-life and portraiture in a single frame. “Smells you could peel”, goes a saying. Cut onion prickling his nose still pointier, he luxuriates in odours’ warp and weft, a rustic elf, stench’s djinni, tavern satyr. Battered hat. Goat-tuft beard. Sleeves with circular tears like vents: All emit, in turn, a tang of their own. Ribera depicts them as painstakingly as more conventional painters might a cardinal’s robes or archduke’s perfumed doublet. “I will astound Paris with an apple,” said Cezanne. Ribera manages an equivalent with two split onions and a head of garlic. A token sprig of bergamot gets overpowered. Sight sniffs. Nostrils blink.

From smells you can see to sights you can feel. Touch features a blind Michelangelo look-alike feeling a piece of ancient sculpture. Or rather “seeing” its lineaments on our behalf. His hands modelled with sculptural rigour confirm how lack of one sense can enhance another. What we take as a given, becomes to the sitter an act of devotion. His brow crinkles in concentration. As in Dutch still-lifes, painting acquires a relative weight all of its own. In an exercise of synaesthesia, touch is exalted as a sort of inner eye. Meanwhile on the table in front, a portraitpainting laid flat suggests the link between the perfection of ancient sculpture with the Baroque’s newfound pictorial naturalism.

If Touch concerns itself with the close-athand, Sight extends the new naturalism to the heavens, painting and astronomy never so well aligned. In it a man holds the first telescope in western art. Fittingly it is inlaid with two gold bands. Here’s the device Galileo developed a few years before, raising the focus of the Dutchman Hans Lipperhey’s 1608 invention 20 times.

Touch by Ribera.

Galileo, thanks to his adjustments, in 1609 sketched the phases of the moon with all its pocks and craters.

Then in 1613, after a spell of sky-gazing on S. Maria Maggiore’s roof, the artist Ludovico Cigoli, a friend of Galileo, dared to insert the revised distinctly imperfect view of the celestial body observed there into the fresco of Immaculate Conception in the basilica’s Pauline Chapel. The Virgin stands upon a sphere anything but smooth, while the sun behind her is marked by the spots Galileo first observed in 1610.

Re-fast-forward to Ribera’s portrait: the tense forehead and wide-eyed look of the central figure seem to reflect wonder at the new astronomical phenomena he too could have just shared in. Endowing Sight with further interest is the possibility that Ribera and Galileo had actually met; their dates in the city more or less coincide, as do the learned circles (c.f. the fore-mentioned Academy of S. Lucia) in which they moved.

Where the background in Ribera’s other three paintings is in shadow, Sight has a window. The crepuscular view it frames is vaguely reminiscent of Adam Elsheimer’s Flight into Egypt. The German artist’s 1609 night picture is less-land-than-skyscape. It was also revolutionary: following the findings set out in Galileo’s Siderius Nuncius, the Milky Way is depicted not as a cloud but a conglomeration of innumerable stars. As in Cigoli’s fresco the moon is cratered.

Then the constellations are clearly visible: Ursa Major and Leo, with the star of Regulus shedding thematic light on the Biblical scenes below. (Regulus for new-born king; the Milky Way for stairway to heaven.)

Florian Heine in his The First Time: Innovations in Art pinpoints a date: Elsheimer reproduces the sky over Rome as it was on 19

June 1609. This with an accuracy made possible by the instrument similar to that clasped gingerly by Ribera’s moon-struck sitter. On the one hand, lo Spagnoletto’s portrait pays tribute to Galileo. Less directly, via that window’s picture within a picture, might it also cross-reference Elsheimer, active in Rome until his early death in 1610, just years previously? Speculation, yet in the small (and international) world of Rome’s Baroque, not unfeasible.

A short walk from Via Margutta, the German painter is buried in S. Lorenzo in Lucina. Rubens praises him in a letter. Was Ribera, however tangentially, doing the same in paint? Back down to earth with Taste, the last surviving painting of the series. Picture any osteria, past or present: there sits a figure, his silvery jerkin tarnished by spillage, matching chromatically the plate of anchovies on the table in front. Grub before

Taste by Ribera.

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Find out more on gov.uk/livinginitaly

art, he glares between mouthfuls, threatening to burst a button. Or convert his clenched quarto of wine into a missile. Like a seasoned skipper mid-tempest, the Spaniard’s equal to the worst human weather can throw. He doesn’t only take the goad on board. Putting his art first, he relishes it.

Some trace Ribera’s trencherman back to the inn-keeper in Caravaggio’s Misericordia in Naples, Ribera having already made a foray into the southern capital. Why should he have needed to go so far? The electrical

tension depicted is surely first-hand. Then there’s the medical element, one commentator diagnosing in the diner’s ruddy nose and cheeks and the swollen forefinger the symptoms of gout. Portrait as health warning, enduringly topical, realism from Urbs Eterna. A pity that, due to Ribera’s Spanish connections, the four works discussed have ended up in the New World, far from Rome and hence rather overlooked. “One more caravaggista” lo Spagnoletto is often labelled; it’s time for an upward re-assessment.

Sight by Ribera.

ARTandSEEK

English-language cultural workshops and visits to museums and exhibitions for children in Rome. For event details tel. 3315524440, email artandseekforkids@gmail.com, or see website, www.artandseekforkids.com.

Bioparco

Rome's Bioparco has over 1,000 animals and o ers special activities for children and their families at weekends and during the summer. When little legs get tired, take a ride around the zoo on an electric train. Open daily. Viale del Giardino Zoologico 20 (Villa Borghese), tel. 063608211, www.bioparco.it.

Bowling Silvestri

is sports club has an 18-hole mini golf course, with good facilities for children aged 4 and over, adults and disabled children.

ere are also tennis courts, a table tennis room and a pizzeria. Via G. Zoega 6 (Monteverde/Bravetta), tel. 0666158206, www.bowlingsilvestri.com.

Casa del Parco

Eco-friendly workshops, in Italian, in which kids can learn about nature and how to care for the environment. Located in the Valle dei Casali nature park. Via del Casaletto 400, tel. 3475540409, www.valledeicasali.com.

Casina di Ra aello

Play centre in Villa Borghese o ering a programme of animated lectures, creative workshops, cultural projects and educational activities for children from the age of three. Tues-Fri 14.30, Sat-Sun 11.00 and 17.00. Viale della Casina di Ra aello (Porta Pinciana), tel. 060608, www.casinadira aello.it.

Cinecittà World

is 25-hectare theme park dedicated to the magic of cinema features high-tech attractions, real and virtual roller coasters, aquatic shows such as Super Splash, giant elephant rides and attractions with cinematic special e ects. Located about 10 km from EUR, south of Rome. Via di Castel Romano, S.S. 148 Pontina, www.cinecittaworld.it.

Climbing

Associazione Sportiva Climbing Side. Basic and competitive climbing courses for 6-18 year olds. Tues, urs. Via Cristoforo Colombo 1800 (Torrino/Mostacciano), tel. 3356525473.

Explora

e 2,000-sqm Children’s Museum organises creative workshops for small children in addition to holding regular animated lectures, games and meetings with authors of children’s books. Via Flaminia 80/86, tel. 063613776, www.mdbr.it.

Go-karting Club Kartroma is a circuit with go-karts for children over 9 and two-seater karts for an adult and a child under 8. Closed Mon. For details see website. Via della Muratella (Ponte Galeria), tel. 0665004962, www.kartroma.it.

Gymboree

is children's centre caters to little people aged from 0-5 years, o ering Play and Learn activities, music, art, baby play, school skills and even English theatre arts. Gymboree @ Chiostro del Bramante (Piazza Navona), Via Arco della Pace 5, www.gymbo.it.

Hortis Urbis Association providing hands-on horticultural workshops for children, usually in Italian but sometimes in English, in the Appia Antica park. Weekend activities include sowing seeds, cultivating plants and harvesting vegetables. Junior gardeners must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Via Appia Antica 42/50, www.hortusurbis.it.

Il Nido

Based in Testaccio, this association supports expectant mothers, parents, babies and small children. It holds regular educational and social events, many of them in English. Via Marmorata 169 (Testaccio), tel. 0657300707, www.associazioneilnido.it.

Luneur

Located in the southern EUR suburb, Luneur is Italy’s oldest amusement park. Highlights include ferris wheel, roller coaster, carousel horses, bamboo tunnel, maze, giant swing and a Wizard of Oz-style farm. Aimed at children aged up to 12. Entry fee €2.50, payable in person or online. Via delle Tre Fontane 100, www.luneurpark.it.

Rainbow Magicland e 38 attractions at Rome's biggest theme park are divided into three categories: brave, everyone, and kids. Highlights include down-hill rafting, a water roller coaster through Mayan-style pyramids, and the Shock launch coaster. Located in Valmonte, south-east of the capital. Via della Pace, 00038 Valmontone, www.rainbowmagicland.it.

Time Elevator

A virtual reality, multi-sensorial 5-D cinema experience with a motion-base platform, bringing the history of Rome to life in an accessible and fun way. e time-machine's commentary is available in six languages including English. Daily 11.00-19.30. €12 adults, €9 kids. Via dei SS. Apostoli 20, tel. 0669921823, www.time-elevator.it.

Zoomarine

is amusement and aquatic park outside Rome o ers performances with dolphins, parrots and other animals for children of all ages. It is also possible to rent little play carts. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult. Via Casablanca 61, Torvaianica, Pomezia, tel. 0691534, www.zoomarine.it.

Clockwise from top left: S. Maria di Shanghai by Mr Klevra (Big City Life), Nido di Vespe by Lucamaleonte, El Devinir by Liqen, Fish'n'Kids by Agostino Iacurci, MAGR by Seth.

Clockwise from top left: S. Maria di Shanghai by Mr Klevra (Big City Life), Nido di Vespe by Lucamaleonte, El Devinir by Liqen, Fish'n'Kids by Agostino Iacurci, MAGR by Seth.

ROME'S MAJOR

MUSEUMS

IT IS ADVISABLE TO CHECK WEBSITES FOR VISITING DETAILS DETAILS. IN SOME CASES RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED.

VATICAN MUSEUMS

Viale del Vaticano, tel. 0669883860, www.museivaticani.va. Not only the Sistine Chapel but also the Egyptian and Etruscan collections and the Pinacoteca. Mon-Sat 09.00-18.00. Sun (and bank holidays) closed except last Sun of month (free entry, 08.30-12.30). All times refer to last entry. For group tours of the museums and Vatican gardens tel. 0669884667. For private tours (museum only) tel. 0669884947. Closed 26 December and 6 January, Easter Sunday and Monday. Advance booking online: www.biglietteriamusei.vatican.va.

Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums Tel. 0669881814, www.vatican-patrons.org. For private behind-the-scenes tours in the Vatican Museums.

STATE MUSEUMS

Baths of Diocletian

Viale Enrico de Nicola 78, tel. 0639967700, www.archeoroma.beniculturali.it. Part of the protohistorical section of the Museo Nazionale Romano in the Baths of Diocletian plus the restored cloister by Michelangelo. 09.00-19.45. Mon closed.

Borghese Museum

Piazzale Scipione Borghese (Villa Borghese), tel. 06328101, www.galleria.borghese.it. Sculptures by Bernini and Canova, paintings by Titian, Caravaggio, Raphael, Correggio. 09.00-19.30. Mon closed. Entry times at 09.00, 11.00, 13.00 15.00, 17.00. Guided tours in English and Italian.

Castel S. Angelo Museum

Lungotevere Castello 50, tel. 066819111, www.castelsantangelo.com. Emperor Hadrian’s mausoleum used by the popes as a fortress, prison and palace. 09.00-19.00. Mon closed.

Colosseum, Roman forum and Palatine

Colosseum: Piazza del Colosseo. Palatine: entrances at Piazza di S. Maria Nova 53 and Via di S. Gregorio 30.

Roman Forum: entrances at Largo Romolo e Remo 5-6 and Piazza di S. Maria Nova 53, tel. 0639967700, www.colosseo-roma.it. 08.30-19.15. Single ticket gives entry to the Colosseum and the Palatine (including the Museo Palatino; last entry one hour before closing). Guided tours in English and Italian.

Crypta Balbi

Via delle Botteghe Oscure 31, tel.0639967700, www.archeologia.beniculturali.it. Museum dedicated to the Middle Ages on the site of the ancient ruins of the Roman Theatre of Balbus. 09.00-19.00. Mon closed. Guided tours in Italian.

Etruscan Museum at Villa Giulia Piazza Villa Giulia 9, tel. 063226571, www.villagiulia.beniculturali.it. National museum of Etruscan civilisation. 08.3019.30. Mon closed.

Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna Viale delle Belle Arti 131, tel. 06322981, 08.30- 19.30. Italy's modern art collection. Mon closed.

MAXXI

Via Guido Reni 6, tel. 063210181, www. fondazionemaxxi.it. National Museum of 21st-century art, designed by Zaha Hadid. Tues-Sun 11.00-19.00, Thurs and Sat 11.00-22.00. Mon closed.

Palazzo Corsini

Via della Lungara, 10, tel. 0668802323, www.barberinicorsini.org. National collection of ancient art, begun by Rome’s Corsini family. 08.30- 19.30. Tues closed.

Museo Nazionale d’Arte Orientale Italy's museum of oriental art. Piazza Guglielmo Marconi 14 (EUR). For details see website, www.pigorini.beniculturali.it.

Palazzo Altemps

Piazza S. Apollinare 46, tel. 0639967700, www.archeoroma.beniculturali.it. Ancient sculpture from the Museo Nazionale Romano, including the Ludovisi collection. 09.00-19.45. Mon closed.

Palazzo Barberini

Via delle Quattro Fontane 13, tel. 064824184, www.barberinicorsini.org. National collection of 13th- to 16th-century paintings. 08.30- 19.30. Mon closed.

Palazzo Massimo alle Terme Largo di Villa Peretti 1, tel. 0639967700, www.archeoroma.beniculturali.it. Important Roman paintings, mosaics, sculpture, coins and antiquities from the Museo Nazionale Romano, including the Kircherian collection. 09.00- 19.45. Mon closed.

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF AMERICAN EDUCATION IN ITALY

Villa Farnesina

Via della Lungara 230, tel. 0668027268, www.villafarnesina.it. A 16th-century Renaissance villa with important frescoes by Raphael. Mon-Sat 9.00-14.00 excluding holidays.

CITY MUSEUMS

Centrale Montemartini

Via Ostiense 106, tel. 060608, www.centralemontemartini.org. Over 400 pieces of ancient sculpture from the Capitoline Museums are on show in a former power plant. 09.00-19.00. Mon closed. Guided tours in English for groups if reserved in advance.

Capitoline Museums

Piazza del Campidoglio, tel. 060608, www.museicapitolini.org. The city’s collection of ancient sculpture in Palazzo Nuovo and Palazzo dei Conservatori, plus the Tabularium and the Pinacoteca. 09.00-20.00. Mon closed. Guided tours for groups in English and Italian on Sat and Sun.

Galleria Comunale d’Arte Moderna

Via Francesco Crispi 24, tel. 060608, www.museiincomuneroma.it. The municipal modern art collection. 10.00- 18.00. Mon closed.

MACRO

Via Nizza 138, tel. 060608, www.museomacro.it. Programme of free art events at the city’s contemporary art space. 10.30-19.00. Mon closed.

MATTATOIO

Piazza Orazio Giustiniani 4, tel. 060608. www.museomacro.org. Open for temporary exhibitions 14.00-20.00. Mon closed.

Museo Barracco

Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 166, tel. 0668806848, www.mdbr.it. A collection of mainly pre-Roman sculpture. 09.00- 19.00. Mon closed.

Museo di Roma – Palazzo Braschi

Via S. Pantaleo 10, tel. 060608, en.museodiroma.it. The city’s collection of paintings, etchings, photographs, furniture and clothes from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. 09.00-19.00. Mon closed. Guided tours in English and Italian on prior booking tel. 0682059127.

Museo dei Fori Imperiali and Trajan’s Markets

Via IV Novembre 94, tel. 060608, en.mercatiditraiano.it. Museum dedicated to the forums of Caesar, Augustus, Nerva and Trajan and the Temple of Peace. 09.00-19.00. Mon closed.

Museo Canonica

Viale P. Canonica 2 (Villa Borghese), tel. 060608, www.museocanonica.it. The collection, private apartment and studio of the sculptor and musician Pietro Canonica who died in 1959. 09.00-19.00. Mon closed. Guided tours in Italian and English (book ten days in advance).

Museo Napoleonico

Piazza di Ponte Umberto 1, tel. 060608, www.museonapoleonico.it. Paintings, sculptures and jewellery related to Napoleon and the Bonaparte family. 09.00- 19.00. Mon closed. Guided tours in Italian and English.

PRIVATE MUSEUMS

Casa di Goethe

Via del Corso 18, tel. 0632650412, www. casadigoethe.it. Museum dedicated to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. 10.0018.00. Mon closed.

Chiostro Del Bramante

Bramante’s Renaissance building near Piazza Navona stages exhibitions by important Italian and international artists. Arco della Pace 5, tel. 0668809035 www.chiostrodelbramante.it.

Doria Pamphilj Gallery

Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, Via del Corso 305, tel. 066797323, www.doriapamphilj.it. Residence of the Doria Pamphilj family, it contains the family’s private art collection, which includes a portrait by Velasquez, a sculpture by Bernini, plus works by Raphael, Titian, Tintoretto and Caravaggio. 09.00-19.00.

Galleria Colonna

Palazzo Colonna, Via della Pilotta 17, tel. 066784350, www.galleriacolonna.it. Private collection of works by Veronese, Guido Reni, Pietro di Cortona and Annibale Caracci. Sat 09.00-13.00 only. Private group tours are available seven days a week on request. For wheelchair access contact the gallery to arrange alternative entrance.

Giorgio de Chirico House Museum

Piazza di Spagna 31, tel. 066796546, www.fondazionedechirico.org. Museum dedicated to the Metaphysical painter Giorgio de Chirico. Tues-Sat, rst Sun of month, 10.00, 11.00, 12.00. Guided tours in English, advance booking.

Keats-Shelley House Piazza di Spagna 26, tel. 066784235, www. keats-shelley-house.it. Museum dedicated to the lives of three English Romantic poets – John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron. Mon-Sat 10.00-13.00, 14.00-18.00. Guided tours on prior booking.

Museo storico della Liberazione Via Tasso 145, tel. 067003866, www.museoliberazione.it. Housed in the city's former SS prison, the Liberation Museum were tortured here during the Nazi occupation of Rome from 1943-1944. 09.00-13.15 / 14.15-20.00.

Palazzo Merulana Via Merulana 121, tel. 0639967800, www.palazzomerulana.it. Museum hosting the early 20th-century Italian art collection, including Scuola Romana paintings, of the Cerasi Foundation. 09.00-20.00. Tues closed.

ROME’S MOST ACTIVE AND CONTEMPORARY

ART GALLERIES

1/9 Unosunove

1/9 Unosunove focuses on emerging national and international contemporary artists and explores various media including paintings, sculpture and photography. Via degli Specchi 20, tel. 0697613696, www.unosunove.com.

A.A.M. Architettura

Arte Moderna Gallery housing numerous works of contemporary design, photography, drawings and architecture projects. Via dei Banchi Vecchi 61, tel. 0668307537, www. -maam.it.

Contemporary Cluster

Multidisciplinary venue devoted to visual art, design, architecture and fashion design at Palazzo Brancaccio. Via Merulana 248, tel. 0631709949, www.contemporarycluster.com.

C.R.E.T.A.

Cultural association promoting ceramics and the visual, humanistic, musical and culinary arts through workshops, exhibitions and artist residencies. Palazzo Del ni, Via dei Del ni 17, tel. 0689827701, www.cretarome.com.

Dorothy Circus Gallery

Prominent gallery specialising in international pop-surrealist art. Via dei Pettinari 76, tel. 0668805928, www.dorothycircusgallery.com.

Ex Elettrofonica

This architecturally unique contemporary art gallery promotes and supports the work of young international artists. Vicolo S. Onofrio 10-11, tel. 0664760163, www.exelettrofonica.com.

Fondazione Memmo

Contemporary art space that hosts established foreign artists for sitespeci c exhibitions. Via Fontanella Borghese 56b, tel. 0668136598, www.fondazionememmo.it.

Fondazione Pasti cio Cerere

This non-pro t foundation develops and promotes educational projects and residencies for young artists and curators, as well as a programme of exhibitions, lectures, workshops and studio visits. Via degli Ausoni 7, tel. 0645422960, www.pasti ciocerere.com.

Fondazione Volume!

The Volume Foundation exhibits works created speci cally for the gallery with the goal of fusing art and landscape. Via di S. Francesco di Sales 86-88, tel. 06 6892431, www.fondazionevolume.com.

Franz Paludetto

Gallery in S. Lorenzo that promotes the work of Italian and international contemporary artists. Via degli Ausoni 18, www.franzpaludetto.com.

Frutta

This contemporary art gallery supports international and local artists in its unique space. Via dei Salumi 53 tel. 0645508934, www.fruttagallery.com.

Gagosian Gallery

The Rome branch of this international contemporary art gallery hosts some of the biggest names in modern art. Via Francesco Crispi 16, tel.0642086498, www.gagosian.com.

GALLA

Exhibition space designed to showcase original, unconventional art works at a ordable prices by artists working in various elds. Via degli Zingari 28, tel. 3476552515, www.facebook.com/GALLAmonti.

Galleria Alessandro Bonomo Gallery showing the works of important Italian and international visual artists. Via del Gesù 62, tel. 0669925858, www.bonomogallery.com.

Galleria Valentina Bonomo

Located in a former convent, this gallery hosts both internationally recognised and emerging artists who create works speci cally for the gallery space. Via del Portico d’Ottavia 13, tel. 066832766, www.galleriabonomo.com.

Galleria Frammenti D’Arte

Gallery promoting painting, design and photography by emerging and established Italian and international artists. Via Paola 23, tel. 069357144142, www.fdaproject.com.

Galleria Lorcan O’Neill

High-pro le international artists regularly exhibit at this gallery located near Campo de’ Fiori. Vicolo Dè Catinari 3, tel. 0668892980, www.lorcanoneill.com.

Galleria della Tartaruga

Well-established gallery that has promoted important Italian and foreign artists since 1975. Via Sistina 85/A, tel. 066788956, www.galleriadellatartaruga.com.

Galleria Il Segno

Prestigious gallery showing work by major Italia and international artists since 1957. Via Capo le Case 4, tel. 066791387, www.galleriailsegno.com.

Gallery near Piazza del Popolo promoting established contemporary artists and emerging talents. Largo Fontanella Borghese 89, tel. 0669923801, www.galleriamucciaccia.com.

This historic gallery holds group and solo exhibitions showcasing the work of major 20th-century Italian painters alongside promising new Italian artists. Via Alibert 20, tel.

A new space oriented towards younger artists. Via del Consolato 10, www.operativa-arte.com.

Pian de Giullari

Art studio-gallery in the house of Carlina and Andrea Bottai showing works by contemporary artists from Rome, Naples and Florence capable of transmitting empathy and emotions. Via dei Cappellari 49, tel. 3397254235, 3663988603, www.piandegiullari2.blogspot.com.

Plus Arte Puls

A dynamic gallery promoting street culture and contemporary art movements. Via di A ogalasino 34, www.galleriavarsi.it.

New York gallerist Gavin Brown shows the work of international artists at his Trastevere gallery in a deconsecrated church dating to the eighth century. S. Andrea de Scaphis, Via dei Vascellari 69, www.gavinbrown.biz.

Hosts exhibitions representing the international scene and contemporary artists of di erent generations. Via Giuseppe Acerbi 31A, tel. 0653098768, www.ilpontecontemporanea.com.

Well-established gallery showing work by prominent Italian artists. Via del Corso 530, tel. 063610892, www.nuovapesa.it.

MAC Maja Arte Contemporanea

Gallery devoted to exhibitions by prominent Italian artists. Via di Monserrato 30, www.majartecontemporanea.com.

Contemporary art gallery that focuses on young and emerging artists. Via dei Prefetti 17, tel. 066875951, www.ma-

Cultural association and gallery showing work by important contemporary Italian and international artists. Viale Mazzini 1, tel. 3357010795, www.plusartepuls.com.

Sala 1

This internationally known non-pro t contemporary art gallery provides an experimental research centre for contemporary art, architecture, performance and music. Piazza di Porta S. Giovanni 10, tel. 067008691, www.salauno.com.

S.T. Foto libreria galleria Gallery in Borgo Pio representing a diverse range of contemporary art photography. Via degli Ombrellari 25, tel. 0664760105, www.stsenzatitolo.it.

Studio Sales di Norberto Ruggeri

The gallery exhibits pieces by both Italian and international contemporary artists particularly minimalist, postmodern and abstract work. Piazza Dante 2, int. 7/A, tel. 0677591122, www.galleriasales.it.

T293

The Rome branch of this contemporary art gallery presents national and international artists and hosts multiple solo exhibitions. Via G. M. Crescimbeni 11, tel. 0688980475, www.t293.it.

The Gallery Apart

This contemporary art gallery o ers an experimental space for a new generation of artists. Palazzo Sforza Cesarini, Via Sforza Cesarini 43 A, t el. 0639378024, www.monitoronline.org.

Space dedicated to showcasing young international artists working in pop surrealism, lowbrow art, dark art, comic art and surrealism. Via Castruccio Castracane 9, tel. 0627801418,

This contemporary art gallery supports young artists in their research and assists them in their projects to help them emerge into the international art world. Via Francesco Negri 43, tel. 0668809863, www.thegalleryapart.it.

TraleVolte

Contemporary art gallery focusing on the relationship between art and architecture, hosting solo and group shows of Italian and international artists. Piazza di Porta S. Giovanni 10, tel. 0670491663, www.tralevolte.org.

Von Buren Contemporary

Nomas Foundation promotes contemporary research in art and experimental exhibitions. Viale Somalia 33, tel. 0686398381, www.nomasfoundation.com. Operativa Arte Contemporanea

Rome-based gallery specialising in a ordable contemporary art by young, emerging Italian artists. Via Giulia 13, tel. 3351633518, www.vonburencontemporary.com.

Wunderkammern

This gallery promotes innovative research of contemporary art. Via Gabrio Serbelloni 124, tel. 0645435662, www.wunderkammern.net.

Z20 Galleria Sara Zanin

Started by art historian Sara Zanin, Z2o Galleria o ers a range of innovative national and international contemporary artists. Via della Vetrina 21, tel. 0670452261, www.z2ogalleria.it.

where to go in Rome WHAT’S ON

Vincent Van Gogh at Palazzo Bonaparte. L'amante (ritratto del sottotenente Milliet) Arles, 1888. © Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, The Netherlands. See page 36.

EXHIBITIONS

BOB DYLAN: RETROSPECTRUM

16 DEC-30 APRIL

Rome’s MAXXI presents an exhibition of visual art by veteran singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Titled Retrospectrum, the show features Dylan’s oil paintings, acrylics, watercolours, ink drawings, pastel and charcoal works and a series of iron sculptures. Hailed as “the first European monographic exhibition to explore Dylan’s expansive visual oeuvre”, the show is divided into seven themed sections: Early Works, The Beaten Path, Drawn Blank, New Orleans, Ironworks, Mondo Scripto, and Deep Focus. Organisers

say the exhibition marks Dylan’s life-long journey of creating visual art, documenting the transformation

of the sources and styles that have inspired and influenced him over the decades. MAXXI, Via Guido Reni 4, www.maxxi.art.

MARTA JOVANOVIĆ: MOTHERHOOD 25 NOV-20 JAN

Maja Arte Contemporanea presents Motherhood, the gallery’s first collaboration with performance artist Marta Jovanović. The sculpted pieces on display are the outcome of the eponymous performance staged by Jovanović in 2016 in Belgrade. During the performance, Jovanović struck 246 eggs hanging from the ceiling, rupturing them one by one. The eggs symbolically numbered each fertile day from the artist’s first menstruation to the date of the performance. The broken shells were then turned into unique electroformed copper sculptures, numbered and plated in 24K gold. “Each egg I broke during the performance is a missed opportunity at maternity in the name of art,” says Jovanović. Maja Arte Contemporanea, Via di Monserrato 30, www.majartecontemporanea.com.

LIANA MIUCCIO: VISUAL DIARY 18 NOV-12 MARCH

Rome’s municipal modern art gallery hosts Visual Diary, an innovative visual and literary exhibition by Liana Miuccio. The exhibition continues the artist’s ongoing study of identity, memory and migration through the juxtaposition of photographs

Endless Highway by Bob Dylan at MAXXI.

Marta Jovanović at Maja Arte Contemporanea.

and videos with excerpts from the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Jhumpa Lahiri. Miuccio’s gaze, in dialogue with Lahiri’s excerpts, explores the search for identity and a sense of place through images of contemporary daily life. Organisers say the exhibition “invites visitors to participate in a collective experience that celebrates the quotidian life which unites us all.” Galleria d’Arte Moderna, Via Francesco Crispi 24, www.galleriaartemodernaroma.it.

KARIN KNEFFEL

11 NOV-14

JAN

The Gagosian Gallery hosts an exhibition of new paintings by Karin Kneffel who addresses human portraiture for the first time. Titled Face of a Woman, Head of a Child, this is Kneffel’s third exhibition with the gallery and her first solo exhibition in Rome in 25 years since her residency at Villa Massimo. Throughout her career Kneffel has reflected on the relationship between painting, space and time by layering and recombining objects, places, traces and incidents in her interior scenes and still lifes, painted in a realist manner. In her exhibition at the Gagosian, she depicts the faces of historical polychrome wooden figures, the gallery says, harnessing “the full powers of her painterly methods to describe in granular detail the strong contours and subtle nuances of each rustic sculpted and painted visage.” Gagosian Gallery, Via Francesco Crispi 16, www. gagosian.com.

A TIMELESS WONDER

25 OCT-29 JAN

Galleria Borghese dedicates an exhibition to oil painting on stone in the 16th and 17th century, reviving a practice from ancient Roman practice in response to the devastation that occurred during the Sack of Rome in 1527. Artists and patrons believed that paintings would be rendered immortal is painted on stone, with Venetian artist Sebastiano del Piombo leading the charge in developing the technique with oil paints. The exhibition, titled A Timeless Wonder. Painting on Stone in Rome in the Cinquecento and Seicento, is curated by Francesca Cappelletti and Patrizia Cavazzini. Comprising more than 60 works from Italian and international museums and important private collections, the show features works on a variety of stone surfaces by artists including Bronzino, del Piombo, Orazio Gentileschi, Carlo Saraceni and Antonio Tempesta. Galleria Borghese, Piazzale Scipione Borghese 5, www. galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it.

ROMA MEDIEVALE

21 OCT-5 FEB

An exhibition at Palazzo Braschi offers the chance to “rediscover the lost face of Rome” between the sixth and 14th centuries, exploring the city’s pivotal role in Christian and Mediaeval Europe. Divided into nine sections, the exhibition aims to raise awareness

of Rome in the Middle Ages, through its churches and palaces as well as daily life. There are more than 160 works on display including mosaics, frescoes and statues, from Roman public collections, churches and prestigious institutions such as the Vatican Museums. Organisers say the exhibition will also examine the rich patronage of popes and cardinals, the activity of artists and workshops, and the city’s fascination as “an essential pilgrimage destination even for kings and emperors.” Museo di Roma Palazzo Braschi, Piazza Navona 2, www.museodiroma.it.

RAOUL DUFY

14 OCT-26 FEB

Palazzo Cipolla hosts an exhibition dedicated to the French Fauvist painter Raoul Dufy (1877-1953). Known for his colourful, decorative style, the multifaceted Dufy was also a draftsman, printmaker, illustrator and designer. The exhibition, curated by Sophie Krebs and organised in collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, features about 150 works, including paintings, drawings, ceramics and fabrics. Organisers say this is the second exhibition on Dufy in Rome, after the 1984 show at the French Academy in Villa Medici. Palazzo Cipolla, Via del Corso 302, www. fondazioneterzopilastrointernazionale. it.

VAN GOGH

8 OCT-26 MARCH

Palazzo Bonaparte in the centre of Rome stages a major show of Van Gogh paintings. The exhibition comprises 50 works including a celebrated self portrait of the artist from 1887, three years before his death. All the works on display are from the Kröller Müller Museum in Otterlo in the Netherlands. The exhibition makes reference to the places where Van Gogh stayed, with a particular focus on the artist’s time in Paris. Alongside his celebrated self portrait, the exhibition includes The sower (June 1888), The hospital garden in Saint-Rémy (1889), The Ravine (1889) and Sorrowing old man (1890). Located in Piazza Venezia, the 17th-century Palazzo Bonaparte is best known as the home of Maria Letizia Ramolino,

Liana Miuccio at Galleria d'Arte Moderna.

Roma Medievale at Palazzo Braschi. Roman mosaic, S. Luca Evangelista, circa 1230, Vatican Museums.

Napoleon’s mother, who watched the world go by from the building’s green balcony from 1818 until her death in 1836. Piazza Venezia, www. mostrepalazzobonaparte.it.

L’IMPERO DI ARAGOSTE

6 OCT-8 JAN

Rome’s Via Veneto has been enlivened with 12 colourful installations by British artist Philip Colbert. The London-based artist works across the mediums of painting, sculpture, digital art, fashion, furniture and design, and he has exhibited in the world’s most prestigious galleries including The Tate Modern. Best known for his cheeky, satirical lobster characters, Colbert has been described in the media as “the godson of Andy Warhol” and “the crown prince of pop art”. His lobsters form part of a new public art project on Via Veneto, including the six-metre-high King Lobster which greets passersby with a royal crown and raised pincers.

LUCIO DALLA

22 SEPT-6 JAN

Rome’s Ara Pacis museum pays homage to the late Italian singersongwriter Lucio Dalla with a major exhibition dedicated to his life and career. The show, held on the 10th anniversary of Dalla’s death, will trace the “human and artistic journey of one of the most beloved Italian and international artists”. On display are documents,

photographs, record covers, stage costumes, video footage and memorabilia including his extensive collection of hats. Dalla is best remembered as the composer of Caruso, the 1986 hit subsequently covered by artists including Luciano Pavarotti and Julio Iglesias. Museo dell’Ara Pacis, Lungotevere in Augusta, www.arapacis.it.

DOMIZIANO IMPERATORE: ODIO E AMORE

13 JULY- 29 JAN

Villa Caffarelli at the Capitoline Museums stages an exhibition dedicated to Domitian, the last emperor of the Flavian dynasty, a complex character who was both loved and hated in life and in death. The exhibition, organised in collaboration with the Rijksmuseum in Holland, comprises almost 100 works, many of which are on loan from important international and Italian museums. On display are artefacts including marble and bronze busts of imperial figures and gods, marble elements of architectural decoration, and small objects in gold and bronze. Villa Caffarelli, Musei Capitolini, www.museicapitolini.org.

L’ELEFANTE E IL COLLE PERDUTO 8 APRIL-5 MARCH

An exhibition at Trajan’s Markets recalls how the skull and left tusk of an extinct elephant species were

discovered during excavations to make way for Via dell’Impero in 1932. The fossilised remains belonged to a straight-tusked elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) a prehistoric species that roamed Europe and western Asia during the Ice Age. The surprise discovery came about during frantic works to bulldoze a path through the Velia or Velian hill – a spur between the Oppian Hill and the north side of the Palatine – as part of Mussolini’s plans to connect the Colosseum with Piazza Venezia. The rushed nature of the excavation meant the almost total loss of the garden of Villa Rivaldi, a Renaissance-era palace whose grounds stretched as far as the Basilica of Maxentius in the Roman Forum. Cutting through the Velia yielded rich archaeological finds from the Roman era, in particular the remains of a domus with well-preserved frescoes and numerous statues. The unearthed treasures were collected hastily and crated off to city warehouses. The most surprising discovery was made on 20 May 1932, when numerous fossilised remains came to light, among them the elephant skull and tusk. The remains of the elephant are on display alongside archaeological finds, archive film footage and large watercolours of the Villa Rivaldi garden, painted before it was lost forever. Trajan’s Markets, on Via IV Novembre 94, www.mercatiditraiano.it.

Karin Kneffel at the Gagosian Gallery

CLASSICAL

ACCADEMIA S. CECILIA

NEW YEAR'S CONCERT

5, 7, 8 JAN

Jakub Hrůša conducts the Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di S. Cecilia with pianist Beatrice Rana performing music by Beethoven, Schumann and Weber. 5 Jan at 19.30, 7-8 Jan at 18.00. Sala S. Cecilia, Auditorium Parco della Musica, Viale P. de Coubertin 30, www.santacecilia.it.

KIAN SOLTANI

9 JAN

Cellist Kian Soltani with soprano Giuliana Gianfaldoni and cellos of the Orchestra dell’Accademia di S. Cecilia perform in European spirit, with music by Chesnokov, Vivaldi, Piatti, Strauss and Sollima, and South American Getaway with music by Gardel, Villa-Lobos Aria, Bacharach, Piazzolla and James Barralet. 20.30. Sala Sinopoli, Auditorium Parco della Musica, Viale P. de Coubertin 30, www. santacecilia.it.

MUSIC OF THE SPIRIT

12-14 JAN

Sir Antonio Pappano conducts the Orchestra e Coro dell’Accademia Nazionale di S. Cecilia in Music of the Spirit, performing Mendelssohn's Psalm 114 op. 51 and Bruckner's Symphony No. 7. 12 Jan at 19.30, 13 Jan at 20.30 and 14 Jan at 18.00. Sala S. Cecilia, Auditorium Parco della Musica,

Viale P. de Coubertin 30, www. santacecilia.it.

ANDRAS SCHIFF 16 JAN

A surprise recital in which pianist András Schiff will introduce and present pieces on the programme. 20.30. Sala S. Cecilia, Auditorium Parco della Musica, Viale P. de Coubertin 30, www.santacecilia.it.

Sir Antonio Pappano conducts Music of the Spirit for S. Cecilia.

Kian Soltani performs for S. Cecilia. Photo Juventino Mateo.

OPERA

TEATRO DELL’OPERA DI ROMA

L’ELISIR

11-15 JAN

D'AMORE

Francesco Lanzillotta conducts and Ruggero Cappuccio directs this melodramma giocoso (opera buffa) in two acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Libretto by Felice Romani, with the orchestra and chorus of Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. Piazza Beniamino Gigli, www.operaroma.it.

AIDA

31 JAN-12 FEB

Michele Mariotti conducts and

Theatre

RAPUNZEL THE MUSICAL

2 DEC-8 JAN

Maurizio Colombi directs this musical loosely based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, with Lorella Cuccarini in the lead role. Teatro Brancaccio, Via Merulana 244, www.teatrobrancaccio.it.

CATS

7-31 DEC

The hit musical by English composer Andrew Lloyd Webber comes to Teatro Sistina. Produced by Peeparrow, the Italian version of the show is directed by Massimo Romeo Piparo, with Malika Ayane as Grizabella. For the first time ever, the show is set in Rome, amid ancient Roman ruins and with the Colosseum as the backdrop. Based on the poetry of T. S. Eliot, the musical tells the story of a tribe of cats and the night they make the “Jellicle choice” by deciding which cat will ascend to the Heaviside layer and come back to a new

Davide Livermore directs this opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni which had its premiere in Cairo in 1871 and was

first performed in Rome at Teatro Costanzi in 1881. Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Piazza Beniamino Gigli, www.operaroma.it.

life. Teatro Sistina, Via Sistina 129, www.ilsistina.it.

WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?

31 JAN-12 FEB

Teatro Stabile dell'Umbria presents Chi ha paura di Virginia Woolf, an Italian-language production of the

classic play by Edward Albee first staged in 1962. The story examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George, played by Sonia Bergamasco and Vinicio Marchioni, directed by Antonio Latella. Teatro Argentina, Largo di Torre Argentina 52, www. teatrodiroma.net.

L’Elisir d’Amore at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. Photo Luciano Romano-TOR.

The stage of Cats is set in Rome. Photo Gianluca Saragò.

NEW PRESIDENT AT MAXXI

Italy’s culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano appointed journalist Alessandro Giuli as the new president of MAXXI, the national museum of 21st century arts, in Rome. Giuli, 47, succeeds Giovanna Melandri, a former Italian minister of culture who served at the helm of the cuttingedge Rome art museum since 2012.

“The minister thanks Giovanna Melandri, whose mandate expired on 1 November, for the work she has done” – read a brief statement issued by the ministry in late November –“The appointment of the new president Giuli will take effect from 12 December 2022″. Rome culture councillor Miguel Gotor paid tribute to Melandri for “projecting MAXXI onto the international art scene” and for giving life to “an innovative cultural centre open to the city”. With a degree in philosophy, Giuli is from Rome and has a background in journalism with rightleaning newspapers Il Foglio and Libero. He is a regular guest on television shows devoted to politics and current affairs. Giuli has no experience in cultural heritage management, according to Italian news reports, however he has published several books including Il passo delle oche: the unresolved identity of the postfascists and Sovereignism for beginners: Individuals and power between identity and integration Giuli’s appointment comes at the start of the €37.5 million “Grande MAXXI” expansion project to double the size of the futuristic museum complex, designed by the late Zaha Hadid, between this year and 2026.

ROME TO ESTABLISH SCIENCE MUSEUM

Rome has launched an international design competition to create a Museum of Science in the Flaminio district. The Museo della Scienza will be located in the former military barracks on Via Guido Reni, near MAXXI and the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone. Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri said that although Rome has dozens of scientific centres in museums, universities and research institutes, the city lacks a science hub, stressing that the Museo della Scienza would also be connected to other Italian and international science museums. The winning design will be announced on 19 May, with the laying of the building’s first stone in 2025 and the museum set to be inaugurated in 2027, as part of a €75 million project. The total area of the Science Museum will be over 19,000 sqm (including green spaces, bathrooms and café), of which 9,000 sqm would be for various exhibition spaces and 1,100 sqm of research space. The mayor said that Rome has “been waiting for decades” for this museum which “will be an exhibition hub for the scientific heritage of the city. A space for teaching, participation and involvement of citizens to discover the scientific activities of the city.” Giorgio Parisi, Nobel laureate and president of the scientific committee of the museum, said the Museo della Scienza would have “the task of preserving and enhancing the memory of history and scientific progress.”

Andy Devane

Alessandro Giuli replaces Giovanna Melandri as MAXXI president.

Rome's plan for the new Museo della Scienza.

Teatro Costanzi, Teatro Piazza Beniamino Gigli 1, ww

Teatro Olimpico, Piazza Gentile da Fabriano 17, www.teatroolimpico.it

dance opera

Teatro Costanzi, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Piazza Beniamino Gigli 1, www.operaroma.it

Teatro Vascello, Via Giacinto Carini 78, www.teatrovascello.it

Teatro Olimpico, Piazza Gentile da Fabriano 17, www.teatroolimpico.it

dance opera

Teatro Vascello, Via Giacinto Carini 78, www.teatrovascello.it

rock pop

rock pop

Concert venues ranging from major pop and rock groups to jazz and acoustic gigs.

Concert venues ranging from major pop and rock groups to jazz and acoustic gigs.

Alexanderplatz, Via Ostia 9, tel. 0683775604 www.alexanderplatzjazzclub.it

Teatro Costanzi, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Piazza Beniamino Gigli 1, www.operaroma.it

Teatro Costanzi, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Piazza Beniamino Gigli 1, www.operaroma.it

Lanificio 159, Via di Pietralata 159, tel. 0641780081, www.lanificio159.com

Live Alcazar, Via Cardinale Merry del Val 14, tel. 065810388, www.livealcazar.com

Lanificio 159, Via di Pietralata 159, tel. 0641780081, www.lanificio159.com

Angelo Mai Altrove, Via delle Terme di Caracalla 55, www.angelomai.org

Alexanderplatz, Via Ostia 9, tel. 0683775604 www.alexanderplatzjazzclub.it

Atlantico, Viale dell’Oceano Atlantico 271d, tel. 065915727, www.atlanticoroma.it

Angelo Mai Altrove, Via delle Terme di Caracalla 55, www.angelomai.org

Auditorium Parco della Musica, Viale P de Coubertin, tel. 06892982, www.auditorium.com

Atlantico, Viale dell’Oceano Atlantico 271d, tel. 065915727, www.atlanticoroma.it

Casa del Jazz, Viale di Porta Ardeatina 55, tel. 06704731, www.casajazz.it

Auditorium Parco della Musica, Viale P de Coubertin, tel. 06892982, www auditorium.com

theatre

Casa del Jazz, Viale di Porta Ardeatina 55, tel. 06704731, www.casajazz.it

theatre

Teatro Argentina, Largo di Torre Argentina 52, tel. 06684000314, www.teatrodiroma.net

Teatro Argentina, Largo di Torre Argentina 52, tel. 06684000314, www.teatrodiroma.net

Teatro Belli, Piazza di S. Apollonia 11, tel. 065894875, www.teatrobelli.it

Teatro Belli, Piazza di S. Apollonia 11, tel. 065894875, www.teatrobelli.it

Teatro Brancaccio, Via Merulana 244, tel. 0680687231 www.teatrobrancaccio.it

Teatro Brancaccio, Via Merulana 244, tel. 0680687231 www.teatrobrancaccio.it

Teatro Ghione, Via delle Fornaci 37, tel. 066372294 www.teatroghione.it

Teatro Ghione, Via delle Fornaci 37, tel. 066372294 www.teatroghione.it

Teatro India, Lungotevere Vittorio Gassman 1, tel. 06684000311, www.teatrodiroma.net

Teatro India, Lungotevere Vittorio Gassman 1, tel. 06684000311, www.teatrodiroma.net

Monk Club, Via Giuseppe Mirri 35, tel. 0664850987, www.monkroma.it

Live Alcazar, Via Cardinale Merry del Val 14, tel. 065810388, www.livealcazar.com

PalaLottomatica, Piazzale dello Sport 1, tel. 06540901, www.palalottomatica.it

Monk Club, Via Giuseppe Mirri 35, tel. 0664850987, www.monkroma.it

PalaLottomatica, Piazzale dello Sport 1, tel. 06540901, www.palalottomatica.it

Rock in Roma, Via Appia Nuova 1245, tel. 0654220870 www.rockinroma.com

Rock in Roma, Via Appia Nuova 1245, tel. 0654220870 www.rockinroma.com

Teatro Quirinetta, Via Marco Minghetti 5, tel. 0669925616, www.quirinetta.com

Teatro Quirinetta, Via Marco Minghetti 5, tel. 0669925616, www.quirinetta.com

Unplugged in Monti, Blackmarket, Via Panisperna 101, www.unpluggedinmonti.com

Unplugged in Monti, Blackmarket, Via Panisperna 101, www.unpluggedinmonti.com

Teatro Olimpico, Piazza Gentile da Fabriano 17, tel. 063265991, www.teatroolimpico.it

Teatro Olimpico, Piazza Gentile da Fabriano 17, tel. 063265991, www.teatroolimpico.it

Teatro S. Genesio, Via Podgora 1, tel. 063223432, www.teatrosangenesio.it

Teatro S. Genesio, Via Podgora 1, tel. 063223432 www.teatrosangenesio.it

Teatro Sistina, Via Sistina 129, tel. 064200711, www.ilsistina.it

Teatro Sistina, Via Sistina 129, tel. 064200711, www.ilsistina.it

Teatro Vascello, Via Giacinto Carini 78, tel 065898031 www.teatrovascello.it

Teatro Vascello, Via Giacinto Carini 78, tel. 065898031, www.teatrovascello.it

Teatro Vittoria, Piazza di S. Maria Liberatrice 10, tel. 065781960, www.teatrovittoria.it

Teatro Vittoria, Piazza di S. Maria Liberatrice 10, tel. 065781960, www.teatrovittoria.it

PIZZA MARGHERITA HOW TO MAKE GREAT PIZZA AT HOME

Making your own pizza from scratch is a sure re way to impress and is a fun activity to do with friends and family. This recipe is a simple way to make great pizza at home using a domestic kitchen oven and, while the result may not be exactly like a real Roman pizzeria, it allows you to unleash your creativity and add whatever toppings you choose.

Although the process of making the dough and leaving it to rise takes a while, this can be done in advance, so the actual topping and cooking of the pizza takes a matter of minutes. Cooking the base by itself for a few minutes before turning it over and adding the toppings will ensure a crunchy, non-soggy, crust, as will draining as much liquid as possible out of the mozzarella before using.

The quantities below will make enough pizza for about 4 people, but you can use whatever size and shape of metal baking tin you have at home.

500g our 00 1 x 7g sachet of dried yeast 3 pinches of salt 1 pinch of sugar 350ml water

Extra virgin olive oil

Sieve the our into a large bowl. Add the yeast, salt and sugar and pour in the water. Mix everything together with a fork, once the dough starts to come together, tip it onto a oured board or work surfaced. Continue to knead with your hands, constantly pushing the dough back onto itself, until you have a soft, elastic consistency. If the dough is too wet, add a little our; if it is too dry add a little more water or a drop of olive oil.

In a clean bowl pour in about 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Place the ball of dough into the bowl, cover with plastic cling lm and put the bowl into the oven (turned o ) or a dark cupboard. Leave it to prove for at least 3 hours until the dough has doubled in size. Once the dough has risen, tip it back onto a oured surface along with the oil. Knead it well until the texture is smooth and soft. Divide the dough into pieces (the size depends on the baking tins you have and how thick you want the base of your pizza) and leave it to rest while you prepare the topping. Turn the oven on to heat to its highest temperature.

Pour the passata into a bowl, add a splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt and mix well. Cut the mozzarella into cubes and use your hands to squeeze out as much liquid as possible to ensure that the pizza will not be soggy.

Grease the baking tins with olive oil. Push the dough into the tins using your hands, try not to create any holes.

Put the pizza into the lowest part of the oven and cook for 5-8 minutes then turn the base over in the tin. Spread the passata over the pizza and add some mozzarella and a drizzle of olive oil then place the pizza back into the low shelf of the oven for about 5 more minutes until the edges are crispy and the mozzarella has melted. Add a few fresh basil leaves and serve immediately.

Coromandel, Via di Monte Giordano 60/61, tel. 0668802461.

Dolce, Via Tripolitania 4, tel. 0686215696.

Ketumbar, Via Galvani 24, tel. 0657305338.

‘Na Cosetta, Via Ettore Giovenale 54, tel. 0645598326.

Ciclostazione Frattini, Via Pietro Frattini 136/138, tel. 065503707.

Atlas Coelestis, Via Malcesine 41, tel. 0635072243.

Porto Fluviale, Via del Porto Fluviale 22, tel. 065743199.

Rosti al Pigneto, Via Bartolomeo D’Alviano 65, tel. 062752608.

Doppiozero, Via Ostiense 68, tel. 0657301961.

Misto, Via Fezzan 21, tel. 0645471971.

Il Bistrot delle Officine Farneto, Via dei Monti della Farnesina 77, tel. 0690286945.

Mavi, Lungotevere di Pietra Papa 201, tel. 065584801.

Indirizzi

Where to brunch in Rome

Our picks of the best restaurants and cafes serving brunch on weekends – from Eggs Benedict to American-style pancakes.

COROMANDEL

Located near Piazza Navona, this cafe recreates the feel of a cosy 1950s home. If you fancy English-style eggs or pancakes for breakfast, then this is your place. On the menu you’ll find: simple eggs, omelette with roast potatoes and sausage, and either pancakes with bacon and maple syrup, scrambled eggs, maple syrup and icing sugar, or sweet pancakes with chocolate and hazelnut sauce, banana and flaked almonds. There are also smoothies, yogurt and fruit. Sat-Sun from 11.00-15.00.

DOLCE

For a New York-style Sunday brunch, head to Dolce, the restaurant and bakery in the Africano district. The kitchen is transformed into a bakery with a menu brimming with international cuisine. From eggs to pancakes, or even to sandwiches, sweet and savoury are placed side by side. You can choose between an omelette with three fillings of your choice, or an Eggs Benedict on toasted bread baked in-house. Sun 12.00-15.00.

KETUMBAR

Ketumbar’s organic brunch, served at weekends, is the talk of Testaccio. There’s a buffet ranging from antipasti to cakes and pastries, that changes seasonally. There are also many different soups, cous cous, dark taragna polente, fritters, hummus, cod au gratin, granary focaccia, salads and vegan dishes. The menu is accompanied by organic wine and artisan beers. At Ketumbar, brunch is also baby-friendly. There’s a kid’s menu and a space dedicated to young children, cared for by qualified minders. Sat-Sun 12.30-16.00.

‘NA COSETTA

In this Italian bistro in Pigneto, you can enjoy brunch, otherwise known in Italian as the ‘colanzo’. Dishes are both sweet and savoury and stick to a true Italian style with a few of the chef’s special touches. Pastries and cakes are made by pastry chef Stefania Guerrizio. Sun 12.30-16.00.

CICLOSTAZIONE FRATTINI

If you’re on the hunt for a place in the Portuense district where you can sit outside and let your kids run about, Ciclostazione Frattini should be your go-to brunch spot. A restaurant, pizzeria and grill, here the whole family can have fun in the indoor Baby Garden and Baby Park. The menu includes more than 30 options, ranging from fresh artisan pasta to homemade cakes and desserts. There are main courses such as meat and fish dishes, soups, cooked vegetables, salads, and cheeses. Sat-Sun 12.30-15.30.

PORTO FLUVIALE

This crowded Ostiense restaurant offers a buffet brunch menu containing around 60 dishes: hot and cold pasta dishes, soups, raw salads and cooked vegetable dishes, meats, and cheeses served with a variety of tasty dips and sauces. Don’t forget to try the delicious pastries and cakes. Sat-Sun 12.30-16.00.

ATLAS COELESTIS

Here you can choose between ten different dishes, from antipasti to dessert, which change weekly. There are also roselline di pizza (baked pizza in the shape of roses) to taste, as the restaurant has reopened its pizza oven and in the evening it serves pizzas made with wholewheat flour. On the kid’s menu you’ll find three different options for the main meal and ice cream for dessert. Sun 12.30.

ROSTI AL PIGNETO

If you feel like spending the weekend outside in a huge garden suitable for children, Rosti is the place for you. For starters you can tuck into the gnocchi with tomato and basil sauce, cannelloni with ricotta and tomato, ravioli with burrata, tomato and basil, or vegetarian crepes. For main course there’s seasoned meat balls, veal steak with mushrooms, roast pork with honey, turkey nuggets with yoghurt and mustard, anchovies marinated in tarragon and chilli, or cod balls with tomato, as well as salads and desserts. Sat-Sun 12.30-16.00.

DOPPIOZERO

Here you can enjoy a tasty brunch that benefits from its onsite bakery. The buffet at the weekend includes pasta, pizza (many different types), olive bread, cous cous, salmon, meat, buffalo mozarella and baked goods such as muffins and brownies. Sat-Sun 12.30-15.30.

MISTO

Located in the Africano district, Misto serves club sandwiches, pancakes, muffins, salads, and seasonal fruits made into juices and smoothies. You can choose one dish from a choice of three: the club sandwich, fillet of salmon or veggie sandwich and then add either pancakes or a salad, then choose between a savoury muffin or Scottish scone, and select a fruit juice. Kids can enjoy either a savoury muffin or Scottish scone, pancakes, fruit salad or orange or blueberry juice. We also recommend trying one of the alcoholic fruit cocktails or a pomegranate spritz. Sun 11.30-15.30.

IL BISTROT DELLE OFFICINE FARNETO

Every Sunday you can tuck into a tasty brunch at the bistro in Officine Farneto, on Via Monti della Farnesina. The dishes range from homemade fresh pasta to meat and fish courses, cooked vegetables and desserts. We recommend the freshly-prepared burgers. Sun from 12.30.

MAVI

At Mavi you can enjoy a brunch that’s a little different –part buffet, part à la carte. On the buffet you’ll find eggs, savoury pancakes and many different salad recipes, while from the menu you can order dishes such as burgers, bagels, cakes and sweet pancakes. The buffet includes coffee, water and fruit juice. Sun 13.00-16.00.

www.puntarellarossa.it

Associations

American International Club of Rome tel. 0645447625, www.aicrome.org

American Women’s Association of Rome tel. 064825268, www.awar.org

Association of British Expats in Italy britishexpatsinitaly@gmail.com

Canadian Club of Rome canadarome@gmail.com

Circolo di Cultura Mario Mieli Gay and lesbian international contact group, tel. 065413985, www.mariomieli.net

Commonwealth Club of Rome ccrome08@gmail.com

Daughters of the American Revolution Pax Romana Chapter NSDAR paxromana@daritaly.com, www.daritaly.com

Books

The following bookshops and libraries have books in English and other languages as specified.

Almost Corner Bookshop

Via del Moro 45, tel. 065836942

Anglo American Bookshop Via delle Vite 27, tel. 066795222

Bibliothèque Centre Culturel Saint-Louis de France (French) Largo Toniolo 20-22, tel. 066802637 www.saintlouisdefrance.it

La librerie Française de Rome La Procure (French) Piazza S. Luigi dei Francesi 23, tel. 0668307598, www.libreriefrancaiserome.com

Libreria Feltrinelli International Via V.E. Orlando 84, tel. 064827878, www.lafeltrinelli.it

Religious

All Saints’ Anglican Church

Via del Babuino 153/b tel. 0636001881

Sunday service 08.30 and 10.30

Anglican Centre

Piazza del Collegio Romano 2, tel. 066780302, www.anglicancentreinrome.com

Beth Hillel (Jewish Progressive Community) tel. 3899691486, www.bethhillelroma.org

Bible Baptist Church

Via di Castel di Leva 326, tel. 3342934593, www.bbcroma.org, Sunday 11.00

Christian Science Services Via Stresa 41, tel. 063014425

Church of All Nations Lungotevere Michelangelo 7, tel. 069870464

Church of Sweden

Via A. Beroli 1/e, tel. 068080474, Sunday service 11.15 (Swedish)

International Women’s Club of Rome tel. 0633267490, www.iwcofrome.it Irish Club of Rome irishclubofrome@gmail.com, www.irishclubofrome.org Luncheon Club of Rome tel. 3338466820

Patrons of Arts in the Vatican Museums tel. 0669881814, www.vatican-patrons.org Professional Woman’s Association www.pwarome.org United Nations Women’s Guild tel. 0657053628, unwg@fao.org, www.unwgrome.multiply.com Welcome Neighbor tel. 3479313040, dearprome@tele2.it, www.wntome-homepage.blogspot.com

Libreria Quattro Fontane (international) Via delle Quattro Fontane 20/a, tel. 064814484 Libreria Spagnola Sorgente (Spanish) Piazza navona 90, tel. 0668806950, www.libreriaspagnola.it Open Door Bookshop (second hand books English, French, German, Italian) Via della Lungaretta 23, tel. 065896478, www.books-in-italy.com Otherwise

Via del Governo Vecchio, tel. 066879825, www.otherwisebookshop.com

Footsteps Inter-Denominational Christian South Rome, tel. 0650917621, 3332284093, North Rome, tel. 0630894371, akfsmes.styles@tiscali.it

International Central Gospel Church Via XX Settembre 88, tel. 0655282695

International Christian Fellowship Via Guido Castelnuovo 28, tel. 065594266, Sunday service 11.00

Jewish Community Tempio Maggiore, Lungotevere Cenci, tel. 066840061 Lay Centre at Foyer Unitas Largo della Sanità Militare 60, tel. 067726761

Lutheran Church Via Toscana 7, corner Via Sicilia 70, tel. 064817519, Sunday service 10.00 (German) Ponte S. Angelo Methodist Church Piazza Ponte S. Angelo, tel. 066868314, Sunday Service 10.30

Pontifical Irish College (Roman Catholic)

Via dei SS. Quattro 1, tel. 06772631. Sunday service 10.00

Roma Baptist Church

Piazza S. Lorenzo in Lucina 35, tel. 066876652, 066876211, Suday service 10.30, 13.00 (Filipino), 16.00 (Chinese)

Roma Buddhist Centre Vihara Via Mandas 2, tel. 0622460091

Rome International Church Via Cassia km 16, www.romeinternational.org

Rome Mosque (Centro Islamico)

Via della Moschea, tel. 068082167, 068082258

St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Via XX Settembre 7, tel. 064827627, Sunday service 11.00

St Francis Xavier del Caravita (Roman Catholic) Via Caravita 7, www.caravita.org, Sunday service 11.00

Support groups

Alcoholics Anonymous tel. 064742913, www.aarome.com

Archè (HIV+children and their families) tel. 0677250350, www.arche.it

Associazione Centro Astalli (Jesuit refugee centre) Via degli Astalli 14/a, tel. 0669700306

Associazione Ryder Italia (Support for cancer patients and their families) tel. 065349622/06582045580, www.ryderitalia.it

Astra (Anti-stalking risk assessment) tel. 066535499, www.differenzadonna.it

Caritas soup kitchen (Mensa Giovanni Paolo II) Via delle Sette Sale 30, tel. 0647821098, 11.00-13.30 daily

Caritas foreigners’ support centre

Via delle Zoccolette 19, tel. 066875228, 06681554

Caritas hostel

Via Marsala 109, tel. 064457235

Caritas legal assistance Piazza S. Giovanni in Laterano 6/a, tel. 0669886369

Celebrate Recovery Christian group tel. 3381675680

Transport

• Atac (Rome bus, metro and tram) tel. 800431784, www.atac.roma.it

• Ciampino airport tel.06794941, www.adr.it

• Fiumicino airport tel. 0665951, www.adr.it

• Taxi tel. 060609-065551-063570-068822-064157066645-064994

• Traffic info tel. 1518

• Trenitalia (national railways) tel. 892021, www.trenitalia.it

St Isidore College (Roman Catholic) Via degli Artisti 41, tel. 064885359, Sunday service 10.00

St Patrick’s Church (Roman Catholic), Via Boncompagni 31, tel. 068881827, www.stpatricksamericaninrome.org Weekday Masses in English 18.00, Saturday Vigil 18.00, Sunday 09.00 and 10.30

St Paul’s within-the-Walls (Anglican Episcopal) Via Nazionale, corner Via Napoli, tel. 064883339, Sunday service 08.30, 10.30 (English), 13.00 (Spanish) St Silvestro Church (Roman Catholic) Piazza S. Silvestro 1, tel. 066977121, Sunday service 10.00 and 17.30

Venerable English College (Roman Catholic), Via di Monserrato 45, tel. 066868546, Sunday service 10.00

Comunità di S. Egidio Piazza di S. Egidio 3/a, tel. 068992234 Comunità di S. Egidio soup kitchen Via Dandolo 10, tel. 065894327, 17.00-19.30 Wed, Fri, Sat Information line for disabled tel. 800271027

Joel Nafuma Refugee Centre St Paul’s within-the-Walls Via Nazionale, corner Via Napoli, tel. 064883339

Mason Perkins Deafness Fund (Support for deaf and deaf-blind children), tel. 06444234511, masonperkins@gmail.com, www.mpds.it Overeaters Anonymous tel. 064743772

Salvation Army (Esercito della Salvezza) Centro Sociale di Roma “Virgilio Paglieri” Via degli Apuli 41, tel. 064451351

Support for elderly victims of crime (Italian only) Largo E. Fioritto 2, tel. 0657305104

The Samaritans Onlus (Confidential telephone helpline for the distressed) tel. 800860022

Chiamaroma

24-hour, multilingual information line for services in Rome, run by the city council, tel. 060606

Emergency numbers

• Ambulance tel. 118

• Carabinieri tel. 112

• Electricity and water faults (Acea) tel. 800130336

• Fire brigade tel. 115

• Gas leaks (Italgas-Eni) tel. 800900999

• Police tel. 113

• Rubbish (Ama) tel. 8008670355