Rome with Silvia

Home
Rome with Silvia

Your Rome Experience as a Local. Rome with Silvia is not just another tour company!
(1)

It’s a new tourism experience for those who want to visit Rome as a local, and soak up its culture and eternal beauty.

27/07/2023

⛲ The Fountain of the Moor is one of the three monumental fountains in Piazza Navona, located at the southern end of the square.

💛 The fountain was originally created in 1575-6 by Giacomo della Porta, and later enriched with contributions by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It was completed in 1654 by Giovanni Antonio Mari.
The fountain is composed of a polylobed tub in white and pink marble with four dolphins supporting the tub and four tritons on either side of it.

🐚 The central statue represents a Moor surrounded by Tritons. The Moor stands in a conch shell, holding a dolphin in his left hand and a shell in his right hand.

25/07/2023

🧱 The Aurelian wall circuit was built in 271 AD by Emperor Aurelian and it was provided with sixteen main gates. Among them, the Appian gate is considered the most beautiful: majestic and well preserved, strategically located in the suburban landscape south of Rome.

💛 The name derives from the street of the same name on which it opens, the Via Appia, the Regina Viarum which connected Rome to ancient Capua and, subsequently, to Brindisi.
The gate opens in the southern section of the Aurelian Walls, between the Latina and Ostiense gates, and assumed its current name from the 16th century, due to its proximity to the Basilica of San Sebastiano, to which the road led.

19/07/2023

🐟 The fish garum was an ancient Roman sauce made with the innards of fish and small fish, especially silversides, small goatfishes or blotched picarels.
Everything was placed in a container, salted and left to macerate in the sun, where it was turned often. After some months of fermentation, garum was finally extracted from the containers.

💛 Garum today could make many people turn up their noses, but in Roman times it was indeed a very popular sauce, which was even considered a delicacy, when prepared with the innards of fine fish and with particular combinations of herbs and spices.

🧂 The secret, however, was in the right amount of salt: in fact, if they used too little, there was a high chance that the fish would rot; however, if they put too much, the fermentation process would be interrupted. According to Pliny the Elder, the best garum was the one prepared in southern Spain: garum sociorum.

08/07/2023

🏛 The cyclopic complex of the Baths, also called Antoniniane, forms one of the most impressive and picturesque scenery of ancient Rome. They were built by Septimius Severo and inaugurated by his son Antonino Caracalla in 217 AD.

💛 The heart of the Roman baths was characterized by five rooms: apodyterium, laconicum, tepidarium, calidarium and frigidarium. Each of these sectors had a very specific function, but it was only from their union that one could fully enjoy the beneficial effects of the baths.

💪🏽 The Apodyterion was the entrance vestibule, consisting of a vast dressing room. This environment could also serve as a gymnasium, where gymnastic exercises could be performed to warm up the muscles before entering the thermal baths.

⛲ Frigidarium, tepidarium and calidarium were the rooms intended for balneotherapy, with pools of cold, lukewarm and hot water. The Laconicum, on the other hand, was the room used for sweat baths using dry hot air.
Lastly, the Romans used pumice stone and beech ash and then had massages with perfumed oils and ointments (such as myrrh or almond oil).

05/07/2023

💛 Built by the Censor Appius Claudius Caecus in 312 BC, for a distance of 124 Roman miles, the Via Appia was conceived as a road of military conquest during the Second Samnite War, with the aim of connecting Rome and Capua. However, it soon took on commercial functions, connecting the city with the southern territories.

🌼 The poet Statius (1st century AD) called it "Regina Viarum", recognizing its hegemonic role in the Roman road system. The area surrounding the Via Appia became the object, from the 4th century BC, of the interests of illustrious Roman families, who occupied the area with agricultural-productive villas, which were joined, in the imperial era, by more markedly residential or funerary complexes.

🤎 The Via Appia is, today as then, a unique road. The variety of works of art, the diversity of materials and styles, the inscriptions with famous names or curious mottos, made a journey along the Appian Way a unique experience in the world.

🏛 The guided tour will focus on the monuments along the third mile, in an itinerary in which the Roman and medieval past intertwine, creating a highly suggestive alchemy.
The route will start from the complex of the Villa of Maxentius, built by the emperor between 308 and 312 AD. Near the archaeological complex you can admire the Basilica of San Sebastiano, one of the most important places of Christian pilgrimage in Rome.

🌿 Another important monument is the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella. This funerary monument was built between 30 and 20 BC and it still impresses travelers today with its grandeur and elegance.
Near the complex it will be possible to admire the traces of the medieval past of the Via Appia, with Palazzo Caetani and the Church of San Nicola.
The tour will end at the archaeological area of Capo di Bove, where a thermal plant dating back to the middle of the 2nd century AD has been brought to light.

28/06/2023

🍇 Defrutum was a very common natural sweetener in Ancient Rome.

🍷 How was it produced? Romans used must, a residue of wine, and other leftovers. The result was called Defrutum or Sapa, depending on the amount of must used.

🍯 Why was it so popular? Defrutum was a cheap sweet sauce that could be added to meals to give them flavor and calories. Honey was a better sweetener, but it was also more expensive and only produced in certain regions, while wine was produced in almost every corner of the Empire. This might explains why the defrutum was more widespread.

22/06/2023

🌸 The majestic gardens are the cornerstone of the Villa d’Este complex, characterized by beautiful fountains and colourful trees and plants.
In particular, in the gardens you can often admire Wisteria plants that give the gardens a purple look.

💛 Wisteria is a very widespread and highly appreciated ornamental plant that originates in Asia.
History tells us that Japanese emperors, during their long journeys to distant lands, brought vases of wisteria with them, as a sign of appreciation towards the rulers of other countries. Probably because of this habit, the Wisteria became a symbol of friendship and gratitude.

🪷 Its characteristics have earned it the (italian) name “glicine” which derives from the Greek word Glikis, which means sweet. 4 species of Wisteria are known, but the best known in Italy is Wisteria Sinensis.

19/06/2023

🏛 Set in the heart of Rione Ponte, near Piazza Navona, there is an ancient noble palace, a secret gem among the wonders of Rome: Palazzo Altemps. Commissioned by Girolamo Riario in 1477 on the occasion of his marriage to Caterina Sforza, it was later purchased by Cardinal Marco Sittico Altemps.

🌼 Having become one of the headquarters of the Roman National Museum, the complex now exhibits one of the most evocative sculptural collections in the city. The beauty of the works is enhanced by the elegance of the original frescoes. Room after room, you will get lost in the rarefied atmosphere of the seventeenth century, while admiring refined ancient sculptures: from the Ares Ludovisi to the Galata Suicida. The heart of the itinerary will be the Loggia delle Delizie, the suggestive view of the noble floor, decorated like a secret pergola set with exotic fruits and animals.

💒 Another place full of charm is the Church of Sant'Aniceto, which was consecrated in 1617. Here, in 1883, Gabriele D'Annunzio and Maria Hardouin got married.

💛 The guided tour will be a two-track itinerary: on one hand, we will go through the rooms of the building, reconstructing its history and complex archaeological transformations; on the other hand, we will look at the sculptural collection exhibited there and the development of ancient art, up to the baroque restorations of Bernini and Algardi.

07/06/2023

💛 Do you want to visit a unique district in Rome?
The Coppedè District is an esoteric place of discovery, where nothing is what it seems.

✨ It is a fairy-tale agglomeration of buildings with decorative exuberance and extravagant creations.

🌼 The Palazzo del Ragno, the Villini delle Fate, the Fontana delle Rane are buildings with curious names and suggestive shapes, which give the neighborhood a mysterious and sometimes disturbing charm.

05/06/2023

👑 It is well-know that Julius Caesar was the victim of a conspiracy hatched by his godson Marco Giunio Bruto. But do you know where the murder took place? You’ve probably even walked by that place many times in Rome.

🔪 Caesar was stabbed by Brutus while he was presiding over a meeting of senators, in the Curia of Pompeii, in the current archaeological area of Largo di Torre Argentina. This is one of the busiest places in Rome and it’s also famous for being inhabited by a large colony of… cats! 🐈

🪦 In fact, in 2012 researchers have discovered the precise spot where Caesar's patricide took place. It is indicated by a concrete slab measuring three meters by two, which was commissioned by Octavian Augustus to commemorate his adoptive father and to hand down to posterity the condemnation of his murder.

29/05/2023

⭐️ THE COLOSSEUM guided tour ⭐️
The wonders of Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill

📅 Sunday June 11, 2023 - 10:30 AM

🟠 70 euros/person (tickets included) - 👉 max 10 pax

⌛️ 3h - SKIP THE LINE ENTRANCE AT THE COLOSSEUM

A GUIDED VISIT to one of the greatest monuments of Ancient Rome. Get Priority Access to Rome’s Ancient and Majestic COLOSSEUM - SEMI PRIVATE GROUP (maximum group size of 10). Marvel at one of the world's most famous and important monuments from new perspectives. The visit will include the access to the archaeological area of the ROMAN FORUM AND PALATINE HILL, with full explanations from your guide. FOR YOUR ROME EXPERIENCE AS A LOCAL

👉 BOOK NOW
[email protected]
WHATSAPP 0039 3487704963
www.romewithsilvia.com

25/05/2023

🌼 Via Margutta is one of the most characteristic streets of Rome. It's the street of artists, silent and quiet, it opens the doors to a world suspended in time.

💧 The etymology of the name is uncertain: perhaps it comes from "Marisgutta", i.e. Drop of the Sea, a euphemism used for a stream that flowed from the Villa dei Pincii.

🐎 Via Margutta was originally a lane behind the aristocratic palaces of Via del Babuino, where carriages and carts were parked, and where warehouses, stables and the houses of grooms, masons, marble workers and coachmen were located.

💛 Soon, however, the street became a fervent melting pot of artisans' and artists' shops.
This tradition is remembered in the famous Fontana delle arti by Pietro Lombardi (1927), surmounted by a bucket of brushes, with two central masks, one sad and one happy, symbolizing the alternating moods of the artists.

18/05/2023

🏛 Did you know that Villa d'Este has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001?
Villa d'Este is located in the heart of Tivoli and is considered one of the most complete expressions of Renaissance culture.

🌿 The complex of Villa d'Este, consisting of the palace and the garden, was built by Pirro Logorio on behalf of Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este on the occasion of his appointment as Governor of Tivoli in 1550.

💛 The residence immediately appeared an extraordinary architectural jewel due to the refined frescoes and the underlying iconography, characterized by complex symbols and mythical references.

🌼 The main attraction of the complex, however, are the majestic gardens, a unique example of a sixteenth-century Italian garden. With beautiful fountains and amazing water features, the gardens are an undisputed masterpiece of hydraulic engineering and constitute the most characteristic element of Villa d'Este.

08/05/2023

💡 The Montemartini power plant (Centrale Montemartini) was the first public electricity production plant in Rome. Built in the early 1900s and inaugurated in 1912 on Via Ostiense, between the Mercati Generali and the left bank of the Tiber, it guaranteed public lighting in Rome until 1963.

🏛 After decades of abandonment and deterioration, in 1997 Acea promoted an extraordinary recovery project, which transformed the old thermoelectric plant into an impressive archaeological museum.

🔋 The ethereal beauty of the classical sculpture masterpieces intertwines with the industrial archeology finds, the diesel engines and steam turbines, show the sophisticated functioning of this grandiose complex suspended in time.

🌼 The guided tour will lead us to the discovery of this one-of-a-kind museum, where ancient and modern, art and industry, turn out to be two sides of the same coin.

💻 Visit our website for more info and reservations: link in bio!

29/04/2023

🌼 Did you know there’s an hidden gem of Art Nouveau in Rome?
Hidden among the grassy paths of Villa Torlonia is the Casina delle Civette (which translates to “small house of owls”).

🦉 Built by Prince Alessandro Torlonia in 1840, it became the residence of Prince Giovanni Torlonia Jr, who ordered an important work of aesthetic restoration, which is responsible for the current appearance of the complex. The Casina was dedicated to one of the best-known esoteric figures: the owl.

🌈 The Casina delle Civette is the diamond tip when discovering "unusual Rome": with its colours, majolica tiles, symbolisms and majestic Tiffany-style stained glass windows, set in a fairy-tale atmosphere.

💻 Visit our website for more info and reservations: link in bio!

27/04/2023

🏛 Have you ever heard of the Baths of Caracalla?
These baths (Terme di Caracalla in Italian) are among the most beautiful and important in Rome, located on the slopes of the Aventine.

🪨 They were built from 212 AD. by the Emperor Septimius Severus and they were inaugurated in 217 AD. under the reign of his son Caracalla (hence the current name).

✨ At that time, they were the most beautiful baths ever built, both in terms of size and internal decorations. Admired and celebrated by ancient sources, they were considered "one of the seven wonders of Rome" and could accommodate around 10,000 people.

🧘🏻‍♂️ The thermal complexes represent one of the most characteristic aspects of Roman civilization. Attending the baths was the expression of a peculiar way of conceiving free time, the so-called Roman otium: access was relatively cheap and allowed Romans to spend a moment of pleasant relaxation and well-being.

🏊🏼‍♂️ The thermal path was based on the gradual passage from cold to hot water and vice versa: there were changing rooms, tubs for hot baths (calidarium), rooms for exudations (sudatio), warm rooms (tepidarium) and tubs with cold water (frigidarium).

🧖🏻‍♀️ In addition, there were spaces for gymnastics, and the laconicum, an environment similar to modern sauna. The path culminated in the natatio, a big pool for immersion and swimming.

The Baths functioned continuously until the 6th century, following the siege of the Godi and the cutting of the aqueducts.

09/04/2023

🕊 To celebrate Easter and Easter Monday, I want to share with you the history of Rome, a city that has seen many celebrations during this holiday.

🌱 For many centuries, Easter was a very important moment for the Roman Empire. Indeed, in this period Romans celebrated the rebirth of nature, the beginning of spring and fertility.

🐑 During the Roman Empire, Easter was celebrated with a number of pagan rituals, including the sacrifice of a lamb to honor the goddess of love, Venus. Later, with the advent of Christianity, Easter became a religious holiday which was celebrated with a solemn Mass and the gift of Easter eggs.

🪺 Today, the city of Rome continues to celebrate Easter and Easter Monday in a very festive way. The city is filled with tourist visits and colourful Easter markets where one can buy chocolate eggs and other typical sweets. The city also organizes parades and processions, including the traditional Via Crucis procession which takes place at the Colosseum.

🐣 I wish you a happy Easter and an Easter Monday full of joy and sharing, as it has been for centuries in the city of Rome!

06/04/2023

♥️Carbonara is one of the most famous dishes of Rome and Lazio gastronomy.

⏳But when was Carbonara born?
There are two main hypotheses: according to the first one, Carbonara is the “evolution” of another dish, cacio e ova (cheese and eggs), which belongs to Lazio and Abruzzo culinary traditions; while according to the second one, the dish was invented at the end of World War II.

☮️🏳️‍🌈After Rome was liberated by the Anglo-American troops in 1944, bacon was often found in the Roman markets. American soldiers used to mix ingredients that were familiar to them, like bacon, eggs and spaghetti, and inspired the Italian chefs, who later developed the real recipe.

🥚🥓Restaurateurs soon began to use local ingredients, and they started to use guanciale instead of bacon, thus giving life to one of the most famous traditional recipes of Rome and Italy. 🇮🇹

28/09/2022

🍁🍁How many bridges cross the Tiber River? Which was the first?
The bridges in Rome are iconic landmarks, testifying to over 2000 years of history. There are 25 crossing the Tiber, the oldest being Pons Sublicius (the Bridge on Pilings), now long gone, spanning from the Tiber Island to the Aventinum. 💛

🔮It was here that Publius Horatius Cocles defended the Republic of Rome against the siege the Etruscan army in 509 BC.

🚀🚀Discover the history and legends of Roman Bridges with Rome with Silvia!

14/09/2022

🤍 “It might make one in love with death, to think that one should be buried in so sweet a place” wrote Shelley about the Protestant Cemetery in Rome.

Little did he know that he would soon be buried here, after drowning in the Bay of Lerici in 1822 aged 30.
Had it seen it, he would have certainly wrote about the beautifully and harrowing Angel of Grief weeping over the graves since 1894, too. The iconic sculpture was designed by William Wetmore Story as a monument to his dead wife as a symbol of grief and prostration in the face of death.
The Non-Catholic Cemetery for Foreigners in Testaccio is one of the most beautiful and glorious monuments in Rome, unwinding on the slope of the Monte Testaccio hill where, among the flowers, bushes and cypresses, the Great Pyramid of Caius Cestius and the Aurelian Wall surround and protect those resting there.
Known as the Protestant, or English, Cemetery, this burial site hosts many artists, painters and scientists from different parts of the world and religions.

⌛️⌛️In 1716, Pope Clement XI granted the exiled members of the Stuart dynasty the permission to be interred at the foot of the Pyramid. Since then, many foreigners were laid to rest here, since they could not be buried in consecrated grounds according to the then current law. It is in this cemetery that the “young English poet whose name was writ in water”, we came to know and love by the name of John Keats rests, together with Shelley and the Beat generation bard Gregory Corso. In this magnificent place, the philosopher Antonio Gramsci was also buried.

🪦🪦The Old Cemetery was expanded to include new tombs in the 19th century, soon becoming a monument of national interest.
The Non-Catholic Cemetery is one of the most outstanding, but less known locations in Rome that are well worth a visit together with the Great Pyramid and the Monte Testaccio area.

🚀🚀Follow Rome with Silvia for more tips on what to see in Rome and visit our website to book some great guided tours in Rome.

08/09/2022

🤎Synagogue - Rome

29/08/2022

☀️☀️The heat and the sun are killing you? Here’s some of the places you can go to survive an ordinary hot summer day in Rome!
🌳🌳Rome is full of wonderful parks and gardens where you can rest and spend a few hours away from the sun, have a drink, a pic-nic and, why not, visit a museum inside the park!

Discover the Green Side of Rome 🌿🌿

26/08/2022

🤍They were Rome's ancient social media...a wall for the equivalent of 16th century satirical, anonymous posts and memes!😄😄

I am talking about Rome's Talking Statues: Marforio, Babuino, Facchino, Abate Luigi, Madama Lucrezia and Pasquino, which soon became the preferred means for the people to express their discontent or make fun of the Pope, the noblemen and all those who held the power!

You have already met the Facchino, who adornes the fountain of the same name in Via Lata. The other statues are located in different parts of the old city center, and the most famous of the six, Pasquino...well I am sure you have walked past it numerous times when strolling towards Piazza Navona from Corso Vittorio Emanuele.

🤩🤩Originally an Ellenic scultpure depicting Menelaus tending Patroclus' dead body, the statue was named Pasquino in the early XVI century, possibly after a local innkeper or artisan famous for his satirical verses and humour. Other say it may have been a tailor or a schoolmaster. Cardinal Orsini had it placed on a plinth in 1501, and during St. Mark's celebrations in April the statue was usually adorned with drapes and cloths and covered in papers carrying short verses and poems in Latin and Italian.

✒️✒️It is perhaps for this reason that people took to affixing anonymous verses to its plinth, its torso and the surrounding wall at night so that any passer-by could read them the next day.

😯😯Pasquino became the emblem of Roman political satire, and the verses, from then on known as Pasquinate, still today are the quintessential expression of the Romans'irony and scornful attitude toward power, its ostentation and the vices of the rich and powerful.

🚀🚀You can still see the statue covered in humorous and satirical flyers and signs!
And the other statues? Keep following us to learn about them too!
🇮🇹🇮🇹To discover the heart of Rome with the eyes of a local, book one of our guided tours with a licensed, expert local guide.
Visit our website to learn more.
🔝🔝www.romewithsilvia.com

13/08/2022

🤍 Meet Marforio, the second best known talking statue in Rome!

⏳Do you remember Pasquino and the talking statues of Rome? Well, Marforio is possibly as famous as Pasquino, and their tit-for-tats were one of the many way through which the people of Rome protested against the corruption and the wrongdoings of nobles and clergymen. As it happened for the latter, at night, satirical verses and epigrams appeared all around Marforio. 🪶🪶 These verses were often a response or a follow up to those hung on the other talking statues, especially Pasquino.
That is how the statues came to be known to be talking to each other!

🚀🚀Discovered in the Forum of Augustus by the Temple of Mars, this imposing sculpture is thought to represent Oceanus. Others saw it as a representation of either Neptune, Zeus or even the Tiber River.

02/08/2022

☀️☀️ A gigantic sundial in Rome! It's one of the most visited and most spectacular monuments in Rome!

💛💛 The Pantheon was a temple dedicated to all Roman gods. 🔮The oculus in the imposing dome is now believed to have worked as a sundial to help calculate the Spring and Fall equinoxes. Also, new studies reveal that on April 21st, date of the founding of Rome, the light from the Oculus hit the doorway of the Temple.

Want to know more of the wonderful stories that Rome has to tell? Then join with Silvia's guided tour to experience Rome as a local!

Visit our website 🚀🚀
www.romewithsilvia.com

19/07/2022

💛💛Explore the treasures hidden beneath Piazza Navona! Join our guided Navona Underground Tour to discover an unexpected itinerary under your feet. 👣👣

🤩🤩 We will take you through the Stadium of Domitian, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the archaeological remains of Ancient Rome. Plus you will learn all about the wonderful Piazza Navona, its architecture and marvelous fountains. ⛲️⛲️

🎟🎟Bookings and info on www.romewithsilvia.com

Address

Website

http://www.romewithsilvia.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Rome with Silvia posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Rome with Silvia:

Videos

⛲ The Trevi Fountain is one of the most famous and wonderful fountains in Rome. But did you know that under this fountain there is an archaeological complex where the remains of the ancient Roman aqueduct Aqua Virgo are found? 💛 The underground tour will make us understand the different archaeological levels under the Trevi fountain and beyond, and the stratigraphy of Rome. #romewithsilvia #trevi #trevifountain #trevifountainrome #undergroundtour #romearchitecture #ancientromehistory #ancientrome #aquavirgo #rometour #rometourguide #visitrome

🤎 The Mausoleum of Augustus was the official sepulcher of the Imperial family, built by the Emperor Augustus. It is the largest circular sepulcher in the ancient world, with an overall diameter of nearly 90 meters (300 Roman feet) and an assumed height of at least 45 metres. The gigantic building was strategically located near the bank of the Tiber, so as to be visible from most of the city. 🏛 After the battle of Actium in 29 BC, Augustus placed the construction of his Mausoleum at the center of a larger urban redevelopment project of the area, which led to the building of monuments such as the Pantheon, the Basilica of Neptune and many others. #romewithsilvia #romewithlove #mausoleum #mausoleumofaugustus #augustus #romehistory #tourinrome #rome #visitrome

💛 Domus Aurea was a residential complex built by emperor Nero after the devastating fire of 64 AD, which destroyed a large part of the city of Rome. 🏛 Known for its splendor and grandeur, the Domus Aurea was characterized by a series of luxuriously decorated rooms, with walls and ceilings covered with frescoes, stuccos, mosaics and gilding. These paintings and decorations were done with a high level of artistry and depicted a variety of mythological scenes, landscapes, animals and ornamental motifs. #romewithsilvia #domusaurea #domusaurearoma #romanarchitecture #ancientrome #ancientromehistory #rometour #tourguide #rometourguide #rometourism #rome #visitrome

Shortcuts

Address
Alerts
Contact The Business
Videos
Claim ownership or report listing
Want your business to be the top-listed Travel Agency?

Country:

City: