The Matthew Online

Off the Beaten Path

A short guide to the lesser-known destinations in the Eternal City

By Nate Jayne 

Largo di Torre Argentina

A necessary stop for both history buffs and cat-lovers, Largo di Torre Argentina is a short walk across the river from the Tiber campus. The ruins from the four ancient Roman temples are here,  but also the remains of Pompey's Theater where Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C.E. This area was slated for demolition as part of a Roman reconstruction effort after the unification of Italy. In 1927 the gigantic head and arms of a marble statue were unearthed, after which archeological exploration and preservation took precedence.

 

Today, the site houses the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary, a no-kill shelter for homeless cats. If you peer over the walls you will likely see many of the resident felines lazing about, washing, playing and seeking attention from those who wander down the steps. Behind the scenes, many other cats are housed and cared for by a group of volunteers. The operation requires a lot of help to stay up and running and new volunteers are always welcome. See their website for details:

 

Largo di Torre Argentina

www.romancats.com

Open noon-6:00 daily   Admission: free (donations accepted)

 

Museo degli Strumenti Musicali

(The Museum of Musical Instruments)

Opened in 1964 the museum features hundreds of instruments. Some of these are very old and quite rare, such as the first piano constructed by Bartolomeo Cristafori in 1722. Instruments on display range in origin from the ancient up to the 18^th century. A visit is sure to please any music aficionado.

 

9/A Piazza di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (near Termini Station)

Tues-Sun   8:30am – 7:30pm   Admission: free

 

Villa Celimontana

Located near the Colosseum, the grounds of Villa Celimontana might strike you as being the Central Park of Rome: an expansive green area full of trees and grass in the middle of the city. Shade and fountains are abundant and make the area perfect for a picnic or a stroll, a brief respite from the brick and mortar of the city. The Italian Geographic Society is headquartered there and excellent views of Rome are found nearby. There are occasionally concerts and art exhibitions during the evenings of the warm months and small eateries dot the perimeter.

 

Near Piazza della Novicella

open  daily from 7:00am to nightfall   Admission: free

 

Welcome to the Neighborhood

By Laura Remson

Rome's Trastevere has changed in the last few weeks. Maybe you’ve noticed. If not, well, sniff around. You’ll find out about it.

I’m talking about birds, lots of birds. European Starlings to be exact. They bring a certain something to the neighborhood. Just don’t out out a welcome mat for them just yet.

Even so, the birds can’t be that bad. Mozart had one as a pet. They are described as beautiful birds, with green and purple iridescent feathers that, as Jonathan Rosen of the New York Times will attest, can even, “occasionally bring down airplanes.”

For a Sunday stroll, think Porta Portese

By Tyler Flanagan

ROME, Sept. 28 - Who thinks Sundays in Rome are just the end to a normal weekend?

Sundays in Rome mean the most diverse and popular open air flea market in the city, at Porta Portese. It takes place every Sunday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the neighborhood of Trastevere. For many John Cabot University students, it's a short walk away.

What can be found there? Vendors sell all imaginable forms of merchandise: antiques, second-hand clothing, movies, books, trinkets, food, magazines, shoes, sunglasses and artwork. For students on a budget, this the perfect place to find some unique things, as well as a unique experience.

It is not necessarily the cleanest flea market; you will find garbage bags piled everywhere on the roads. Still, it is a lot of fun. While most of the items on sale are discounted, bargaining is welcome. The trick? Haggle with authority.

Andrea Carbun, 39, is a vendor at a stall specializing in sunglasses. He said, “It is easy to pick out the American students at Porta Portese. If they don’t speak Italian they don’t know what a good price or bad price is on an item, therefore it’s easier to sell them merchandise at full price.”

He went on to also explain that even if a student tries to bargain, he will raise the price down by only one euro. Most students think they are getting a great deal, he added. Students should prepare ahead of time -- write down a few words or sentences in Italian to bargain more effectively. Better yet, go with an Italian.

Hundreds of cats in ruins!

By Clara Peters

ROME, April 8 — Largo di Torre Argentina, holding some of the most ancient ruins in Rome, has become the new home for hundreds of the city’s quarter-million stray cats.

The Cat Sanctuary, located in the downstairs of Largo Argentina, is a non-profit organization run by volunteers that take in all cats that need a home and good care. The sanctuary’s main goal is to lower the city’s homeless cat population by sterilizing as many cats as possible to decrease re-production. 

The sanctuary was co-founded by Silvia Viviani and Lia Dequel in 1993. In 2001, the sanctuary sterilized 850 cats. In 2007, the number jumped to 3,722, according to sanctuary statistics.

Because the sanctuary cannot care for all of the city’s cats, they frequently have to let go those that have been surviving well on their own after the sterilization and vaccination process. In 2007, 1,598 cats came to Largo Argentina, and 1,389 left healthy and sterilized.

“Our main goal here is to decrease the number of homeless cats in the city by sterilizing as many cats as possible as to slow down reproduction,” says Amanda Bush, a Cat Sanctuary volunteer.

 

Rome puts a price on its history

By Graciela Chahin

ROME, March 25 — For tourists and study-abroad students planning to visit the Roman Forum, the number one thing to bring is cash.

On March 10, the city began charging an entry fee to this ancient Roman neighborhood. Officials said the fee had been introduced for security purposes -- a fee will control of who goes in and will help diminish pick-pocketing and vandalism. The money charged would also go towards new excavations and restorations in the Forum and other locations.

The ticket is 11 euros for adults, 6.50 euros for European Union members between the ages of 18-24 and free for European Union members under age 18 and over 65. It is valid for two days and includes a visit to either the Colosseum or the nearby Imperial Forum on the Palatine Hill.

Henry James returns to Rome

By Emily Finkelstein

ROME, March 25 — Henry James’ novels, characters and inner turmoil were on display in John Cabot University's Aula Magna auditorium last week in a lecture entitled “Roman Fever”  hosted by literary expert Dr. Kate Brooks.

Brooks, a New York University professor of 19th and 20th century literature, spoke Tuesday to a crowd of John Cabot University students, faculty and visitors. With distinct inflections, she spoke of James’ endless love/hate relationship with the Eternal City and its effect on his works.

“I aim to convince you that Henry James is the most important novelist,” said Brooks. Listeners seemed to be either sharing Brooks’ passion or desperately attempting to keep up with it.

Rome hosts a festival for beautiful minds

By Sara Patterson

ROME, March 14—If you thought mathematical puzzles were nothing more than the preferred torture weapons of overzealous high school Algebra teachers, one festival happening in Rome this weekend may change your mind.

The second annual Festival of Mathematics at the Auditorium Parco della Musica kicked off yesterday morning with a day full of mathematics games, shows, and lectures. Bright minds of all ages crowded around staff members who engaged the audience with riddles and demonstrations.

The festival will continue through Sunday when John Nash, Nobel Memorial Prize winner and subject of the academy award winning film “A Beautiful Mind” will speak on game theory and living with schizophrenia. Each day, topics ranging from “math with superheroes” to “math and magic” will present a new way to look at the subject.

 

JCU student to lace up for this weekend's Rome Marathon

By Amanda Baker

ROME, March 12 – John Cabot University student Kent Harding will completes his preparations to explore the city in an unusual way -- while running in The Roman Marathon this Sunday.

Harding, a 21-year-old visiting student from Michigan State University, has not been doing the expected rigorous training for the Maratona della citta' di Roma. While he has been working on sustaining his endurance with three- to ten-mile runs for three days a week, he has not followed a strict diet or done any other special preparations.

For Harding, the purpose of the marathon is simply to test his abilities with minimal training. As it is his first marathon, Harding would like to see where he stands as a beginner.

“There is no better time than now. I might as well see how I do for this first marathon and use it to improve for the next," said Harding (pictured above). 

Blessed motorists still zipping through Rome's streets

By Meagan Haessig

ROME, March 11 - Roadway safety is promised to religious drivers every March 9 during the annual "blessing of the cars" event held at Santa Francesca Romana church outside of the Colosseum. Due to the high volume of automobile accidents on Italian roads and the well known fact of Italians’ haphazard driving habits it's a blessing many Italians feel is necessary. 

This day accompanies the feast day of Saint Frances, who was declared patron saint of motorists in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. The 14th Century saint, the legend reads, was kept safe in her travels by angels.      

 

Mysterious group dashes through Rome in the footsteps of Caesar

By Kriste Marciulionis

ROME, March 10 -- Silhouetted by the Roman Forum, the Roman House Hash Harrier hounds stretched their legs on Sunday, preparing for their biggest chase of the year.

The House Hash Harriers is a phenomenon that began in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1939 by a group of British colonial officials and expatriates. It was an offbeat variation of the “hare and hounds” game, where the colonial “hounds” set a chalk trail leading a path with clues and riddles to be followed by the group of “hares”. Eventually their chase led to the rewards of the hash house, a pub where beer and food was readily supplied as the prize for completing the race.