Scheduled to open in February of 2019 is the luxury The First Roma Dolce hotel in Rome, Italy. It will be a five-star boutique hotel located Rome’s Via del Corso, near the historic Piazza del Popolo.

The First Roma Dolce hotel will offer guests the concept of living a sweet urban life for today. It is a modern version of “La Dolce Vita” or “The Good Life.” The vision will materialize via the lens of contemporary design, inspired well-being and creative gastronomy.

The opening next year will also be the second property in Rome by The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts. It joins the amazing The First Roma Arte hotel. In addition, The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts portfolio consists of boutique properties across Asia and Europe.

The new boutique hotel is located in a 19th century palazzo on Via del Corso. Designed by visionary architect and urban planner Giuseppe Valadier, the hotel was developed in a historic building. Locally, the Italian urban life has been redefined here for many centuries.

The First Roma Dolce will feature 23 stunning suites and guestrooms. As a result, each offers the urban contemporary comfort of a private apartment. Plus you’re perfectly situated in Rome’s lively historical center.

Here is an overview of the various suite and guestroom options at The First Roma Dolce:

Seven Prestige Rooms offer Queen, King or two Twin beds in rooms of 270-square-feet. Comfortable and cozy overlooking the palazzo’s courtyard, these accommodations are extremely quiet and feature a large walk-in shower.

Two Prestige Fitness Rooms offer a King bed or two Twin beds in 375-square-feet that include a mezzanine loft fitness area with state-of-the-art Technogym® workout equipment, allowing guests to pursue their personal fitness plans in complete privacy, with the assistance of an expert personal trainer or they may connect to the Technogym app to set programs.

Two Prestige View Rooms feature King or Two Twin beds in 225-square-feet in a light and airy space overlooking Via del Corso, with a desk, designer armchair, selection of books and a luxurious bathroom with rain shower.

Five Dolce Suites are a generous 401 – 515-square-feet and provide soothing quiet space overlooking the inner courtyard with an inviting bedroom; a relaxing living room with sofa, desk, armchairs and a collection of books, and elegant bathroom with rain shower, Turkish bath and large bathtub.

Four Suites with View and Balcony are spacious and airy, with 500+-square-feet of stylish comfort that includes a private balcony overlooking Roman life along Via del Corso, an inviting bedroom, living room with desk, armchairs, designer sofa and collection of books, and sumptuous bath with a rain shower, Turkish bath and large whirlpool tub, and ensuite Kinesis Personal Vision fitness apparatus.

Three Suites with View are bright and inviting, offering 500+-square-feet of space surrounded by warm wood paneling and views of Via del Corso, a choice of King or Twin beds, a welcoming living room with desk, armchairs, sofa and collection of books, a marble bathroom with rain shower, Turkish bath and large bathtub, and en suite Kinesis Personal Vision fitness apparatus.

In addition, several Family Room Combinations are also available. These are ideal for accommodating larger groups. First is a 1,000-square-feet Suite that features two bedrooms plus two living rooms. Also, there’s a 740-square-foot Suite that offers two bedrooms and two living rooms. Both have the latest fitness equipment.

As new hotel guests arrive at The First Roma Dolce hotel, they are greeted by an ancient threshold. After checking, they are escorted to their suite or guestroom beginning on the third floor. The decor is stylish and so luxurious. As a result, nothing has been overlooked. You will notice the gorgeous wood paneling, as well as bookcases filled books covering fine pastry and culinary traditions, history, art and design.

Lastly, the spa-like bathrooms are to die for. Simply beautiful. They are crafted of Nero Saint Laurent Italian marble. This precious, black natural stone is embellished by golden and white veining. Plus be pampered with Acqua di Parma bath amenities.

Are you ready to plan a trip to Rome, Italy and stay at The First Roma Dolce hotel? We don’t blame you! The Life of Luxury is available to plan and book your next luxury getaway.

The popular Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy is not only Rome’s largest Baroque fountain, but also recognized as the city’s most beautiful one.

Trevi Fountain has origins that date back to ancient Roman times, when it was the terminal point of Rome’s aqueduct – Aqua Virgo – constructed in 19 BC. Aqua Virgo translates to “the Virgins Water.”

Trevi Fountain, or locally known as Fontana di Trevi, dominates quaint Trevi Square which is located in the Quirinale district.

In 1730, Pope Clement XII originally held a competition for a fountain design that would cover the whole back wall of the Palazzo Poli. In 1732, then Pope Clement XII commissioned Nicola Salvi to create a large fountain at the Trevi Square.

It took 30 years, but the beautiful fountain was finally completed. Die to the long construction timeline, three different popes served the Catholic church – Clement XII, Benedict XIV and Clement XIII.

Trevi Fountain was officially unveiled on May 22, 1732 and has been a popular Roman attraction ever since.

The primary figure of Trevi Fountain is Neptune, the god of the sea. Neptune rides a chariot that’s shaped like a shell and is pulled by two sea horses. A Triton guides each of the sea horses. The water at the bottom of the gorgeous fountain represents the sea. The statue on the right hand side of Neptune represents Salubrity. On the left is a statue that represents Abundance.

If you do visit Rome and see Trevi Fountain, you must follow the long standing tradition of tossing a coin into the fountain’s water. Legend has it that he or she who throws a coin over your shoulder with your back to the fountain …. will one day will come back in Rome.

Legend has it you will return to Rome if you throw a coin into the water. You should toss it over your shoulder with your back to the fountain.

To make reservations to visit Rome Italy and see the world famous Trevi Fountain, please contact The Life of Luxury by using the below form:

The romantic and mind blowing atmosphere of the famous Spanish Steps are one of the most popular sites and most visited areas in Rome.

Its 138 steps full of class and elegance, brightens up the square bringing life and energy to this great area. Built in the late 1700s, this area attracts and is still frequented by locals and tourists to absorb its magnificent atmosphere.

The Spanish Steps in Italian are called “Scalinata”. These are famous set of steps in one of the most well known areas of Rome. Despite of its name, the famous Spanish Steps were actually built by the French.

“Scalinata di Spagna” was built between 1723 and 1725 by tienne Gueffier, a French diplomat. It’s easy to recognize it at the Piazza di Spagna square rectangle like shape.

The Piazza di Spagna is one of the most popular tourist sites in Rome. The Scalinata is without a doubt the longest and widest staircase in all Europe.

At the base of the Piazza is the Early Baroque fountain called “La Fontana della Barcaccia” (“Fountain of the Old Boat”), built in 1627-29 by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Legend has it that, Pope Urban VIII had the fountain installed after he had been impressed by a boat brought here by a flood of the Tiber river.

Bernini is said to have used the Boat as a sign of safety from floods from the Tiber River.

The steps are covered by pots of beautiful “Azalea” flowers in spring (flowering shrubs are part of the genus Rhododendron and subgenus Pentanthera), Romans named them “Garden Stairs”.

A sign that the Summer is fast approaching. The weather in Rome can get quite hot, even in the Fall. So the many cafes, shops and restaurants near the Spanish Steps are always popular full of people absorbing this fine, elegant atmosphere.

Eating on the stairs is forbidden by Italian regulations, anyway you will probably still see some people having a “tramezino” (Typical Roman Sandwich) and a cold drink when everything is calm and peaceful.

Spanish Steps turned into a meeting point and the place where to take a romantic or scenic ride in a carriage pulled by a horse. At the very first step to the right, is the house where John Keats (the English Poet) lived and died in 1821.

Today there is a museum open to the public dedicated to his memory, full of memorabilia of the English Romantic generation.

Halfway up on the right is where Bernardo Bertolucci directed Besieged (1998) and where The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone was filmed as well.

American singer/songwriter Bob Dylan refers to the “Spanish Stairs” in his classic “When I Paint My Masterpiece” (1971). Today modern terraces lay in perfect harmony with the surrounding baroque context.

When visiting Rome, enjoy the Spanish Steps on your trip. Rent an accommodation near the Spanish Steps and get the best Rome has to offer.

Author: Sarah Dudleymore

Vatican City

The amazing city of Rome, Italy raises so many eyebrows when mentioned. This magical city has a long history. The civilization of ancient Rome was the largest the world had ever seen.

Rome the “Eternal City,” has long been a sacred place and internationally, it has been an important city dating back to ancient times.

Rome is about 31 centuries old and is often discussed equally between both its historical and religious past.

We feel the best way to see the city is by walking around its ancient streets, just like Romans many hundreds of years ago did. But first you need to get there.

You have two choices when arriving by air – the Fiumicino (Leonardo da Vinci) and the Ciampino airports are the two options to choose from.

The Fiumicino airport is considered the main airport that provides international flights all over the world. The Clampino airport is smaller than the Fiumicino, and offers less expensive and budget airlines, as well as charter lines.

Arch of Constantine

Once you arrive, you’ll find several options of transporaton: buses, trams, trains, taxis, and subways. One tip is make sure you always get the metered fare and not the negotiated fare when you ride in a taxi.

Provided your taxi driver suits you, you can hire the driver as a travel guide, so he or she can make sure you don’t miss any points of interest.

There are many, many hotels in Rome, in a wide variety of price ranges. Staying at a hotel near the center of the city will allow you to walk to most places, despite Rome’s size. Of course, you might spend less money if you stay further away from the city and are willing to take public transportation to your destinations.

Rome has some amazing history and if you are traveling to Rome to see some of the historical sites, then you cannot miss the St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican.

At the Roman Forum, Colosseum, Arch Of Constantine and Palantine Hill, you will also view many of the most amazing and ancient Roman architecture.

Roman Colosseum

With nearly 3000 years of history … Rome is truly the Eternal City. Across from the Temple of Vesta inside the Roman Forum, Hotel Fortyseven combines the best of old and new Rome.

Deep in the heart of this ancient city, Hotel Fortyseven celebrates recent Italian art, as each of the hotel’s five floors is dedicated to a different 20th-century artist (Mastroianni, Greco, Modigliani, Quagliata and Guccione).

Combining contemporary art with an ancient location, you can’t beat the Hotel Fortyseven setting in the historical center of Rome.

Look out the and enjoy incredible views of the 2,000-year-old city from the rooftop of the hotel’s Circus Restaurant. It’s been recently remodeled, and this fine restaurant can boast it’s one the best places to eat in the city. The Circus Restaurant also offers a wonderful Sunday brunch.

You can check out photos here.

A sample from the chef’s new Mediterranean menu at Circus Restaurant can be found here:

Starters
Parma ham with green apple and raspberries sauce
Smocked beef angus with rocket salad, aged Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar reduction
Squid salad with lime and crunchy vegetables, tuna bottarga and caper flowers

Main dishes
Home made tagliatelle with lobster sauce, Liguria olives and brised eggplant
Trofiette durum wheat pasta with basil pesto, pistacchio nuts and swordfish
Rack of lamb in crust herbs and braised spinach
Grilled salmon steak in a red Chianti wine sauce

The Trastevere area of Rome Italy, is well known for its restaurants, clubs, theaters, arts and its famous narrow cobbled alleyways.

In the evening, all of the cafes and restaurants tables spill out over to the pavement, especially in the area of Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere. The morning is better to appreciate the antique charm of Trastevere’s characteristic narrow alleyways.

Trastevere is the district that lays on the right bank of the Tiber. It was called “Trans Tiberem” (across the Tiber) and it was considered a precarious region.

It belonged to the Etruscans until Rome conquered it again and get back in control of both banks of the river. “Pons Sublicius” bridge (from Latin: “bridge built on piles”) was the only one way from Trastevere to the city (Rome). With the Emperor Augustus this area soon began to be considered part of the city.

During the Republic era in 509, the number of sailors and fishermen making a living from the river had increased, and many had taken up residence in Trastevere.

Later, with the wealth of the Imperial Age, luxury villas and gardens were constructed on the hillside of Trastevere. To name a few: Clodia, (Catullus’ “friend”) and Julius Caesar (his garden villa, the Horti Caesaris). The flat land below was occupied by the houses of the poor and small shops. Some of which are still there today!

Trastevere grew in a network of small, curly streets in the Middle Age because of structures on the front of buildings that left no space for carriages to pass.This is why a strong contrast between large houses for rich people and small houses for poor people are still creating such a contrast.

Until the 15th century Trastevere streets had no pavement. Bricks were used first replaced by sampietrini (cobble stones) in a second time.

The church of Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of the oldest churches in Rome, perhaps the first to ever host an open ceremony. This is the queen of all churches in Trastevere. This basilica became the focus of devotion to the Virgin Mary by its people. It is believed that perhaps it was in this church Mother of God was worshiped in Rome. In the piazza, one can admire the Octagonal fountain which has now become a meeting point. Along the years the church has been altered with modifications, but despite of the 18th century additions, Santa Maria has retained its medieval character.

Today this area still has its own style due to the narrow cobbled streets built in the medieval era. At night, both italians and tourists gather together around its many restaurants and pubs. Trastevere is attracting tourists, locals, artists, foreign expats, and many famous people and it is incredibly charming.

The area is home to John Cabot University, a private American University. Also to the American Academy in Rome, and the Rome campus of the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts. The Canadian University of Waterloo School of Architecture (between the months of September and December), and the American Pratt Institute School of Architecture therefore serving as a temporary home to an International student body.

In the sixties and seventies, the American musicians/composers Frederic Rzewski and Richard Teitelbaum, of the group Musica Elettronica Viva, lived in Via della Luce. Sergio Leone, the director of Spaghetti Westerns, grew up in Viale Glorioso (there is a marble plaque to his memory on the wall of the apartment building), and went to a Catholic private school in the neighborhood.

As you can see Trastevere is the real heart of Rome!

Most of us have heard about Rome’s catacombs at some point in our lives. These are ancient underground burials, dug into the rock under the city of Rome itself. There are more than forty of these catacombs, some of which have only come to light in recent years.

These catacombs are known best as burial places for Christians, but they have also hosted pagan burials as well as Jewish tombs. The catacombs came about around the second century, since there was a minimum of available land for burial and cemeteries were growing overcrowded.

The land in the general vicinity of Rome isn’t enough for regular burials, but the soft volcanic rock the city is located on is easy to tunnel in. It’s softer before the air touches it, hardening later. The city has many kilometers of tunnels, and in some places, they’re up to four stories deep.

Anyone with an interest in early Jewish or Christian art should take a trip to the catacombs. The incredible frescoes and sculptures located here represent the majority of artistic examples of the cultures prior to the fourth century.

Romans originally cremated their dead. However, at around the second century, it became popular to bury the burnt or unburnt remains of loved ones instead. In addition, Christians preferred this method, as burial was considered important for bodily resurrection.

The first big catacombs were carved through the rock outside the city, since laws at the time forbade burials inside the city limits. These were originally used not just for burial, but for memorials and religious celebrations of Christian martyrs, although they were never used for other regular worship.

In and around Rome, there are forty known catacombs, all built along roads such as the Via Ostiense and Via Appia. The catacombs often are named after saints such as Sebastian and Calixtus, who are believed to be buried in them by some.

Enormous systems of passages were built by these early Christian excavators, all between seven and twenty meters below the earth’s surface, taking up an area of about two and a half kilometers square. The levels are joined using narrow stairways, with passages about three feet wide and eight feet tall. Burial niches are located in the walls of the catacombs.

These relatively small niches contained bodies. Special burial chambers were also built for wealthier Christians. Frescoes and carvings in these tombs made them look much like mainstream Roman ones.

With the rise of Christianity to a status as a state religion, the practice of burial in catacombs declined, though this did not happen right away. As the dead were buried increasingly in churchyards, the catacombs became used only to celebrate the martyrs.

When Rome was sacked by northern invaders, these catacombs were ransacked, and by the tenth century, they were scarcely used, and all holy relics had been moved above ground. After this point, the catacombs were forgotten until the late sixteenth century, when they were rediscovered.

Over the centuries, these excavations were intermittently explored, though professional studies weren’t published until the nineteenth century. They now act as an important early Christian monument, and are maintained by the Vatican.  Author: Larry Pocobor

Photo: Vatican (Catacombs of Latium)

Roman Colosseum

The Roman Colosseum is the most famous Classical structure of Rome and one that virtually every visitor comes to admire. The structure is easily recognizable with its distinct design and architecture. When the elliptical stadium was first built, over 2,000 years ago, it was the first permanent amphitheatre of its time. It was marveled at for its grand size and structure and remains a template for the stadia that we see today.

A huge ellipse with tiered seating, the Colosseum was able to seat 50,000 viewers with standing room for an additional 10,000. There were 80 exits that allowed for efficient entry and exit of the large masses of people attending events. Gladiator events were most common, but the stadium was also used for other games or to watch criminals being attacked by wild animals.

No battle was neglected; at times the arena was filled with water to present naval battles. Entertainment at the Colosseum lasted for an impressive 450 years until the Roman Empire started weakening. The emperor Honorius ended the gladiatorial duels in 404 CE and animal shows ended by the sixth century. There are several theories to explain why the activities had ceased, but most likely it was due to lack of funding as games were expensive to produce.

The Colosseum was abandoned by the tenth century and soon became a home to houses and shops that were built within. Pieces of tufa, or stone, from the stadium were hacked off and used to build these new structures.

During the Renaissance, when Rome became more vibrant again, more stone was removed and used to build the new palazzis and numerous buildings around Rome. This constant breaking down of the walls and removal of stone is the reason that only half of the outer ring remains today. It wasn’t until restoration began in the eighteenth century that halted the destruction of the building and the focus moved to preserving the site’s remains.