CCR Walks with Olivia: Underground at Santa Sabina on the Aventine Hill - March 29, 2015

 NB: Change of  date & time.

The Basilica of Santa Sabina, a beautiful early Christian church on the Aventine, nestles quietly among the orange groves today but was once the scene of Medieval aristocratic struggles for power and first saw the arrival of the Dominican order and the changes this order helped make to urban living in Europe. We will delve under the church to see lesser-known areas not normally open to the public as we chart the area's amazing history.

Special permit. Limited number of participants.

When: Sunday, March 29, 2015
Time: 11 a.m., meeting point at 10:45 a.m.
Meeting point: to be sent to confirmed participants by email
Cost: €15 for CCR members, €20 (maximum 20 participants). Please bring exact change, as this will greatly facilitate the process for everyone. 
RVSP required by Thursday, March 26th:  ATTN Peter at canadarome@gmail.com. You are financially responsible for your reservation. 
NOTE: Please bring correct change, familiarize yourself with the meeting place ahead of time and make sure you are ready to depart promptly.

CCR Walks with Olivia: Constantine and the Arco di Malborghetto - February 8, 2015

All Italian school children are taught that Constantine beat his rival Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge in the year 312 AD, ushering in a new era in Western Europe. Very few people have actually visited one of the few extant sites linked to the momentous battle -- the Malborghetto Arch, at km 19 along the Via Flaminia, which was erected by a thankful Constantine as a four-sided triumphal monument to mark the place where he pitched his camp before the fateful battle. The arch was walled up and turned into a medieval “casale” or fortified farm house, which was bought by a “pomatarius” or herbalist, to whom it owes its present castle-like appearance, and was only identified in the early 1900s. We will visit the small museum inside, and chart the story of the arch and its history.

When: Sunday, February 8, 2015
Time & Meeting Place: 10:15 a.m. at Sacrofano railway station parking lot. The 9:30 commuter train from Piazzale Flaminio arrives at Sacrofano at 9:57. 
Cost: €10 for CCR members, €15 for non-members for the guided tour. Please bring exact change, as this will greatly facilitate the process for everyone.
RVSP required by Wednesday, February 4th:  ATTN Joe at canadarome@gmail.com. You are financially responsible for your reservation.
NOTE: Please bring correct change, familiarize yourself with the meeting place ahead of time and make sure you are ready to depart promptly.

CCR Special Permit with Olivia: Livia's Villa at Prima Porta - January 18, 2015

After the death of her husband, Emperor Augustus, on 19 August of the year 14 A.D., Empress Livia retired to a large and beautiful villa north of the city of Rome at the 9^th mile of the Via Flaminia. The villa was discovered again in the18^th century, and soon yielded wonderful works of art, some of them still recognized today as fundamental to understanding the Augustan period. It was here that, after Augustus's death, the Imperial Cult was codified and turned into a powerful political weapon. Our visit takes place after important restorations marking the 2000th anniversary of Augustus's death.

When: Sunday, January 18, 2015

Time: 9:45 a.m.

Cost: €14 for CCR members, €19 for non-members. N.B. Please bring exact change, as this will greatly facilitate the process for everyone. 

RVSP required by Wednesday, January 14th, ATTN Joe or Peter at canadarome@gmail.com or Olivia Ercoli at oliviaercoli1@gmail.com. You are financially responsible for your reservation.

NOTES: Max 20 people allowed. Car pooling will be organized as the location close to Prima Porta cemetery is not easy to reach with public transport.

Please bring correct change, familiarize yourself with the meeting place ahead of time and make sure you are ready to depart promptly.

CCR Film Talk with Olivia: "I Soliti Ignoti" - December 11, 2014

A fun potluck night together, looking at excerpts from one of the greatest films, rightly deserving to be among those which helped shape Italian identity between 1942 and 1978. "I Soliti Ignoti" received an Oscar (1959) and spawned a remake in English titled "Big Deal on Madonna Street." This highly acclaimed film by director Mario Monicelli starred some the greatest Italian actors of the time and is still considered a masterpiece of its kind, uncannily immersed in its own period and yet showing a tragic and ironic side which transcends its historical context. This Italian film with English subtitles will be shown in excerpts, with a break for refreshments.

Please confirm what you will be preparing for the potluck with Peter or Olivia when you reserve.

Maximum 12 participants.

When: Thursday, December 11, 2014 

Time: 7 p.m.

Where: Via Tagliamento area. Exact address will be sent to participants upon confirmation.

Cost: CCR members €10, non-members €15 - plus potluck contribution.

RSVP: by Monday, December 8, ATTN Peter at canadarome@gmail.com or Olivia at oliviaercoli1@gmail.com

CCR Walks with Olivia: Insula Ara Coeli - March 16, 2014

Special permission secured for access to Insula Ara Coeli. 

During this walk we'll be inspecting one of those monuments we all walk past, but never really “see”: the ruins of a three-floor “insula” -- or ancient Roman apartment block -- nestled between the Monument to Victor Emmanuel in Piazza Venezia and the Medieval stairway leading to Santa Maria Ara Coeli. We then take a walk in the area looking at other landmarks charting the area’s long history.

When: SUNDAY, March 16, 2014

Time: 10:00 a.m. Please be punctual as the permit is for 10:00 a.m. sharp. Those who would like to meet for coffee beforehand, please join us at 9:30 a.m. The walk lasts about two and a half hours.

Meeting Point: a bar in the area of Piazza Ara Coeli (exact address will be sent to confirmed participants)

Cost: €10 for CCR members, €15 for non-members. Entrance fee: €4

RVSP required by Wednesday March:  ATTN Linda at canadarome@gmail.com or Olivia Ercoli at oliviaercoli1@gmail.com. You are financially responsible for your reservation.

NOTE: Please bring correct change, familiarize yourself with the meeting place ahead of time and make sure you are ready to depart promptly.

CCR Art Talk with Olivia: Salt, Sheep and Water… the Shaping of Italy - March 1, 2014

The Italian peninsula, its main communications, place names and history are intimately related to these three vital elements. In a short slide presentation we look at the ways in which the resources of salt, sheep and water helped shape today's Italian landscape and cities in surprising ways.

“Potluck” light refreshments will be served halfway through the 90-minute slide-show and we ask everyone to bring something to share. Please confirm your contribution with Linda or Olivia when you reserve. 

When: Saturday, March 1, 2014 
Time: 7 p.m. 
Where: Quartiere delle Valli area at the fork between Nomentana Nuova and Nomentana Vecchia. It is 3.8kms outside Piazza Porta Pia. Address information will be sent to participants upon confirmation. 
Cost: CCR members €10, non-members €15 - plus potluck contribution. 
RSVP: by Wednesday, February 26, ATTN Linda at canadarome@gmail.com or Olivia at oliviaercoli1@gmail.com

CCR Walks with Olivia: Mithraeum of Circus Maximus and Case Romane del Celio - December 14, 2013

Special permission secured for access to the Mithraeum of the Circus Maximus. 

To ancient peoples, winter solstice meant feasting and celebrating the end of the old cycle, and the beginning of the new one. That is probably why a subterranean temple to the god Mithras, who was supposed to guarantee the seasonal cycle, was built close to Rome's largest circus, the Circus Maximus. The Mithraeum, one of the largest of its kind found so far in Rome, was discovered lying 14 metres beneath a pasta factory which had been converted into a warehouse for Rome's Opera house. It still holds some of the original sculptures which helped define the beliefs and ceremonies which took place there in the 3rd century AD.

Following out visit of the Mithreum, we will walk over to the Celian Hill to inspect the Case Romane del Celio located under the Medieval church of San Pietro e Paolo. It is a wonderfully preserved corner of ancient Rome.

When: Saturday, December 14, 2013 
Time: 10 a.m. The walk lasts about two and a half hours, starting promptly at 10. Those who would like to have a coffee beforehand may start gathering at 9:30 at a coffee bar that will be specified in the confirmation email. 
Meeting Point: Circo Massimo area. The exact meeting point will be sent out to registered participants. 
Cost: €10 for CCR members, €15 for non-members. Please note: 4 euro entrance to the Mitreum, and a 6 euro entrance to the Case Romane. 
RSVP required by Wednesday, December 12, 2013 ATTN Linda at canadarome@gmail.com or Olivia at oliviaercoli1@gmail.com. You are financially responsible for your reservation. 
NOTE: Please bring correct change, familiarize yourself with the meeting place ahead of time and make sure you are ready to depart promptly.

CCR Art Talk with Olivia: Cleopatra, from shrewd politician to great seducer - October 25, 2013

This evening lecture on Cleopatra will prepare you for an exciting exhibition opening at Chiostro del Bramante on October 12 entitled “Cleopatra, Rome and the Enchantment of Egypt.” During this lecture and slide-show we will take the opportunity to review the historical facts and the many myths about the most famous of Egyptian queens, including how and why her story fascinated generations of musicians, writers, poets, artists and historians.  

“Potluck” light refreshments will be served halfway through the 90-minute slide-show and we ask everyone to bring something to share. Please confirm your contribution with Linda or Olivia when you reserve.

Portrait of Cleopatra, circa 50-30 AD, 
Berlin Staatliche Museum

When: Friday, October 25, 2012

Time: 7 p.m.

Where: San Giovanni area. Address information will be sent to participants upon confirmation. 

Cost: CCR members €10, non-members €15 - plus potluck contribution.

RSVP: by Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2012

Attn: Linda at canadarome@gmail.com or Olivia at oliviaercoli1@gmail.com.

CCR Walks with Olivia: Testaccio, from dump to hip neighbourhood - October 12, 2013

NB: This walk is now full. A wait list has been started.

Special permission secured for access to Testaccio Hill (Monte dei Cocci) archaeological site.

Continuing our series on ‘’Food, Politics and Empires,’’ we start off at Porta San Paolo, where a small museum illustrates the story of the Via Ostiensis, the Roman port-cities, and the impact of the walls on food supply after the 3rd century. We then stop off at Testaccio's “Mattatoio,” Rome's first modern abattoir, built at the end of the 19th century in what was to become a purpose-built working-class district. Its buildings are now home to “Città dell'Altra Economia,” a project focusing on taking a new look at food and its supply in the modern city. It includes an organic market, a café, a restaurant, and an exhibition and conference centre. We then set off to inspect the Testaccio hill, literally a huge dumping ground for ancient Rome's discarded amphorae. From 1st century onwards the terracotta jars were smashed once they reached Rome, after being emptied of their contents: olive oil! Special permission for access to the site.

When: Saturday, October 12, 2013 
Time: 10:30 a.m (please note we're starting later than usual; this is to accommodate our reservation for the Testaccio hill archaeological site). The walk lasts about two and a half hours, starting promptly at 10:30 and concluding around 1:00 p.m. 

Cost: €10 for CCR members, €15 for non-members. San Paolo Museum: free. Entrance ticket for Testaccio Archaeological Excavation area: 4 euro per person.
RSVP required by Wednesday October 9, ATTN Linda at canadarome@gmail.com or Olivia Ercoli at oliviaercoli1@gmail.com. You are financially responsible for your reservation. 
NOTE: Please bring correct change, familiarize yourself with the meeting place ahead of time and make sure you are ready to depart promptly.

CCR Walks with Olivia: The Hidden Frescoes in San Giovanni a Porta Latina - March 9, 2013

San Giovanni a Porta Latina

 Our March walk takes us to San Giovanni a Porta Latina one of Rome's most picturesque churches nestled close to the Aurelian walls. This church is dedicated to St John the Evangelist who, it is believed, miraculously remained unscathed after being plunged into boiling oil. The spot marking this miraculous event is now occupied by a small octagonal building designed by Borromini. Our visit will focus on recently discovered and restored frescoes found under layers of old plaster in the Medieval church. These fascinating frescoes show Bible stories dating from 1191-98 and help shed light upon a little-known period of Rome's artistic and cultural history.

When: Saturday, March 9, 2013 

Where: Meet at Caffé NINI, via Latina 23 (just outside the walls), famous for its chocolate diamond truffle. 
Time: 10 a.m. The walk lasts two and a half hours, starting promptly at 10 a.m. (and concluding around 12:30); those who would like to meet for coffee beforehand, please join us at Caffé Ninì at 9:30 a.m. 
Cost of the guided walk: €10 for CCR members, €15 for non-members 
RVSP required by Thu. March 7th, ATTN Linda at canadarome@gmail.com or Olivia Ercoli at oliviaercoli1@gmail.com. You are financially responsible for your reservation. 
NOTE: Please bring correct change, familiarize yourself with the meeting place ahead of time and make sure you are ready to depart promptly. We suggest that you not bring your dogs since they are not allowed in churches.

CCR Walks: the Sancta Sanctorum - March 17, 2012

The Sancta Sanctorum - or "holy of holies" - is a Papal chapel only open through special appointment. Holding many hallowed and venerated relics, its most important features, however, are its wonderful mosaics and frescoes, rarely seen in their entirety by pilgirms flocking to St. John Lateran. Their unique style and iconography helps us reconstruct the early days of 13th century humanism in Rome. 

When: Saturday, March 17, 2012

Time: 10 a.m.

Where: meet in Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano, in front of the main entrance to the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano. 
Cost: Special offer to be announced; normal pricing €10 CCR members, €15 non-members

RSVP: by March 12, 2012

Tintoretto Lecture with Olivia - February 24, 2012

Timed to coincide with the opening of a great exhibition at Scuderie del Quirinale, this lecture looks at the life and times of Jacopo Robusti, a.k.a. Tintoretto (1519-1594), one of Venice's most prolific and famous painters, and his rivalry with Tiziano Vecellio (Titian) and other colleagues.

When: Friday, February 24, 2012

Time: 7 p.m.

Where: TBA

RSVP: by Feb.18, 2012 

Cost: Special offer to be announced; normal pricing €10 CCR members, €15 non-members

CCR Walks - February - May - An overview

Once again our own Olivia Ercoli has scheduled four intriguing walks for the spring season that cover a range of fascinating areas of the city and eras in its history. Continuing on from January's walk she will take a further look at the Rome of the Unification, then guide us through two very different but very Roman neighborhoods and finally lead us back in time to earlier days in the city's history.

Roma Umbertina – CCR Walk – February 12, 2011

In the first years after unification the Kings of Italy started leaving their mark on their new capital, especially King Umberto I, "il Re Buono" (right). The changes made then still heavily influence the way we perceive, live and move in and around Rome's historical centre. Starting at the Vittoriano, we will take a stroll through Rome looking at the impact of the Piedmontese Kings on the Eternal City.

Date: February 12, 2011

Time: 10:00 am

Meeting Place: At the foot of the Vittoriana (the Monument to Victor Emmanuel II) in Piazza Venezia.

Cost: €10.00 for members €15.00 for non-members

Booking Deadline: February 5, 2011through Olivia at 349 8064341 or oercoli@yahoo.com

No museum entry fees.

A Journey to Fairyland – CCR Walk – March 5, 2011

Take a look at the enchanted world of Gino Coppedé, by touring the neighbourhood he helped to create in the early 20th century. Discover the hidden treasures of Art Nouveau, neo-medievalism and Liberty style waiting to be discovered in the neighbourhood surrounding via Nomentana.

Date: March 5, 2011

Time: 10:00 am

Meeting Place: In front of the church of Santa Maria Addolorata in Piazza Buenos Aires

Cost: €10.00 for members €15.00 for non-members

Booking Deadline: February 28, 2011through Olivia at 349 8064341 or oercoli@yahoo.com

No museum entry fees.

Garbatella – CCR Walk – April 9, 2011

Please note the change of date to April 9, 2011

Now one of Rome's fashionable neighbourhoods – home to actors and film directors – Garbatella was created as a model working-class development. Described by Pasolini as a slum, visited by Gandhi, it has featured in countless films and stories. The quartiere and its inhabitants, its highs and lows, and its distinctive architecture make it into an ideal Saturday morning walk

Date: April 9, 2011

Time: 10:00 am

Meeting Place: At the barrier of the Garbatella metro stop on Metro B.

Cost: €10.00 for members €15.00 for non-members

Booking Deadline: March 28, 2011 through Olivia at 349 8064341 or oercoli@yahoo.com

No museum entry fees.

Villa dei Quintili - May 14, 2011

DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES THIS WALK WILL BE RESCHEDULED FOR A DATE TO BE ADVISED.
Enjoying a spectacular vista towards Rome and the Alban hills, the Quintilii brothers erected their villa along the Appian Way. Put to death by the greedy Emperor Commodus, who coveted their enormous wealth and splendid works of art, the two brothers were brave soldiers and well-known agronomers. Today the remains of a hippodrome, the ruins of the aqueduct, cistern and nympheum are still standing have been restored. And once more an important landmark of the Campagna Romana has been opend to the public.

Date: May 14, 2011

Time: 10:00 am

Meeting Place: Entrance to the Villa on Via Appia Nuova 1092

(Large archaeological site on the left for travellers coming from Rome just before Capannella race-track. ATAC – Bus 664 from Largo Colli Albani (on Metro A).

Deadline for booking: May 5, 2010 through Olivia at 349 8064341 or oercoli@yahoo.com

Museum entrance fee: €6.00 full price.

canadarome@gmail.com.

Historic Walks - 2010-2011

We are very pleased to announce that our own Olivia Ercoli is able to recommence her popular walk series a little earlier than expected. She has prepared an exciting season of rambles through Rome that has something to appeal to all our members and friends of all ages.

The new series of walks focuses on themes of current interest in Italy and things Italian: the celebration of Italy's 150 years of Unification (1861 - 2011), the London exhibition of Raphael cartoons for the Sistine Chapel Tapestries (ending 17 october 2010), as well as traditional celebrations held in the city in November and December.


Sunday, 24 October: The Story of the Roman Republic of 1849
Follow the impetuous charges of Garibaldi’s volunteers in their desperate bid to defend the Roman Republic against the French troops led by General Oudinot. Learn about the dramatic events of the life and times of one of Italy’s favourite heroes and his gallant companions, a story few Romans remember today.

Time: 1000 a.m.
Meeting Place: Largo 3 Giugno 1849 (Villa Pamphilj entrance parking lot).
Cost: CCR Members - €10.00 Non-member - €15.00
No extra fees.

Deadline for booking: 16 October through Olivia at 349 8064341 or oercoli@yahoo.com

Saturday, 13 November: Verano Cemetery and San Lorenzo fuori le mura
Traditionally, November in Italy is the month in which we commemorate the dead. The great cemetery of Campo Verano along the Via Tiburtina boasts a long history as a burial ground for the first Christians, close to the basilica of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura. First set up under Napoleonic Occupation, Verano cemetery increased in size and splendour up to the 20th century. Its many monuments help tell the story of the city of Rome, and the early phases of its new role as capital of modern Italy.

Time: 1000 a.m.
Meeting Place: Cimitero del Verano's main entrance in Piazzale del Verano
Cost: CCR Members - €10.00 Non-member - €15.00
No extra fees.
Deadline for booking: 6 November through Olivia at 349 8064341 or oercoli@yahoo.com

Sunday, 28 November: Raphael and Michelangelo at the Vatican
Trained in Florence and steeped in the love of antique art, the two great geniuses of the Renaissance were summoned to Rome by the energetic, domineering and visionary Pope Julius II (1503-1513). Nowhere else as in the Papal Palace and in St Peters' church does the rivalry and admiration, the intense exchange of ideas and their shared enthusiasm for antique art come to life. After the closing of the great London Exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum on the Raphael tapestries and their genesis, we follow in their wake as we trace the origins of the collection and the influence of the antique works on the two Renaissance artists.

Time: 1000 a.m.
Meeting Place: Vatican Museum entrance on Viale Vaticano.
Cost: CCR Members - €10.00 Non-member - €15.00
Earphones: 1,50 euro per person.
Deadline for booking: 13 November through Olivia at 349 8064341 or oercoli@yahoo.com.

Saturday, 18 December: Roman festivities in the forum, a children's tour (adults also welcome).
The Forum with its temples and statues was the last refuge of the pagan gods as Christianity spread through the Eternal City. This walk takes you through the Roman Forum by retracing the pagan processions, festivities and ceremonies which were to be seen here at different times of the year. The memory of such festivals lives on in one of the city's most impressive archaeological sites.

Time: 1000 a.m.
Meeting Place: at Largo Corrado Ricci, off via dei Fori Imperiali.
Cost: CCR Members - €10.00 Non-member - €15.00
Extra fee: entrance ticket to Forum also valid for Palatine and Coliseum, 12 euro.
Deadline for booking: 11 December through Olivia at 349 8064341 or oercoli@yahoo.com

Sunday, 9 January: Créche Tour
The traditional Christmas Créche was turned into a form of art in Southern Italy during the 18th century. This walks links up some of Rome’s most spectacular examples and provides an insight into the origins of some of the traditional elements of Christmas traditions and customs.

Time: 1000
Meeting Place: in front of Church of Santi Cosma e Damiano on via dei Fori Imperiali.
Cost: CCR Members - €10.00 Non-member - €15.00
Entrance ticket: 1 euro.
Deadline for booking: 28 December through Olivia at 349 8064341 or oercoli@yahoo.com.

Sunday, 30 January 2011: Il Vittoriano – The birth of a Nation
Also known as “the Type-writer”, “the Wedding Cake”, and “the Great Inkpot”, the Vittoriano, or Monument to Victor Emanuel II, was inaugurated in June 1911, to celebrate Italy’s fifty years of Unity. Since then it has been the focus of strong debate in architectural circles. After 17 years restorations the monument is now open to the public, supplying an insight into the contradictory and fascinating climate in which modern Italy took place.

Time: 1000 a.m.
Meeting Place: in front of monument in Piazza Venezia.
Cost: CCR Members - €10.00 Non-member - €15.00
No extra fees.
Deadline for booking: 22 January through Olivia at 349 8064341 or oercoli@yahoo.com.

Some General Information:
All tours last approximately 3 hours.
Wear sensible walking shoes and this time of year layered clothing is suggested.
Please observe booking deadlines.
Public transporation information can be found at ATAC.