In the beautiful setting of Renzo Piano’s Auditorium every year is held the International Rome Film Festival. The first edition of this Film Festival was held in 2007, and in Italy there was a big controversy between Rome’s new Film Festival and the well known Venice Film Festival, usually held one month before the one in Rome. If you’re staying in Rome at the end of October you might decide to take a look at some of the movie stars that walk the red carpet leading into Renzo Piano’s creation.
Every Wednesday the Pope holds his public Audience in the Sala Nervi inside the Vatican City, entrance on the left side of S. Peter’s Square colonnade. In order to attend the audience you must be invited but don’t worry, the only thing you will need to do is to book your seats calling the Holy See. During the summer months you might attend the Papal Audience in Castel Gandolfo, here the attendance requires no reservation whatsoever. Please be aware that, as when you are visiting S. Peter’s, you will have to dress in an appropriate manner.
There is a lot to see and do during the Christmas Holidays in Rome at both Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and all of the Rome Hotels are decked out for the festivities. Shopping along the Via Condotti or at the Christmas market in Piazza Navona will net you some very unique gifts and treasures. hotels in Rome are located within walking distance of most of the beautiful Nativity scenes at the city’s 600 churches. Don’t miss Christmas Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, and be sure to get pictures of the live Nativity scene set up on the Spanish Steps. The Galleria Borghese dates from the 1600’s, and is especially magical at the Christmas Holidays in Rome. Buy the traditional Italian holiday cake, Panettone, from special bakeries, and also buy some roasted chestnuts that you’ll find on every street corner this time of year.
New Year’s in Rome rocks the Piazza Del Popolo, where big crowds gather for dancing and fireworks that last most of the night. For classical music lovers, the square in front of the Quirinale has an annual concert followed by midnight fireworks. Getting dinner at Imago restaurant will give you a panoramic view of the entire city’s festivities. Relaxing at Café della Pace with newspapers from around the world is a good way to wind down before retiring to Rome Hotels for some rest. The Christmas Holidays in Rome are so particular and magic that you'll find another way to discover the Christmas tradition: don't loose it.
