GENERAL INFORMATION - Rome the Eternal City

Rome, the eternal city, was founded thousands of years ago thanks to two brothers and a hospitable wolf. Nowadays Rome is home to over 3 million souls and contrary to many European cities its' population is growing. It is a metropolis for commerce, art and culture, shopping, football and great nightlife.

Despite the Eternal City's booming population there is still much greenery in Rome and the presence of a large park, Villa Borghese, close to the Hotel Romulus Rome means that we have cleaner air than many of our polluted cousins located deep in the historical centre.

The main attraction in Rome is undoubtedly the Colosseum, attracting over 7 million visitors a year it is Italy's second most popular attration (the first is St Marks in Venice) and there are plans to open it in 2004 for rock concerts and other gigs.

See the Hotel Romulus Rome's guide to events in the eternal city...

Events in Rome - Summary

• Sporting Events: Rugby 6 Nations fixtures 2007, Champions League Football Matches AC Roma, Italian Tennis Masters, Villa Borghese Show Jumping, Rome Marathon, Athletics, Golf etc.

• Cultural Events: Art Galleries and Museums, Wine Tasting, Open Air Opera, Vatican and Sistine Chapel, Roman Forum .

• Nightlife: Irish pubs in Rome, English language cinemas, Restaurants, Clubs etc.

• Business: International conferences, exhibitions in Rome .

Public Holidays

New Year / Capodanno	January 1,
Epiphany / La Befana/Epifania di Gesu	January 6,
Easter Sunday / Pasqua di Resurrezione	April 16, 2006
Easter Monday / Lunedi dell'Angelo	April 17, 2006
Liberation Day / Festa della Liberazione	April 25,
May Day Workers Holiday / Festa dei Lavoratori	May 1,
St Peter and Paul's Day/ San Paolo e San Pietro	June 29,
Feast of the Assumption / Ferragosto	August 15,
All Saints Day / Tutti i Santi	November 1,
Immaculate Conception / Immacolata Concezione	December 8,
Christmas Day / Santo Natale	December 25,
Boxing Day / Santo Stefano	December 26,

Language spoken
Italian is the primary language. However, as the capital city and the home of an empire than once spanned across two thirds of the globe the city has a cosmopolitan atmosphere. English is widely understood although some Italians are too bashful to speak it!

Time zone
Greenwich Mean Time +1 hour
Central European Time

Working hours
Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm - Romans are not the best time keepers and tend to be late more often than not. They make up for it though by working later. Food shops "alimentari" are closed on Mondays and every day from from 1 p.m. until 18:00.
Monday 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Tuesday to Saturday 9:30 am to 7:00 pm