Current Rome City Institute Graduate-Assistant JoeMack Leonardo is a pure representation of the generational relationship between Italy and America. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California to his parents Mark and Jeanie, Joe has his roots strongly planted in America, but none of this would have been possible without the immigration that his Grea...

In December 2021, New York’s MacDougal Street wine bar and restaurant, Niche Niche, had the privilege of hosting Rome’s renowned Salumeria Roscioli for a brief pop-up event. Little did anyone know that this momentous occasion would sow the seeds of a remarkable partnership. Two years down the road, they celebrate the birth of the very first Rosciol...

The journey to discover the 6 most beautiful lakes in Italy ends in beauty on the blue water of Lake Bolsena, fifth largest in Italy, located in Northern Lazio, between Umbria and Tuscany. It covers 114 square kilometers and has a perimeter of 43 kilometers. Moreover, it is the largest volcanic lake in all of Europe. Lake Bolsena, in fact, is locat...

It seems like the Roman Empire is on everyone’s mind. And United Airlines wants to take you there. “As the internet continues to ask how often men think about the Roman Empire, United is joining the conversation on TikTok and making it easier for ponderers to experience the destination for themselves,” the airline said in a pitch.  That’s right, Un...

The Domus Tiberiana imperial palace on Rome's Palatine Hill reopened to the public on Thursday, after almost 50 years, following a major restoration by the Colosseum Archaeological Park. The imposing building, which sprawls over a four-hectare site on the Palatine, was closed in the 1970s due to serious structural problems triggered by excavations...

In 125 AD, the Roman Empire, the largest civilization in the world, sprawled from north to south, from Great Britain to Morocco, and east to west, from Iraq to Portugal. Its economy was fueled by war, its focus was conquering, and the military was the main means to achieve expansion. With enormous resources put into the expanding empire, its dirt r...

Every morning millions of people reach for their eyeglasses even before getting out of bed.  With the world in focus, their day can begin. Nonetheless the history of eyeglasses remains blurry even if with a strong Italian connection from Ancient Rome to this day. So, it’s no wonder a feature article, “The Power of Big Ideas” published in Newsweek o...

Imagine a record-breaking wine, made from blending 155 grape vines that come from all the Regions in Italy of the “Italian Vineyard”, at the Botanical Garden in Rome. Luca Maroni, famous sensorial analyst and author of the Annual of the Best Italian Wines created a super wine, called “Somma Sapienza”, in honour of the city’s green university centre...

Studio 5 at Cinecittà is firing on all cylinders. In its day, it was Federico Fellini’s favorite, in which he filmed La Dolce Vita, Amarcord and Eight and a Half. The director’s association with the studio was so strong that a funeral chapel was built on the lot for his memorial service in 1993. This summer, a filmmaker of a different nature, Rolan...

"The Eternal City" - as Rome has been affectionately called for over two millennia - is globally renowned for its priceless monuments and religious significance, making it a coveted destination for both pilgrims and those seeking the epicurean pleasures offered by the dolce vita lifestyle. But the Italian capital is often accused of being stuck in...