Travel Italy: Vacation Packages, Tips, Tours of Italy

“L’Arte nell’uovo di Pasqua” — “Art in Easter Eggs” — is an art exhibition based on the theme of Easter Egg.

A number of International artists, architects and designers inspired by the idea of the egg as a symbol of birth and hope will be displaying their creations at Rome’s White Gallery.

Where: White Gallery - Rome, Piazza G. Marconi, 18/19 - Roma Eur
When: March 24, 2010 (annual)
(Opening Hours: Tue-Sun 10am-8pm; Mon 3pm-8pm)

Details of “Art in Easter Eggs” are available at http://lartenelluovodipasqua.com/ .

The 2010 edition of Rome’s Marathon — Maratona di Roma — is taking place on Sunday, March 21. 
It is not only a day for athletes running the 42.5 km marathon.

The Maratona di Roma also features the non-competitive 4 km race, the RomaFun - “La Stracittadina”.

More than a race, it is a leisurely walk to which anyone can participate. Classmates, grandparents and grandchildren, parents and children, together with their favorite domestic animal, on skates…

You can register at the Marathon Village until the day before the race: € 7,00 included official t-shirt. Also, if you wear your bib you get free transport on buses, trams and metro.
Details are available at
http://www.maratonadiroma.it/en/15/info_roma_fun_la_stracittadina.aspx.

To celebrate the 400th anniversary of Caravaggio’s death, Rome’s Scuderie del Quirinale is hosting an exhibition including many of the great artist’s most representative works.

Among the great pieces are being displayed: the Bacchus from Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, the David With the Head of Goliath from the Borghese Gallery in Rome, the Musicians from the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Lute Player from the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Amor Vincit Omnia from the Staatliche Museum in Berlin, and many more masterpieces from the major museums in Italy, as well as around the world. 

The Caravaggio’s exhibition at the Scuderie del Quirinale runs from Feb 20 through Jun 13, 2010. It is set to offer the public a new and stimulating opportunity to penetrate the very essence of the “terribly natural” painter, his revolutionary and astonishing naturalistic criterion, and his stubborn if questioning deference to the depiction of reality which no pattern or school could contain, which was solitary in its poetic greatness.
Exhibition program: daily 10am-10pm (10.30pm Friday and Saturday)

When: Feb 20 - Jun 13, 2010
Where: Rome (Venue: Scuderie del Quirinale)
Find out details of the exhibition on Scuderie del Quirinale website.

A few suggestions to those who are looking for bargain and antique markets held in the streets of historic districts in the major art cities.

- Rome
Porta Portese is the king of street markets in Rome, there you can find everything. However a bargain street market mostly focusing on collector’s items is “La Soffitta Sotto i Portici“.
Held twice a month (on Sunday) in Piazza Augusto Imperatore, it features from collector’s items and antiques to not-so-old objects like watches and furniture.

- Naples
The Neapolitan Antique Fair, held on the third and fourth weekend of most months in the Villa Comunale gardens, features antique and modern furniture, arts and crafts, and collectors’ items. Villa Comunale is located on Via Caracciolo facing the sea, a few minutes’ walk from the Castel dell’Ovo and the Piazza Plebiscito. Find details and info on the dates at Neapolitan Antique Fair website.

- Milan
The major antiques street market of Milan is held along the canal of Navigli, one of the best known historic and typical districts of Milan.
It is held last Sunday of every month at Naviglio Grande. To get there by subway, stop at Porta Genova.
Find information and dates at Antiques Market of Naviglio Grande website.

- Rome
The New Year’s Eve celebrations in Rome take place all over the city’s squares.
Piazza del Popolo is where celebrations are more dazzling and colorful. They include fireworks, rock and classical music concerts lasting well into the night.

- Venice
With “Capodanno Love” Venice features romance-themed celebrations on New Year’s Eve. It is a New Year’s huge celebration held in Piazza San Marco attracting more than 70,000 people on the night of Dec. 31, who kiss to welcome the new year.

The slogan for “Capodanno Love” is “Come and kiss in Venice“. A very romantic atmosphere is created through a stunning outdoor scenography with a light display that gives the illusion that thousands of hearts fall from the sky.