Rome

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Rome‘s performing arts scenehas bounced back after many semi-comatose decades but its rebirth, for the time being, is a bit lop-sided. In one buzzing corner of a northern suburb, the Auditorium – Parco della Musica sells more tickets each year than London‘s South Bank or Sydney‘s Opera House complex. Now the rest of Rome eagerly awaits the trickle-down effect.

Summer salvation
But the encouraging signs stop there, and an increasingly sophisticated local theatre-going public has learnt that salvation comes mainly with the warm weather and its festivals.

 

Most of Rome’s summertime festivals take place under the Estate Romana umbrella. This overwhelming event-fest runs from June to September and provides such quantities of entertainment of all descriptions that it’s difficult to know where to start. The city council website (www.comune.roma.it) posts a complete programme in the late spring.

 

The Auditorium offers a full summer programme of quality crowd-pleasers, including international orchestras and classical/popular crossovers in its outside cavea seating area.

 

Prestigious productions of both Greek and Roman classics, as well as concerts and ballets, are staged in the wonderfully preserved Roman theatre in the ruins of Ostia Antica (for information call 06 6840 00345) from mid July to mid August. The seats are stone, so make sure you bring your own cushion – and mosquito repellent.

 

In autumn, the RomaEuropa Festival (800 795 525, www.roma europa.net) swings into action. Promoted by the French Academy, its programme includes multimedia events, concerts and happenings in classic and alternative venues all over the city.

 

The silver screen
Rome is attempting to put itself on the international cinema map with its very own film festival, the first of which takes place in October 2006. However, the chances of its doing anything that Venice doesn’t already do far better are slim.

 

Meanwhile, the voice dubbing industry retains its stranglehold in Italy and opportunities for seeing films in anything but Italian, though greatly increased over the past few years, remain relatively infrequent. Look out for ‘v.o.’ (versione originale) in newspaper listings.

 

The sporting life
If the arts don’t move you, there is always sport, which for most Italians is synonymous with calcio (football or soccer).

 

Roma (www.asromacalcio.it) and Lazio (www.sslazio.it) both play at the Stadio Olimpico. Tickets can be bought directly from the Stadio Olimpico box office or online from either of the club’s websites (ten per cent commission is added).

 

With Italy finally shuffling out of its role as standing joke in the Six Nations tournament, a strong rugby subculture is emerging too. Home games are played at the Stadio Flaminio (viale Tiziano, 06 3685 7309, www.federugby.it), which is near the Auditorium in the northern suburbs.

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