We invite Presto-ers of all ages on our tours!  And as a little bonus, the youngest of Presto-ers might enjoy this scavenger hunt activity as they go along on their tour...just print and bring a pencil!

1.     St. Peter’s Dome____

2.     The Vatican Coat of Arms (how many times??)_____ 

3.     St. Peter’s Keys (make a mark every time you find them!) ________

4.     A room with lots of flowers____  

5.     A camel ____

6.     A very big pinecone ____

7.     Lions  ____

8.     Peacocks _____

9.     A  hall of heads!_____

10.            Statue of a man with snakes ____

11.             Dog statues (hint: they’re guarding a door!)_________

12.             A statue with no arms and no legs_____

13.             A golden man (hint: he’s tall!) ____

14.             A giant bathtub  ___

15.             Something from Egypt ____ 

16.             A hall of maps ____

17.             A tapestry  with a table full of food____

18.             A Swiss Guard ____

19.               A ceiling with two hands about to touch ____

20.              A statue whose foot you can rub ____

Most people visiting Rome make it a point to visit the Vatican Museums...but what about all the others?!  Here's some info on other great museums/collections to see in Rome!

Borghese Galleries:  located in Rome's large and quasi-heart-shaped park Villa Borghese.  Built in the 1600's for Cardinal Scipione's art collection, inside you'll find masterpieces of sculpture by Bernini and Canova, as well as famous painting by Caravaggio, Titian, and Correggio!  Call ahead to book a reservation at 06.8417645.  Piazza Scipione Borghese, 5 Casino Borghese, tue-sat: 9am-7pm, sun: 9am-8pm, mon: closed.

Capitoline:  right in the historic center at Piazza Venezia, this museum has a major collection of ancient sculpture and paintings from 14th to the 17th century, including works by Caravaggio, Titian and Domenichino.  06.67102071, Piazza del Campidoglio, tue-sun: 10am-9pm, mon: closed.

National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art:  art from both Italian and non-Italian artists from the 19th and 20th centuries, including Picasso and Matisse.  06.322.981, Via delle Belle Arti 131, tue-sun: 9am-7pm, sun: 9am-8pm, mon: closed.

National Museum of Castel Sant'Angelo: Built in the 2nd century AD and once a fortress in the middle ages, it's now a museum (since 1925) with weapons, furniture, sculpture and frescoes.  06.6819111, Lungotevere Castello 50, tue-sun: 9am-8pm, mon: closed.

Villa Farnesina: - once the home to a wealthy banker named Agostino Chigi in the 16th century, is decorated by Raphael, and also includes the Loggia of Cupid & Psyche as well as the famous Peruzzi Sala delle Prospettive. 06.68801767, Via della Lungara 230, tue-sat: 9am-6:45, sun: 9am-7:45, mon: closed

Roman National Museum/Palazzo Altemps:  classic sculpture collection from the Altemps and Ludovisi families, includes the painted loggia and the Dying Gaul amongst other things.  06.6833759, Piazza Sant'Apollinare 44, tue-sat: 9am-6:45, sun: 9am-7:45, mon: closed.

Spada Gallery/Palazzo Spada:  located in the historical center in the Palazzo Spada, the orbate inside includes paintings by Caravaggio, Guercino, Domenichino, Carracci, Andrea del sarto, Passarotti, just to name a few.  Also, as a bnus has Borromini's famous architectural illusion.  06.6861158, Piazza Capo di Ferro, 13 Palazzo Spada, tue-sat: 9am-7pm, sun: 9am-8pm, mon: closed.

 Aubrie Talarico

If you missed the recent Caravaggio exhibit in Rome, don't sweat it, you still have a chance to experience the genius of this master painter.

"The Colors of Darkness - The Caravaggeschi," is currently on exhibit in Rome in commemoration of four centuries since Caravaggio's death.

The exhibit consists of 39 of the most important paintings by followers of the Lombard painter, chosen in consultation with the Special Office for the historical, artistic and ethno-anthropological and the Town Museum in Rome, including those owned by the FEC which, by their very nature, are among the best of Caravaggio’s followers.

The early seventeenth century fame and controversy of the artist, his innovative and strong technique, already able to cross national boundaries, influenced many artists in the cities in which Caravaggio was most active.

Even thou Caravaggio has never had former pupils or had established any school of art (very rare for an artist of such a caliber!)  Rome and Naples are the most important centers that host valuable traces Caravaggio s followers, equally significant evidence come also from the provinces of  Ancona, Bologna, Cosenza, Latina, Lucca, Urbino, Pesaro, Rieti, Siena, Syracuse, places who have seen people who have met the artist in person or had been studying his production during the 1600.

The Art Foundation which toke care of the exhibit includes in its important collection of artworks, seven paintings by Caravaggio, that that recall the parallel between the great artist and his followers by creating, through this exhibition, an ideal link with the major exhibition about the artist. 

These exhibit surely completes the artistic profile of a period of fundamental interest in Italian painting.

An interesting discovery for four of the works shown in "The Colors of Dark" was made during the exhibit settings: 4 parchments have been found hidden in the back of the canvases, which testify the patronage of each individual paintings.

HOURS: Tuesday - Thursday 10:00 to 19:30

Friday - Sunday 10:00 to 22:00 TICKETS: € 5,00 

Federica Morichetti

p.s Our guide can take you to the exhibition and help to discover the XVII century art  treasure and the very historical Palazzo Ruspoli .

Here's some Italy "antipasto misto"...that is random little facts to munch on ;)!

The population estimates of Italy as of 2007 was about 60 million.

Italy's biggest cities (in order of size):  Rome (~3 million), Milan (~1.3 million), Naples (~1 million), Turin (~900,000), Palermo (~680,000).

Italy's population is 87.8% Roman Catholic.

Though it has been unified since 1871, there is still a huge degree of disparity and differences between the North and the South.  The Northern regions are more industrialized and prosperous compared to less developed and more agricultural southern regions.  The origins of this comes from the Renaissance when the North prospered and grew while the South suffered and didn't develop under French and Spanish rule.

Some of Italy's major industries are cars, fashion/clothing/footwear, machinery, and tourism of course!

The officially recognized  modern Italian language was actually established by poet/writer Dante Alighieri, who you may know from his works The Divine Comedy.

Italy has several active volcanos: Etna (the largest active volcano in all of Europe), Stromboli, Vulcano, and Vesuvius (also the culprit in the great eruption which destroyed  ancient city of Pompeii).

The Bubonic Plague killed one third of Italy's population in 1348! In fact in lots of places you can still see how quickly this happened, for example this is why the Duomo in the Tuscan city of Siena is still actually an unfinished project.

Italy has bragging rights for being the birthplace  of:  the Renaissance (started in Tuscany), astronomy, University, and the Vitruvian Man.

Here's some Vatican City 101 for curious brains!

The Vatican City, or the Holy See, is the smallest country in the world (both by population and by area).  It has a population of about 900 people (100 and some change of which are it's army, the Swiss Guards), and a land area of about 110 acres.

Although the authority of the Roman Catholic Church have been around for much longer, the Vatican City was only recently granted its sovereignty from Italy in 1929 with the signing of the Lateran Treaty.  Part of the agreement was that the Vatican would open it's art and antiquities collection to the public (the Vatican museums)!

The Vatican collections inside the Museums include some of the most famous works of art in the world!  Including works by Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, and Bernini. 

The head of the Vatican City is the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.  The Pope lives in the Apostolic Palace, located (and well guarded) within the city walls.  But you can actually go to the famous Bronze doors to get free Papal Audience tickets from the Swiss Guards.

The Popes have lived in the area now known as the Vatican City since 1377.  Before this time (and before living in France during the period from 1305-1377), the Popes lived in the Lateran Palace in an area of Rome closer to the Colosseum.

The official language of the Vatican City is Italian, though the official language for all legal documents is still Latin.  It's rumored there is an ATM inside with Latin as a language option!

There are certain "properties" of the Vatican State which are located outside its city walls, for example Castel Gandolfo, and some major cathedrals like San Giovanni and Santa Maria Maggiore.  In these cases they are actually guarded by Vatican police and not Italian police.

The enormous obelisk in the center of St. Peter's Square came from Heliopolis, Egypt.  It was taken by the emperor Caligula and used to decorate his circus, which used to be in this very spot in the 1st century AD.

  St. Peter's Basilica is built on the spot where it's said that Peter was crucified upside-down.  Excavations underneath the basilica have discovered the remains believed to be St. Peter, dating to the 1st century AD and missing the feet (consistent with the belief that Peter was cut off at the ankles from the cross after crucifixion).


The currency of the Vatican is the Euro.  Just like all other countries in the European Union, the Vatican has a mint and produces its own Euros (Euro coins are distinguishable by the back of them which has a symbol or picture unique to the country of origin).  But if you come across a Vatican Euro, you might think twice about spending it on a gelato, as they are extremely hard to come by.


The Swiss Guards have been officially the army of and guardians to the Pope and the Vatican City since 1506 (though earlier Popes had employed Swiss mercenaries as members of their army before).

Citizenship of the Vatican State is granted to those who are employed and/or invited to reside inside, and spouses or children of people employed inside.  But!  It's temporary for most, as it is revoked as soon as you are no longer employed!  80% of the people with Vatican citizenship are members of the clergy.

Send a postcard from the Vatican, because the Vatican has its own postal system, boasted as being the best postal system in the world!

 Aubrie Talarico

I thought I'd dedicate this blog to all the non-human creatures of Italy.  When it comes to animal abuse and animal rights here there are actually quite a few forward-thinking laws and organizations.  But there's still plenty that you as tourists can do to help!  Every bit of action helps.  So here's some information, links, tips for vegetarians/vegans, and ways to avoid supporting anyone that is directly involved in animal mistreatment.

 Horse Drawn Carriages:  you'll see horses pulling heavy carriages throughout the city center.  For one, these drivers will rip you off majorly.  They'll charge you something like 300 euros for a 30 minute ride.  But more importantly they abuse these horses severely.  There's a law (though rarely enforced) that horses are to rest and not work between the hours of 1pm and 4pm.  But according to drivers, "rest" means standing out in the hot sun or in the cold, carriage still attached...you'll see them especially all lined up in front of the colosseum.  Many of them have moderate to severe respiratory problems due to a combo of working sometimes 9 hours a day in brutal weather (hot and humid or wet and cold) and then going back to a stuffy stable.  And as for "retirement", since horse meat is a delicacy here in some other European countries, i need not draw you a picture.  Furthermore, surely you've heard something of crazy Italian traffic, especially in Rome.  It's dangerous for both motorists and the horses to have them amidst such chaotic traffic.  Currently there's some progress on banning these carriages, meaning that they'll be out of the city center and in parks such as Villa Borghese instead.  It's a step in the right direction!  for more info, visit the Coalition to Ban Horse Drawn Carriages.

 Ponies in the Parks: see above, it's basically the same as the horses and carriages, only they won't charge as much for a ride.

Homeless and their Dogs: there's a number of homeless folks that have dogs and/or puppies with them.  Much like the gypsies use babies to try and get sympathy-money from you, they will drug these dogs to make them seem listless, sad, starving, etc.  This isn't a trick unique to Italy, as I've seen lots of the same thing in Portland, Oregon and San Francisco.  And when that cute little pup grows up (if it does)?  They get rid of them and find another.  

Circuses: this should come as little surprise seeing as circuses=animal hell virtually everywhere.  These animals are kept locked up in tiny cages, forced and abused into doing spectacles, punished when they don't obey, forced to travel often and long hours, etc.  There is nothing good to say about any circus, and any member of the circus would be lying if they said they'd be willing to trade places with any of their non-human co-workers.  The circuses in Italy tend to be pretty far from the city center, so they should be easy to avoid.

Restaurants for Veggies and Vegans: in general a typical restaurant will have vegetarian options.  But some good veggie/vegan friendly places are: 
Taverna Vegetariana L'insalatiera, Via Trionfale 94 Roma (a 15 minutes walk from Vatican),

• IL Margutta Vegetariano, Via Margutta 118 (near Piazza di Spagna, Piazza del Popolo, and Spanish Steps)   
• Arancia Blu, Via Prenestina 396   
• Bibliothe, Via Celsa 4, Roma (00186) (near Piazza del Gesu and Pantheon)
• Upter House Arcana , Via Degli Equi 39 (San Lorenzo)   
• Jaya Sai Ma, Via Bargoni 11 (Trastevere)

At the Supermarket: at most supermarkets you'll find sections that are all organic foods and also alternative foods (like gluten-free pasta, for example).  And also in the frozen or refrigerated areas you'll find sections of alternatives such as meat-less burgers and tofu.  If you can't find what you're looking for take a stroll around, as these things are all put together in their own aisle (ie: you won't find organic orange juice with the other juices, and you won't find rice-flour pasta always with the other pastas, but instead all together somewhere else).  There's also little shops all around, that offer only organic foods and products. 

For other info, and links, look at the Lega Italiana dei Diritti dell'Animale, literally the Italian league for Animal rights.  it's  more or less the Italian equivalent to PETA. 

*Aubrie Talarico*

Is your cruise ship stopping in Rome for the day? It's very easy to get to Rome from the port. Although you could hire a driver to escort you into Rome, it's just as easy to take the train and a lot more affordable! Watch this video for easy directions on how to go to Rome's central station, Roma Termini, from the Civitavecchia Port.

For Presto Tours Guests joining us for our 'Rome in a Day' Tour we suggest the following:

Take the train directly from Civitavecchia into Rome (8:41 AM) and our guide meets you right at your arrival platform at Rome Termini (9:50). The Civitavecchia train station is about a minute 10 minute walk from the Civitavecchia port and the walk is very easy!

As soon as you meet your guide at Termini at 9:50, your Presto guide is yours for the day. He/she will take you to any of the sites you'd like to visit. Normally this includes the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, the Colosseum, and the Pantheon. However, we customize our tours to your liking so if there are any other museums, sites, or topics of interest that you would like to explore in the 6 hours with your guide, just let us know and we'll make it happen!

At the end of the day, our guide escorts you on foot to the train station, leads you directly to the correct train and sees you off for the 4:29 PM train which gets you back to Civitavecchia at 5:13 PM. The cost of the train ticket is 9 Euro/person roundtrip. This also includes unlimited public transportation use for the day in Rome. 

  Ahhh risotto….a culinary delight and a typical ‘primo piatto’ in Italian cuisine.  It’s also a good alternative if you would like a first plate without pasta (whether you are pastaed-out or you don’t eat gluten/wheat).  While you’ll find it all over the Boot, it is a bit more common in the Northern regions.  Here are some different types and some recipes if you’re feeling adventurous, you might try making some at home (it’s usually fairly simple,jst a bit time-consuming and you will work up some arm muscle stirring).  Ps- A lot of these can be altered to be vegetarian or vegan friendly too by substituting veggie broth and substitutions for things like butter and cheese. To go to a recipe, just click on the links!

The Basic Ingredients to most risotto dishes are: butter/olive oil, garlic/onion,  wine (usually white), broth, rice, and salt. 

Risotto alla Parmagiana: basic ingredients are + parmesan cheese.

Risotto alla Milanese: basic ingredients + saffron + beef bone marrow + parmesan cheese.

Risotto ai Funghi: basic ingredients + mushroom sauce + mushrooms + parmesan cheese. 

Risotto al Pescatore: basic ingredients + seafood (usually clams, oysters, and shrimp)

Risotto al Radicchio: basic ingredients + red radicchio leaves + scallion + parmesan cheese

Risotto alla Zucca: basic ingredients + cooked squash + nutmeg + grated parmesan cheese

Risotto al Barolo: basic ingredients + red wine + sausage + borlotti beans

Risotto al Nero: basic ingredients + cuttlefish (it gets it’s black color from the ink from the cuttlefish)

 A few weeks ago we had lunch in the town Cori.   While we were driving home we stopped by the cantina of Marco Carpineti and tasted a few of his wines and bought a case of Tufaliccio.  Mr. Carpineti was extremely hospitable and generous, and we enjoyed the visit to the winery.  As I am on a mission to promote all that is good in the region of Lazio outside of Rome,  I am happy to write about wines that we encounter thatgo beyond Cabernet Sauvignon.  I also really want to like these wines but I am afraid, sometimes, they fall short.  The vineyards of Carpinetiare certified organic, which is wonderful because when you drink the wine you are not going to be ingesting pesticides or fertilizers.  The grapes grown are all native Laziale grapes, meaning, they are native to the area. He is not planting grapes for the international market, instead, he is trying to market wines made from grapes of the region.  My type of wine, it seems.  I'll take  a raw, earthy, and volcanic Lazio wine over an industrial California Cab any day of the week!  I wanted so badly to be in love with this wine and for it to be the next big thing coming from Italy, but it fell short.  it is not that it is a bad wine that I never want to drink again, on the contrary, it is wine I would drink almost every day, but I wouldn't walk on fire for.  It is great table wine for people who eat the foods of Lazio. It cost me €12 a bottle, it is a good deal for a decent table wine made with native grapes using organic farming methods.

What is unclear, even after our visit, is what are the exact wine making methods.  I found Mr. Carpineti very friendly and open to questions regarding his wines but not very straight forward with his answers.  For example I asked about use of natural yeast and his answer was,  “Sometimes we do and sometimes we don’t, it just depends.”  Well, this is an important question.  Natural wine making is a dying art, people.  I want to know who is maintaining these traditions so I can support them and drink their wines.  While we were there the enologist came in briefly.   I quite liked him as he was dirty and looked like a farmer.  He was laughing and not trying to seduce us with conversation, in fact, I think he barely said hello.  Mr. Carpineti gaveus great historical information about the grapes used, all native to Lazio.  These grapes include arciprete(W) which is a Cori native, bellone(W) which my dog is named after, malvasia(W), nerobuono(R), cesanese(the laziale star of the moment), and a few others.    When we visited they were completely sold out of all their white wines,so we were unable to taste those.  This was not a problem as I have actually used Carpineti white wines for guided tastings I lead.  Tufaliccio is made of 70% Montepulciano and 30% Sangiovese.  Montepulciano is the most used black grape in the region ofAbruzzo, and cesanese is used in Lazio's first DOCG designated wine, Cesanese del Piglio. 

This wine has a lovely ruby red color that is quite clear without sediment.  It had very lovely tones of blackberries, dark red roses, hints of licorice, and an earthiness that seemed to convey mushrooms or even walnuts.  I found it very herbal, earthy and meaty.  By this I mean it really had an undertone of something animal, like wet dog, but not in an inviting manner.  I find all of Lazio wines are very mineral, and this was no exception.  The earth here is very volcanic.  I also felt like I could smell the sea, it was somewhat saline.    The wine was dry, medium-full bodied, slightly fresh with nice clean tannins.  There was no vanilla or oak, and it maintained its dignity in that respect, it ferments  in stainless steel. It was also not overtly fruity, either.    I wouldn’t say this is a particularly well rounded wine.  I found it lacked freshness and a good back bone, but then again, this is clearly a wine that is ready to drink.   It also had a slight bitterness that I found appealing.  What I liked about this wine is that it is not sterile or perfect.  It has its flaws, but they are upfront.    This is a quality I find is a thread between many of Lazio’s wines.  I think it pairs well with mushrooms dishes, field greens, and even a simple pasta.   

The next time I visit Cori, I will again make a stop at the Marco Carpineti vineyard and buy a few cases of different wine for daily consumption. As they say, if it grows together, it goes together.  I eat as much food as I can from Lazio, and I would like my home drinking to be as much from Lazio as possible. 

Sarah Grunwald is a sommelier certified by the Associazione Italiana Sommelier Roma.  Sarah is also a Presto Tour Guide available for wine consultation and leads Presto's Rome Wine Tour.

Night Owls will get the chance to sleep in and visit their favourite museum by night coming up soon!  Saturday May 15^th will be the 6^th year of The European Night of Museums. 

40 countries throughout Europe will take part this year (not just Italy)!  Some 2,500 Museums ranging from art, history, and sciences, will participate. 

For a listing of Museums in Rome that will be joining the festivities, take a look here: ROME.   You’ll find all the info you need really: museum, address, and the special hours. And here’s a look at FLORENCE (which has quite a bit going on).    Here you’ll see TORINO has quite a bit too. 

According to the Musei in Comune Roma, all of the National Museums in Rome will be  open and free to enter from 8:00 PM until 2:00 AM (last entry at 1:00 AM).

Just as a sidenote, the Vatican Museums & Sistine have started this past year an night entrance special they do on Fridays (until July 9^th), from 7:00 PM until 11:00 PM (last entry at 9:30 PM).  The Vatican has offered special After-Hours entrance for a select few people for quite some time, costing anywhere from a few hundred per person to a few thousand, depending on the access and time slot).  What makes this more recent addition on Friday nights is that the price for admission is the normal price!

Jetlag is no traveler’s friend.  Traveling long distances and crossing lots of time zones can really mess up your body’s internal clock, for adults and children alike.  

Here are some tips to beat jetlag (so it doesn’t beat you)!

 Try to not take any type of medication to sleep.  In the end it will just make your body and brain more groggy and confused.

 It’s also best to avoid things on the plane or the night before that will dehydrate you like alcohol and caffeine.

  For breakfast and lunch try and eat foods with lots of protein, as it will that help keep you awake and alert for adjusting to your new time zone.  At night eat carbs (which i can assure you will not be hard to find in Italy ;) ).  Or also foods with our favourite sleepy-time-inducing amino acid Tryptophan (chicken, turkey, lentils, chocolate, cheese, yogurt, eggs, white rice, etc) 

 The ideal flight would be a red-eye, so you can sleep at a normal time and wake up when you arrive during the morning or early afternoon at your destination.

If you are going to be taking a flight that will be flying during the day light hours and are hoping to get some sleep, it can really help to get an sleeping mask. 

 Fight that urge to nap as soon as you arrive to your hotel/apartment!  It’s better if you go to bed just a bit earlier than usual instead.  You can certainly take it easy, and maybe a very short power-nap…but make sure to set an alarm so that you don’t end up sleeping all day.

 When you arrive, look to immediately get your stomach on schedule with your new time zone. if you arrive at the lunch hour, eat lunch, if you arrive at dinner, have dinner (even if a light one)....This helps get your brain synchronized with what time it is too. 

 When planning your trip, I’ve heard it’s beneficial to break up the trip a few times.  Layovers, or even switching from plane to train, gives you the ability to cross time zones more slowly and also get up and move around. This of course depends on how far you are traveling...obviously it only makes sense if you are going to be going a long distance!

 For lots of super tips on jet lag with babies and children, take a look at this excellent page on the "Delicious Baby" (maybe a questionable choice of words for a website name, but a really great source of info!)

Surely you've heard of the Ancient city of Pompeii (and it's amazing ruins), but have you also heard of Herculaneum?

Herculaneum, called by the Ancient Greeks Hercleion, is located near Naples in what is now a small modern town called Resina. It's said that Hercules himself founded the city, hence the name.

 Because of it's natural beauty and proximity to Rome, it became a sort of resort for Roman nobility during the times of the Roman Empire. It was one of the cities destroyed and buried in the great eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24th, 79 A.D.

There's actually a surviving text/account from a eye witness and survivor, Pliny, who became a Historian.

Compared to Pompeii, it seems a lot more Herculaneans managed to escape before the final devastating stage of the eruption. And in fact, there are very little things left behind like money and jewelry and even furniture in the ruins, further demonstrating that they knew that bad news was coming and had time to get themselves and their belongings far away.

Though most people seemed to have escaped the destruction of the city, some did not. This interestingly enough provided archaeologists and anthropologists with the first Roman skeletal/physical remains found (as Romans cremated their dead normally).

Herculaneum was buried underneath 20 meters/50-60 feet of mud and ash. It was rediscovered accidentally and only recently (well recent being relative here) in 1709.

Though the Ruins of Pompeii are more popular, these are actually better preserved. You can get there via bus from Naples main train station OR take that same little Bay Train Circumvesuvia you would for Pompeii and get off at the "Ercolano" stop.

The Domus Aurea, also known as Nero's Golden House, this already archaeologically troubled site had a terrible incident this past week in which a large section collapsed (about 60 square meters/645 square feet). So this week's blog is dedicated to this golden gem of Rome's Ancient history, and here's hoping they are able to save the parts that caved-in, and that "magari" (hopefully) one day it will be re-opened to the public.

 Emperor Nero had this Golden Villa built in the heart of Rome, just after the Great Fire of 64 AD conveniently cleared this area of its inhabitants. Please note the word "convenient", as it's believed by many that this fire was deliberately for this purpose, so that he could build his elaborate villa right where he wanted.  The nickname of the Golden House comes partly from the gold-leafing, but also from the extravagant decoration inside: semi-precious stones and ivory decorated the walls and ceilings.

Where today you will find the Colosseum, was once where his man-made lake for this Golden House was. The Colosseum was then built shortly after Nero's death in 68 AD, starting construction in 72 AD (though at the time of the construction it was still called the Flavian Ampitheater).  This was truly a party pad. It had something like 300 rooms, but still no rooms that would be bedrooms or kitchens have been found. After all Nero still had his palace nearby on the Quirinale Hill (which is where the modern-day Presidential Palace is).  Not all of the Villa or it's exact area has been fully discovered. It's estimated that the Villa and the gardens surrounding covered something like 300 acres, , including the Palatine, Esquiline and Caelian hills.

Nero, who was not known for modesty, also had an enormous bronze statue of himself on this land. It was 35.5 meters/116.5 feet tall, and was called the Colossus Neronis. After his death, the Statue eventually was placed near the Flavian Ampitheater/Colosseum by Hadrian. There's debate among scholars if it was originally associated with the sun God Sol or only after his death when it was modified to look less like Nero. As a sidenote, the Colosseum as we know it called today, took it's name from this colossal statue which was nearby.

Immediately following Nero's suicide in 68 AD construction started over the Golden house and the surrounding area. Ironically, this in the end also helped protect the inside frescos which remain(ed). The precious stones and gold inside was stripped pretty much directly after Nero's demise.  Inside the ruins there were some pretty famous "signatures" scratched into the walls, including the Marquis de Sade and Domenico Ghirlandaio. Some of the masters of the Renaissance such as Raphael, clearly took note of the styles they saw in these frescos.

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