Theme Week Rome – Vatican City
3 September 2015 | Author/Destination: European Union / Europäische Union | Rubric: General, Museums, Exhibitions, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time: 11 minutes Vatican City is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of approximately 44 hectares (110 acres), and a population of just over 800. The Vatican City is the world’s smallest state, being only around 44 ha (110 acres). In July 2007, the Vatican agreed to become the first carbon neutral state. They plan to accomplish this by offsetting carbon dioxide emissions with the creation of a Vatican Climate Forest in Hungary. Vatican City was established in 1929 by the Lateran Treaty, signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Gasparri, on behalf of the Holy See and by Prime Minister Benito Mussolini on behalf of the Kingdom of Italy. Vatican City State is distinct from the Holy See, which dates back to early Christianity and is the main episcopal see of 1.2 billion Latin and Eastern Catholic adherents around the globe. Ordinances of Vatican City are published in Italian; official documents of the Holy See are issued mainly in Latin. The two entities have distinct passports: the Holy See, not being a country, issues only diplomatic and service passports, whereas Vatican City State issues normal passports. In each case very few passports are issued. read more…Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, the largest Marian church in Rome
6 September 2014 | Author/Destination: European Union / Europäische Union | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time: 8 minutes The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (English: Basilica of Saint Mary Major), or church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is the largest Catholic Marian church in Rome. Other churches in Rome dedicated to Mary include Santa Maria in Trastevere, Santa Maria in Aracoeli, and Santa Maria sopra Minerva, but the greater size of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major justifies the adjective by which it is distinguished from the other 25. read more…The Atlantropa Project
20 February 2013 | Author/Destination: Editorial / Redaktion | Rubric: General, Berlin Reading Time: 8 minutes Atlantropa, also referred to as Panropa, was a gigantic engineering and colonization project devised by the German architect Herman Sörgel in the 1920s and promulgated by him until his death in 1952. Its central feature was a hydroelectric dam to be built across the Strait of Gibraltar, which would have provided enormous amounts of hydroelectricity and would have led to the lowering of the surface of the Mediterranean Sea by up to 200 metres (660 ft), opening up large new lands for settlement, for example in a now almost totally drained Adriatic Sea. read more…Overview Theme Weeks
27 December 2011 | Author/Destination: Around the World / Rund um die Welt | Rubric: General, Bon voyage, Theme Weeks Reading Time: 20 minutes(Latest addition: February 2024) In irregular intervals we publish Theme Weeks about cities, regions, and countries. Here you can find the complete list. read more…
Theme Week Rome – Castel Sant’Angelo, Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon
11 November 2011 | Author/Destination: European Union / Europäische Union | Rubric: General, Museums, Exhibitions, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time: 15 minutesThe Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as the Castel Sant’Angelo, is a towering cylindrical building in Rome. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum. read more…
Theme Week Rome – Circus Maximus and Roman Forum
10 November 2011 | Author/Destination: European Union / Europäische Union | Rubric: General, Museums, Exhibitions, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time: 11 minutesThe Circus Maximus is an ancient Roman chariot racing stadium and mass entertainment venue located in Rome, Italy. Situated in the valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills, it was the first and largest stadium in ancient Rome and its later Empire. It measured 621 m (2,037 ft) in length and 118 m (387 ft) in width, and could accommodate about 150,000 spectators. In its fully developed form, it became the model for circuses throughout the Roman Empire. read more…
Theme Week Rome – Colosseum and Trajan’s Forum
9 November 2011 | Author/Destination: European Union / Europäische Union | Rubric: General, Museums, Exhibitions, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time: 11 minutesThe Colosseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering. read more…