What's on in Rome: Listings

Here's Italy Heaven's pick of future events in Rome - for a full picture of events during your stay, you should buy a listings guide such as the weekly Roma c'e, as many events aren't publicised well in advance. This small-format magazine has an English-language section at the back with museum as well as event listings.

These aren't technically 'events', but they are recent developments which might not be featured in your guidebook: there is now a super glass lift which takes you right up to the roof of the Vittoriano monument for views over Rome, and the long-closed Museo Barracco, which has a lovely collection of ancient statues and art, has finally reopened.

Italy's UNESCO sites

We've recently written a page about Italy's UNESCO sites - it has 41 entries on the World Heritage list. You can see photographs of the sites at a free exhibition in the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale Vittorio Emmanuele II on Viale Castro Pretorio (not far from Stazione Termini). Open 8:30am-6pm on weekdays, 10am-1pm on Saturdays. Until 14th March 2008.
> Exhibition details (in Italian)

Nostoi. Capolavori ritrovati - Refound Masterpieces

I recently visited this free exhibition at the Quirinale and I highly recommend it. It consists of ancient artworks removed from Italy illegally and now rather sadly returned by museums overseas. Apart from being free to enter and containing some truly fine archaeological pieces, it also gives you a chance to see inside the Italian president's palace, as the exhibits are housed in some grand state rooms. I found long queues in the morning (dreaded Italian schoolparties), but none at all in the evening. You'll pass many fancifully-uniformed guards, and have to put your bags through a security scanner. Extended opening until 24th March 2008. Closed Mondays, lunchtimes and public holidays.
> Quirinale

Il Mito della Velocità - the Myth of Speed

Rome's big exhibition centre, the Palazzo delle Esposizioni, has been restored and houses a variety of exhibitions. A costly €12.50 ticket buys you admission to all the current shows. On the ground floor the main feature is a novel exhibition dedicated to the theme of speed (subtitled 'Art, motors and society in 20th-century Italy'). It includes vintage cars, automobile, aeroplane and scooter memorabilia, artworks by Italy's futurist artists and the chance to 'drive' a high-speed train (the simulator was't working when I visited, however). Watch out for the film clips of Vespas being ridden in a variety of unusual styles and laugh out loud. The exhibition runs until 18th May 2008. The building is at Via Nazionale 194. Closed on Mondays; late opening Fridays and Saturdays.
> Palazzo delle Esposizioni.

Contemporary Art Fair

A new modern art fair is being held around Rome at galleries and venues including the Temple of Hadrian in the town centre. It includes special events and the chance to see inside some interesting buildings. From 28th February until 2nd March.
> Roma Contemporary Art Fair (just try wading through the English translation)

Ballet and Opera

Forthcoming productions at the Teatro dell'Opera include a new production of the ballet Raymonda (March) and the Puccini operas La Fanciulla del West and Tosca (April). You can book tickets online and collect them at the box office before the show, which is useful for tourists.
> Teatro dell'Opera

Football season 2007-2008

Despite their World Cup victory, no-one has quite as much faith in Italian football these days, after a succession of scandals. But somehow everything goes on as normal, and fans still live for their teams. There are either Lazio or Roma matches at the Stadio Olimpico most weekends, as well as some midweek games. The top games in Rome are the infamous Rome derbies (the weekends of 31st October 2007 and 19 March 2008).