SOVEREIGN ORDER OF MALTA

MAGISTRAL VILLA

The Sovereign Order of Malta is one of the oldest institutions of Western and Christian civilization. The Magistral Villa, located on the Aventine Hill in Rome, is one of the two institutional seats of the government of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Along with Magistral Palace. The Villa enjoys rights of extraterritoriality and serves as the seat of the Grand Priory of Rome, one of the oldest institutions of the members of the Order of Malta. It also houses the Sovereign Order’s Embassy to the Italian Republic.
The Magistral Villa attracts visitors from far and wide who scale the Aventine Hill to peer through its celebrated ‘Buco della Serratura’; a keyhole framing the dome of St Peter’s Basilica.
The Magistral Villa also boasts an artistic treasure: its church, Santa Maria in Aventino, is the only architectural example by the famed artist and engraver Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778). In 1764 Piranesi created the square, Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, and the Church with highly decorative motifs relating the history and traditions of the Order.
within walking distance

THE AVENTINO HILL

The Aventine Hill is the southernmost of Rome’s seven hills with a quiet and elegant residential area at its core. The Aventine Hill had always been compared to a ship, and since the time of the Knights Templers, it was said to be ready to raise anchor, catch the tide of the river Tiber, and set sail for the Holy Land.


Thanks to its relaxing beauty, it is one of the most popular areas for walks to discover unusual and fascinating corners: from the famous “keyhole” of the gate of the Priory of the Knights of Malta, from which you can see the dome of Saint Peter, to its churches Santa Sabina, Santi Bonifacio e Alessio, Santa Prisca, Sant’Anselmo and Santa Maria del Priorato. Here there are two of the most romantic places in the capital: Savello Park, known as Giardino degli Aranci, the Orange Garden, an enchanting rectangular garden from which you can admire a wonderful view of Rome, and the Roseto Comunale, the Comunal Rose Garden, a show of scents and colors of about 1,200 species of roses from around the world.
A short walk away, continuing towards the Tiber, near the Circus Maximus, do not miss a visit to the beautiful Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, a rare example of medieval architecture in Rome, whose porch houses the famous Mouth of Truth the ancient mask entered the collective world imagination with the film Roman Holidays (Audrey Hepburn e Gregory Peck).
within walking distance

National Institute of Roman Studies

The National Institute of Roman Studies was founded in 1925 for study into all aspects of Rome, its history, archaeology, art, literature and science. The institute also organises national and international conferences, study days, visits to monuments, art collections and excavations in Rome, around Italy and abroad. It’s located near the Priory of the Knights of Malta on the Aventino Hill.

 
 
Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta 2
within walking distance

The Porta Portese Market

Porta Portese is THE market of Rome. There are songs and poems dedicated to it, and there have been shot movies such as ‘Bicycle Thieves’ and ‘Sciuscià’. Born after the war as new home to the black market taking place at Campo de ‘Fiori, Porta Portese, now with more than a thousand traders, is the most popular “Sunday market” in Italy. You can find almost anything: furniture and objects of all times, flea market merchandise, but also lining, new and used clothes, vinyl and CDs, books and prints, historical newspapers, but also Rome soccer team t-shirts and underwear, pet food, watches and shoes, shells and jewelry, leather jackets and luggage, beads and toys. Just to mention some, as the list could be endless. In fact you can find practically everything excluding food.

 

within walking distance (10 minutes) starting from via Ippolito Nievo

 

FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00153 Rome

Established in 1945 the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
The goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members – 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

The FAO building, located at the beginning of Viale Aventino on the corner of Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, houses the headquarters of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

https://www.fao.org/home/en

 

within walking distance (10 minutes)

Circus Maximus

The Circus Maximus, the largest building for the spectacle of antiquity and one of the largest of all time (600 m long by 140 m wide), is connected by legend to the origins of the city itself. The competitions that took place in the Circus were the most popular competitive activities of the Romans, along with gladiatorial games: the conductors of the quadrigues soon became idolized characters by the people of Rome.

 
Devastated several times by fire, the Circus Maximus was rebuilt almost entirely under the principality of Trajan, to whose phase belong most of the structures currently visible. 
 
within walking distance (10 minutes)

ROMAN FORUM AND PALATINE

The hill of Palatino was the most ancient settlement in Rome according both to the legend about Romulus and Remus and the archaeological remains, and it was inhabited since VIII century B.C.Since II century B.C. it becomes the residential area chosen by the aristocrats, and with the emperor Augusto it started the building of imperial palaces.

The Forum was the principal nucleus of all the most important activities in Rome, both civil and religious. All the principal historical characters of the ancient Rome, used to attend this place, and all the important decisions that permitted the development first of the roman republic and then of the empire, were taken right here.

The Roman Forum (Forum Romanum) and the Palatine Hill are located in the same archaeological area and count as one admission.

https://www.coopculture.it/en/poi/roman-forum-and-palatine/

 

within walking distance

BATHS OF CARACALLA

The imposing Baths of Caracalla are one of the largest and best preserved thermal baths of antiquity, built on the Small Aventine Hill by the Emperor Caracalla between 212 and 216 A.D. The perfect state of conservation makes the archaeological area a great experience to understand a piece of daily live in the ancient Rome. The surrounding area is ideal for lovers of outdoor sports, for a jog or a pleasant walk in the green avenue of the Baths of Caracalla. For those who wish to exchange a solemn oath of love, the delightful deconsecrated church of Santa Maria in Tempulo is the dream place where weddings with civil ceremony are celebrated.

within walking distance (10 minutes)

COLOSSEUM

More commonly known as Colosseum the Flavian Amphitheatre, symbol of the splendor of the roman empire, is the most famous monument in Rome and largest brick amphitheater in the world. Until the end of the ancient period, it was used to present spectacles of great popular appeal, such as animal hunts and gladiatorial games.  Following the death of Nero (68 AD), between the end of 70 and 71 A.D. the construction of the Colosseum began under the emperor Titus Flavius Vespasian.

reachable by a pleasant walk (15 minutes) or by metro B and stops (Pyramid – Colosseum)

 

Aventine

A residential and refined district, the Aventine extends over one of the ancient seven hills of Rome, linked to the legend of the foundation of the city.

 
Thanks to its relaxing beauty, it is one of the most popular areas for walks to discover unusual and fascinating corners: from the famous “keyhole” of the gate of the Priory of the Knights of Malta, from which you can see the dome of Saint Peter, to its churches Santa Sabina, Santi Bonifacio e Alessio, Santa Prisca, Sant’Anselmo and Santa Maria del Priorato, which contain wonderful works of art, archaeological evidence, crypts, mitrei and delightful cloisters. Here there are two of the most romantic places in the capital: Savello Park, known as Orange Garden, an enchanting garden from which you can admire a wonderful view of Rome, and the Roseto Comunale, a show of scents and colors of about 1,100 species of roses from around the world.
 
Continuing towards the Tiber, you arrive at the Circus Maximus, the largest building for the spectacle of antiquity, the theater of horse races. Thanks to Circus Maximo Experience, an innovative project of enhancement in augmented and virtual reality, you can visit the Circus in all its historical phases, seeing the life of the ancient valley flow before your eyes, in a continuous link between present and past.
 
A short walk, do not miss a visit to the beautiful Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, a rare example of medieval architecture in Rome, whose porch houses the famous Mouth of Truth the ancient mask entered the collective world imagination with the film Roman Holidays.
reachable by walking