Notre Dame Rome is located in Via Ostilia in the heart of the Eternal City, one block from the Colosseum. The 32,000 square-foot facility serves as a hub supporting the academic, educational, and cultural mission of the University of Notre Dame.
Notre Dame Rome also hosts and organizes a rich variety of education abroad opportunities for students and scholars. They're encouraged to immerse themselves in the culture and experience life as a local. In order to do just that, the ND Rome staff has compiled a list of the top things to do.
Blur the line between traveler and local!
Summer Events in Rome
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Rome is a city with a lot going on all the time, especially in the summer. Start looking at the Terme di Caracalla's program, a wonderful area of ancient Rome where the Teatro dell’Opera relocates some of its scheduled concerts throughout the summer. The atmosphere is charming, and you can enjoy a classical concert surrounded by history. The close-by Circo Massimo exceptionally transforms into a concert venue throughout the summer, as in this photo shot at Bruce Springsteen's concert.
Another recommendation I'd make is to check out the "Luglio suona bene" program at Rome's Auditorium Parco della Musica, created by the renowned architect Renzo Piano. In the summer, concerts are played in the opendoor Cavea. If you are a jazz amateur, you can’t miss the Casa del Jazz, the Alexanderplatz Jazz Club or – very close to the Gateway – Villa Celimontana (running from June to August).
Beaches near Rome
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For all beach lovers, here is a selection of coastal locations that can be easily reached from Rome:
Ostia and the Cancelli (gates) - Ostia is loaded with often pricey and trendy stabilimenti, while the Cancelli offer free beaches equipped with restaurants and restrooms. Public transport takes less than an hour and it costs 1.50 Euros. Take the 070 express bus from EUR district, or the Roma-Lido train from Porta S. Paolo beside the Piramide metro station (line B). To reach the Cancelli, get off at the last stop and take the 07 MARE bus.
Anzio/Nettuno - These beaches are only ten minutes apart. One train per hour leaves from Termini station, stopping first at Anzio and then at Nettuno. The journey takes 60-70 minutes and the beaches are about a 10-minute walk from the respective train stations.
Fregene - Boasts both stabilimenti and spiaggia libera. To reach it, buses depart from Rome’s Valle Aurelia metro stop (line A) and the journey takes about one hour.
Marathons in Rome
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The American marathoner Amby Burfoot, once said, "As we run, we become."
Running is a great way to stay fit, it is a great occasion for learning how to keep focused and getting to know yourself better; but it also allows you to meet with others and share passion. If Rome can be recognized as a "walkable city", it is definitely also the perfect location for a good run. Whether you are a marathoner, an amateur, a fast-pacer, or a slow-pacer, it doesn't really matter; Rome is a great "race track" surrounded by beauty.
There are multiple routes and areas you can explore out there, but if you want to have fun and be motivated, look up the many races that are organized throughout the year, tie your shoes ...and RUN!
Roma-Ostia (21 km - March); Run Rome the Marathon (42km - March); Appia Run (13 km - April); Roma Urbs Mundi (15km - October); We Run Rome (10Km -December).
Bookshops in Rome
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Indulge your intellectual curiosity in Rome, a literature-loving city and the ideal location for crammed, dusty, and world-famous bookstores. The best spots for English and other international volumes include Otherwise Bookshop, featuring a downstairs bar and an interesting event calendar, the storied AngloAmerican Bookstore, located near the Spanish Steps, and Open Door Bookshop, which was founded in the Trastevere district by an American exchange student.
Remarkable antique bookshops, nestled in the downtown area, are Antica Libreria Cascianelli, specialized in rare French editions, and Libreria Editrice ASEQ, which focuses on Exoterism and Magic. A true gem is Libreria Tombolini, located near piazza Venezia, whose collection of Greek and Roman Classics makes it the ideal place for the antiquity-minded bibliophile.
Where to play Soccer in Rome
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"Like most Romans, I have a great passion for sports. I have played soccer (calcio) since I was five and I have always been a huge AS Roma supporter. Now that I am older, I still like to play "Calcetto" 5vs5 or "Calciotto" 8vs8 with friends, even after a long day at work. So here is my piece of advice. Plan some Calcetto or Calciotto games to ensure you have fun and get some workout! Try some sports centers near the university, such as:
Campi di Calcetto PioXI
Cavalieri di Colombo
Campo BenedettoXV
If you want to try something new instead, try playing Padel. This is a sport that is hugely popular in Argentina and Spain and that has recently become very popular in Italy too. Playing padel is simple, enjoyable and sociable. Trust me, you've got to try it ".
Music Venues in Rome
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"With Rome's grandeur rooted firmly in its past, visitors can often lose sight of the many opportunities the modern city has to offer. Perhaps surprisingly, Rome boasts a wide array of exciting and distinctive live music venues, each with its own "vibe". My personal favorite is the Auditorium Parco della Musica. A distinctive architectural wonder, its halls – where spectators almost have the sense that they're ensconced in a shell – are acoustically superlative. I can still recall listening to my first live concert there (Jackson Browne) . . . it was as if the music was reaching my ears through headphones. An exceptional experience for any audiophile or musician!".
Quid @quid_channel; Pinispettinati @pinispettinati; Alexanderplatz @alexanderplatzjazzclub; Cotton Club @cottonclubroma; Charity Café @charitycafe; Elegance Cafè @elegancecafejazzclub, Casa del Jazz @casadeljazz; L'Asino che vola @lasinochevola; Auditorium Parco della Musica @auditoriumparcodellamusica
Street Art in Rome
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"Rome's reputation as an important street art capital continues to grow with new murals by important Italian and international street artists being added all the time. Most of the works are located in the suburbs, often far from the centre. Here is where to find some of the main street art projects and murals around the city.
Esquilino - Casa dell'Architettura. Murals by: Alice Pasquini, Diamond, Gio Pistone, Nicola Alessandrini.
Marconi - The M.A.G.R. (Museo Abusivo Gestito dai Rom) located in a former soap factory. Murals by: French street artist Seth
Museo dell’Altro e dell’Altrove di Metropoliz - Street art museum - former meat factory and home to some 200 squatters (many of them migrants). Murals by: 300 artists including Eduardo Kobra, Gio Pistone, Sten&Lex and Diamond.
Tor Marancia - In via di Tor Marancia "The Big City Life street art project" features 14 m tall murals by 22 Italian and international street artists including Mr Klevra, Seth, Gaia and Jerico.
Ostiense - In via del Porto Fluviale murals by Blu and by Agostino Iacurci; In Via dei Magazzini Generali the Wall of Fame by JB Rock; In via Ostiense Shelley by Ozmo.
Pigneto - In via Fanfulla da Lodi tributes to Pier Paolo Pasolini by Maupal, Mr. Klevra and Omino 71.
Rebibbia - In via Ciciliano and via Palombini (Casal dè Pazzi) murals by Blu and at the Rebibbia Metro B station "Welcome to Rebibbia" by Zerocalcare.
Ethnic restaurants in Rome
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Not only pasta and pizza... Are you tired of constantly eating carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana? Are there times when you crave something different and you don’t know where to go?
Rome offers a vibrant range of different cuisines and experiences: do not miss the opportunity to try the various ethnic restaurants in the city! If you are really into K-culture and Korean food, try I-gio in the beautiful Trastevere or go to Esquilino (closer to Vittorio Emanuele subway station), the most multicultural neighborhood in Rome! Here you can find more Korean restaurants such as Arirang or Biwon, Indian restaurants such as Krishna 13 or Chinese restaurants such as Da Sonia (probably the most famous one!), as well as Ethiopian restaurants too.
"ROME IS NOT LIKE ANY OTHER CITY. IT'S A MAJESTIC MUSEUM, A LIVING ROOM TO TIPTOE THROUGH"
Alberto Sordi