Centre of a breathtaking view of the sunset colours, our hotel, surrounded by a quaint village, dominates the charming view of the Eternal City, in the heart of Castelli Romani area.


2023-08-04


About us

With a large terrace on an incomparable panorama that goes from the Pontine Sea to the City’s urban landscape, up to the Castelli Romani enclosures, in the Colli Albani.

Behind Castel Gandolfo lake, the summer residence of the Holy Father, the hotel is located in Marino municipality (RM).

Perfect crossroad for those wishing to go to Rome, combining business with leisure, relax, excursions and sightseeing of all sorts in the extraordinary setting of an ever-present, historical, artistic, food-and-wine, landscaping, etc…

Unique and glamour location, for a dream wedding that seals your unforgettable day, also for the civil ceremony wedding. Perfect venue for any event you want to make extraordinary.

With modern audiovisual equipment, wonderful background for movie sets, exhibitions, fashion shows, congresses, conferences and business events.

The Story

The name “Helio”, from Greek, Helios (sun), is linked to an ancient tradition of the place, where the Romans used to go to see, as a rite, the rising of the sun from Mount Alban. “Cabala” was added in honor of the Dolce Vita’s historic nightclub. When Frank Sinatra, Anita Ekberg and Ava Gardner were animating the Roman nights, where paparazzi were taking pictures of the quarrel between Richard Burton and Liz Taylor, while Sophia Loren bought a nearby villa.

On Italy ’90 Football World Championship, our hotel hosted the Italian national football training camp, led by Azeglio Vicini, who in the current Executive Room had organized the “Tactical Room”, where analyzed and developed schemes and strategies that gave life to the beautiful Schillaci and Vialli goals.

In 2006, the structure became part of the Checchi Group Hotels & Resort and, completely restored, finds the splendor of la Dolce Vita, where the savoir vivre class, blends in with a subtle romance.

Accomodation

In the heart of the Castelli Romani area, an oasis of peace, our hotel offers 45 rooms and 10 suites “Il Borgo”, warm, stylishly furnished and fully equipped. The original interior design of the fine Italian craftsmanship, make each room unique. In a perfect harmony with the surrounding environment, the Hotel service is always careful and discreet, while you are relaxing, dinning or celebrating a special day, in one of the most beautiful and evocative spaces of Marino.

Room Amenities

  • Air Conditioning
  • TV
  • Wi-Fi
  • Phone
  • Minibar
  • Hairdryer
  • Courtesy line
  • Non-smoking rooms
  • Customized Services for Suite

Room Type

  • Single Room
  • Double Room
  • Double Room for Single Use
  • Triple Room
  • Family Room
  • Suite

Room Size

Standard

18 mq

Superior

22 mq

Suite

30mq

Services Included

  • Sweet / salty breakfast
  • Free parking (not guarded)

For special needs, please contact us. We will be delighted to provide the best accommodation to meet your needs.

Events

Elegance and Style on an Unforgettable Day for a Dream Wedding

The elegant ambience of an exclusive location such as our hotel, full of charm and suggestions, water and lights show, will make the most important day of your life, unique and unforgettable!

From the most intimate to lavish or extravagant wedding, every need will be satisfied by the perfect style of several settings up, evoking great emotions, on a journey with our chefs into the taste of the traditional Italian cuisine, in the pursuit of delicacy. Delegated by Marino Municipality, Grand Hotel Helio Cabala offers the official civil ceremony wedding.

Our Director and Staff are dedicated with their experience, expertise and professionalism to make your wedding an astonishing, original and glamour event.

Our Services

  • Honeymoon Suite
  • Wedding Planning
  • Wedding reception
  • Customized Menus
  • Wedding Cake
  • Floreal Decoration
  • Confetti Candies and Favors
  • Photo-Video Shooting
  • Dj Set / Live Music Entertainment
  • Hostess Service
  • Baby Sitting service
  • Parking Facilities

 

Marino

Marino is an Italian city and comune in Lazio (central Italy), on the Alban Hills, Italy, 21 kilometres (13 miles) southeast of Rome, with a population of 37,684 and a territory of 26.10 square kilometres (10.08 sq mi). It is bounded by other communes, Castel GandolfoAlbano LazialeRocca di PapaGrottaferrata, and Ciampino. Marino is famous for its white wine, and for its Grape Festival, which has been celebrated since 1924.

History

The territory of Marino was inhabited by Latin tribes from the 1st millennium BC. The ancient cities of Bovillae (Frattocchie), Mugilla (Santa Maria delle Mole, a frazione of the comune of Marino) and Ferentum (Marino itself) were part of the Latin League. Under the Roman Republic it was a summer resort for  patricians, who built luxurious villas in the area to escape the heat of Rome.

In 846 AD, Bovillae - until then the largest settlement - was destroyed by the Saracens, and the population moved to the more easily defendable area of Ferentum, which was fortified under the new name of Marinum. From 1090 it was a dominium of the Counts of Tusculum, and later a fief of the Frangipane and, beginning in 1266, the Orsini. In 1272, San Bonaventura founded the first confraternity of Italy there.

In 1347 it was besieged in vain by Cola di Rienzo. Fifty years later, it was the site of the battle between Alberico da Barbiano and the French troops supporting Antipope Clement VII. In 1419 it was bought by the Colonna, who maintained it until 1914.

Marino hosted famous historical figures, from Charles VIII of France to Alfonso II d'Este and many others. Vittoria Colonna was born in Marino in 1492 and lived there for part of her life. In 1571, Marino's people welcomed Marcantonio Colonna, a protagonist of the Battle of Lepanto, with a triumph, remembered yearly by a festival.

It was visited by the Anglo-Irish aristocrat James Caulfeild, 4th Viscount Charlemont on his mid-18th century Grand Tour; he later named his estate of Marino, Dublin after it, and built the Casino at Marino for his home.

It became part of Italy in 1870.

On 14 March 1880 the railway Rome-Ciampino-Marino was opened for service. On 1 April 1906 an electric tram line replaced the former. In 1954 the electric tram line was replaced by buses.

On 2 February 1944, during World War II, Marino was heavily bombed by USAAF B-25 aircraft from the US XII Air Force.

In 1974, Ciampino became a separate comune.

In the Due Santi district, there is the Roman campus of the University of Dallas, which opened in 1994 and is used by its students for year-round academic programs.

Rome

Rome is the capital city of Italy. It is also the capital of the Lazio region, the centre of the Metropolitan City of Rome, and a special comune named Comune di Roma Capitale. With 2,860,009 residents in 1,285 km2 (496.1 sq mi), Rome is the country's most populated comune and the third most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. The Metropolitan City of Rome, with a population of 4,355,725 residents, is the most populous metropolitan city in Italy. Its metropolitan area is the third-most populous within Italy. Rome is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, within Lazio (Latium), along the shores of the TiberVatican City (the smallest country in the world) is an independent country inside the city boundaries of Rome, the only existing example of a country within a city. Rome is often referred to as the City of Seven Hills due to its geographic location, and also as the "Eternal City". Rome is generally considered to be the "cradle of Western civilization and Christian culture", and the centre of the Catholic Church.

Rome's history spans 28 centuries. While Roman mythology dates the founding of Rome at around 753 BC, the site has been inhabited for much longer, making it a major human settlement for almost three millennia and one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in Europe. The city's early population originated from a mix of LatinsEtruscans, and Sabines. Eventually, the city successively became the capital of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, and is regarded by many as the first-ever Imperial city and metropolis. It was first called The Eternal City (LatinUrbs AeternaItalianLa Città Eterna) by the Roman poet Tibullus in the 1st century BC, and the expression was also taken up by OvidVirgil, and Livy. Rome is also called "Caput Mundi" (Capital of the World).

After the fall of the Empire in the west, which marked the beginning of the Middle Ages, Rome slowly fell under the political control of the Papacy, and in the 8th century, it became the capital of the Papal States, which lasted until 1870. Beginning with the Renaissance, almost all popes since Nicholas V (1447–1455) pursued a coherent architectural and urban programme over four hundred years, aimed at making the city the artistic and cultural centre of the world. In this way, Rome first became one of the major centres of the Renaissance and then became the birthplace of both the Baroque style and Neoclassicism. Famous artists, painters, sculptors, and architects made Rome the centre of their activity, creating masterpieces throughout the city. In 1871, Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, which, in 1946, became the Italian Republic.

In 2019, Rome was the 14th most visited city in the world, with 8.6 million tourists, the third most visited city in the European Union, and the most popular tourist destination in Italy. Its historic centre is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The host city for the 1960 Summer Olympics, Rome is also the seat of several specialised agencies of the United Nations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The city also hosts the Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) as well as the headquarters of many international businesses, such as EniEnelTIMLeonardo, and banks such as BNL. Numerous companies are based within Rome's EUR business district, such as the luxury fashion house Fendi located in the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana. The presence of renowned international brands in the city has made Rome an important centre of fashion and design, and the Cinecittà Studios have been the set of many Academy Award–winning movies.

Etymology

According to the Ancient Romans' founding myth, the name Roma came from the city's founder and first kingRomulus.

However, it is possible that the name Romulus was actually derived from Rome itself. As early as the 4th century, there have been alternative theories proposed on the origin of the name Roma. Several hypotheses have been advanced focusing on its linguistic roots which however remain uncertain:

  • From Rumon or Rumen, archaic name of the Tiber, which in turn is supposedly related to the Greek verb ῥέω (rhéō) 'to flow, stream' and the Latin verb ruō 'to hurry, rush';
  • From the Etruscan word 𐌓𐌖𐌌𐌀 (ruma), whose root is *rum- "teat", with possible reference either to the totem wolf that adopted and suckled the cognately named twins Romulus and Remus, or to the shape of the Palatine and Aventine Hills;
  • From the Greek word ῥώμη (rhmē), which means strength.

Earliest history

While there have been discoveries of archaeological evidence of human occupation of the Rome area from approximately 14,000 years ago, the dense layer of much younger debris obscures Palaeolithic and Neolithic sites. Evidence of stone tools, pottery, and stone weapons attest to about 10,000 years of human presence. Several excavations support the view that Rome grew from pastoral settlements on the Palatine Hill built above the area of the future Roman Forum. Between the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age, each hill between the sea and the Capitoline Hill was topped by a village (on the Capitoline, a village is attested since the end of the 14th century BC). However, none of them yet had an urban quality. Nowadays, there is a wide consensus that the city developed gradually through the aggregation ("synoecism") of several villages around the largest one, placed above the Palatine. This aggregation was facilitated by the increase of agricultural productivity above the subsistence level, which also allowed the establishment of secondary and tertiary activities. These, in turn, boosted the development of trade with the Greek colonies of southern Italy (mainly Ischia and Cumae). These developments, which according to archaeological evidence took place during the mid-eighth century BC, can be considered as the "birth" of the city. Despite recent excavations at the Palatine hill, the view that Rome was founded deliberately in the middle of the eighth century BC, as the legend of Romulus suggests, remains a fringe hypothesis.

Legend of the founding of Rome

Traditional stories handed down by the ancient Romans themselves explain the earliest history of their city in terms of legend and myth. The most familiar of these myths, and perhaps the most famous of all Roman myths, is the story of Romulus and Remus, the twins who were suckled by a she-wolf. They decided to build a city, but after an argument, Romulus killed his brother and the city took his name. According to the Roman annalists, this happened on 21 April 753 BC. This legend had to be reconciled with a dual tradition, set earlier in time, that had the Trojan refugee Aeneas escape to Italy and found the line of Romans through his son Iulus, the namesake of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. This was accomplished by the Roman poet Virgil in the first century BC. In addition, Strabo mentions an older story, that the city was an Arcadian colony founded by Evander. Strabo also writes that Lucius Coelius Antipater believed that Rome was founded by Greeks.

Monarchy and republic

After the foundation by Romulus according to a legend, Rome was ruled for a period of 244 years by a monarchical system, initially with sovereigns of Latin and Sabine origin, later by Etruscan kings. The tradition handed down seven kings: RomulusNuma PompiliusTullus HostiliusAncus MarciusTarquinius PriscusServius Tullius and Lucius Tarquinius Superbus.

In 509 BC, the Romans expelled the last king from their city and established an oligarchic republic. Rome then began a period characterised by internal struggles between patricians (aristocrats) and plebeians (small landowners), and by constant warfare against the populations of central Italy: Etruscans, Latins, VolsciAequi, and Marsi. After becoming master of Latium, Rome led several wars (against the GaulsOsci-Samnites and the Greek colony of Taranto, allied with Pyrrhus, king of Epirus) whose result was the conquest of the Italian peninsula, from the central area up to Magna Graecia.

The third and second century BC saw the establishment of Roman hegemony over the Mediterranean and the Balkans, through the three Punic Wars (264–146 BC) fought against the city of Carthage and the three Macedonian Wars (212–168 BC) against Macedonia. The first Roman provinces were established at this time: SicilySardinia and CorsicaHispaniaMacedoniaAchaea and Africa.

From the beginning of the 2nd century BC, power was contested between two groups of aristocrats: the optimates, representing the conservative part of the Senate, and the populares, which relied on the help of the plebs (urban lower class) to gain power. In the same period, the bankruptcy of the small farmers and the establishment of large slave estates caused large-scale migration to the city. The continuous warfare led to the establishment of a professional army, which turned out to be more loyal to its generals than to the republic. Because of this, in the second half of the second century and during the first century BC there were conflicts both abroad and internally: after the failed attempt of social reform of the populares Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, and the war against Jugurtha, there was a civil war from which the general Sulla emerged victorious. A major slave revolt under Spartacus followed, and then the establishment of the first Triumvirate with CaesarPompey and Crassus.

The conquest of Gaul made Caesar immensely powerful and popular, which led to a second civil war against the Senate and Pompey. After his victory, Caesar established himself as dictator for life. His assassination led to a second Triumvirate among Octavian (Caesar's grandnephew and heir), Mark Antony and Lepidus, and to another civil war between Octavian and Antony.

Empire

In 27 BC, Octavian became princeps civitatis and took the title of Augustus, founding the principate, a diarchy between the princeps and the senate. During the reign of Nero, two thirds of the city was ruined after the Great Fire of Rome, and the persecution of Christians commenced. Rome was established as a de facto empire, which reached its greatest expansion in the second century under the Emperor Trajan. Rome was confirmed as caput Mundi, i.e. the capital of the known world, an expression which had already been used in the Republican period. During its first two centuries, the empire was ruled by emperors of the Julio-ClaudianFlavian (who also built an eponymous amphitheatre, known as the Colosseum), and Antonine dynasties. This time was also characterised by the spread of the Christian religion, preached by Jesus Christ in Judea in the first half of the first century (under Tiberius) and popularised by his apostles through the empire and beyond. The Antonine age is considered the zenith of the Empire, whose territory ranged from the Atlantic Ocean to the Euphrates and from Britain to Egypt.

After the end of the Severan Dynasty in 235, the Empire entered into a 50-year period known as the Crisis of the Third Century during which there were numerous putsches by generals, who sought to secure the region of the empire they were entrusted with due to the weakness of central authority in Rome. There was the so-called Gallic Empire from 260 to 274 and the revolts of Zenobia and her father from the mid-260s which sought to fend off Persian incursions. Some regions – Britain, Spain, and North Africa – were hardly affected. Instability caused economic deterioration, and there was a rapid rise in inflation as the government debased the currency in order to meet expenses. The Germanic tribes along the Rhine and north of the Balkans made serious, uncoordinated incursions from the 250s–280s that were more like giant raiding parties rather than attempts to settle. The Persian Empire invaded from the east several times during the 230s to 260s but were eventually defeated. Emperor Diocletian (284) undertook the restoration of the State. He ended the Principate and introduced the Tetrarchy which sought to increase state power. The most marked feature was the unprecedented intervention of the State down to the city level: whereas the State had submitted a tax demand to a city and allowed it to allocate the charges, from his reign the State did this down to the village level. In a vain attempt to control inflation, he imposed price controls which did not last. He or Constantine regionalised the administration of the empire which fundamentally changed the way it was governed by creating regional dioceses (the consensus seems to have shifted from 297 to 313/14 as the date of creation due to the argument of Constantin Zuckerman in 2002 "Sur la liste de Verone et la province de grande armenie, Melanges Gilber Dagron). The existence of regional fiscal units from 286 served as the model for this unprecedented innovation. The emperor quickened the process of removing military command from governors. Henceforth, civilian administration and military command would be separate. He gave governors more fiscal duties and placed them in charge of the army logistical support system as an attempt to control it by removing the support system from its control. Diocletian ruled the eastern half, residing in Nicomedia. In 296, he elevated Maximian to Augustus of the western half, where he ruled mostly from Mediolanum when not on the move. In 292, he created two 'junior' emperors, the Caesars, one for each Augustus, Constantius for Britain, Gaul, and Spain whose seat of power was in Trier and Galerius in Sirmium in the Balkans. The appointment of a Caesar was not unknown: Diocletian tried to turn into a system of non-dynastic succession. Upon abdication in 305, the Caesars succeeded and they, in turn, appointed two colleagues for themselves.

After the abdication of Diocletian and Maximian in 305 and a series of civil wars between rival claimants to imperial power, during the years 306–313, the Tetrarchy was abandoned. Constantine the Great undertook a major reform of the bureaucracy, not by changing the structure but by rationalising the competencies of the several ministries during the years 325–330, after he defeated Licinius, emperor in the East, at the end of 324. The so-called Edict of Milan of 313, actually a fragment of a letter from Licinius to the governors of the eastern provinces, granted freedom of worship to everyone, including Christians, and ordered the restoration of confiscated church properties upon petition to the newly created vicars of dioceses. He funded the building of several churches and allowed clergy to act as arbitrators in civil suits (a measure that did not outlast him but which was restored in part much later). He transformed the town of Byzantium into his new residence, which, however, was not officially anything more than an imperial residence like Milan or Trier or Nicomedia until given a city prefect in May 359 by Constantius IIConstantinople.

Christianity in the form of the Nicene Creed became the official religion of the empire in 380, via the Edict of Thessalonica issued in the name of three emperors – Gratian, Valentinian II, and Theodosius I – with Theodosius clearly the driving force behind it. He was the last emperor of a unified empire: after his death in 395, his sons, Arcadius and Honorius divided the empire into a western and an eastern part. The seat of government in the Western Roman Empire was transferred to Ravenna in 408, but from 450 the emperors mostly resided in the capital city, Rome.

Rome, which had lost its central role in the administration of the empire, was sacked in 410 by the Visigoths led by Alaric I, but very little physical damage was done, most of which was repaired. What could not be so easily replaced were portable items such as artwork in precious metals and items for domestic use (loot). The popes embellished the city with large basilicas, such as Santa Maria Maggiore (with the collaboration of the emperors). The population of the city had fallen from 800,000 to 450–500,000 by the time the city was sacked in 455 by Genseric, king of the Vandals. The weak emperors of the fifth century could not stop the decay, leading to the deposition of Romulus Augustus on 22 August 476, which marked the end of the Western Roman Empire and, for many historians, the beginning of the Middle Ages.

The decline of the city's population was caused by the loss of grain shipments from North Africa, from 440 onward, and the unwillingness of the senatorial class to maintain donations to support a population that was too large for the resources available. Even so, strenuous efforts were made to maintain the monumental centre, the palatine, and the largest baths, which continued to function until the Gothic siege of 537. The large baths of Constantine on the Quirinale were even repaired in 443, and the extent of the damage exaggerated and dramatised.

However, the city gave an appearance overall of shabbiness and decay because of the large abandoned areas due to population decline. The population declined to 500,000 by 452 and 100,000 by 500 AD (perhaps larger, though no certain figure can be known). After the Gothic siege of 537, the population dropped to 30,000 but had risen to 90,000 by the papacy of Gregory the Great. The population decline coincided with the general collapse of urban life in the West in the fifth and sixth centuries, with few exceptions. Subsidized state grain distributions to the poorer members of society continued right through the sixth century and probably prevented the population from falling further. The figure of 450,000–500,000 is based on the amount of pork, 3,629,000 lbs. distributed to poorer Romans during five winter months at the rate of five Roman lbs per person per month, enough for 145,000 persons or 1/4 or 1/3 of the total population. Grain distribution to 80,000 ticket holders at the same time suggests 400,000 (Augustus set the number at 200,000 or one-fifth of the population).

Middle Ages

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD, Rome was first under the control of Odoacer and then became part of the Ostrogothic Kingdom before returning to East Roman control after the Gothic War, which devastated the city in 546 and 550. Its population declined from more than a million in 210 AD to 500,000 in 273 to 35,000 after the Gothic War (535–554), reducing the sprawling city to groups of inhabited buildings interspersed among large areas of ruins, vegetation, vineyards and market gardens. It is generally thought the population of the city until 300 AD was 1 million (estimates range from 2 million to 750,000) declining to 750–800,000 in 400 AD, 450–500,000 in 450 AD and down to 80–100,000 in 500 AD (though it may have been twice this).

The Bishop of Rome, called the Pope, was important since the early days of Christianity because of the martyrdom of both the apostles Peter and Paul there. The Bishops of Rome were also seen (and still are seen by Catholics) as the successors of Peter, who is considered the first Bishop of Rome. The city thus became of increasing importance as the centre of the Catholic Church.

After the Lombard invasion of Italy (569–572), the city remained nominally Byzantine, but in reality, the popes pursued a policy of equilibrium between the Byzantines, the Franks, and the Lombards. In 729, the Lombard king Liutprand donated the north Latium town of Sutri to the Church, starting its temporal power. In 756, Pepin the Short, after having defeated the Lombards, gave the Pope temporal jurisdiction over the Roman Duchy and the Exarchate of Ravenna, thus creating the Papal States. Since this period, three powers tried to rule the city: the pope, the nobility (together with the chiefs of militias, the judges, the Senate and the populace), and the Frankish king, as king of the Lombards, patricius, and Emperor. These three parties (theocratic, republican, and imperial) were a characteristic of Roman life during the entire Middle Ages. On Christmas night of 800, Charlemagne was crowned in Rome as emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Leo III: on that occasion, the city hosted for the first time the two powers whose struggle for control was to be a constant of the Middle Ages.

In 846, Muslim Arabs unsuccessfully stormed the city's walls, but managed to loot St. Peter's and St. Paul's basilica, both outside the city wall. After the decay of Carolingian power, Rome fell prey to feudal chaos: several noble families fought against the pope, the emperor, and each other. These were the times of Theodora and her daughter Marozia, concubines and mothers of several popes, and of Crescentius, a powerful feudal lord, who fought against the Emperors Otto II and Otto III. The scandals of this period forced the papacy to reform itself: the election of the pope was reserved to the cardinals, and reform of the clergy was attempted. The driving force behind this renewal was the monk Ildebrando da Soana, who once elected pope under the name of Gregory VII became involved into the Investiture Controversy against Emperor Henry IV. Subsequently, Rome was sacked and burned by the Normans under Robert Guiscard who had entered the city in support of the Pope, then besieged in Castel Sant'Angelo.

During this period, the city was autonomously ruled by a senatore or patrizio. In the 12th century, this administration, like other European cities, evolved into the commune, a new form of social organisation controlled by the new wealthy classes. Pope Lucius II fought against the Roman commune, and the struggle was continued by his successor Pope Eugenius III: by this stage, the commune, allied with the aristocracy, was supported by Arnaldo da Brescia, a monk who was a religious and social reformer. After the pope's death, Arnaldo was taken prisoner by Adrianus IV, which marked the end of the commune's autonomy. Under Pope Innocent III, whose reign marked the apogee of the papacy, the commune liquidated the senate, and replaced it with a Senatore, who was subject to the pope.

In this period, the papacy played a role of secular importance in Western Europe, often acting as arbitrators between Christian monarchs and exercising additional political powers.

In 1266, Charles of Anjou, who was heading south to fight the Hohenstaufen on behalf of the pope, was appointed Senator. Charles founded the Sapienza, the university of Rome. In that period the pope died, and the cardinals, summoned in Viterbo, could not agree on his successor. This angered the people of the city, who then unroofed the building where they met and imprisoned them until they had nominated the new pope; this marked the birth of the conclave. In this period the city was also shattered by continuous fights between the aristocratic families: AnnibaldiCaetaniColonnaOrsiniConti, nested in their fortresses built above ancient Roman edifices, fought each other to control the papacy.

Pope Boniface VIII, born Caetani, was the last pope to fight for the church's universal domain; he proclaimed a crusade against the Colonna family and, in 1300, called for the first Jubilee of Christianity, which brought millions of pilgrims to Rome. However, his hopes were crushed by the French king Philip the Fair, who took him prisoner and killed him in Anagni. Afterwards, a new pope faithful to the French was elected, and the papacy was briefly relocated to Avignon (1309–1377). During this period Rome was neglected, until a plebeian man, Cola di Rienzo, came to power. An idealist and a lover of ancient Rome, Cola dreamed about a rebirth of the Roman Empire: after assuming power with the title of Tribuno, his reforms were rejected by the populace. Forced to flee, Cola returned as part of the entourage of Cardinal Albornoz, who was charged with restoring the Church's power in Italy. Back in power for a short time, Cola was soon lynched by the populace, and Albornoz took possession of the city. In 1377, Rome became the seat of the papacy again under Gregory XI. The return of the pope to Rome in that year unleashed the Western Schism (1377–1418), and for the next forty years, the city was affected by the divisions which rocked the Church.

Early modern history

In 1418, the Council of Constance settled the Western Schism, and a Roman pope, Martin V, was elected. This brought to Rome a century of internal peace, which marked the beginning of the Renaissance.The ruling popes until the first half of the 16th century, from Nicholas V, founder of the Vatican Library, to Pius II, humanist and literate, from Sixtus IV, a warrior pope, to Alexander VI, immoral and nepotist, from Julius II, soldier and patron, to Leo X, who gave his name to this period ("the century of Leo X"), all devoted their energy to the greatness and the beauty of the Eternal City and to the patronage of the arts.

During those years, the centre of the Italian Renaissance moved to Rome from Florence. Majestic works, as the new Saint Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and Ponte Sisto (the first bridge to be built across the Tiber since antiquity, although on Roman foundations) were created. To accomplish that, the Popes engaged the best artists of the time, including MichelangeloPeruginoRaphaelGhirlandaioLuca SignorelliBotticelli, and Cosimo Rosselli.

The period was also infamous for papal corruption, with many Popes fathering children, and engaging in nepotism and simony. The corruption of the Popes and the huge expenses for their building projects led, in part, to the Reformation and, in turn, the Counter-Reformation. Under extravagant and rich popes, Rome was transformed into a centre of art, poetry, music, literature, education and culture. Rome became able to compete with other major European cities of the time in terms of wealth, grandeur, the arts, learning and architecture.

The Renaissance period changed the face of Rome dramatically, with works like the Pietà by Michelangelo and the frescoes of the Borgia Apartments. Rome reached the highest point of splendour under Pope Julius II (1503–1513) and his successors Leo X and Clement VII, both members of the Medici family.

In this twenty-year period, Rome became one of the greatest centres of art in the world. The old St. Peter's Basilica built by Emperor Constantine the Great (which by then was in a dilapidated state) was demolished and a new one begun. The city hosted artists like GhirlandaioPeruginoBotticelli and Bramante, who built the temple of San Pietro in Montorio and planned a great project to renovate the Vatican. Raphael, who in Rome became one of the most famous painters of Italy, created frescoes in the Villa Farnesina, the Raphael's Rooms, plus many other famous paintings. Michelangelo started the decoration of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and executed the famous statue of the Moses for the tomb of Julius II.

Its economy was rich, with the presence of several Tuscan bankers, including Agostino Chigi, who was a friend of Raphael and a patron of arts. Before his early death, Raphael also promoted for the first time the preservation of the ancient ruins. The War of the League of Cognac caused the first plunder of the city in more than five hundred years since the previous sack; in 1527, the Landsknechts of Emperor Charles V sacked the city, bringing an abrupt end to the golden age of the Renaissance in Rome.

Beginning with the Council of Trent in 1545, the Church began the Counter-Reformation in response to the Reformation, a large-scale questioning of the Church's authority on spiritual matters and governmental affairs. This loss of confidence led to major shifts of power away from the Church. Under the popes from Pius IV to Sixtus V, Rome became the centre of a reformed Catholicism and saw the building of new monuments which celebrated the papacy. The popes and cardinals of the 17th and early 18th centuries continued the movement by having the city's landscape enriched with baroque buildings.

This was another nepotistic age; the new aristocratic families (BarberiniPamphiliChigiRospigliosiAltieriOdescalchi) were protected by their respective popes, who built huge baroque buildings for their relatives. During the Age of Enlightenment, new ideas reached the Eternal City, where the papacy supported archaeological studies and improved the people's welfare. But not everything went well for the Church during the Counter-Reformation. There were setbacks in the attempts to assert the Church's power, a notable example being in 1773 when Pope Clement XIV was forced by secular powers to have the Jesuit order suppressed.

Late modern and contemporary

The rule of the Popes was interrupted by the short-lived Roman Republic (1798–1800), which was established under the influence of the French Revolution. The Papal States were restored in June 1800, but during Napoleon's reign Rome was annexed as a Département of the French Empire: first as Département du Tibre (1808–1810) and then as Département Rome (1810–1814). After the fall of Napoleon, the Papal States were reconstituted by a decision of the Congress of Vienna of 1814.

In 1849, a second Roman Republic was proclaimed during a year of revolutions in 1848. Two of the most influential figures of the Italian unificationGiuseppe Mazzini and Giuseppe Garibaldi, fought for the short-lived republic.

Rome then became the focus of hopes of Italian reunification after the rest of Italy was united as the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 with the temporary capital in Florence. That year Rome was declared the capital of Italy even though it was still under the Pope's control. During the 1860s, the last vestiges of the Papal States were under French protection thanks to the foreign policy of Napoleon III. French troops were stationed in the region under Papal control. In 1870 the French troops were withdrawn due to the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War. Italian troops were able to capture Rome entering the city through a breach near Porta PiaPope Pius IX declared himself a prisoner in the Vatican. In 1871 the capital of Italy was moved from Florence to Rome. In 1870 the population of the city was 212,000, all of whom lived with the area circumscribed by the ancient city, and in 1920, the population was 660,000. A significant portion lived outside the walls in the north and across the Tiber in the Vatican area.

Soon after World War I in late 1922 Rome witnessed the rise of Italian Fascism led by Benito Mussolini, who led a march on the city. He did away with democracy by 1926, eventually declaring a new Italian Empire and allying Italy with Nazi Germany in 1938. Mussolini demolished fairly large parts of the city centre in order to build wide avenues and squares which were supposed to celebrate the fascist regime and the resurgence and glorification of classical Rome. The interwar period saw a rapid growth in the city's population which surpassed one million inhabitants soon after 1930. During World War II, due to the art treasuries and the presence of the Vatican, Rome largely escaped the tragic destiny of other European cities. However, on 19 July 1943, the San Lorenzo district was subject to Allied bombing raids, resulting in about 3,000 fatalities and 11,000 injuries, of whom another 1,500 died. Mussolini was arrested on 25 July 1943. On the date of the Italian Armistice 8 September 1943 the city was occupied by the Germans. The Pope declared Rome an open city. It was liberated on 4 June 1944.

Rome developed greatly after the war as part of the "Italian economic miracle" of post-war reconstruction and modernisation in the 1950s and early 1960s. During this period, the years of la dolce vita ("the sweet life"), Rome became a fashionable city, with popular classic films such as Ben HurQuo VadisRoman Holiday and La Dolce Vita filmed in the city's iconic Cinecittà Studios. The rising trend in population growth continued until the mid-1980s when the comune had more than 2.8 million residents. After this, the population declined slowly as people began to move to nearby suburbs.

Geography

Rome is in the Lazio region of central Italy on the Tiber (ItalianTevere) river. The original settlement developed on hills that faced onto a ford beside the Tiber Island, the only natural ford of the river in this area. The Rome of the Kings was built on seven hills: the Aventine Hill, the Caelian Hill, the Capitoline Hill, the Esquiline Hill, the Palatine Hill, the Quirinal Hill, and the Viminal Hill. Modern Rome is also crossed by another river, the Aniene, which flows into the Tiber north of the historic centre.

Although the city centre is about 24 km (15 mi) inland from the Tyrrhenian Sea, the city territory extends to the shore, where the south-western district of Ostia is located. The altitude of the central part of Rome ranges from 13 m (43 ft) above sea level (at the base of the Pantheon) to 139 m (456 ft) above sea level (the peak of Monte Mario). The Comune of Rome covers an overall area of about 1,285 km2 (496 sq mi), including many green areas.

Parks and gardens

Public parks and nature reserves cover a large area in Rome, and the city has one of the largest areas of green space among European capitals. The most notable part of this green space is represented by the large number of villas and landscaped gardens created by the Italian aristocracy. While most of the parks surrounding the villas were destroyed during the building boom of the late 19th century, some of them remain. The most notable of these are the Villa BorgheseVilla Ada, and Villa Doria Pamphili. Villa Doria Pamphili is west of the Gianicolo hill, comprising some 1.8 km2 (0.7 sq mi). The Villa Sciarra is on the hill, with playgrounds for children and shaded walking areas. In the nearby area of Trastevere, the Orto Botanico (Botanical Garden) is a cool and shady green space. The old Roman hippodrome (Circus Maximus) is another large green space: it has few trees but is overlooked by the Palatine and the Rose Garden ('roseto comunale'). Nearby is the lush Villa Celimontana, close to the gardens surrounding the Baths of Caracalla. The Villa Borghese garden is the best known large green space in Rome, with famous art galleries among its shaded walks. Overlooking Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps are the gardens of Pincio and Villa Medici. There is also a notable pine wood at Castelfusano, near Ostia. Rome also has a number of regional parks of much more recent origin, including the Pineto Regional Park and the Appian Way Regional Park. There are also nature reserves at Marcigliana and at Tenuta di Castelporziano.

Climate

Rome has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classificationCsa), with hot, dry summers and mild, humid winters.

Its average annual temperature is above 21 °C (70 °F) during the day and 9 °C (48 °F) at night. In the coldest month, January, the average temperature is 12.6 °C (54.7 °F) during the day and 2.1 °C (35.8 °F) at night. In the warmest month, August, the average temperature is 31.7 °C (89.1 °F) during the day and 17.3 °C (63.1 °F) at night.

December, January and February are the coldest months, with a daily mean temperature of approximately 8 °C (46 °F). Temperatures during these months generally vary between 10 and 15 °C (50 and 59 °F) during the day and between 3 and 5 °C (37 and 41 °F) at night, with colder or warmer spells occurring frequently. Snowfall is rare but not unheard of, with light snow or flurries occurring on some winters, generally without accumulation, and major snowfalls on a very rare occurrence (the most recent ones were in 2018, 2012 and 1986).

The average relative humidity is 75%, varying from 72% in July to 77% in November. Sea temperatures vary from a low of 13.9 °C (57.0 °F) in February to a high of 25.0 °C (77.0 °F) in August.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Rome was 42.9 °C (109.2 °F) on 18 July 2023.

 

About us

With a large terrace on an incomparable panorama that goes from the Pontine Sea to the City’s urban landscape, up to the Castelli Romani enclosures, in the Colli Albani.

Behind Castel Gandolfo lake, the summer residence of the Holy Father, the hotel is located in Marino municipality (RM).

Perfect crossroad for those wishing to go to Rome, combining business with leisure, relax, excursions and sightseeing of all sorts in the extraordinary setting of an ever-present, historical, artistic, food-and-wine, landscaping, etc…

Unique and glamour location, for a dream wedding that seals your unforgettable day, also for the civil ceremony wedding. Perfect venue for any event you want to make extraordinary.

With modern audiovisual equipment, wonderful background for movie sets, exhibitions, fashion shows, congresses, conferences and business events.

The Story

The name “Helio”, from Greek, Helios (sun), is linked to an ancient tradition of the place, where the Romans used to go to see, as a rite, the rising of the sun from Mount Alban. “Cabala” was added in honor of the Dolce Vita’s historic nightclub. When Frank Sinatra, Anita Ekberg and Ava Gardner were animating the Roman nights, where paparazzi were taking pictures of the quarrel between Richard Burton and Liz Taylor, while Sophia Loren bought a nearby villa.

On Italy ’90 Football World Championship, our hotel hosted the Italian national football training camp, led by Azeglio Vicini, who in the current Executive Room had organized the “Tactical Room”, where analyzed and developed schemes and strategies that gave life to the beautiful Schillaci and Vialli goals.

In 2006, the structure became part of the Checchi Group Hotels & Resort and, completely restored, finds the splendor of la Dolce Vita, where the savoir vivre class, blends in with a subtle romance.

Accomodation

In the heart of the Castelli Romani area, an oasis of peace, our hotel offers 45 rooms and 10 suites “Il Borgo”, warm, stylishly furnished and fully equipped. The original interior design of the fine Italian craftsmanship, make each room unique. In a perfect harmony with the surrounding environment, the Hotel service is always careful and discreet, while you are relaxing, dinning or celebrating a special day, in one of the most beautiful and evocative spaces of Marino.

Room Amenities

  • Air Conditioning
  • TV
  • Wi-Fi
  • Phone
  • Minibar
  • Hairdryer
  • Courtesy line
  • Non-smoking rooms
  • Customized Services for Suite

Room Type

  • Single Room
  • Double Room
  • Double Room for Single Use
  • Triple Room
  • Family Room
  • Suite

Room Size

Standard

18 mq

Superior

22 mq

Suite

30mq

Services Included

  • Sweet / salty breakfast
  • Free parking (not guarded)

For special needs, please contact us. We will be delighted to provide the best accommodation to meet your needs.

Events

Elegance and Style on an Unforgettable Day for a Dream Wedding

The elegant ambience of an exclusive location such as our hotel, full of charm and suggestions, water and lights show, will make the most important day of your life, unique and unforgettable!

From the most intimate to lavish or extravagant wedding, every need will be satisfied by the perfect style of several settings up, evoking great emotions, on a journey with our chefs into the taste of the traditional Italian cuisine, in the pursuit of delicacy. Delegated by Marino Municipality, Grand Hotel Helio Cabala offers the official civil ceremony wedding.

Our Director and Staff are dedicated with their experience, expertise and professionalism to make your wedding an astonishing, original and glamour event.

Our Services

  • Honeymoon Suite
  • Wedding Planning
  • Wedding reception
  • Customized Menus
  • Wedding Cake
  • Floreal Decoration
  • Confetti Candies and Favors
  • Photo-Video Shooting
  • Dj Set / Live Music Entertainment
  • Hostess Service
  • Baby Sitting service
  • Parking Facilities

 

Marino

Marino is an Italian city and comune in Lazio (central Italy), on the Alban Hills, Italy, 21 kilometres (13 miles) southeast of Rome, with a population of 37,684 and a territory of 26.10 square kilometres (10.08 sq mi). It is bounded by other communes, Castel GandolfoAlbano LazialeRocca di PapaGrottaferrata, and Ciampino. Marino is famous for its white wine, and for its Grape Festival, which has been celebrated since 1924.

History

The territory of Marino was inhabited by Latin tribes from the 1st millennium BC. The ancient cities of Bovillae (Frattocchie), Mugilla (Santa Maria delle Mole, a frazione of the comune of Marino) and Ferentum (Marino itself) were part of the Latin League. Under the Roman Republic it was a summer resort for  patricians, who built luxurious villas in the area to escape the heat of Rome.

In 846 AD, Bovillae - until then the largest settlement - was destroyed by the Saracens, and the population moved to the more easily defendable area of Ferentum, which was fortified under the new name of Marinum. From 1090 it was a dominium of the Counts of Tusculum, and later a fief of the Frangipane and, beginning in 1266, the Orsini. In 1272, San Bonaventura founded the first confraternity of Italy there.

In 1347 it was besieged in vain by Cola di Rienzo. Fifty years later, it was the site of the battle between Alberico da Barbiano and the French troops supporting Antipope Clement VII. In 1419 it was bought by the Colonna, who maintained it until 1914.

Marino hosted famous historical figures, from Charles VIII of France to Alfonso II d'Este and many others. Vittoria Colonna was born in Marino in 1492 and lived there for part of her life. In 1571, Marino's people welcomed Marcantonio Colonna, a protagonist of the Battle of Lepanto, with a triumph, remembered yearly by a festival.

It was visited by the Anglo-Irish aristocrat James Caulfeild, 4th Viscount Charlemont on his mid-18th century Grand Tour; he later named his estate of Marino, Dublin after it, and built the Casino at Marino for his home.

It became part of Italy in 1870.

On 14 March 1880 the railway Rome-Ciampino-Marino was opened for service. On 1 April 1906 an electric tram line replaced the former. In 1954 the electric tram line was replaced by buses.

On 2 February 1944, during World War II, Marino was heavily bombed by USAAF B-25 aircraft from the US XII Air Force.

In 1974, Ciampino became a separate comune.

In the Due Santi district, there is the Roman campus of the University of Dallas, which opened in 1994 and is used by its students for year-round academic programs.

Rome

Rome is the capital city of Italy. It is also the capital of the Lazio region, the centre of the Metropolitan City of Rome, and a special comune named Comune di Roma Capitale. With 2,860,009 residents in 1,285 km2 (496.1 sq mi), Rome is the country's most populated comune and the third most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. The Metropolitan City of Rome, with a population of 4,355,725 residents, is the most populous metropolitan city in Italy. Its metropolitan area is the third-most populous within Italy. Rome is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, within Lazio (Latium), along the shores of the TiberVatican City (the smallest country in the world) is an independent country inside the city boundaries of Rome, the only existing example of a country within a city. Rome is often referred to as the City of Seven Hills due to its geographic location, and also as the "Eternal City". Rome is generally considered to be the "cradle of Western civilization and Christian culture", and the centre of the Catholic Church.

Rome's history spans 28 centuries. While Roman mythology dates the founding of Rome at around 753 BC, the site has been inhabited for much longer, making it a major human settlement for almost three millennia and one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in Europe. The city's early population originated from a mix of LatinsEtruscans, and Sabines. Eventually, the city successively became the capital of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, and is regarded by many as the first-ever Imperial city and metropolis. It was first called The Eternal City (LatinUrbs AeternaItalianLa Città Eterna) by the Roman poet Tibullus in the 1st century BC, and the expression was also taken up by OvidVirgil, and Livy. Rome is also called "Caput Mundi" (Capital of the World).

After the fall of the Empire in the west, which marked the beginning of the Middle Ages, Rome slowly fell under the political control of the Papacy, and in the 8th century, it became the capital of the Papal States, which lasted until 1870. Beginning with the Renaissance, almost all popes since Nicholas V (1447–1455) pursued a coherent architectural and urban programme over four hundred years, aimed at making the city the artistic and cultural centre of the world. In this way, Rome first became one of the major centres of the Renaissance and then became the birthplace of both the Baroque style and Neoclassicism. Famous artists, painters, sculptors, and architects made Rome the centre of their activity, creating masterpieces throughout the city. In 1871, Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, which, in 1946, became the Italian Republic.

In 2019, Rome was the 14th most visited city in the world, with 8.6 million tourists, the third most visited city in the European Union, and the most popular tourist destination in Italy. Its historic centre is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The host city for the 1960 Summer Olympics, Rome is also the seat of several specialised agencies of the United Nations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The city also hosts the Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) as well as the headquarters of many international businesses, such as EniEnelTIMLeonardo, and banks such as BNL. Numerous companies are based within Rome's EUR business district, such as the luxury fashion house Fendi located in the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana. The presence of renowned international brands in the city has made Rome an important centre of fashion and design, and the Cinecittà Studios have been the set of many Academy Award–winning movies.

Etymology

According to the Ancient Romans' founding myth, the name Roma came from the city's founder and first kingRomulus.

However, it is possible that the name Romulus was actually derived from Rome itself. As early as the 4th century, there have been alternative theories proposed on the origin of the name Roma. Several hypotheses have been advanced focusing on its linguistic roots which however remain uncertain:

  • From Rumon or Rumen, archaic name of the Tiber, which in turn is supposedly related to the Greek verb ῥέω (rhéō) 'to flow, stream' and the Latin verb ruō 'to hurry, rush';
  • From the Etruscan word 𐌓𐌖𐌌𐌀 (ruma), whose root is *rum- "teat", with possible reference either to the totem wolf that adopted and suckled the cognately named twins Romulus and Remus, or to the shape of the Palatine and Aventine Hills;
  • From the Greek word ῥώμη (rhmē), which means strength.

Earliest history

While there have been discoveries of archaeological evidence of human occupation of the Rome area from approximately 14,000 years ago, the dense layer of much younger debris obscures Palaeolithic and Neolithic sites. Evidence of stone tools, pottery, and stone weapons attest to about 10,000 years of human presence. Several excavations support the view that Rome grew from pastoral settlements on the Palatine Hill built above the area of the future Roman Forum. Between the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age, each hill between the sea and the Capitoline Hill was topped by a village (on the Capitoline, a village is attested since the end of the 14th century BC). However, none of them yet had an urban quality. Nowadays, there is a wide consensus that the city developed gradually through the aggregation ("synoecism") of several villages around the largest one, placed above the Palatine. This aggregation was facilitated by the increase of agricultural productivity above the subsistence level, which also allowed the establishment of secondary and tertiary activities. These, in turn, boosted the development of trade with the Greek colonies of southern Italy (mainly Ischia and Cumae). These developments, which according to archaeological evidence took place during the mid-eighth century BC, can be considered as the "birth" of the city. Despite recent excavations at the Palatine hill, the view that Rome was founded deliberately in the middle of the eighth century BC, as the legend of Romulus suggests, remains a fringe hypothesis.

Legend of the founding of Rome

Traditional stories handed down by the ancient Romans themselves explain the earliest history of their city in terms of legend and myth. The most familiar of these myths, and perhaps the most famous of all Roman myths, is the story of Romulus and Remus, the twins who were suckled by a she-wolf. They decided to build a city, but after an argument, Romulus killed his brother and the city took his name. According to the Roman annalists, this happened on 21 April 753 BC. This legend had to be reconciled with a dual tradition, set earlier in time, that had the Trojan refugee Aeneas escape to Italy and found the line of Romans through his son Iulus, the namesake of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. This was accomplished by the Roman poet Virgil in the first century BC. In addition, Strabo mentions an older story, that the city was an Arcadian colony founded by Evander. Strabo also writes that Lucius Coelius Antipater believed that Rome was founded by Greeks.

Monarchy and republic

After the foundation by Romulus according to a legend, Rome was ruled for a period of 244 years by a monarchical system, initially with sovereigns of Latin and Sabine origin, later by Etruscan kings. The tradition handed down seven kings: RomulusNuma PompiliusTullus HostiliusAncus MarciusTarquinius PriscusServius Tullius and Lucius Tarquinius Superbus.

In 509 BC, the Romans expelled the last king from their city and established an oligarchic republic. Rome then began a period characterised by internal struggles between patricians (aristocrats) and plebeians (small landowners), and by constant warfare against the populations of central Italy: Etruscans, Latins, VolsciAequi, and Marsi. After becoming master of Latium, Rome led several wars (against the GaulsOsci-Samnites and the Greek colony of Taranto, allied with Pyrrhus, king of Epirus) whose result was the conquest of the Italian peninsula, from the central area up to Magna Graecia.

The third and second century BC saw the establishment of Roman hegemony over the Mediterranean and the Balkans, through the three Punic Wars (264–146 BC) fought against the city of Carthage and the three Macedonian Wars (212–168 BC) against Macedonia. The first Roman provinces were established at this time: SicilySardinia and CorsicaHispaniaMacedoniaAchaea and Africa.

From the beginning of the 2nd century BC, power was contested between two groups of aristocrats: the optimates, representing the conservative part of the Senate, and the populares, which relied on the help of the plebs (urban lower class) to gain power. In the same period, the bankruptcy of the small farmers and the establishment of large slave estates caused large-scale migration to the city. The continuous warfare led to the establishment of a professional army, which turned out to be more loyal to its generals than to the republic. Because of this, in the second half of the second century and during the first century BC there were conflicts both abroad and internally: after the failed attempt of social reform of the populares Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, and the war against Jugurtha, there was a civil war from which the general Sulla emerged victorious. A major slave revolt under Spartacus followed, and then the establishment of the first Triumvirate with CaesarPompey and Crassus.

The conquest of Gaul made Caesar immensely powerful and popular, which led to a second civil war against the Senate and Pompey. After his victory, Caesar established himself as dictator for life. His assassination led to a second Triumvirate among Octavian (Caesar's grandnephew and heir), Mark Antony and Lepidus, and to another civil war between Octavian and Antony.

Empire

In 27 BC, Octavian became princeps civitatis and took the title of Augustus, founding the principate, a diarchy between the princeps and the senate. During the reign of Nero, two thirds of the city was ruined after the Great Fire of Rome, and the persecution of Christians commenced. Rome was established as a de facto empire, which reached its greatest expansion in the second century under the Emperor Trajan. Rome was confirmed as caput Mundi, i.e. the capital of the known world, an expression which had already been used in the Republican period. During its first two centuries, the empire was ruled by emperors of the Julio-ClaudianFlavian (who also built an eponymous amphitheatre, known as the Colosseum), and Antonine dynasties. This time was also characterised by the spread of the Christian religion, preached by Jesus Christ in Judea in the first half of the first century (under Tiberius) and popularised by his apostles through the empire and beyond. The Antonine age is considered the zenith of the Empire, whose territory ranged from the Atlantic Ocean to the Euphrates and from Britain to Egypt.

After the end of the Severan Dynasty in 235, the Empire entered into a 50-year period known as the Crisis of the Third Century during which there were numerous putsches by generals, who sought to secure the region of the empire they were entrusted with due to the weakness of central authority in Rome. There was the so-called Gallic Empire from 260 to 274 and the revolts of Zenobia and her father from the mid-260s which sought to fend off Persian incursions. Some regions – Britain, Spain, and North Africa – were hardly affected. Instability caused economic deterioration, and there was a rapid rise in inflation as the government debased the currency in order to meet expenses. The Germanic tribes along the Rhine and north of the Balkans made serious, uncoordinated incursions from the 250s–280s that were more like giant raiding parties rather than attempts to settle. The Persian Empire invaded from the east several times during the 230s to 260s but were eventually defeated. Emperor Diocletian (284) undertook the restoration of the State. He ended the Principate and introduced the Tetrarchy which sought to increase state power. The most marked feature was the unprecedented intervention of the State down to the city level: whereas the State had submitted a tax demand to a city and allowed it to allocate the charges, from his reign the State did this down to the village level. In a vain attempt to control inflation, he imposed price controls which did not last. He or Constantine regionalised the administration of the empire which fundamentally changed the way it was governed by creating regional dioceses (the consensus seems to have shifted from 297 to 313/14 as the date of creation due to the argument of Constantin Zuckerman in 2002 "Sur la liste de Verone et la province de grande armenie, Melanges Gilber Dagron). The existence of regional fiscal units from 286 served as the model for this unprecedented innovation. The emperor quickened the process of removing military command from governors. Henceforth, civilian administration and military command would be separate. He gave governors more fiscal duties and placed them in charge of the army logistical support system as an attempt to control it by removing the support system from its control. Diocletian ruled the eastern half, residing in Nicomedia. In 296, he elevated Maximian to Augustus of the western half, where he ruled mostly from Mediolanum when not on the move. In 292, he created two 'junior' emperors, the Caesars, one for each Augustus, Constantius for Britain, Gaul, and Spain whose seat of power was in Trier and Galerius in Sirmium in the Balkans. The appointment of a Caesar was not unknown: Diocletian tried to turn into a system of non-dynastic succession. Upon abdication in 305, the Caesars succeeded and they, in turn, appointed two colleagues for themselves.

After the abdication of Diocletian and Maximian in 305 and a series of civil wars between rival claimants to imperial power, during the years 306–313, the Tetrarchy was abandoned. Constantine the Great undertook a major reform of the bureaucracy, not by changing the structure but by rationalising the competencies of the several ministries during the years 325–330, after he defeated Licinius, emperor in the East, at the end of 324. The so-called Edict of Milan of 313, actually a fragment of a letter from Licinius to the governors of the eastern provinces, granted freedom of worship to everyone, including Christians, and ordered the restoration of confiscated church properties upon petition to the newly created vicars of dioceses. He funded the building of several churches and allowed clergy to act as arbitrators in civil suits (a measure that did not outlast him but which was restored in part much later). He transformed the town of Byzantium into his new residence, which, however, was not officially anything more than an imperial residence like Milan or Trier or Nicomedia until given a city prefect in May 359 by Constantius IIConstantinople.

Christianity in the form of the Nicene Creed became the official religion of the empire in 380, via the Edict of Thessalonica issued in the name of three emperors – Gratian, Valentinian II, and Theodosius I – with Theodosius clearly the driving force behind it. He was the last emperor of a unified empire: after his death in 395, his sons, Arcadius and Honorius divided the empire into a western and an eastern part. The seat of government in the Western Roman Empire was transferred to Ravenna in 408, but from 450 the emperors mostly resided in the capital city, Rome.

Rome, which had lost its central role in the administration of the empire, was sacked in 410 by the Visigoths led by Alaric I, but very little physical damage was done, most of which was repaired. What could not be so easily replaced were portable items such as artwork in precious metals and items for domestic use (loot). The popes embellished the city with large basilicas, such as Santa Maria Maggiore (with the collaboration of the emperors). The population of the city had fallen from 800,000 to 450–500,000 by the time the city was sacked in 455 by Genseric, king of the Vandals. The weak emperors of the fifth century could not stop the decay, leading to the deposition of Romulus Augustus on 22 August 476, which marked the end of the Western Roman Empire and, for many historians, the beginning of the Middle Ages.

The decline of the city's population was caused by the loss of grain shipments from North Africa, from 440 onward, and the unwillingness of the senatorial class to maintain donations to support a population that was too large for the resources available. Even so, strenuous efforts were made to maintain the monumental centre, the palatine, and the largest baths, which continued to function until the Gothic siege of 537. The large baths of Constantine on the Quirinale were even repaired in 443, and the extent of the damage exaggerated and dramatised.

However, the city gave an appearance overall of shabbiness and decay because of the large abandoned areas due to population decline. The population declined to 500,000 by 452 and 100,000 by 500 AD (perhaps larger, though no certain figure can be known). After the Gothic siege of 537, the population dropped to 30,000 but had risen to 90,000 by the papacy of Gregory the Great. The population decline coincided with the general collapse of urban life in the West in the fifth and sixth centuries, with few exceptions. Subsidized state grain distributions to the poorer members of society continued right through the sixth century and probably prevented the population from falling further. The figure of 450,000–500,000 is based on the amount of pork, 3,629,000 lbs. distributed to poorer Romans during five winter months at the rate of five Roman lbs per person per month, enough for 145,000 persons or 1/4 or 1/3 of the total population. Grain distribution to 80,000 ticket holders at the same time suggests 400,000 (Augustus set the number at 200,000 or one-fifth of the population).

Middle Ages

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD, Rome was first under the control of Odoacer and then became part of the Ostrogothic Kingdom before returning to East Roman control after the Gothic War, which devastated the city in 546 and 550. Its population declined from more than a million in 210 AD to 500,000 in 273 to 35,000 after the Gothic War (535–554), reducing the sprawling city to groups of inhabited buildings interspersed among large areas of ruins, vegetation, vineyards and market gardens. It is generally thought the population of the city until 300 AD was 1 million (estimates range from 2 million to 750,000) declining to 750–800,000 in 400 AD, 450–500,000 in 450 AD and down to 80–100,000 in 500 AD (though it may have been twice this).

The Bishop of Rome, called the Pope, was important since the early days of Christianity because of the martyrdom of both the apostles Peter and Paul there. The Bishops of Rome were also seen (and still are seen by Catholics) as the successors of Peter, who is considered the first Bishop of Rome. The city thus became of increasing importance as the centre of the Catholic Church.

After the Lombard invasion of Italy (569–572), the city remained nominally Byzantine, but in reality, the popes pursued a policy of equilibrium between the Byzantines, the Franks, and the Lombards. In 729, the Lombard king Liutprand donated the north Latium town of Sutri to the Church, starting its temporal power. In 756, Pepin the Short, after having defeated the Lombards, gave the Pope temporal jurisdiction over the Roman Duchy and the Exarchate of Ravenna, thus creating the Papal States. Since this period, three powers tried to rule the city: the pope, the nobility (together with the chiefs of militias, the judges, the Senate and the populace), and the Frankish king, as king of the Lombards, patricius, and Emperor. These three parties (theocratic, republican, and imperial) were a characteristic of Roman life during the entire Middle Ages. On Christmas night of 800, Charlemagne was crowned in Rome as emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Leo III: on that occasion, the city hosted for the first time the two powers whose struggle for control was to be a constant of the Middle Ages.

In 846, Muslim Arabs unsuccessfully stormed the city's walls, but managed to loot St. Peter's and St. Paul's basilica, both outside the city wall. After the decay of Carolingian power, Rome fell prey to feudal chaos: several noble families fought against the pope, the emperor, and each other. These were the times of Theodora and her daughter Marozia, concubines and mothers of several popes, and of Crescentius, a powerful feudal lord, who fought against the Emperors Otto II and Otto III. The scandals of this period forced the papacy to reform itself: the election of the pope was reserved to the cardinals, and reform of the clergy was attempted. The driving force behind this renewal was the monk Ildebrando da Soana, who once elected pope under the name of Gregory VII became involved into the Investiture Controversy against Emperor Henry IV. Subsequently, Rome was sacked and burned by the Normans under Robert Guiscard who had entered the city in support of the Pope, then besieged in Castel Sant'Angelo.

During this period, the city was autonomously ruled by a senatore or patrizio. In the 12th century, this administration, like other European cities, evolved into the commune, a new form of social organisation controlled by the new wealthy classes. Pope Lucius II fought against the Roman commune, and the struggle was continued by his successor Pope Eugenius III: by this stage, the commune, allied with the aristocracy, was supported by Arnaldo da Brescia, a monk who was a religious and social reformer. After the pope's death, Arnaldo was taken prisoner by Adrianus IV, which marked the end of the commune's autonomy. Under Pope Innocent III, whose reign marked the apogee of the papacy, the commune liquidated the senate, and replaced it with a Senatore, who was subject to the pope.

In this period, the papacy played a role of secular importance in Western Europe, often acting as arbitrators between Christian monarchs and exercising additional political powers.

In 1266, Charles of Anjou, who was heading south to fight the Hohenstaufen on behalf of the pope, was appointed Senator. Charles founded the Sapienza, the university of Rome. In that period the pope died, and the cardinals, summoned in Viterbo, could not agree on his successor. This angered the people of the city, who then unroofed the building where they met and imprisoned them until they had nominated the new pope; this marked the birth of the conclave. In this period the city was also shattered by continuous fights between the aristocratic families: AnnibaldiCaetaniColonnaOrsiniConti, nested in their fortresses built above ancient Roman edifices, fought each other to control the papacy.

Pope Boniface VIII, born Caetani, was the last pope to fight for the church's universal domain; he proclaimed a crusade against the Colonna family and, in 1300, called for the first Jubilee of Christianity, which brought millions of pilgrims to Rome. However, his hopes were crushed by the French king Philip the Fair, who took him prisoner and killed him in Anagni. Afterwards, a new pope faithful to the French was elected, and the papacy was briefly relocated to Avignon (1309–1377). During this period Rome was neglected, until a plebeian man, Cola di Rienzo, came to power. An idealist and a lover of ancient Rome, Cola dreamed about a rebirth of the Roman Empire: after assuming power with the title of Tribuno, his reforms were rejected by the populace. Forced to flee, Cola returned as part of the entourage of Cardinal Albornoz, who was charged with restoring the Church's power in Italy. Back in power for a short time, Cola was soon lynched by the populace, and Albornoz took possession of the city. In 1377, Rome became the seat of the papacy again under Gregory XI. The return of the pope to Rome in that year unleashed the Western Schism (1377–1418), and for the next forty years, the city was affected by the divisions which rocked the Church.

Early modern history

In 1418, the Council of Constance settled the Western Schism, and a Roman pope, Martin V, was elected. This brought to Rome a century of internal peace, which marked the beginning of the Renaissance.The ruling popes until the first half of the 16th century, from Nicholas V, founder of the Vatican Library, to Pius II, humanist and literate, from Sixtus IV, a warrior pope, to Alexander VI, immoral and nepotist, from Julius II, soldier and patron, to Leo X, who gave his name to this period ("the century of Leo X"), all devoted their energy to the greatness and the beauty of the Eternal City and to the patronage of the arts.

During those years, the centre of the Italian Renaissance moved to Rome from Florence. Majestic works, as the new Saint Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and Ponte Sisto (the first bridge to be built across the Tiber since antiquity, although on Roman foundations) were created. To accomplish that, the Popes engaged the best artists of the time, including MichelangeloPeruginoRaphaelGhirlandaioLuca SignorelliBotticelli, and Cosimo Rosselli.

The period was also infamous for papal corruption, with many Popes fathering children, and engaging in nepotism and simony. The corruption of the Popes and the huge expenses for their building projects led, in part, to the Reformation and, in turn, the Counter-Reformation. Under extravagant and rich popes, Rome was transformed into a centre of art, poetry, music, literature, education and culture. Rome became able to compete with other major European cities of the time in terms of wealth, grandeur, the arts, learning and architecture.

The Renaissance period changed the face of Rome dramatically, with works like the Pietà by Michelangelo and the frescoes of the Borgia Apartments. Rome reached the highest point of splendour under Pope Julius II (1503–1513) and his successors Leo X and Clement VII, both members of the Medici family.

In this twenty-year period, Rome became one of the greatest centres of art in the world. The old St. Peter's Basilica built by Emperor Constantine the Great (which by then was in a dilapidated state) was demolished and a new one begun. The city hosted artists like GhirlandaioPeruginoBotticelli and Bramante, who built the temple of San Pietro in Montorio and planned a great project to renovate the Vatican. Raphael, who in Rome became one of the most famous painters of Italy, created frescoes in the Villa Farnesina, the Raphael's Rooms, plus many other famous paintings. Michelangelo started the decoration of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and executed the famous statue of the Moses for the tomb of Julius II.

Its economy was rich, with the presence of several Tuscan bankers, including Agostino Chigi, who was a friend of Raphael and a patron of arts. Before his early death, Raphael also promoted for the first time the preservation of the ancient ruins. The War of the League of Cognac caused the first plunder of the city in more than five hundred years since the previous sack; in 1527, the Landsknechts of Emperor Charles V sacked the city, bringing an abrupt end to the golden age of the Renaissance in Rome.

Beginning with the Council of Trent in 1545, the Church began the Counter-Reformation in response to the Reformation, a large-scale questioning of the Church's authority on spiritual matters and governmental affairs. This loss of confidence led to major shifts of power away from the Church. Under the popes from Pius IV to Sixtus V, Rome became the centre of a reformed Catholicism and saw the building of new monuments which celebrated the papacy. The popes and cardinals of the 17th and early 18th centuries continued the movement by having the city's landscape enriched with baroque buildings.

This was another nepotistic age; the new aristocratic families (BarberiniPamphiliChigiRospigliosiAltieriOdescalchi) were protected by their respective popes, who built huge baroque buildings for their relatives. During the Age of Enlightenment, new ideas reached the Eternal City, where the papacy supported archaeological studies and improved the people's welfare. But not everything went well for the Church during the Counter-Reformation. There were setbacks in the attempts to assert the Church's power, a notable example being in 1773 when Pope Clement XIV was forced by secular powers to have the Jesuit order suppressed.

Late modern and contemporary

The rule of the Popes was interrupted by the short-lived Roman Republic (1798–1800), which was established under the influence of the French Revolution. The Papal States were restored in June 1800, but during Napoleon's reign Rome was annexed as a Département of the French Empire: first as Département du Tibre (1808–1810) and then as Département Rome (1810–1814). After the fall of Napoleon, the Papal States were reconstituted by a decision of the Congress of Vienna of 1814.

In 1849, a second Roman Republic was proclaimed during a year of revolutions in 1848. Two of the most influential figures of the Italian unificationGiuseppe Mazzini and Giuseppe Garibaldi, fought for the short-lived republic.

Rome then became the focus of hopes of Italian reunification after the rest of Italy was united as the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 with the temporary capital in Florence. That year Rome was declared the capital of Italy even though it was still under the Pope's control. During the 1860s, the last vestiges of the Papal States were under French protection thanks to the foreign policy of Napoleon III. French troops were stationed in the region under Papal control. In 1870 the French troops were withdrawn due to the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War. Italian troops were able to capture Rome entering the city through a breach near Porta PiaPope Pius IX declared himself a prisoner in the Vatican. In 1871 the capital of Italy was moved from Florence to Rome. In 1870 the population of the city was 212,000, all of whom lived with the area circumscribed by the ancient city, and in 1920, the population was 660,000. A significant portion lived outside the walls in the north and across the Tiber in the Vatican area.

Soon after World War I in late 1922 Rome witnessed the rise of Italian Fascism led by Benito Mussolini, who led a march on the city. He did away with democracy by 1926, eventually declaring a new Italian Empire and allying Italy with Nazi Germany in 1938. Mussolini demolished fairly large parts of the city centre in order to build wide avenues and squares which were supposed to celebrate the fascist regime and the resurgence and glorification of classical Rome. The interwar period saw a rapid growth in the city's population which surpassed one million inhabitants soon after 1930. During World War II, due to the art treasuries and the presence of the Vatican, Rome largely escaped the tragic destiny of other European cities. However, on 19 July 1943, the San Lorenzo district was subject to Allied bombing raids, resulting in about 3,000 fatalities and 11,000 injuries, of whom another 1,500 died. Mussolini was arrested on 25 July 1943. On the date of the Italian Armistice 8 September 1943 the city was occupied by the Germans. The Pope declared Rome an open city. It was liberated on 4 June 1944.

Rome developed greatly after the war as part of the "Italian economic miracle" of post-war reconstruction and modernisation in the 1950s and early 1960s. During this period, the years of la dolce vita ("the sweet life"), Rome became a fashionable city, with popular classic films such as Ben HurQuo VadisRoman Holiday and La Dolce Vita filmed in the city's iconic Cinecittà Studios. The rising trend in population growth continued until the mid-1980s when the comune had more than 2.8 million residents. After this, the population declined slowly as people began to move to nearby suburbs.

Geography

Rome is in the Lazio region of central Italy on the Tiber (ItalianTevere) river. The original settlement developed on hills that faced onto a ford beside the Tiber Island, the only natural ford of the river in this area. The Rome of the Kings was built on seven hills: the Aventine Hill, the Caelian Hill, the Capitoline Hill, the Esquiline Hill, the Palatine Hill, the Quirinal Hill, and the Viminal Hill. Modern Rome is also crossed by another river, the Aniene, which flows into the Tiber north of the historic centre.

Although the city centre is about 24 km (15 mi) inland from the Tyrrhenian Sea, the city territory extends to the shore, where the south-western district of Ostia is located. The altitude of the central part of Rome ranges from 13 m (43 ft) above sea level (at the base of the Pantheon) to 139 m (456 ft) above sea level (the peak of Monte Mario). The Comune of Rome covers an overall area of about 1,285 km2 (496 sq mi), including many green areas.

Parks and gardens

Public parks and nature reserves cover a large area in Rome, and the city has one of the largest areas of green space among European capitals. The most notable part of this green space is represented by the large number of villas and landscaped gardens created by the Italian aristocracy. While most of the parks surrounding the villas were destroyed during the building boom of the late 19th century, some of them remain. The most notable of these are the Villa BorgheseVilla Ada, and Villa Doria Pamphili. Villa Doria Pamphili is west of the Gianicolo hill, comprising some 1.8 km2 (0.7 sq mi). The Villa Sciarra is on the hill, with playgrounds for children and shaded walking areas. In the nearby area of Trastevere, the Orto Botanico (Botanical Garden) is a cool and shady green space. The old Roman hippodrome (Circus Maximus) is another large green space: it has few trees but is overlooked by the Palatine and the Rose Garden ('roseto comunale'). Nearby is the lush Villa Celimontana, close to the gardens surrounding the Baths of Caracalla. The Villa Borghese garden is the best known large green space in Rome, with famous art galleries among its shaded walks. Overlooking Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps are the gardens of Pincio and Villa Medici. There is also a notable pine wood at Castelfusano, near Ostia. Rome also has a number of regional parks of much more recent origin, including the Pineto Regional Park and the Appian Way Regional Park. There are also nature reserves at Marcigliana and at Tenuta di Castelporziano.

Climate

Rome has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classificationCsa), with hot, dry summers and mild, humid winters.

Its average annual temperature is above 21 °C (70 °F) during the day and 9 °C (48 °F) at night. In the coldest month, January, the average temperature is 12.6 °C (54.7 °F) during the day and 2.1 °C (35.8 °F) at night. In the warmest month, August, the average temperature is 31.7 °C (89.1 °F) during the day and 17.3 °C (63.1 °F) at night.

December, January and February are the coldest months, with a daily mean temperature of approximately 8 °C (46 °F). Temperatures during these months generally vary between 10 and 15 °C (50 and 59 °F) during the day and between 3 and 5 °C (37 and 41 °F) at night, with colder or warmer spells occurring frequently. Snowfall is rare but not unheard of, with light snow or flurries occurring on some winters, generally without accumulation, and major snowfalls on a very rare occurrence (the most recent ones were in 2018, 2012 and 1986).

The average relative humidity is 75%, varying from 72% in July to 77% in November. Sea temperatures vary from a low of 13.9 °C (57.0 °F) in February to a high of 25.0 °C (77.0 °F) in August.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Rome was 42.9 °C (109.2 °F) on 18 July 2023.





Add Comment

Display Name:
Email Address
Comment

Cliff Jacobs (Nat Dpl Hotel Man (UJ). MPRE. GA Level 5 TEFL)

Managing Principal / CEO

Exquisite Hotel Consultants (Pty) Ltd

Mobile: +27 (0) 84 413 1071 / +27 (0) 61 716 6951

Landline: +27 (0) 21 554 0283

Email: cliff@exquisitehotelconsultants.com

Skype: cliff.jacobs

Webhttps://www.exquisitehotelconsultants.com

© All rights reserved

Terms and Conditions apply

Scroll down to view our Hospitality Properties and Businesses for sale or lease or lease-to-buy or partnership arrangement or management agreement arrangement



Linkedin   Facebook   Twitter
Service Providers
Name: BondExcel
Phone: +27 (0) 83 417 1522
Email: hanlie@bondexcelwc.co.za

Mortgage Origination

We interface with all of the major banks in South Africa to ensure that you get the right home loan solution at the best possible rate. 

  • Hassle free financing for home loans
  • Competitive rates
  • Industry expertise offered by our bank-trained home loan consultants
  • No hidden costs
  • Personal assistance from the start to finish
  • Freedom of choice - through BondExcel you have access to all major banks through a single point of contact
  • Payment structures and advice to suit your personal financial needs
  • Our services are offered free of charge 

Looking forward to assist you with your home loan application!


View Partner's Website
Name: Businessentials For Hospitality
Phone: +27 (0) 21 418 0940
Email: faried@businessentials.co.za

Hospitality Consulting, Accounting, Bookkeeping and Payroll Services

  • We have more than fifty years of experience working in over 100 Hotels, Guest Houses, B&B's, Restaurants and Pubs and are therefore experts in our field and can offer you advice, ideas and guidance.
  • We understand your business from both an operational and financial perspective.
  • We offer a comprehensive Bookkeeping and Management Accounting service, as well as Operational Systems Analysis including operational auditing and improvement of efficiencies in the restaurant sector (but not limited to).
  • We are flexible according to your needs.
  • Fees are structured according to the level of service you require.

View Partner's Website
Name: Capital Efficiency Group
Phone: +27 (0) 31 001 6307
Email: chris@capef.co.za

Corporate Finance, Tax & Accounting and Treasury Services.

  • Global International payment services, providing you the best Forex rates, opening and management of Individual and Corporate banking accounts in South Africa.
  • SARS, SARB and Exchange Control advice & applications. We ensure investor compliance with the current regulations in South Africa.
  • Corporate Finance & Advisory Services, including, Transaction Structuring, BBBEE Structuring, Due Diligence, Agreement Structuring, Capital & Debt Raising.
  • Accounting & Tax Services, Preparation of Annual Financial Statements, Management Accounts, Payroll Management, VAT & Tax Submissions.
  • Management Services, Preparation and Structuring of Strategic Plans, Reporting Packs, Risk Assessment and Project Management.

 


View Partner's Website
Name: Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc
Phone: +27 (0) 21 481 6317
Email: andrew.heiberg@dlacdh.com

Attorneys, Notaries and Conveyancers

  • Andrew Heiberg is a director and regional head of our Real Estate practice.
  • Andrew has assisted numerous domestic corporations in the field of commercial property acquisition and disposal transactions in South Africa.
  • He has also assisted domestic corporations in acquiring finance for commercial property ventures in South Africa.
  • The Real Estate practice acts for all the major commercial banks in respect of the registration of mortgage bonds and Andrew can assist in securing finance from these entities.
  • He also acts for certain local property developers in respect of the establishment of new residential and commercial property developments.
  • In addition to dealing with all aspects of conveyancing, Andrew specialises in sectional title-related work.


View Partner's Website
Name: D E I R D R E R E N N I E R S Interior Design
Phone: +27 (0) 72 952 1898
Email: deirdre@deirdrerenniers.com

Interior Design

  • Deirdre Renniers Interior Design is an intergrated design studio providing architectural and interior design services in the leisure, hospitality, and commercial sectors, with projects in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. 
  • Our approach is multidisciplinary and covers all the design aspects of a given project from interior architecture and interior design to furniture, product, and lighting design. 
  • We have creative experience in a variety of interior design disciplines, countries, and cultures. 
  • Our scope of experience has enabled a philosophy of design integrity and cultural sensitivity. 
  • We are committed to providing our clients with a solution that is driven by passion and expertise.

View Partner's Website
Name: De Leeuw Valuers Cape Town
Phone: +27 (0) 21 423 8036
Email: pieter.venter@deleeuw.co.za

Property Valuation Services

  • De Leeuw Valuers specialises in the valuation of immovable property throughout Southern Africa and MENA. The team comprises experienced valuers, who strive to ensure that valuations are of a superior standard.
  • The team are Members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and registered as Professional Valuers with the South African Council for the Property Valuers Profession (SACPVP).
  • De Leeuw Valuers are Hospitality & Leisure Real Estate and Valuation Experts.
  • We have extensive experience in the valuation of a wide range of real estate asset classes including specialised property such as hotels, hospitals, data centres, cold storage, etc.
  • Exposure to green building practices and involvement in the valuation of green buildings. 

View Partner's Website
Name: E C Mobility
Phone: +351 (0) 91 558 0025
Email: carlos.e@ecmobility.hk

International property, law and immigration

  • Specializes in assisting and facilitating clients in obtaining European Union - Iberian countries - residence permits and citizenship, specialising in the very popular and highly successful Portugal Golden Visa Residence Program .
  • Team of professional consultants with a wide range of experience on international property, law and immigration.
  • Focuses on helping clients and their families with all aspects associated with migration and obtaining of visa.
  • Wide range of services, including pre and post application services, e.g. arrangement of exploratory trip to the country, representing clients in the Golden Visa application process and property management. 

View Partner's Website
Name: Edward Tokolo Kasete
Phone: +27 (0) 84 413 1071
Email: edward@exquisitehotelconsultants.com

Real Estate Specialist - Our Associate in Namibia

  • We offer an international platform of specialist hospitality property and/or business brokering services by listing and marketing for sale or lease or by investment partner arrangement or management agreement arrangement of a variety of hospitality products (i.e. hotels, resorts, boutique hotels, guest houses, guest lodges, B&Bs, game resorts, wine farms, yachts, cruise liners, etc) through our association with EC Mobility (in Portugal and Spain), BON Hotels (Africa), Giovanni Conti (Italy, North and East Africa, Sri Lanka), Nuno Boquinhas (Portugal, Azores, Madeira, Mozambique), Property 24, Seeff Property Services, Harcourts, Realnet, RE/MAX, Dogon Property Group, Rawson Estates, among many other prominent commercial estate agencies throughout Southern Africa - and now we are entering other African Countries on the East and West Coasts of Africa and moving further abroad! To date, Exquisite Hotel Consultants has a presence in over 80 countries - and counting...

  • Working with the above-mentioned agencies and others provides the largest possible reach nationally and internationally for all prospective buyers and sellers wishing to enter or exit the Hospitality Industry.

  • Sister websites have been opened in the following countries: United Kingdom: see www.exquisitehotelconsultants.co.uk, and in Germany: see www.exquisitehotelconsultants.de, and in the United States of America: see www.exquisitehotelconsultants.us.

  • Please note that several of our hospitality properties and/or businesses for sale or lease or through business partnership arrangements or management contracts are officially "Off-Market" - mainly for privacy reasons. Therefore, they are not listed as part of our hospitality properties/businesses for sale or lease stock. Please contact me for further details.  

  • Should you be considering to sell or buy or lease or obtain a partnership arrangement or management agreement arrangement for your hotel, boutique hotel, resort, guest house, B&B, game lodge, game resort, guest farm, yacht or cruise liner etc, I would be most pleased to provide you with further details of our way of working to effectively market and sell your property(ies) and/or business(es).


View Partner's Website
Name: Electrolux Professional
Phone: +27 (0) 82 786 2281
Email: estelle.van-den-berg@electroluxprofessional.com

Food Service, Beverage and Laundry Solutions

Electrolux Professional is a leading global provider of foodservice, beverage and laundry solutions, serving a wide range of customers globally, from restaurants and hotels to healthcare, educational and other service facilities. 

  • We offer OnE brand covering Food, Beverage and Laundry with only OnE point of contact with full-service offerings from single-unit equipment to full turnkey project solutions.
  • Our key products include combi ovens, cooking ranges, refrigeration and dishwashing equipment, coffee machines (semi-automatic, fully automatic and brewers)  coffee grinders, hot or cold beverage dispensers,  as well as frozen drinks and soft ice cream machines. When it comes to Laundry solutions: commercial washers, tumble dryers, drying cabinets, ironers and related specialty accessories and systems. 
  • We focus on solutions where there is a need for high-performing, reliable equipment, with significant aftermarket requirements over the equipment lifecycle and where customers are focused on productivity and total cost of ownership. 
  • Electrolux Professional constantly improves the energy and water consumption of its products, developing innovative and efficient solutions to meet the growing demand for resource-efficient appliances.
  • Our innovative products and worldwide service network make our customers’ work-life easier, more profitable – and truly sustainable every day.

View Partner's Website
Name: Exquisite Hotel Consultants' Hospitality Training Department
Phone: +27 (0) 84 413 1071
Email: cliff@exquisitehotelconsultants.com

Learn to speak Hotel English (one-to-one online course)

Our TEFL trained tutors teach the following functions

  • Greeting Guests
  • Dealing with Requests
  • Asking for Permission
  • Problems and Complaints
  • Making Comparisons
  • Compliments
  • Offering Help and Advice
  • Opinions
  • Giving Instructions
  • Hotel Facilities
  • Days and Time
  • Describing Jobs
  • Describing Functions
  • Directions
  • Shopping
  • Telephone Use
  • Bill Settlement
  • Wh_ Questions
  • Can and Do Questions
  • Verb Tenses and Usage
  • Parts of Speech

The course consists of 21 lessons (4 to 5 one-hour lessons per month).


View Partner's Website
Name: FVE Interiors
Phone: +27 (0) 66 274 3680
Email: lori@fveinteriors.com

Interior Design  

  • We are an Interior architecture, design, project management and fit-out agency, with over 15 years’ experience in the commercial, retail and hospitality industries. We pride ourselves on being a detailed, solutions driven and consistent brand.
  • FVE’s goal is to visually and conceptually translate our clients’ brands into spaces, textures and materials.
  • Our services include space analysis and planning, floor plan development, concept design, using cutting edge technology, saving our clients both time and money. And not least, the implementation of the complete design through the Project Management process. We have strategically built long term relationships with other industry experts; suppliers, manufacturers and installers, to facilitate a streamlined process for our clients.
  • Our speciality extends to the following and beyond: Space planning, Design concepts,  Technical drawing packs for council submissions, 3D renders, Turn-key project management, Marketing solutions. 

View Partner's Website
Name: Healing Earth
Phone: +27 (0) 21 555 1896
Email: ebrandt@healingearth.co.za

Hotel Amenities - inspired by Africa

  • Premium African spa brand,  spa operator and hotel amenity supplier.  We supply five star hotels, resorts, lodges and spas throughout South Africa and Africa including Royal Portfolio, Mantis Collection, Leading Hotels of the World, Royal Malewane, The Singita Group, to name a few!
  • We only produce top quality room amenities and spa products with 100% natural ingredients that are free from Parabens, artificial fragrance, DEA and synthetic chemicals.
  • We are a proudly South African brand; we do not import any of our ingredients, we obtain them from the richness of our African soil with its healing, restoring and nurturing properties.
  • All our amenity packaging is biodegradable and 100% eco-friendly
  • We support our local communities and adhere only to sustainable and ethical practices
  • We also offer full spa management, operations and consulting service that includes recruitment, management, training and support

View Partner's Website
Name: Hospro
Phone: +27 (0) 21 583 1851
Email: roberto.treffers@hospro.co.za

Hospitality Consultancy and Procurement

  • Established in 2007, HOSPRO|Hospitality Professionals serves the African Sub-Saharan region.
  • With a background in international hospitality consultancy and procurement services for some 30 years,
  • our combination of market knowledge and expertise ensures the best possible service for our business relations.
  • We support our clienteles with specific recommendations and references to stay focused on the total process.
  • Our emphasis is aimed at protecting the design intent, our client's budget and the various deadlines.

View Partner's Website
Name: Hotel Revenue Management
Phone: +27 21 551 7440
Email: jaco@hotel-revenue-manager.com

Revenue (yield) Management

  • Competitor set monitoring.
  • Booking pace analysis.
  • Peak demand optimising.
  • Low demand stimulating.
  • Online Channel analysis
  • Wash-down factor’ monitoring.
  • Pick up and drop off analysis.
  • Definite and Tentative Status monitoring and control.
  • Online Channel Conversion.
  • Reservations cancellation monitoring.

Online room inventory Distribution & Rates optimisation

  • Positioned optimally on all the Global        Distribution  Systems (GDS).
  • Positioned optimally on all the Online Travel Agents (OTA) websites.
  • Positioned optimally on all Meta-Search Engines (MSE).
  • Competitor set monitoring & rate benchmarking.
  • Own Website distribution.
  • Rate parity management across all channels.
  • Website and Content audit.
  • Correct OTA mapping and content management.
  • Reservation conversion analysis and suggestion.

Implementation of Best Available Rate (BAR), in conjunction with point 1 & 2

  • BAR operational understanding and agreed  levels.
  • Implementation across the board.
  • Communication of this to the trade suggestions.

View Partner's Website
Name: Indigo Real Estate Agency
Phone: +25884 3616644
Email: cliff@exquisitehotelconsultants.co.za

Real Estate Agency - Our Associate in Mozambique

  • If you’re keen to buy a house or apartment along the African coast, look no further than the property for sale in Mozambique. With residents treated to breath-taking sea views and surrounded by lush green nature, it’s no wonder the country is increasingly popular among tourists and investors.
  • Whether you are looking  for to buy a house, sell or rent  property in Mozambique, purchase a piece of land for your own dream estate, either as a holiday or residential home or as an investment, property management services are also available should our customers require. Then we would welcome you to choose Indico real estate agency as your local realtor. 
  • No fee payable by the buyer – We were the first real estate agency in Inhambane Province to introduce 0% fee to our clients purchasing property.
  • We offer the widest range of properties at lowest prices in the market. This is ensured by contract with sellers.
  • Indico Real Estate Agency provides unique business opportunity within the Mozambican market to investors abroad.  Indico Real Estate Agency's main line of business is the sale of Hotels, Resorts, Plots of Land, Villas, Houses, Apartments, Private islands, Commercial properties, Residential properties, Projects (land sale as well as building permits) and Complexes in Mozambique.
  • Mozambique is also a Friendly welcoming investment environment all add up to a unique investment and lifestyle opportunity. Irresistible destination and a serious contender for anyone wanting to make an investment in an overseas property.


View Partner's Website
Name: Lisa Dunn - Tourism Grading Assessor
Phone: +27 (0) 82 928 8002
Email: Lisadunnsa@gmail.com

Tourism Grading Assessment

  • I am an independent registered Tourism Grading Assessor with the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA). I have been doing star grading since 2005.
  • The star grading of properties involves assessing accommodation establishments and conference venues against a set of criteria in order to determine a star grading level based on international standards, from 1 star to 5 stars.
  • The various categories include game lodge, nature lodge,  hotel, small hotel, boutique hotel, apartment hotel, guest house, country house, bed & breakfast, self-catering: exclusive-use and shared vacation, caravan & camping, backpackers & hostelling and a range of conferencing and venue categories.
  • I do assessments mainly in the Province of Mpumalanga, South Africa, as I am based in Nelspruit.
  • I can also do pre-grading assessments for accommodation establishments and conference venues.

View Partner's Website
Name: Ooba (Pty) Ltd
Phone: +27 (0) 21 481 7300
Email: bronwyn.philip@ooba.co.za

Mortgage Origination

ooba offers you:

  • The best chance of bond approval through our industry-leading approval rates
  • A free prequalification service, to clarify what size bond you can afford and highlight any potential credit obstacles
  • The benefit of simultaneous submissions to multiple lenders.
  • In-depth knowledge of different bank’s processes, which is used to your advantage.
  • Hassle-free bond application – we do the paperwork for you, for free!
  • Tailor-made, comprehensive home insurance solutions to protect your home, income and belongings

View Partner's Website
Name: SK Sambu Tours & Transfers
Phone: +27 (0) 718013270
Email: sksambu@gmail.com

Johannesburg based Tours & Transfers Operator

  • Function trips
  • Tours,
  • Shuttle services
  • Transfers
  • Transport disability with accessible lift vehicle 

We look forward to being of service to you.

Kind regards

King Sambu

 


View Partner's Website
Name: Soul Private Collection
Phone: +27 (0)78 499 8280
Email: partner@soulprivatecollection.com

Hotel Management and Marketing

  • We are an established hotel management and marketing company and have acquired a selection of managed properties. Collectively we have over 20 years of hoteliers’ management experience, tourism marketing, and the management of boutique properties.
  • We are incredibly passionate about our properties, our guests, and our staff. We are here to make your life easier and get you the best return on your investment. Allow us to work our soulful magic and take your property to new heights. We rely heavily on data intel and share this with our partners monthly.
  • Our Management Services are Finance I Sales & Marketing I Central reservations I Operations I Information technology and Human Resources. We are constantly striving to see how we can make a difference and get you the best return.
  • We are partnered with a Tour Operator, located in Germany, an expert in tailor-made luxury holidays. They have been successfully creating travel itineraries using our properties at SOUL Private Collection, South Africa. The awesome synergy between these two companies works well as we are guaranteed international travellers from our partner.  We are passionate and will provide you with excellent service.
  • For more information, please go to www.soulprivatecollection.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

View Partner's Website
Name: The Dumb Butler Hospitality Suppliers
Phone: +27 (0) 21 203 0307
Email: orders@tdbutler.co.za

Hotel Linen Suppliers

LUX Award Winners 2021 for The Best Hospitality Suppliers. We are a proudly South African brand established in 2006.

We Supply:

  • Hotel Quality Linen
  • Snag-free Towels
  • Hotel Blankets
  • Duvet Inners and Pillows
  • Hotel Safes
  • All Guest Amenities
  • Personalised Gifting
  • Branded Clothing and Sportswear
  • Beds & Mattresses
  • Head Boards
  • Lounge and Pool Furniture
  • Guestroom Mini Kettles
  • Hotelware- ALL Cutlery & Crockery
  • All Catering Equipment
  • Glassware
  • Tents and Outdoor Equipment
  • All Hotel Equipment
  • We specialise in Guesthouses, Game and Guest Lodges

View Partner's Website
Name: The High Street Auction Company
Phone: +27 (0) 11 684 2707
Email: james@highstreetauctions.com

Property Auctioneers 

  • We have established ourselves as the premier marketplace for selling and buying property with several national auction records to our name.
  • We specialise in the hospitality, retail, commercial, industrial, land and residential property markets across the country.
  • Whether you are buying or selling property you can benefit from our effective, fast, risk free way to transact in a protected & transparent environment.
  • Give the international award winning specialists a call today to maximise the returns on your next property transaction.

Appreciating Property Value

 


View Partner's Website
Name: Touch Point Retail
Phone: +27 (0) 84 920 1177
Email: diane@touchpointretail.co.za

Smart Interior Design

  • Touch Point Retail is a certified partner and installer of Cover Styl’ - smart interior design.
  • Cover Styl’  is a cost-effective self-adhesive architectural film that can cover almost any surface. The range offers 471 patterns and textures in 9 categories.
  • This material can transform any living space in no time and is a cheaper quality alternative for establishments that want to do any renovations or changes.
  • Transform your lobbies, bedrooms, corridors, bathrooms, feature walls, furniture etc. with this cost-effective solution.
  • This product is new to South Africa but is used extensively in the UK and other parts of the world. Touch Point has exclusive access to this product and are excited to help you transform your establishment today!
  • The message here is to rather refurbish than replace, this product offers instant gratification as it is non-invasive and fast to install. 

View Partner's Website

Cliff Jacobs (Nat Dpl Hotel Man (UJ). MPRE. GA Level 5 TEFL)

Managing Principal / CEO

Exquisite Hotel Consultants (Pty) Ltd

Mobile: +27 (0) 84 413 1071 / +27 (0) 61 716 6951

Landline: +27 (0) 21 554 0283

Email: cliff@exquisitehotelconsultants.com

Skype: cliff.jacobs

Webhttps://www.exquisitehotelconsultants.com

© All rights reserved

Terms and Conditions apply

Scroll down to view our Hospitality Properties and Businesses for sale or lease or lease-to-buy or partnership arrangement or management agreement arrangement



All rights reserved. © 2014 - 2024 Exquisite Hotel Consultants.



NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBE

Sign up for regular property updates.