Rome Empire with Darius Arya Digs

Diocletian is the third century emperor that brought the Empire back from the brink of collapse.  After generations of uncertainly, his will, administration, military prowess and ruthless drive established a new period of calm that rippled through the Roman empire.  Just consider the tetrarchy ruling system, new management of provinces, Edict of Prices, and Great (Christian) Persecution! And when it was all said and done he retired in his bespoke fortified villa that became the core of the later town of Split, Croatia.  So richly preserved that it is a noted UNESCO site and also the location for many a scene in Game of Thrones.  Walk the streets of this historic site and explore the archaeology, art, and ancient history beneath with Darius on his recent visit! 

Season 8 of Game of Thrones is upon us! So Darius travels to King's Landing & the real-life grandeur of Dubrovnik.  Darius explores Fort Lovrijenac (Red Keep on GOT), walks along the city's 2km walls, looking for Cersei.  Luckily, local guide & GOT expert Ivan Vuković of Dubrovnik-tourist-guides.com reveals the city's history and tons of insider knowledge on GOT8. They also discuss overtourism that threatens the city more than Daenerys' dragons!  Adriaticluxuryhotels.com made the stay in ancient Ragusa even more amazing! 

The assassination of Julius Caesar is one of history's most famous murders in history.  Darius talks with author and historian Barry Strauss, who has written the definitive book on Caesar's last days.  Darius also walks in real time from Julius Caesar's house (Domus Publica) in the Forum past all of the famed archaeological sites of Ancient Rome to the location of his assassination in the Curia of Pompey, part of the modern archaeological site of Largo Argentina.  You've never experienced the Ides of March like this! 

Who were the most important emperors in ancient Rome, for better and for worse?  There are so many to choose from- and Darius explores Rome's best and worst rulers with author Professor Barry Strauss on the launch of his newest book: 10 Caesars!  So let's explore from Augustus to Constantine, and Darius always has an eye on the emperors' impact on Rome itself.  

Who doesn't like olive oil?  It's an essential component of the (once again wildly popular) Mediterranean diet.  So, it's high time to really learn the ins and outs of what defines "excellent" olive oil. Darius turns to a world class expert, Johnny Madge (johnnymadge.com), who lives in the Sabina region (and is a frequent visitor to Rome).  He is a true olive oil expert and world traveling judge of olive oils from Italy to Japan! So sit back and soak up his words of wisdom that will resonate with you wherever you are in the world, on your next trip to the store in search of the good stuff for your recipes! 

Darius travels to southeast Sicily, to the late Baroque city Modica, to explore the legendary home of Italy's best chocolate.  There is no better place than Antica Dolceria Bonajuto to learn about why chocolate found its home here.  Darius enters the kitchen with Pierpaolo Bonajuto (his family has been making chocolate here since 1880- 6 generations) and discusses tradition and evolution.  You'll fantasize about the food (chocolate, cannoli and more) for the whole week.  So dig in and put Modica on your next Sicily trip! 

On January 17, 2019, millions of people around the world learned about the small historic town of Sambuca di Sicilia through viral news coverage of its offer to sell historic homes for one euro.  The city received 100,000 email requests, and Darius was among the many interested in a visit.  In particular, he wanted to focus on the issues of heritage preservation for the town, already known to Italians after winning the award best borgo (small town) in Italy in 2016.  After making contact with the city mayor Leonard Ciaccio, Darius flew down to Palermo and drove 100 kilometers to the historic center of Sambuca di Sicilia where he was able to tour many of the houses (with a crowd of individuals from around the globe, arriving daily!) and speak with the mayor and his staff.  It's an unforgettable flashpoint to talk about heritage preservation, Sicilian history and archaeology (nearby Punic- Greek Monte Adranone). And of course, the wine and food! 

Italian wines are famous, but how much do you really know about them?  Darius certainly loves Italian wine, but craves to learn more about them and their history.  So, he sits down with sommelier Sarah May Grunwald (www.antiquatours.com) to talk about the wonderful wines produced in the region of Lazio in the charming setting of Massimo's L'ANGOLO DIVINO wine bar/ enoteca in the heart of Rome, at Via Dei Balestrari 12, around the corner from Campo de' Fiori.  It's a talk on the history of winemaking in Lazio (and what's new, as the Lazio wines come into their town) as well as the history of Lazio itself, back to the ancient Romans and their archaeology.  So, listen to Sarah May's words of wisdom (with astute contributions also from Massimo) as she and Darius drink their way through a variety of wines from a truly undervalued region of Italy.  Darius looks forward to drinking through more of Italy with Sarah May, and we're sure you'll agree! 

The Are Pacis (Altar of Peace) of Augustus is arguably the best preserved monument from the reign of Augustus (31 BC- AD 14). It is also in an impressive setting, centro Rome's latest museum creation, by architect Richard Meier, in traditionally Roman travertine stone, with massive windows and sunroof, matched with an integrated series of videos, panels, models, casts and lighting.  It is truly a rich, layered presentation of the reconstructed altar, product of a series of complex excavations spanning several centuries.  Darius presents the museum setting between the Tiber River and Mausoleum of Augustus (currently under restoration) and examines the altar and the history of the excavation that led to the creation of the Fascist museum, now updated with Meier's 21st century construction. 

If you study your history, you'll know that Rome has suffered ups and downs: fires, floods, earthquakes, sackings! But in more recent times, the upswing in Roman city administrations leading up to the time of the Julibeo celebration in 2000 is long gone. Now it's a long, hard road ahead, with the past mayors (and current Mayor Virigina Raggi) under siege and so many things not right (public transportation, garbage service, visible signs of corruption in the workings of the city).  But is Rome actually in ruins?  Darius takes the long view (with a focus on archaeology, the sites and museums of Rome) as he talks with journalist and travel writer Erica Firpo (Italian and American) who writes about lifestyle and contemporary culture. As long-time Rome residents they take a look at the recent (December 28, 2018) New York Times article by journalist Jason Horowitz and give their two cents' worth on the state of Rome today.  Surely a worthy topic on the Eternal City that merits a future discussion.