There are palaces, universities, and basilicas. Modern Rome also hosts the Cine Studios, which is a film and television studio complex second only to Hollywood. When it comes to music, Rome boasts the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia which is an internationally acclaimed conservatory of music. Visitors who enjoy museums should examine the National Museum of Rome at all of its four locations. In addition to the museum, no visitor to Rome should miss visiting the Vatican.
The National Museum of Rome.
The National Museum of Rome is divided into four main sites. The sites are: Crypta Balbi, Palazzo Altemps, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, and Baths of Diocletian. The Crypta Balbi site has three floors. The basement consists of archeological remains, and can only be viewed with a guide. The ground floor shows 'archaeology and history of an urban landscape.' The first floor shows the development of Rome from the fifth century to the tenth century (AD).
The Palazzo Altemps houses many statues and works of art, including sculptures of eastern deities. There is also a private theater which currently houses special exhibitions. The Palazzo Massimo alle Terme houses a sarcophagus and mummy, including amber and jewelry artifacts that were found with the mummy. There are also sculptures and ancient coins at the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme. The Baths of Diocletian includes sculptures from bathhouses, a former chapel, and a sixteenth century garden.
Vatican City 'A Nation in Rome, Italy
Vatican City is the world's smallest nation, occupying just under half a square kilometer of Rome's real estate. In addition to housing the Pope, the Vatican contains perhaps the most famous house of prayer of all time. The Sistine Chapel, located in the Apostolic Palace, is the site of the art of Michelangelo. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel shows scenes from the Bible, beginning with nine stories from the book of Genesis in the highest part of the chapel. Perhaps the best known scene of the chapel is the picture of God creating Adam. On the walls, Botticelli painted three scenes; Scenes from the Life of Moses, The Temptation of Christ, and The Punishment of Korah.
Visitors to the Sistine Chapel can enjoy the breathtaking artwork from 9am to 6pm in the winter, and 9am to 7pm in the summer. Visitors should be aware that the place is considered a holy place and therefore, there is a dress code. Visitors should wear long pants or skirts, not short skirts or shorts. Additionally, those wearing sleeveless shirts are not welcome in the Chapel.
Another popular tourist attraction is the Vatican Museum. There is a cafeteria at the Vatican Museum, but dining options are limited within Vatican City. Likewise, there are no overnight accommodations for visitors, so you'll need to go back into the city of Rome for sleeping arrangements.
The Brazilian culture is without any doubt an extremely diverse Latin American culture. As far as the influences are concerned besides the original indigenous cultures, we should mention Portugal mainly because of the very strong colonial ties with the Portuguese Empire from which Brazil got the language, Catholic religion, the legal system and other cultural traditions. Brazil's culture derives not only from other European influences but also from some South American, African and also Asian cultures. As you can see, the Brazilian culture is a mix of a variety of cultures spread all over the world.
Brazilians have natural affectionate human warmth, like nothing you have seen before and most of them are very happy and have a rather enthusiastic, spontaneous nature ? which they show at every celebration (and their number is quite remarkable). As far as their religion is concerned, experts affirm that Brazil is the largest Roman Catholic country in the entire world but the truth is that you will find a great variety of religious beliefs and practices here. Officially, Brazil was a catholic country since the 16th right until 1889 when the Portuguese Empire disappeared. The 1889 constitution guarantees full religious freedom and since then, a wide variety of beliefs have been practiced. However, in 1996 a study made by CNBB also known as National Conference of Brazilian Bishops showed that approximately 80% of the inhabitants declared themselves as Roman Catholics. Many of the Brazilian people are married and baptized in the Catholic Church but they don't attend Sunday Mass quite often.
Candomble ? a religion that is found in Brazil was brought here by the slaves that came from Benin and Nigeria. According to the Catholic officials and the slave-owners, the African slaves had to be converted to the Christian religion and as a consequence, banned from performing Candomble rituals. In order to maintain their traditional practices but at the same time contenting their owners, the slaves coupled their deities with corresponding Catholic personalities.
Protestantism ? over the last decades, this religion has grown in popularity quite rapidly. The 2000 Census stated that about 15% of the Brazilian inhabitants identify themselves as being Protestants and approximately 85% of them are Evangelical or Pentecostal. The Lutherans and the Baptists make up the bulk of the remaining Protestants and they are centered in the southern part of Brazil, where the majority of German and northern European immigrants concentrated during the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
Moving on to the literature aspect of Brazil, the most popular writer is without any doubt Jorge Amado (1912-2002). He was born in Salvador and his writings captured the personality and spirit of Bahias. His most successful novels include: The Violent Land (1944), Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon (1958), Shepherds of the Night (1964) and Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (1966). Another well-known Brazilian writer was Machado de Assis (1839-1908). He was a novelist that had a deep understanding of human relations. In the 20th century, other notables Brazilian writers were born, like: Clarice Lispector, Garciliano Ramos, Cecilia Meireles and others as well.
All things considered Brazil is a wonderful and interesting country at the same that and that is why every year, millions and millions of tourists visit it.
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