BAKERIES, COFFEE, ICE CREAM & TEA
Centro Storico (includes Campitelli, Campo Marzio, Ghetto, Parione, Piazza Navona, Pigna, Ponte, Regola & Sant’Eustachio)
●Alberto Pica – 12 Via della Seggiola; 011-39-06-686-8405; must try rice gelatos.
●Antica Focacceria San Francesco – 38 Piazza della Torretta; 011-39-06-6830-8297; afsf.it; bakery & café; mafia-free.
●Antico Forno Roscioli – 34 Via dei Chiavari; 011-39-06-686-4045; anticofornoroscioli.com; for quick lunch or snack; 1 of best bakeries in Rome; delicious pizza.
●Babingtons – 23 Piazza di Spagna; 011-39-06-678-6027; babingtons.net; English tea shop with emphasis on English mainstays; air-conditioned.
●Caffe della Pace – 3 Via della Pace; 011-39-06-686-1216; caffedellapace.it; Rome’s best people-watching; cocktails and coffee; open since 18th Century.
●Chocolat Cioccolatini d’Autore – 12-13 Via della Dogana Vecchia; 011-39-06-813-5545; lacasettadicioccolato.com; handmade chocolates.
●Caffe Ciampini – 29 Piazza San Lorenzo (in Lucina); 011-39-06-687-6606; ciampini.net; looks like 18th Century tearoom but modern bar.
●Caffe Ciampini – 59 Via della Fontanella di Borghese; 011-39-06-6813-5108; ciampini.net; looks like 18th Century tearoom but modern bar.
●Della Palma – 20-23 Via della Maddalena (off Pantheon); 011-39-06-6880-6752; dellapalma.it; try Mars Bar mousse gelato or kalamansi gelato (orange-like Filipino fruit).
●Fiordiluna – 96 Via della Lungaretta; 011-39-06-6456-1314; fiordiluna.com; great ice cream with artisanal, local ingredients.
●Gelateria San Crispino – 42 Via Panetteria; 011-39-06-679-3924; ilgelatodisancrispino.it.
●Sant’Eustachio Cafe – 82 Piazza Sant’Eustachio; 011-39-06-880-2048; santeustachioilcaffe.it; best cappucino.
●Tre Scalini – 30 Piazza Navona; 011-39-06-687-9148; trescalinirestaurant.com; cappucino and tartufo.
Esquilino & Monti (includes San Giovanni & Sant’Angelo)
●Ara Coeli Gelato Artigianale – 9-10 Piazza Ara Coeli; 011-39-06-679-5085; try basil gelato.
●Bar Pompi – 9 Via Albalonga (San Giovanni, on Piazza Roma di Rè); 011-39-06-700-0418; barpompi.it; best tiramisu in Rome; worth special trip.
●Forno Boccione – 1 Via del Portico d’Ottavia; 011-39-06-687-8637; facebook.com/pages/BOCCIONE-lantico-forno/52936670759; for 200 years, baking kosher treats for Rome’s Jewish community; repertoire (and customer service) limited; order almond macaroons and cinnamon almond biscotti, over-stuffed crostata (which New York Times calls best in Rome), and signature pizza ebraica (fruit cake brick with almonds, pine nuts, raisins, and candied fruit); also must have - torta della ricotta.
●Il Mondo di Laura – 8 Via della Reginella; 011-39-06-6880-6129; mondodilaura.com; kosher bakery; try parve cookies and baked goods, including brownies and carrot cake.
●S7heva – 1b Via Santa Maria del Pianto; 011-39-06-6880-1518; cocktail bar with patio and kosher happy hour buffet; during day, coffee.
●Urbana 47 – 47 Via Urbana; 011-39-06-4788-4006; urbana47.it; very mixed reviews; coffee shop and used furniture boutique; also, localvore organic restaurant.
North (includes Flaminio, Nomentano, Parioli & San Lorenzo)
●Neve di Latte – 6 Via Luigi Poletti (Flaminio); 011-39-06-320-8485; great ice-cream.
Trastevere
●Forno La Renella – 15 Via del Moro; 011-39-06-581-7265; bakery and pizzeria.
●Antica Focacceria San Francesco – 14 Piazza di San Giovanni Della Malva; 011-39-06-581-9503; afsf.it; bakery & café; mafia-free.
●Valzani – 37 Via del Moro; 011-39-06-580-3792; valzani.it; unassuming pastry shop and chocolatier.
Vatican City (includes Aurelio, Prati & Trionfale)
●Forno Colapicchioni – 78 Via Tacito (Prati); 011-39-06-321-5405; colapicchioni.it; bakery for more than 70 years; smaller location Via Properzio offers pizza & sandwiches.
●Fatamorgana – 9-11 Via Lago di Lesina (Prati); 011-39-06-8639-1589; gelateriafatamorgana.it; ice cream.
●Il Gelato Bistro – 11 Circonvallazione Trionfale (Prati); 011-39-06-3972-5949; facebook.com/IlGelatoBistro; savory ice creams with Gorgonzola, habaneros, mushrooms, etc.
●Gelateria dei Gracchi – 272 Via dei Gracchi; 011-39-06-321-6668; gelateriadeigracchi.com; fruit and nut flavors taste right off tree; among city’s best gelaterias.
●Il Gelato Bistro – 11/13 Circonvallazione Trionfale; 011-39-06-3972-5949; eater.com/tags/il-gelato-bistro; all natural products; all flavor range, including oyster (!); at happy hour, cocktails, small bites, and wine, too.
●Panificio Bonci – 36 Via Trionfale; 011-39-06-3973-4457; gabrielebonci.it; celebrated baker and television personality, Gabriele Bonci, focuses on naturally leavened bread and traditionally baked goods, sold by weight.
●Romeo – 26/A Via Silla; 011-39-06-3211-0120; romeo.roma.it; joint venture between high-end food shop owners Roscioli and Glass proprietors (Michelin-starred spot); deli and bakery counters in front give way to dining room.
●Sciascia Caffe – 80A Via Fabio Massimo (Prati); 011-39-06-321-1580; sciasciacaffe.com; coffee since 1919; ask for caffe ristretto (extra espresso) or house specialty, caffe con cioccolata (coffee with hot chocolate portion within).
●Al Settimo Gelo – 21a Via Vodice; 011-39-06-372-5567; alsettimogelo.it; another of Rome’s great gelaterias.
●Gelateria Vice – 96 Corso Vittorio Emanuele II (Prati); 011-39-06-631-779; viceitalia.it; ice cream; other locations.
BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
Centro Storico (includes Campitelli, Campo Marzio, Ghetto, Parione, Piazza Navona, Pigna, Ponte, Regola & Sant’Eustachio)
●Caffe della Pace – 3 Via della Pace; 011-39-06-686-1216; caffedellapace.it; Rome’s best people-watching; cocktails and coffee; open since 18th Century.
●Il Goccetto – 14 Via dei Banchi Vecchi (near Campo de Fiori); 011-39-06-686-4268); ilgoccetto.com; cozy.
●Grand Hotel de la Minerva – 69 Piazza de la Minerva; 011-39-06-669-5201; grandhoteldelaminerve.com; beautiful rooftop bar.
●La Terrazza dell’Eden – 49 Via Ludovisi (at Hotel Eden); 011-39-06-478-121; edenroma.com; rooftop terrace location, once frequented by creative artists like Fellini; view over Vatican.
●Hotel de Russie – 9 Via del Babuino; 011-39-06-632-8881; hotelderussie.it; between Piazza del Popolo and Spanish Steps; terraced garden bar.
●Portrait Suites – 23 Via Bocca di Leone; 011-39-06-6938-0742 or 800-337-4685; portraitsuites.com; owned by Ferragamo family; 15 rooms.
●Salotto42 – 2 Piazza di Pietra; 011-39-06-678-5804; salotto42.it; excellent cocktails.
Esquilino & Monti (includes San Giovanni & Sant’Angelo)
●S7heva – 1b Via Santa Maria del Pianto; 011-39-06-6880-1518; cocktail bar with patio and kosher happy hour buffet; during day, coffee.
North (includes Flaminio, Nomentano, Parioli & San Lorenzo)
●Aurunci 42 – 46 Via degli Aurunci (San Lorenzo); 011-39-06-445-4425; arcoaurunci.it; friendly bar in Piazza dell’Immacolata; becomes open-air lounge on weekend nights.
●ReD – 12 Via Pietro de Coubertin (Parioli); 011-39-06-8069-1630; redrestaurant.roma.it; trendy restaurant with lively lounge bar.
●Ristorante Sud – 20a Via Antonio Bosio (Nomentano); 011-39-06-442-2701; sudristorantebar.com; trendy bar in city’s northern part.
●Tree Bar – 226 Via Flaminia (Flaminio); 011-39-06-3265-2754; treebar.info; cocktails and snacks on patio in Piazzale Manila park; indoor seating also.
Pigneto
●Bar Necci – 68 Via Fanfulla da Lodi; 011-39-06-9760-1552; necci1924.com; bar with great traditional Roman food and snacks.
●i Circolo degli Artisti – 42 Via Casilina Vecchia; 011-39-06-7030-5684; circoloartisti.it; up-&-coming punk and underground bands.
Trastevere
●Bir & Fud – 23 Via Benedetta; 011-39-06-589-4016; birefud.blogspot.com; cocktail bar, microbrewery, restaurant.
●Freni e Frizioni – 4-6 Via del Politeama; 011-39-06-4549-7499; freniefrizoni.com; drink looking out on Tiber River.
●Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fa – 25 Via di Benedetta; 011-39-380-507-4938; football-pub.com; beer pub.
Vatican City (includes Aurelio, Prati & Trionfale)
●Il Gelato Bistro – 11/13 Circonvallazione Trionfale (Prati); 011-39-06-3972-5949; eater.com/tags/il-gelato-bistro; all natural products; all flavor range, including oyster (!); at happy hour, cocktails, small bites, and wine, too.
●Sorpasso – 31 Via Properzio (Prati); 011-39-06-8902-4554; sorpasso.info; cocktail and wine bar that also is trattoria; worth special trip.
HOTELS
Centro Storico (includes Campitelli, Campo Marzio, Ghetto, Parione, Piazza Navona, Pigna, Ponte, Regola & Sant’Eustachio)
●Albergo del Senato – 8 Via Dei Sediari; 011-39-06-784-343; albergodelsenato.it; small but decently appointed rooms; although only 3 stars, this should be among, at least, your finalists of where to stay in Rome.
●Babuino 181 – 181 Via del Babuino; 011-39-06-3229-5295; romeluxurysuites.com/babuino; 14-room boutique hotel; affordable, lovely, and modern.
●Casa Manni – 70 Via di Pietra; 011-39-06-9727-4787; casamanni.com; 900 square foot penthouse with views of old Rome from every window.
●Grand Hotel de la Minerva – 69 Piazza de la Minerva; 011-39-06-669-5201; grandhoteldelaminerve.com; most splendid hotel in Rome; next to Pantheon; beautiful rooms; great rooftop bar.
●Hotel Eden – 49 Via Ludovisi; 011-39-06-478-121; edenroma.com; steeped in history; open since 1889 but does not look its age; walking distance to Spanish Steps, Villa Borgese, Via Veneto.
●J.K. Place Hotel – 30 Via Monte d’Oro; 011-39-05-5264-5181; jkroma.com; boutique; 30 rooms, sculptured lobby, and rooftop terrace where can watch movies on giant screen in summer.
●Hotel Locarno – 22 Via della Penna; 011-39-06-361-0841; hotellocarno.com; built in Art Deco style in 1920s; romantic guest rooms; featured in Trip to Italy; ivy-clad exterior, stained-glass doors & rattling cage-lift; many rooms have silk wallpaper & period furniture, occasionally in need of TLC, but full of period charm; roof garden, restaurant & atmospheric bar.
●Hotel Manfredi – 54 Via Margutta; 011-39-06-699-21907; romeluxurysuites.com; exquisitely chic boutique just off Spanish Steps.
●Hotel Ponte Sisto – 64 Via dei Pettinari; 011-39-06-686-3100; hotelpontesisto.it; near bridge to Trastevere and Campo de’ Fiori; excellent location to see city on foot.
●Hotel Raphael – 2 Largo Febo; 011-39-06-682-831; raphaelhotel.com; Rome’s only Relais & Chateaux property; glorious location adjacent to Piazza Navona; ivy-covered façade; lobby decorated with antiques that rival local museums’ cache (e.g., Picasso ceramics collection); guest rooms (some quite small) recently refurbished with Florentine touch; some suites have private terraces; rooftop restaurant with all “Old Rome” major landmarks in view.
●Hotel St. George – 62 Via Guilia; 011-39-06-668-6611; stgeorgehotel.it; charming with perfect location; interior is sleekly modern; comfortable library with 2 enormous sofas flanking modern fireplace; wine bar and restaurant (overpriced); skylit atrium; rooftop terrace; Deluxe doubles on 5th floor mostly have terraces; Room 504 has best view.
●Portrait Suites – 23 Via Bocca di Leone; 011-39-06-938-0742; lungarnohotels.com; Ferragamo family’s 1st Rome hotel, with 14 suites and studios; elegant; details are strong point; high-tech; studios short on space but all amenities knock-out rooftop terrace with drop dead views of Piazza di Spagna and Villa Medici; Penthouse Suite, duplex with small gym, sauna, and terraces overlooking city is best.
●La Regola – 67 Via di Santa Maria in Monticelli (near Campo de Fiori); 011-39-34-2944-3921; laregola67.com; 3-suite bed & breakfast run by fashionable, well-connected couple who tailor in-know itineraries to obscure historic sites, opera openings, local markets & off-radar gallery openings.
●Residenza Napoleone III – 56 Largo Goldoni (off Spanish Steps); 011-39-347-733-7098; residenzanapoleone.com; in Palazzo Ruspoli.
●Hotel de Russie – 9 Via del Babuino; 011-39-06-632-8881; hotelderussie.it; between Piazza del Popolo and Spanish Steps; spa with Turkish baths.
●Villa Spalletti Trivelli – 4 Via Piacenza; 011-39-06-489-07934; villaspalletti.it/en; early 20
Esquilino & Monti (includes San Giovanni & Sant’Angelo)
●Gladitori Palazzo Manfredi – 125 Via Labicana; 011-39-06-7759-1380; hotelgladiatori.it; 4 star hotel near Colosseum.
●Duca d’Alba – 12 Via Leonina; 011-39-06-648-4471; hotelducadalba.com; 30 rooms total; 4th floor rooms have terraces; near Colosseum.
●Hotel Forum – 25 Via di Tor de Conti; 011-39-06-679-2446; hotelforumrome.com.
●Hotel Hassler – 6 Piazza Trinita dei Monti; 011-39-06-669-9340; hotelhassler.com; at Spanish Steps top.
●Hotel d’Inghilterra – 14 Via Bocca di Leone (Tridente); 011-39-06-669-9811; hoteldinghilterra.warwickhotels.com; in shopping heaven.
●Inn at Roman Forum – 30 Via degli Ibernesi; 011-39-06-919-0970; theinnattheromanforum.com; daringly renovated 17th Century building constructed over ancient part of Rome (on ground floor is fascinating vaulted passageway to Trajan’s Market); 12 rooms, beautifully decorated; rooftop breakfast/cocktail terrace; Master Garden Room on 5th floor is best, with sloped beamed ceilings.
●Intown Luxury House – 7 Via Bocca di Leone; 011-39-06-6938-0200; intownroma.it; 6 modish rooms at reasonable rates.
●Il Palazzetto – 8 Vicolo del Bottino; 011-39-06-699-341-000; ilpalazzettoroa.com; 4 rooms; Hassler offshoot; guest privileges there.
●Palazzetto degli Artisti – 108 Via della Madonna dei Monti; 011-39-06-6992-2552; palazzettodegliartisti.com; budget boutique with cheap but cheerful contemporary furnishings in 19th Century building.
North (includes Flaminio, Nomentano, Parioli & San Lorenzo)
●Hotel Lord Byron – 5 Via Giuseppe de Notaris; 011-39-06-222-0404; lordbyronhotel.com/en.
Oliveto
●Palazzo Parisi – 42-44 Via Borgo; 011-39-076-573-5032; palazzoparisi.com; about 20 minutes from Rome; set above village, this 16th Century fortress has wooded Sabine Hills views; lushly decorated grounds and house; good place for Rachel to marry.
Testaccio (includes Aventine & Ripa)
●Aventino Hotel – 10 Via San Domenico; 011-39-06-657-0057; aventinohotels.com; set in small building dating back to early 1900’s; in Aventine Hill area; smallest Groups’ hotels; cozy and homey atmosphere; family paintings, stone-fireplace, garden surrounding entire estate; rooms are spacious, welcoming, furnished with antiques placed upon exquisite parquet; Jacuzzi bathtubs; most coveted room is that developed from old turret that overlooks pleasant terrace from which 1 enjoys unforgettable view of Rome’s rooftops.
●Forty-Seven – 47 Via Petroselli; 011-39-06-678-7816; fortysevenhotel.com.
●Hotel Sant’Anselmo – 2 Piazza Sant’Anselmo; 011-39-06-570-057; aventinohotels.com; private, pastel colored villa transformed into alluring hotel, where elegance, romantic atmosphere, and privacy guarantee unforgettable stay; pleasant garden in which can enjoy breakfast amid orange and lemon trees in Rome’s heart.
●Hotel Villa San Pio – 19 Via Santa Melania; 011-39-06-570-057; aventinohotels.com; 3 villas form hotel, which were once private dwellings; pine trees shade pleasant garden; vaulted ceilings, Empire style furniture, oriental carpets, and antique paintings; some rooms have terraces, offering rooftop and Roman garden views; Mediterranean garden, having palms, magnolia, bougainvillea and camellia; bathrooms have lavish marble and modern Jacuzzi facilities.
Trastevere
●Hotel Donna Camilla Savelli – 27 Via Garibaldi; 011-39-06-588-861; hoteldonnacamillasavelli.com; in quiet corner; simply appointed rooms; affordable but not cheap.
●Hotel Trastevere – 24a-25 Via Luciano Manara; 011-39-06-581-4713; hoteltrastevere.net; diamond in rough; 24 clean rooms and several apartments on quiet street.
Tridente (includes Trevi)
●Villa Spalletti Trivelli – 4 Via Piacenza; 011-39-06-890-7934; villaspalletti.it; located in Quirinal Gardens across from Presidential Palace, superbly restored neoclassic mansion, owned and run by Count Gian Giacomo Spalletti Trivelli and wife, Susanna; 12 sumptuous rooms with massive windows; high-tech; chef on-site; room called Parione is only room with balcony and is former master bedroom.
Vatican City (includes Aurelio, Prati & Trionfale)
●Le Finestre di Luz – 43 Via Crescenzio (Prati); 011-39-06-6880-1172; lefinestrediluz.it; early 20th Century noble house not far from Vatican walls; now bed & breakfast decked with contemporary sculpture, family heirlooms, and modern light fixtures.
●Le Finestre sul Vaticano – 130 Via Angelo Emo (Zona Vaticano-San Pietro); 011-39-347-756-3811; romabandb.it; near Vatican; large clean rooms; excellent breakfasts; friendly management.
●Il Gattopardo Relais – 94 Via Giulio Cesare; 011-39-06-735-8480; ilgattopardorelais.it; walk in level of elegant 19th Century building near Vatican; 6 rooms.
●Giulio Cesare Hotel – 287 Via Degli Scipioni (Prati); 011-39-06-321-0751; hotelgiuliocesare.com; in lovely, patrician home and neighborhood.
●Rome Hilton Cavalieri – 101 Via Alberto Cadlolo; 011-39-06-3509-2152; romecavalieri.com; in 15-acre gardens; 4 stars; famously scene-y pool.
●Villa Laetitia – 22 Lungo Tevere Armi; 011-39-06-322-6776; villalaetitia.com; decorated by Anna Fendi; veritable warren of rooms.
Via Veneto (includes Borghese, Ludovisi & Sallustiano)
●Hotel Aldrovandi – 15 Via Ulisse Aldrovandi; 011-39-06-322-3993; aldrovandi.com; high end hotel with beautiful pool.
●Leon’s Place Hotel – 90-94 Via XX Settembre; 011-39-06-890-871; leonsplace.it; opened in 2008; sleekly modern with 56 smallish rooms with large beds; near Termini Station.
●Regina Hotel Baglioni – 72 Via Vittorio Veneto; 011-39-06-642-1111; baglionihotels.com; corridors take surprising twists and turns in century-old, Via Veneto hotel; rooms furnished in Art Deco style with glass chandeliers and silk tapestries; top floor accommodations have commanding city views; 2 good restaurants.
●Hotel Villa San Lorenzo Maria – 7 Via dei Liguri; 011-39-06-570-057; aventinohotels.com; situated in Saint Lorenzo historical area, close to Termini Station; elegant former noble residence constructed in 1910; charming garden surrounded by flowering shrubs.
RESTAURANTS
Centro Storico (includes Campitelli, Campo Marzio, Ghetto, Parione, Piazza Navona, Pigna, Ponte, Regola & Sant’Eustachio)
●Antica Focacceria San Francesco – 38 Piazza della Torretta; 011-39-06-6830-8297; afsf.it; café & restaurant; Mafia-free.
●L’Asino d’Oro – 81 Via Valsavaranche; 011-39-06-6449-1305; trattorialasinodoro.it; Umbrian, peasant cooking; affordable; in up-&-coming neighborhood; used to be in Orvieto, where was gastronome destination.
●Babingtons – 23 Piazza di Spagna; 011-39-06-678-6027; babingtons.net; English tea shop with emphasis on English mainstays; air-conditioned.
●Il Bacaro – 27 Via degli Spagnoli; 011-39-06-687-2554; ilbacaro.com; unpretentious and very accommodating to foreigners; only half-dozen tables; in ivy-edged hideaway alley near Piazza di Spagna; well-known for cheeses; palazzo in 1600s CE; try smoked grouper carpaccio in tomato sauce with fresh oregano, swordfish roulades stuffed with shrimp, radicchio, and zucchini, or beef filet in fresh basil sauce.
●Bramante Terrace – 2 Largo Febo (at Hotel Raphael); 011-39-06-682-831; raphaelhotel.com; Rome’s only Relais & Chateaux property; rooftop restaurant with all “Old Rome” major landmarks in view; try lobster lasagna or breaded lamb chops.
●Caffe Capitolino – 4 Piazza Caffarelli; 011-39-06-919-0564; museicapitolini.org; upstairs in Capitolino Museum; rooftop cafe w/perfect sunset views.
●Caffe della Pace – 3 Via della Pace; 011-39-06-686-1216; caffedellapace.it; Rome’s best people-watching; cocktails and coffee; open since 18th Century.
●Ristorante La Campana – 8 Vicolo della Campana; 011-39-06-687-5273; ristorantelacampana.com; top-notch trattoria food; Rome’s “most ancient” restaurant.
●Cesaretto – 39 Via della Croce; 011-39-06-6938-0557; open since 1886; no reservations; looks like dump from outside but always packed with locals; great pizza margherita and Florentine steak
●Ristorante Da Fortunato – 55 Via del Pantheon; 011-39-06-679-2788; ristorantedafortunato.it; near Pantheon; popular with artists.
●Da Giggetto – 21-22 Via del Portico d’Ottavia; 011-39-06-686-1105; giggettoalportico.it; atmospheric ghetto, rustic interiors, white-jacketed waiters, Roman-Jewish cooking.
●Gina – 7a Via San Sebastianello; 011-39-06-678-0251; ginaroma.com; light, elegant.
●Grano – 53 Piazza Rondanini; 011-39-06-819-2096; ristorantegrano.it; excellent tomato soup; outdoor, terrace dining; well-lit.
●Grappolo d’Oro Zampano – 80-84 Piazza della Cancelleria; 011-39-06-689-7080; grappolodorozampano.it; excellent Roman cuisine with modern twist; try Roman-style lamb.
●’Gusto al 28 – 28 Piazza Augusto Imperatore; 011-39-06-6813-4221; gusto.it; sleek atmosphere; good seafood.
●Ristorante Maccheroni – 44 Piazza delle Coppelle; 011-39-06-6830-7895; ristorantemaccheroni.com; boisterous, convivial trattoria north of Pantheon; airy, open feel that attracts young clientele as well as visiting celebrities; menu sticks to Roman basics, e.g., simple pasta with fresh tomatoes and basil or rigatoni alla gricia (with bacon, sheep’s-milk cheese, and black pepper); specialty pasta, trofie (short pasta twists) with black truffle sauce; also try tagliata con rughetta, juicy, 2" thick steak sliced thinly and served on arugula.
●Ristorante da Pancrazio – 92 Plazza del Biscione (near Campo de’ Fiori); 011-39-06-686-1246; dapancrazio.it; popular as much for archaeological interest as good food; 2 dining rooms, one decorated as 18th Century tavern; other occupies Pompey’s ancient theater (lined in carved capitals and bas-reliefs; time-tested Roman food; 2 particular classics are saltimbocca and tender roast lamb with potatoes.
●Obika Mozzerlla Bar – Piazza di Firenze (on corner at Via Dei Prefetti); 011-39-06-683-2630; obika.it/en; refined, light lunch.
●Ristorante Passetto – 14 Via Zanardelli; 011-39-06-880-3696; ristorante-passetto.com; elegant, refined eating; outdoor tables available.
●L’Orso 80 – 33 Via dell'Orso; 011-39-06-686-4904; orso80.it; on quiet street, few blocks off Piazza Navona; notable for antipasti and grilled fish; house white is excellent.
●Pierluigi – 144 Piazza de’ Ricci; 011-39-06-686-1302; pierluigi.it; outside tables; charming; seafood; open since 1938.
●Piperno – 9 Monte de Cenci; 011-39-06-6880-6629; ristorantepiperno.it; opened in 1856; celebrates Jerusalem artichoke (not really artichoke); uniformed, hardworking waiters’ advice and suggestions worth considering; try fritto misto vegetariano (artichokes, cheese-and-rice croquettes, mozzarella, and stuffed squash blossoms) before moving on to fish filet, veal, or pasta creation; many foods deep-fried or fried but emerge flaky and dry, not greasy.
●Al Pompiere – 38 Via Santa Maria dei Calderari; 011-39-06-686-3877; alpompiere.com; affordable; entrance on narrow side-street leads up charming staircase, into main dining room; Roman Jewish dishes, such as fried zucchini flowers, battered salt cod, and gnocchi; nice, historic touches include beef-and-citron stew that comes from ancient Apicius recipe; if traditional Roman porchetta (roasted suckling pig) available, order it.
●rHome – 46 Piazza Augusto Imperatore; 011-39-06-830-1430; rhomerestaurant.it; modern food for the young.
●Hostaria Romanesca – 40 Piazza Campo dei Fiori; 011-39-06-686-4024; okay.
●Roscioli – 21-22 Via dei Giubbonari; 011-39-06-687-5287; anticofornoroscioli; wine bar with good food; make sure to order culatello salami; in summer, ask to eat in wine cellar (restaurant’s coolest area).
●La Rosetta – 8 Via della Rosetta; 011-39-06-686-1002; larosetta.com; modern Roman food (raw fish).
●Il San Lorenzo – 4-5 Via dei Chiavari; 011-39-06-686-5097; ilsanlorenzo.it; good seafood.
●Ristorante Terra di Siena – 77 Piazza di Pasquino; 011-39-06-6830-7704; ristorantiroma.net.
●Trattoria Monti – 13a Via San Vito; 011-39-06-446-6573; locals eat here, near Basilica St. Mary, for alta cucina (Italian culinary movement redefining traditional dishes).
●Trattoria al Moro – 13 Vicolo delle Bollette; 011-39-06-678-3495; ristorantealmororoma.com; 1929 trattoria in difficult-to-locate place behind Trevi Fountain; must overcome initial hostility at door; among most authentic specialties in Rome, including crispy baby goat roasted dark golden and flavored with fresh rosemary; be sure not to salt anything before you taste it; ultimate carbonara.
Esquilino & Monti (includes San Giovanni & Sant’Angelo)
●Aroma – 125 Via Labicana (at Gladitori Palazzo Manfredi); 011-39-06-7759-1380; hotelgladiatori.it; delicious and lovely rooftop dining; try monkfish medallions.
●Ba’Ghetto – 57 Via Portico D’Ottavia; 011-39-06-6889-2868; baghetto.it; hot spot, smart in its black-&-white-with-turquoise-touches look; outdoor seating in warmer months; kosher kitchen serves meat dishes; Mediterranean & Roman Jewish offerings, like phyllo “cigars” stuffed with ground meat & spices, or brik (egg & tomato wrapped in phyllo triangles and briefly fried); note that Saturday night, restaurant posts post-Sabbath/sundown opening times to minute on blackboard out front.
●Ba’Ghetto Milky – 2a Via del Portico di Ottavia; 011-39-06-6830-0077; kosherinrome.com; dairy kosher restaurant; Italian, Middle-Eastern, and North African influences.
●Enoteca “Provincia Romana” – 82-84 Largo del Foro Traiano; 011-39-06-6766-2424; sleek wine bar with light fare.
●Il Palazzetto – 8 Vicolo del Bottino; 011-39-06-699-341-000; ilpalazzettoroa.com; Hassler offshoot; beautiful and great roof-top dining; try tonnarelli alla carbonara with extra shaved black truffle.
●Mama Kosher Food – 14 Via Portico d’Ottavia; 011-39-339-847-2084; kosher burgers and roast beef sandwiches; shabbat meals.
●Open Colonna – 9a Via Milano (at Palazzo delle Esposizioni); 011-39-06-478-2641; opencolonna.it; futuristic, greenhouse-like space; try roast pork dim sum with fava beans and Pecorino, bucatini with braised cod cheeks and mint, or smoked consommé ravioli with crème fraiche and Parmesan.
●La Taverna del Ghetto – 8 Via del Portico D’Ottavia; 011-39-06-6880-9771; latavernadelghetto.com/en; in stunning palazzo from 1300s; traditional Jewish & Roman cuisine; try salt cod with pine nuts, raisins, and cherry tomatoes, Jewish style mutton, or beef fillet with green pepper sauce; entire menu is strictly kosher; outdoor dining weather permitting, and rustic interior; closed Friday evening.
●Trattoria al Tettarello – 5 Via dei Capocci; 011-39-06-474-2130; wood-burning oven serves pizza to locals.
●Da Valentino – 293 Via Cavour; 011-39-06-488-1303; old-fashioned, small trattoria; very good.
North (includes Flaminio, Nomentano, Parioli & San Lorenzo)
●Osteria Flaminio – 297 Via Flaminia (Flaminio); 011-39-06-323-6900; “neo-trattoria”; try baccala alla romana (salt cod with pinenuts and raisins in onion-rich tomato sauce).
●Pastificio San Lorenzo – 196 Via Tiburtina; 011-39-06-9727-3519; pastificiocerere.com; informal but upscale restaurant and wine bar; try breaded poached egg in Mornay sauce, grilled tuna with yoghurt sauce, or roasted suckling pig with figs and blanced green beans.
●Ristorante Sud – 20a Via Antonio Bosio; 011-39-06-442-2701; sudristorantebar.com; trendy restaurant in city’s northern part.
Ostia Antica
●Allo Sbarco di Enea – 675 Via dei Romagnoli; 011-39-06-565-0034; ristoranteallosbarcodienea.com; for pasta and seafood in outdoor garden.
●Ristorante Monumento – 8 Piazza Umberto I; 011-39-06-565-0021; ristorantemonumento.it; for fried seafood.
Pigneto
●Osteria Qui Se Magna – 307a Via del Pigneto; 011-39-06-27-4803; not place for ambience and in distant suburb; nevertheless, excellent trattoria with Sicilian roots.
●Pigneto Quarantuno – 41 Via del Pigneto; 011-39-06-7039-9483; pignetoquarantuno.it; in distant suburb; inviting with lanterns, Fench jazz, and black and white photography; excellent trattoria.
●Primo al Pigneto – 46 Via del Pegneto; 011-39-06-701-3827; primoalpigneto.it; Italian tapas.
South (includes Appia Antica & Garbatella)
●L’Acino Brillo – 2 Piazza San Eurosia; 011-39-06-513-7145; acinobrillo.it; modern; hip; Plexiglass tables and bright orange lamp light; amazing wine list of over 300 selections; Chef Armando Baccari’s cucina creativa offers dishes such as ravioli with goat ricotta and zucchini flowers, and Carre di Aguello, lamb sirloin on crisp vegetable bed.
Testaccio (includes Aventine & Ripa)
●Augustarello – 98 Via Giovanni Branca; 011-39-06-574-6585; spare room; working-class local clientele; decent Sangiovese on table; fat proprietor who micromanages daily pasta selections; what Roman trattorias should be.
●Al Biondo Tevere – 178 Via Ostiense; 011-39-06-574-1172; immortalized in Luchino Visconti’s 1951 film, Bellissima; old-fashioned Roman fare.
●Circus – 47 Via Petroselli (at Forty-Seven Hotel; 011-39-06-678-7816; fortysevenhotel.com; rooftop terrace with dining.
●Felice a Testaccio – 29 Via Mastro Giorgio; 011-39-06-574-6800; feliceatestaccio.com; considered Rome’s best trattoria; run for 3 generations by same family; famous for tonnarelli cacao e pepe and tiramisu.
●Ficini Lola – 23 Via Luca della Robbia; 011-39-06-574-3017; among city’s best pizzerias, as is Remo, below.
●Forty-Seven – 47 Via Petroselli; 011-39-06-678-7816; fortysevenhotel.com; rooftop terrace with dining.
●Perilli – 39 Via Marmorata; 011-39-06-574-2415; restaurant datwa from 1911; decor proves it; seasonal antipasto table starts things off, offering Roman specialties like stewed Roman artichokes and puntarelle (curled chicory stems in garlicky vinaigrette with lots of lemon and anchovy); order classics like pasta all'amatriciana and carbonara, which is tossed in big bowl tableside; if you are brave, try rigatoni con pajata (with calves' intestines).
●Pizzeria 00100 – 88 Via Giovanni Branca; 011-39-06-4341-9624; 00100pizza.com; named for semolina flour grade used in dough; ambitious and good; in otherwise hole-in-wall neighborhood.
●Remo – 44 Piazza Santa Maria Liberatrice; 011-39-06-574-6270; among city’s best pizzerias, as is Ficini Lola, above.
●San Teodoro – 49-51 Via dei Fienili; 011-39-06-678-0933; st-teodoro.it; good place to eat in gastronomic wasteland near Roman Forum and Palatine Hill; eat either on shady terrace or dimly lit dining room resting under vaulted brick ceiling and arched alcoves; excellent seafood; all pastas homemade.
Trastevere
●Bir & Fud – 23 Via Benedetta; 011-39-06-589-4016; birefud.blogspot.com; cocktail bar, microbrewery, restaurant.
●Antica Focacceria San Francesco – 14 Piazza di San Giovanni Della Malva; 011-39-06-581-9503; afsf.it; café & restaurant; mafia-free.
●Da I 2 Ciccio – 3 Vicolo del Cedra; 011-39-06-589-4480; closed Sundays; you could live in Rome your whole life and never find place like this; fantastic trattoria.
●Dar Poeta – 45 Vicolo del Bologna; 011-39-06-588-0516; darpoeta.com; pizza.
●Ditta Trinchetti – 76 Via della Lungaretta; 011-39-06-5833-1189; dittatrinchetti.it; winebar; funky; open for dinner at un-Roman-ish 6 pm.
●Minnetti Ristorante – 56-57 Via Garibaldi; 011-39-06-5833-3248; minnetti.com; owned by Poggio Antico owner; order quail.
●Paris – 7a Piazza San Calisto; 011-39-06-581-5378; ristoranteparis.com; traditional Roman food in 17th Century palace.
●Forno La Renella – 15 Via del Moro; 011-39-06-581-7265; pizzeria that serves pizza with no cheese pizza bianco (as well as cheese version).
Tridente (includes Spanish Steps & Trevi)
●A134 – 34 Via Mario de Fiori; 011-39-06-679-5091; a134.it; affordable restaurant near Piazza di Spagna; traditional Roman fare.
●Otello alla Concordia – 81 Via della Croce; 011-39-06-679-1178; otello-alla-concordia.it; indoor and outdoor seating; always good food.
●Palatium – 94 Via Frattina; 011-39-06-920-2132; enotecapalatium.it; sleek and chic, near Piazza de Spagna.
●Rinaldi al Quirinale – 11/a Via Parma; 011-39-06-4782-5171; rinaldialquirinale; sophisticated, somewhat pricey establishment near Quirinale Palace and Eliseo Theater that serves classic Roman cuisine.
●Hostaria Romana – 1 Via del Boccaccio; 011-39-06-474-5284; hostariaromana.it; fixture for Romans but not tourists; beloved trattoria with great antipasto.
Vatican City (includes Aurelio, Prati & Trionfale)
●L’Arcangelo – 59 Via Giuseppe Gioacchino Belli (Prati); 011-39-06-321-0992; serves up classic Italian regional dishes with modern twists; suppli (fried ground meat, mozzarella, rice & tomato sauce bits presented in cardboard egg cartons one day or colorful paper cones; squab is delivered under dome filled with aromatic smoke; Thursdays are traditional day to enjoy gnocchi, and many consider L’Arcangelo’s among best in Rome.
●Osteria dell’Angelo – 24 Via Giovanni Bettolo; 011-39-06-372-9470; near Vatican, outdoor seating in good weather.
●La Pergola – 101 Via Alberto Cadlolo (at Hilton Cavalieri); 011-39-06-3509-2152; romecavalieri.com; expensive; among city’s best dining experiences.
●Pizzarium – 43 Via della Meloria; 011-39-06-3974-5416; although have to order at counter, considered best pizza around by many; try mozzarella-&-potato-topped white pizza.
●Romeo – 26/A Via Silla; 011-39-06-3211-0120; romeo.roma.it; joint venture between high-end food shop owners Roscioli and Glass proprietors (Michelin-starred spot); deli and bakery counters in front give way to dining room.
●Settembrini – 27 Via Settembrini; 011-39-06-323-2617; ristorantesettembrini.it; chic with outdoor seating; uses classic ingredients in novel ways; try rabbit.
●Sorpasso – 31 Via Properzio (Prati); 011-39-06-8902-4554; sorpasso.info; trattoria that also is cocktail and wine bar; worth special trip.
●Dal Toscano – 58 Via Germanico; 011-39-06-3972-5717; ristorantedaltoscano.it; renowned for bistecca alla fiorentina (prepared in wood-fired oven).
Via Veneto (includes Borghese, Ludovisi & Sallustiano)
●Filippo La Mantia – 1 Via Liguria (at Hotel Majestic); 011-39-331-785-8542; filippola-mantia.com; popular with locals; chef inserts himself into your evening; charming; expensive.
●Ottoemezzo – 83-85 Via Boncompagni; 011-39-06-4555-4413; ottoemezzoroma.it; cutting-edge Roman food; try salt cod ravioli with anchovy and caviar.
●Ristorante Peppone – 60 Via Emilia; 011-39-06-483-976; peppone.it; supposedly Michelin star-worthy yet very mixed reviews.
SERVICES
●Archaeology Card – romaturismo.it; gets you into Caracalla Baths, Colosseum, Crypta Balbi, Diocletian Baths, Palantine, Palazzo Altemps, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Tomb of Cecilia Metella, and Villa dei Quintili.
●Salvatore Barberi – 011-39-335-282-615; walksinsiderome.com; excellent tour-guide, as is his sister.
●Context Travel – 145 Via Santa Maria Maggiore (#14); 011-39-06-9762-5204 or 215-240-4347 (US number that rings in Italy); contexttravel.com/city/Rome; scholar and specialist network (archaeology, art history, classics, cuisine, environmental science, history, and urban planning); design and lead small groups (6 maximum) on walking tours; Antonio Barbieri is good driver.
●Agnes Crawford – 011-39-338-198-4375; understandingrome.com; excellent tour-guide with extensive architectural background.
●Institute of Design & Culture – 940-202-4700; idcrome.org; personalized, highend tours.
●Italy With Us – 011-39-06-3972-3051; italywithus.com; of special interest is tour “Underground Rome,” which is 3-hour walk beneath Basilica San Clemente (medieval church built on former Mithraic temple), Casa Romane, and Sant’Agnese catacombs.
●Private View of Italy – 40 Via della Polveriera; 011-39-06-474-1985; apvoi.com; run by Count Stefano Aluffi-Pentini; can arrange private Villa Aurora tour, including Caravaggio mural viewing.
●Roma’n’Bike – roma-n-bike.com; bike rentals that can be dropped off at 19 different locations.
●Rome by Me – 011-39-06-534-4055; angela.raffaelli@alice.it or romebyme.com; art historian Angela Raffaelli, fluent in English and Spanish, offers tours of ancient Rome; highly recommended.
East (includes San Lorenzo)
●Made in San Lorenzo – madeinsanlorenzo.it; information about San Lorenzo shopping district.
Esquilino & Monti (includes San Giovanni & Sant’Angelo)
●AquaMadre Hammam – 17 Via di Sant’Ambrogio; 011-39-06-686-4272; aquamadre.it; Greco-Roman-Turkish-inspired spa; has pools of varying temperatures (frigidarium, tepidarium, and calidarium) and massages.
●Tourism Office – 24 Via Leopardi; romaturismo.it.
Tridente (includes Trevi)
●Barberini Scooters – 84 Via della Purificazione; 011-39-06-488-5485; rentscooter.it; vespas and maps.
SHOPPING
Centro Storico (includes Campitelli, Campo Marzio, Ghetto, Parione, Piazza Navona, Pigna, Ponte, Regola & Sant’Eustachio)
●Artigiani e Pellettieri – 15 Via Vittoria, #2; 011-39-06-361-3402; ring bell at this unassuming doorway and hurry up stairs to family-run, leather workshop that feels like it hasn’t changed for decades; elderly artisans create bags, belts, picture frames, travel cases, watch straps, and other such elegant stuff; take along buckle or watch to which you want belt or strap fitted.
●La Bottega dei Sapori e Saperi della Legalità – 23 Via dei Prefetti; 011-39-06-6992-5262; liberaterra.it or libera.it; jams, oils, pastas, wines, and other products; mafia-free.
●La Bottega del Marmoraro – 53b Via Margutta; 011-39-06-320-7660; small marble plaques.
●Chocolat Cioccolatini d’Autore – 12-13 Via della Dogana Vecchia; 011-39-06-813-5545; lacasettadicioccolato.com; handmade chocolates.
●Enigma – 61a Via Margutta; 011-39-06-321-8358; enigma.it; high-end jewelry store owned by Gianni Bulgari.
●Flair – 55b Via Margutta; 011-39-06-326-52067; flair.it; vintage furniture store.
●Forno Campo De’ Fiori – 22 Campo de’ Fiori; 011-39-06-6880-6662; fornocampodefiori.com; takeout only but can eat at statue in plaza’s middle.
●Gammarelli – 34 Via di Santa Chiara; 011-39-06-6880-1314; gammarelli.com; haberdashery for popes (especially socks).
●Gusto – 9 Piazza Augusto Imperatore; 011-39-06-322-6273; gusto.it; Rome’s only food emporium, includes cheese shop, cookbook, kitchenware shop, Osteria, pizzeria, serious restaurant, wine bar and wine shop, all housed in 7.5' sq space off huge, marbled 1930s Piazza Augusto Imperatore; meanwhile, American architect Richard Meier-redesigned piazza’s west side, linking Ara Pacis with Augustus mausoleum; pedestrian zone; ‘Gusto has live music; Osteria (on Via della Frezza, on complex side not facing piazza) quite old-fashioned, with nonna-style menu (meatballs with sage, tonnarelli cacio e pepe, eggplant parmigiana); formaggeria tucked into Osteria corner, with windows that open directly on street (about 300 cheeses); serious restaurant at ‘Gusto known for its wine list, with more than 1.2K labels; Enoteca small but lots going on.
●Franco Masino – 60 Via Belsiana; 011-39-06-679-2343; francomasino.it; tailor.
●M di M Magaldi Angelica – 54 Via dei Coronari; 011-39-06-687-1605; estate jewelry.
●Mam – 73a Via delle Coppelle; 011-39-06-6813-6168; clothing.
●Mondello Ottica – 97-98 Via dei Pellegrino; 011-39-06-686-1955; mondelloottica.it; stylish eyewear.
●De Ritis – 48 Via de’ Cestari; 011-39-06-686-5843; ecclesiastical clothing.
●Saddlers Union – 11 Via Margutta; 011-39-06-3212-0237; saddlersunion.com; handmade belts, wallets, bags, and briefcases.
●Secondome Gallery – 26-27 Via degli Orsini; 011-39-06-4550-5750; secondome.eu; home design gallery with limited edition pieces.
●Sempre – 7 Piazza della Pigna; 011-39-06-679-2879; clothing.
●Spazio Espanso – 59-60 Via dei Bergamaschi; 011-39-06-9784-2793; clothing boutique.
●Alberto Valentini – 21 Vicolo delle Vacche; 011-39-06-6476-0682; albertovalentini.com; specializes in vintage fabrics from 1920-1960s; eccentric designs but beautiful; notable for tie selection; also sells art.
East (includes San Lorenzo)
●Myriam B. – 75 Via dei Volsci; 011-39-06-4436-1305; myriamb.it; handmade women’s clothing and jewelry.
●Candle Store – 49 Via dei Campani; 011-39-06-446-4849; candlestore.it; artisanal candles.
●Claudio Sano – 67a Largo degli Osci; 011-39-06-446-9284; claudiosano.it; custom bags and leather goods.
Esquilino & Monti (includes San Giovanni & Sant’Angelo)
●DOP Concept Store – 25 Via Urbana; 011-39-06-4890-6412; exibart.com/profilo/sedev2.asp?idelemento=8810; warm yet minimalist boutique for offbeat Made-in-Italy labels like a.b. Malloni and Reset, as well as upscale Spanish brands, like Hoss.
●Enoteca “Provincia Romana” – 82-84 Largo del Foro Traiano; 011-39-06-6766-2424; sleek wine bar with picnic take-out.
●Nora P – 220-221 Via Panisperna; 011-39-06-4547-3738; nora-p.com; design gift shop; unique items; owned by Elonora Pastore.
●Le Nou – 111 Via del Boschetto; 011-39-06-3105-6339; women’s clothing.
●LOL – 89-92 Via Urbana; 011-39-06-481-4160; art, design, and fashion boutique.
●Fabio Picconi – 148 Via del Boschetto; 011-39-06-474-1697; cunningly reworked vintage costume jewelry.
●Umberto Silo – Via Neofiti; junk.
●Tina Sondergaard – 1D Via del Boschetto; 011-39-06-9799-0565; subtly retro, made-to-measure women’s clothing.
●Spazio Artigiano – 13 Vicolo dei Serpenti; 011-39-06-4782-4860; Italian ceramics.
●Urbana 47 – 47 Via Urbana; 011-39-06-4788-4006; urbana47.it; very mixed reviews; coffee shop and used furniture boutique; also, localvore organic restaurant.
North (includes Flaminio, Nomentano, Parioli & San Lorenzo)
●Altromercato – 262 Via di Ripetta; 011-39-06-322-3023; altromercato.it; sells mafia-free products.
●Attik – 4B/6 Via Tiepolo (Flaminio); 011-39-06-9761-1053; vintage furniture and home accessories (Danish origin).
●Domenico Luzzi – 41 Via del Babuino; 011-39-06-3600-1676; sartorialuzzi.com; tailor for black tie occasions only.
Testaccio (includes Aventine & Ripa)
●Testaccio Market – Piazza Testaccio; among city’s oldest food markets.
●White Gallery – 18-19 Piazza Guglielmo Marconi; 011-39-06-5427-7400; whitegallery.it; Rome's 1st "lifestyle" store.
Trastevere
●Almost Corner Bookshop – 45 Via del Moro; 011-39-06-583-6942; librarything.com/venue/36867/The-Almost-Corner-Bookshop; bookstore.
●Roma-Store – 63 Via della Lungaretta; 011-39-06-581-8789; perfumes.
●Valzani – 37 Via del Moro; 011-39-06-580-3792; valzani.it; unassuming pastry shop and chocolatier.
Vatican City (includes Aurelio, Prati & Trionfale)
●F&F – 42 Piazza dell’Unita; 011-39-06-321-0763; fef-roma.it; long-established boutique sells stylish accessories and clothing for men and women.
●Musicarte La Bottega – 32/34 Via Fabio Massimo; 011-39-06-324-1741; musicarte.com; stringed instruments.
●La Tradizione – 8 Via Cipro (Prati); 011-39-06-3972-0349; latradizione.it; 400 cheeses, best enjoyed with bread from nearby Panificio Bonci.
Via Veneto (includes Borghese, Ludovisi & Sallustiano)
●Suede & Skin – 69 Via Francesco Crispi; 011-39-06-678-2793; tiscali.it/suedeandskin; specialty shop for belts, jackets, luggage, shoes, and other leather goods constructed in their Florentine leather factory; run by English-speaking woman; reasonable prices and on-site workshop offers minor alterations for those in need.
SIGHTS & SITES
●Calcata – medieval hill town north of Rome; haven for artists and bohemians in 1960s; “may be grooviest village in Italy.”
●Fregene – beach hot spot, short trip by train, for la dolce vita.
●Great Synagogue & Jewish Museum of Rome – 15 Lungotevere Cenci; 011-39-06-6840-0651 or 011-39-06-6840-0652; jewishitaly.org; shortly after Italy’s unification in 1870, Victor Emmanuel II dismantled Roman Ghetto and granted Jews full citizenship; previous ghetto synagogue demolished and present Great Synagogue built from 1901-1904 on Tiber River, overlooking former ghetto; on April 13, 1986, Pope John Paul II paid unexpected visit, marking 1st known visit by pope to synagogue since early church history; designed by Vincenzo Costa and Osvaldo Armanni; Art Deco with only squared dome in city; houses Jewish Museum of Rome.
●Lungo il Tevere Roma – boardwalk along Tiber River, wrapping nearly 3 miles; passes ancient sites.
●Ostia Antica – Viale dei Romagnoli; 011-39-06-5635-8099; archeoroma.beniculturali.it; remarkably unchanged over last 2K years; short train ride from Rome.
Ancient Rome
●Baths of Caracalla – Viale delle Terme di Caracalla; 011-39-06-3996-7700; archeoroma.beniculturali.it; Emperor Septimus Severus began construction on this thermal bath complex in 200s CE; largest in Rome when inaugurated 10 years later by son, Caracalla; in operation until 6th Century CE when Ostrogaths, under Totilla, sack, destroying hydraulic installations; occupy 11 hectares; gardens once decorated with huge cup-shaped fountains (2 still function), can be found in Piazza Farnese.
Appia Antica
●Catacombs of San Callisto – 110-126 Via Appia Antica; 011-39-06-513-0151 or 011-39-06-513-6725; catacombe.roma.it/en; often packed with tours but phenomenol experience; Rome’s Christian community’s 1st burial place (16 popes in 3rd Century); structured in 5 levels and reaching 65' deep; sepulchral chambers and almost 500K tombs; epigraphs, paintings, and sculptures.
●Catacombs of San Sebastiano Fuori le Mur – 136 Via Appia Antica; 011-39-06-785-0350; catacombe.org/uk_index.html; in ancient Roman times, no one buried within city walls; pagan Romans cremated, but Christians preferred burial (to allow resurrection); land expensive & most Christians poor, so wealthy, landowning Christians allowed land to be used as burial places; 40 or so known catacombs scattered outside Rome’s ancient walls; from 1st-5th Centuries CE, Christians dug estimated 375 miles of tomb-lined tunnels, with gallery networks up to 5 layers deep; bodies wrapped in linen (like Christ) because 2nd Coming precluded interest in embalming; when Constantine legalized Christianity in 313 CE, Christians had new, interesting problem: no more recently persecuted martyrs to inspire, so Christians began making pilgrimages to their burial places; in 800s CE, when barbarian invaders started ransacking tombs, Christians moved relics & for 1K years catacombs; underground tunnels, while now empty of bones, rich in early Christian symbolism, which functioned as secret language.
Campo Verano (Outside Walls)
●Basilica of San Lorenzo Fuori (St. Lawrence Outside Walls) – 3 Piazzale del Verano (on Rome’s east side, beyond Termini Station); 011-39-06-4470-3453; basilicasanlorenzo.en; ancient basilica with wealth of early Christian artifacts; built over St. Lawrence’s (died 258 CE) grave; 1 of 5 patriarchal basilicas & 1 of 7 Rome pilgrimage churches (when Roman officials demanded Lawrence hand over church wealth, he instead brought poor & sick, declaring they were Church’s true treasure); west facade is 20th Century reconstruction of 13th Century original, bomb-damaged in WWII; large municipal cemetery (Cimitero Monumentale del Verano) extends alongside and behind basilica; walk along right (south) side to view 2 distinct parts (13th Century nave at west end & 6th Century basilica on east end, which now supports chancel); Romanesque campanile (12th Century) rises on south side; on north side is hill containing 5 catacomb levels; entrance through west narthex (built 1220 CE & rebuilt after bomb damage), decorated with colorful frescoes of Sts. Lawrence & Stephen; narthex also displays some early Christian sarcophagi; inside, nave reflects simple Byzantine, 5th Century style.
Centro Storico (includes Campitelli, Campo Marzio, Ghetto, Parione, Piazza Navona, Pigna, Ponte, Regola & Sant’Eustachio)
●Ara Pacis Museum – Lungotevere in Augusta (located along Tiber River, near Ponte Cavour, on Piazza Augusto Imperatore’s western edge); 011-39-06-8205-9127; ara-pacis-museum.com; Richard Meier designed; controversial; across street, great grattachecche, wonderful sorbet.
●Area Sacra Sant’Omobono – Vico Jugario; facebook.com/santomobono?ref=stream&hc_location=timeline; built in 15th Century & called San Salvatore in Portico; when given to Università dei Sarti (tailor association), dedicated to patron saint, Saint Homobonus; outside church lie excavated Roman altars & temples dating from as early as 6th Century BCE; temples identified as those of Fortuna & Mater Matuta; sacred area lies between Fora Boarium & Holitorium.
●Basilica of Maxentius – 53 Piazza Santa Maria Nova; 011-39-06-699-0110; also known as Constantine’s Basilica.
●Bibliotheca Angelica – 8 Piazza Sant’Agostino; 011-39-06-684-0801; biblioangelica.it; open in 1609; among Europe’s 1st public libraries; holds about 180K volumes (e.g., Codex Angelicus) and 1.1K incunabula, formerly belonging to Augustinians; since 1940, has housed Arcadia Academy archives.
●Campo dei Fiori – few blocks south of Piazza Navona; outdoor food market (every day but Sunday); best picnic source.
●Capitolini Musei – 1 Piazza del Campidoglio; 011-39-06-060-608; museicapitolini.org; cluster of museums in Campidoglio, square designed by Michelangelo in 1536); make sure to see Bernini’s Medusa Head and Caravaggio’s Fortune Teller (1594) & John the Baptist (1602).
●Cerasi Chapel – 12 Piazza del Popolo (in Santa Maria del Popolo); 011-39-06-361-0836; santamariadelpopolo.it; note, see Caravaggio’s Crucifixion of Saint Peter (1601) & Conversion of Saint Paul on Road to Damascus (1601).
●Chiesa di Sant’Eligio degli Orefici – 8 Via di Sant’Eligio (near Via Giulia, on corner of Via Sant’Eligio that ends below Lungotevere dei Tebaldi, few blocks northwest of Palazzo Farnese); 011-390-06-686-8260; gcatholic.org/churches/rome/777.htm; initially designed by Raphael for Goldsmiths Guild when they split from Ironworkers Guild in 1509; completed by Baldassarre Peruzzi & Bastiano da Sangallo; besides his work on St. Peter’s Basilica, only church in Rome that, although partially, can definitely be attributed to Raphael.
●Contarelli Chapel – 12 Piazza del Popolo (in Santa Maria del Popolo); 011-39-06-361-0836; santamariadelpopolo.it; note, see Caravaggio’s Calling of Saint Matthew (1600), Martyrdom of Saint Matthew (1600) & Inspiration of Saint Matthew (1602).
●Crypta Balbi – 31 Via delle Botteghe Oscure; 011-39-06-3996-7700; archeoroma.beniculturali.it/mostre; Lucius Cornelius Balbus’ theater.
●Museo Napoleonico & Museuo Mario Praz – 1 Piazza Umberto I (on Piazza Navona, in Palazzo Primoli); 011-39-06-6880-6286; museonapoleonico.it; opulent collection velvet-and-crystal salons that hauntingly capture early-19th Century Rome’s fragile charm; small museum in Palazzo Primoli; rich, specialized collection Napoléon memorabilia, including Canova bust of General’s sister, Pauline Borghese (as well as plaster cast of her left bust); former residence of art historian Mario Praz; worth special visit.
●Palatine Hill – 30 Via San Gregorio; 011-39-06-3996-7700; Rome’s centermost of 7 hills; among city’s most ancient areas.
●Palazzo Altemps – 48 Piazza San Apollinare; 011-39-06-996-7700; roma2000.it/zmunaro.html; legendary sculptures in tiny 15th Century palace.
●Palazzo Doria Pamphilj – 301 Via del Corso; 011-39-06-579-7323; dopart.it/roma; large art collection; still privately owned by princely Roman family, Doria Pamphilj; includes furnishings and paintings; likely largest in Rome still in private ownership; bulk is displayed in 4 gilded and painted galleries surrounding courtyard; extensive suite further rooms converted to permanent well-lit galleries, containing Byzantine and medieval; collection includes Velazquez’ Innocent X portrait, Gobelin tapestries, Lorraine landscapes, Benini portraits, Tempesta’s Red Sea Crossing, Caravaggio’s Penitent Magdalene and Rest on Fight into Egypt, Raphael double portrait, Titian’s Salome with St. John Baptist’s Head.
●Palazzo Farnese – Servizio Culturale, French Embassy, Piazza Farnese; 011-39-06-6889-2818; france-italia.it; famous for grand rooms, notably Carracci Gallery, which has 2nd greatest ceiling in Rome after Sistine Chapel; most beautiful Renaissance palace in Rome; uppermost frieze decorations and main window overlooking piazza are by Michelangelo, who also designed part of courtyard, as well as graceful arch over Via Giullia at back.
●Palazzo Massimo alle Terme – 67 Largo di Villa Peretti (on Piazza dei Cinquecento); 011-39-06-996-7700; roma2000.it/zmunaro.html; some of Rome’s great frescoes; pierreci.it (for on-line ticket booking).
●Pantheon – Piazza della Rotonda; 011-39-06-6830-0230; rome.info/pantheon.
●Piazza del Campidoglio – on top of Capitol Hill; behind Victor Emmanuel Monument, flanked by museums, on ancient capitol site.
●Piazza Navona – city square that follows ancient Roman circus plan, 1st Century’s Stadium of Domitian, where Romans came to watch agones (“games”), known also as Circus Agonalis (“competition arena”); over time name changes to in agone to navone and eventually to navona; defined as public space in 15th Century’s last years, when city market transferred to it from Campidoglio; features Bernini architectural and sculptural creations (i.e., Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (“4 Rivers Fountain,” 1651, in center; also works by Borromini, Cortona, Porta, and Rainaldi; other monuments on Piazza Navona are: Stabilimenti Spagnoli; Palazzo de Cupis; Palazzo Torres Massimo Lancellotti; Church of Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore; and Palazzo Braschi (Museo di Roma).
●Sant’Agostino Basilica – 80 Piazza di Sant’Agostino; 011-39-06-6880-1962; Caravaggio's Madonna di Loreto (1604).
●Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza – 40 Corso del Rinascimento; 011-39-06-686-4987; sivoallasapienza.eu/?page_id=5; only open to public on Sundays; considered Roman Baroque architecture masterpiece; built in 1642-1660 by architect, Francesco Borromini; earliest portion dates to around 14th Century, as University of Rome palace chapel (University called La Sapienza; church devoted to St. Yves (jurists’ patron saint), giving church its name); Borromini adapts design to that of existing palace; chooses plan resembling star of David; merges church’s facade with palace’s courtyard; dome, with corkscrew lantern, remarkably novel; “rational architecture” (intricate to view but, on paper, overlap of circle on 2 superimposed equilateral triangles creates basis for hexagonal array of altar and chapels in centralized church).
Esquilino & Monti (includes San Giovanni & Sant’Angelo)
●Basilica San Clemente – 95 Via Labicana (at Piazza San Clemente, in Laterano); 011-39-06-774-0021; basilicasanclemente.com; medieval church built over Mithraic temple.
●Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano – 4 Piazza di Porta San Giovanni; 011-39-06-6988-6433; vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_giovanni/index_it.htm; for K years this monumental cathedral was most important church in Christendom; commissioned by Constantine & consecrated in 324 CE, was 1st Christian basilica built in city & until late 14th Century, was pope’s main place of worship; still Rome’s official cathedral & pope’s seat as Bishop of Rome; basilica has been revamped several times, most notably by Borromini in 17th Century & by Alessandro Galilei, who added white facade in 1735 (imposing example of late-baroque classicism); central bronze doors moved here from Curia in Roman Forum, while, on far right, Holy Door is only opened in Jubilee years; cavernous interior owes much of present look to Francesco Borromini, who redecorated it for 1650 Jubilee (golden gilt ceiling, 15th Century mosaic floor & wide central nave lined with sculptures of apostles); at head of nave, Gothic baldachin over papal altar said to contain relics of heads of Sts. Peter & Paul; behind altar, massive apse decorated with sparkling mosaics, parts of which date to 4th Century, but most added in 1800s; at other end of basilica, on 1st pillar on right-hand aisle, is incomplete Giotto fresco; to left of altar, beautiful 13th Century cloister is lovely, peaceful place with graceful twisted columns set around central garden.
●Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore – Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore; 011-39-06-483-195; sanvito-roma.it.
●Colosseum – Piazza del Colosseo; 011-39-06-3996-7700; pierreci.it.
●Domus Aurea – 1 Via della Domus Aurea or 136 Via Labicana; 011-39-06-996-7700; archeoroma.beniculturali.it/en/archaeological-site/domus-aurea; “Nero’s House”; just opposite Colosseum; underground, partially excavated; “Golden House”; murals.
●Doria Pamphilj Gallery – 305 Via del Corso; 011-39-06-679-7323; dopart.it; numerous 17th Century masterpieces by Jan Bruegel, Caravaggio (Penitent Magdalene (1597), Rest on Flight into Egypt (1597) & John the Baptist (1602)), Annibale Carracci, Gaspard Dughet, Guercino, Claude Lorrain, Guido Reni, Jusepe Ribera, and Velázquez; also, important Renaissance pieces by Pieter Bruegel, Correggio, Garofalo, Lorenzo Lotto, Parmigianino, Raphael, and Titian; also, marble busts by Alessandro Algardi and Gian Lorenzo Bernini and large antique sculpture collection, from archaic times to Hellenistic period.
●Fontana delle Tartarughe – Piazza Mattei; late Italian Renaissance fountain (1580-1588) architect Giacomo della Porta and sculptor Taddeo Landini; bronzes turtles around upper basin, usually attributed either to Gian Lorenzo Bernini or Andrea Sacchi, added 1658-1659, when fountain restored.
●Palazzo Cenci – Vicolo dei Cenci; real-life horror house because scene of one of 16th Century’s most infamous crimes, murder of Francesco Cenci by his daughter Beatrice & wife Lucrezia.
●Via Panisperna – picturesque street.
●Piazza della Madonna dei Monti – just off intersection Via Baccina and Via Dei Serpenti; lovely fountain in middle.
●Portico d’Ottavia – Via del Teatro di Marcello; archaeological area; oldest quadriporto (4-sided porch) in Rome; erected 146 BCE by builder named Octavius, rebuilt in 23 BCE by Augustus, who kept name to honor sister Octavia; from Middle Ages-late 19th Century, housed city’s fish market.
●San Pietro in Vincoli – Piazza San Pietro in Vincoli; 011-39-06-488-2865; sacred-destinations.com; Michelangelo’s Moses.
●Santa Madonna dei Monti – 41 Via della Madonna dei Monti; 011-39-06-485-531; 16th Century church.
●Scuderie del Quirinale – 194 Via Nazionale; 011-39-06-3977-7500; scuderiequirinale.it; museum.
●Teatro di Marcello – Via del Teatro di Marcello; ancient, open-air theater; built in Roman Republic’s closing years; named for Marcus Marcellus, Emperor Augustus’ nephew, who died 5 years before its completion.
●Temple of Romulus – Via dei Fori Imperiali (Chiesa Santi Cosma e Damiano); 011-39-06-699-1540; 1st church in Forum (527 CE).
●Palazzo Valentini – 119A Via IV Novembre (near Piazza Venezia); 011-39-06-6920-2133; provincia.roma.it; Rome’s provincial headquarters has, in basement, excavated villa from old prostitution district; flashy but interesting light and sound show worth seeing.
EUR
●Museo Fosse Ardeatine – 174 Via Ardeatina; 011-39-06-513-6742; web.tiscali.it/celatag/versionetestuale/fo24marzo.htm; national monument & memorial cemetery; German troops mass executed 335 people here, taken at random from Rome’s prisons and streets, in reprisal for partisan attack in city center.
North (includes Flaminio, Nomentano, Parioli & San Lorenzo)
●Auditorium Parco della Musica – 15 Via Pietro de Coubertin (Flaminio); 011-39-06-802-411; auditorium.com; new venue for music, colloquia, and Rome Film Festival.
●Diocletian Baths & Octagonal Hall – 79 Viale Enrico De Nicola (near Piazza dei Cinquecento); 011-39-06-3996-7700; roma2000.it/zmunaro.html; 3rd Century baths and convent part, possibly Michelangelo-designed; at time, biggest thermal baths in world; Octagonal Hall occupies their southwest corner.
●Mausoleo di Santa Costanza – 349 Via Nomentana; santagnese.org/mausoleo.htm; behind Sant’Agnese Fuori le Mura; santagnese.org/mausoleo.htm; church outside Porta Pia with spectacular mosaics.
●National Museum of XXI Century Arts (MAXXI) – 4 Via Guido Reni; 011-39-06-321-0181; fondazionemaxxi.it; modern art.
●Ponte della Musica – Flaminio; links area around Foro Italico sports complex with Maxxi, Auditorium Parco della Musica, and Pier Luigi Nervi’s Palazzetto dello Sport.
Ostia Antica
●Museum of Ostia Road – 3 Via Augusto Persichetti; 011-39-06-574-3193; archeoroma.beniculturali.it/museo_della_via_ostiense.
South (includes Appia Antica & Garbatella)
●Tomb of Cecilia Metella – 161 Via Appia Antica; 011-39-06-3996-7700; Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus’ daughter and Marcus Licinius Crassus’ (“Younger”) wife; he was Julius Caesar’s legate.
●Villa dei Quintili – 290 Via Appia Antica; 011-39-06-718-0163; pierreci.it; ancient Roman villa beyond Via Appia Antica’s 5th milestone; built by cultured and rich brothers, Sextus Quintilius Maximus and Sextus Quintilus Condianus (consuls in 151 CE), in 2nd Century; villa includes extensive thermae fed by own aqueduct and hippodrome (dating to 4th Century, when villa is imperial property: emperor Commodus covets villa strongly enough to put owners to death in 182 and confiscates for self).
Testaccio (includes Aventine & Ripa)
●Basilica di San Paolo Fuori le Mura – 186 Via Ostiense; 011-39-06-541-0341; abbaziasanpaolo.net; enchanting, early 13th Century cloister.
●Centrale Montemartini – 106 Via Ostiense; 011-39-06-574-8042; centralemontemartini.org; former power station; short bus ride south of Porta San Paolo.
●Headquarters of Sovereign Order of Knights of Malta – Piazza Cavalieri di Malta (Aventine Hill, at Via Santa Sabina & Via Porta Lavernale); 011-39-06-6758-1234; hmml.org/preservation10/SMOM.htm; Baroque architectural joke; keyhole on site frames St. Peter’s and provides 1 of city’s best views.
●House of Livia – Palatine Hill (northwest crest); 011-39-06-699-0110; skenographia.cch.kcl.ac.uk/livia/index.html; beautiful frescoes.
●MACRO Future Gallery – 4 Piazza Orazio Giustiniani; 011-39-06-574-2647; macro.roma.museum; modern art.
●Parco della Resistenza dell’8 Settembre – Viale della Piramide Cestia (Piazzale Ostiense); where, on September 10, 1943, 600 Italian citizens fought Nazis in effort (unsuccessful on this day) to oust remaining Germans from Rome.
●Protestant Cemetery – 6 Via Caio Cestio; 011-39-06-574-1900; protestantcemetery.it/english/index.php; beside Porta San Paolo, with Keats’ & Shelley’s graves; also, that of Antonio Gramsci (Italy’s Communist Party’s founder); 1st Century’s Caius Cestius’ pyramid; beautiful place.
●Roman Forum – Largo della Salara Vecchia; 011-39-06-699-0110; rome.info/roman-forum.
Trastevere
●Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica (Corsini Gallery) – 10 Via della Lungara; 011-39-06-6880-2323; galleriaborghese.it; note, see Caravaggio’s Judith Beheading Holofernes (1598), Narcissus (1599) & St. John the Baptist (1604).
●Piazzale Garibaldi – Janiculum Hill; view is fantastic: loftiest and best in Rome; can see most of historic center; stroll south along hilltop to 17th Century Fontanone, then walk down staircase into Trastevere.
●Tempietto di Bramante & Chiesa di San Pietro – 2 Piazza San Pietro in Montorio; 011-39-06-581-3940; sanpietroinmontorio.it; considered 1st great High Renaissance building, Bramante’s sublime Tempietto (Little Temple; 1508); perfect surprise, squeezed into Chiesa di San Pietro in Montorio courtyard, on spot where St. Peter crucified; circular interior surrounded by 16 columns & topped by classical frieze, elegant balustrade & dome; in 1628, Bernini adds staircase & contributed chapel to adjacent church, where Beatrice Cenci, Italian noblewoman who helped murder her abusive father in 16th Century & subsequently tried & beheaded on Ponte Sant’Angelo; quite climb uphill, but rewarded by views.
●Villa Farnesina – 230 Via della Lungara; 011-39-06-802-7268; lincei.it; Renaissance villa.
Tridente (includes Trevi)
●Barberini Gallery – 13 Via delle Quattro Fontane (in Gallery of Ancient Art); 011-39-06-482-4184; galleriaborghese.it; Caravaggio’s Saint Francis in Prayer (1610, actually property of Church of San Pietro in Carpineto Romano, just currently on deposit here).
●Museum of Contemporary Art – 54 Via Reggio Emilia; 011-39-06-7107-0400; macro.roma.museum; art museum with rooftop café and garden; permanent 1960s Italian pop art collection.
●Palazzo Odescalchi Balbi – 80 Piazza dei Santi Apostoli; not generally open to public; has Caravaggio’s Conversion of St. Paul (1600).
●Palazzo del Quirinale – Piazza del Quirinale; 011-39-06-46991; quirinale.it; make sure to see restored Pietro da Cortona frescoes.
Vatican City (includes Aurelio, Prati & Trionfale)
●Vatican Museums – Viale Vaticano; 011-39-06-698-84676 or 011-39-06-698-83145; vatican.va; note, see Caravaggio’s Entombment (1603); make sure to see Bramante Staircase in Pio-Clementine Museum.
; Via Veneto (includes Borghese, Ludovisi & Sallustiano)
●Académie de France (Villa Medici) – 1 Viale della Trinità dei Monti; 011-39-06-67611; villamedici.it; mannerist architectural complex with garden contiguous with larger Borghese gardens, on Pincian Hill next to Trinità dei Monti; built by Ferdinando I de’ Medici, Tuscany Grand Duke; now French State property, housing French Academy since 1803.
●Borghese Gallery – 5 Piazzale del Museo Borghese; 011-39-06-841-3979; galleriaborghese.it; note, see Caravaggio’s Young Sick Bacchus (1593), Boy with Basket of Fruit (1593), Still Life with Flowers and Fruit (1601, attributed), Saint Jerome Writing (1605), Still Life with Fruit on Stone Ledge (1605, disputed), Portrait of Pope Paul V (1605, disputed), Madonna and Child with St. Anne (1606), John the Baptist (1610) & David with Head of Goliath (1610).
●Casino di Villa Boncompagni Ludovisi (Villa Ludovisi or Villa Aurora) – 44-46 Via Lombardia; italianprinces.com/villa.html; access currently only through private tour by Count Stefano Aluffi-Pentini, whose company, Private View of Italy, arranges (see above); note, see Caravaggio’s Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto (1597, ceiling fresco).
●Chiesa Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini – 27 Via Vittorio Veneto; 011-39-06-487-1185 or 011-39-06-488-3138; cappucciniviaveneto.it; built by Antonio Casoni in 1626 for Capuchin cardinal Antonio Barberini (Pope Urban VIII’s brother); 1st Roman Church dedicated “to God in Blessed Virgin Mary’s honor”; in 1st chapel on right, Reni’s St. Michael; in 3rd chapel on right, works by Domenichino; 5th chapel in same aisle contains Sacchi’s St. Anthony Raising Dead Man; in 1st chapel on left is da Cortona’s St. Paul Having His Sight Restored; 5th chapel preserves another Sacchi; at vault’s center Coccetti’s Assumption; on presbyter’s bow’s 2 sides, Piazza’s St. Clare and St. Francis; in front of high altar, modest inscription on pavement marking Barberini’s grave; Prince Alessandro Sobieski’s monument-tomb; 5 subterranean chapels decorated with 4K Capuchin bones and skeletons.
●Chiesa Santa Maria della Vittoria – 17 Via XX Settembre 17 (Largo Santa Susanna); 011-39-06-4274-0571; chiesasmariavittoria.191.it; like Chiesa Santa Susanna across Piazza San Bernardo, designed by Carlo Maderno; best known for Bernini’s sumptuous baroque Cappella Cornaro (Cornaro Chapel) decoration (on left, facing altar), Ecstasy of St. Theresa; mature Roman high baroque (conceit was to model chapel as theater).
●National Etruscan Museum – 9 Piazzale di Villa Giulia; 011-39-06-320-1951; beniculturali.it; in 16th Century papal palace; priceless collection Etruscan art and artifacts; sarcophagi, bronze sculptures, terra-cotta vases, and jewelry; Room #7 contains remarkable 6th Century BCE Apollo from Veio (clothed); also, 2 widely-acclaimed statues here are Dea con Bambino and greatly mutilated but still powerful Hercules with stag; in Room #8, mid-6th Century BCE lion sarcophagus; finally, among world’s most important Etruscan art treasures is bride and bridegroom coffin from 6th Century BCE; near tour end, in Room #33, another masterpiece is Cista Ficoroni, bronze urn with paw feet, mounted by 3 figures, dating from 4th Century BCE.
●Porta Pinciana – Piazzale Basile (at Via Veneto & Corso d’Italia intersection); framed by 2 squat, circular towers; 6th Century; Aurelian walls well-preserved here.
●Villa Borghese Gardens – 5 Piazzale Scipione Borghese (15 Via Tevere); 011-39-06-854-9648; galleriaborghese.it; lovely to walk through; excellent museum; landscape garden in naturalistic English manner, containing numerous attractions, buildings, and museums; Rome’s 2nd largest public park (after Villa Doria Pamphili); large landscape park contains several villas; Spanish Steps lead up to park, another entrance at Porte del Popolo (by Piazza del Popolo); Pincio, in park’s south part, offers among Rome’s greatest views; Galleria Borghese is housed in Villa Borghese; garden Casino Borghese, built on rise above Villa by architect Giovanni Vasanzio, was set up by Camillo Borghese to contain Bernini and Canova sculptures from Borghese collection (including Bernini’s David and Daphne) and paintings by Caravaggio, Raphael, and Titan; Villa Giulia (adjoining Villa Borghese gardens) now contains Etruscan Museum; Villa Medici houses Rome’s French Academy and Fortezzuola (Gothic garden structure); other villas scattered through gardens are remains from 1911 world exposition; Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, located on grounds, has 19th and 20th Century painting collection, emphasizing Italian artists; Exposition’s Zoo, recently rearranged, with minimal caging, as Bioparco and Zoological Museum.
West
●Villa Doria Pamphili – 183 Via Aurelia Antica (main entrance at Via di San Pancrazio); 011-39-06-3937-6616; doriapamphilj.it; 17th Century villa in Rome’s largest landscaped public park; in Monteverde quarter, on Roman Gianicolo (Roman Janiculum), just outside Porta San Pancrazio (in Rome’s ancient walls where ancient road, Via Aurelia, commences; often known as Bel Respiro (“beautiful breath” because on high ground, above malarial areas, offering spectacular views); set into hill slope such that north side’s main entrance level above giardino segreto (“secret garden”) enclosure on its south side, parterre garden with low clipped hedges; antiquities and sculpture collection open to public as museum.
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