Piazza Barberini where Via Veneto, Sistina and Barberini come together. Four trips, four times just sitting at the outdoor cafe on the corner of Via Veneto enjoying a wine or beer, the afternoon/evening sun and watching the Roman world go by...a short walk to Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain or the Barberini Palace, too.
Posts: 479 | Location: New Hampshire | Registered: 12 September 2006
A few places we always visit: St. Peter's Basilica Piazza del Popolo Anywhere we can see a Caravaggio or two (San Luigi dei Francesi, Santa Maria del Popolo) Piazza Sant'Ignazio (I love the curved shape of this beautiful piazza. It's near the Pantheon) Via Condotti (just to window shop and see all the "beautiful" people)
Where we always eat: Osteria Farnese (good food and service) La Rustichella (near the Vatican, mostly for sentimental reasons, but the food is okay too) Caffe Greco (on via Condotti - great place to relax after a few hours of siteseeing but a little pricey) Bar Farnese (great people watching) Campo Forno (or it might be Forno Campo, in Campo dei Fiori. Great pizza bianco or rosso)
Please excuse any spelling errors - I'm in a hurry...
Enjoy your trip to Rome!
Posts: 920 | Location: North of Seattle | Registered: 28 February 2003
We've only been to Rome three times (so far) but each time we've been drawn back to S Maria in Aracoeli - all the chandeliers, the mosaics, the monuments, the Pinturrichios, the Gozzoli, the Cavallino, etc, and above all the atmosphere.
Also S Agostino (especially for the wonderful Caravaggio, that is free of the violence that fills so many of his pictures).
My wife says: the statue of Augustus in the Braccio Nuovo in the Vatican. What a man!
Posts: 550 | Location: West Sussex, England | Registered: 08 February 2007
Thank you for starting this thread! My countdown has started too! Rome on May 30 - how many days is that????
faves so far:
Galleria Borghese Campodiglio Trastevere Massimo, Biancamaria and Delfina and their fabulous hospitality at www.Rome-Is-Home.com. Last visit to Roma I fell and broke my ankle on Day 6, slowed me down a bit. Planning NOT to do that this year . . .and thus hope to return with many more favorites and tales to tell.
Look forward to all the replies! Betsy
Posts: 105 | Location: Florida | Registered: 13 August 2006
Pantheon Piazza Navona at night Ponte Sant'Angelo "bath tub" fountains in the Piazza Farnese at night Santa Maria dell'Anima Campo dei Fiore in the morning
Posts: 236 | Location: New Jersey, USA | Registered: 16 September 2007
The Pantheon. It never ceases to amaze me and make me remember that giddy feeling I had on my first glimpse of it. Then a walk to the nearby Caffe Sant'Eustachio for a caffe. Every time!
I've been thinking about this since I first read the thread yesterday. After many trips to Rome I've done a lot of things multiple times, but that's often because I've got someone new to Rome with me.
On my own, there are only a few places that I find myself drawn to every time I'm in Rome, including:
Sant’ Andrea al Quirinale – it’s just so peaceful and beautiful there. Sometimes I go directly from there to Gesu, for a complete contrast
A walk through the Forum up to Campodoglio, or the other way around
Lunch at Taverna Piscinula, because the food is always good (not great, but consistently good), the service is wonderful and I just feel comfortable there
Although I love the Bernini sculpture at the Borghese, I can’t say I go there every time (but I have been there three times, so far). I find that I mostly wander around in Rome.
ellen
Posts: 2939 | Location: mahwah, new jersey, usa | Registered: 10 December 2003
A walk through the Forum up to Campodoglio, or the other way around
Me too, Ellen, preferably both day and night. I hope the new payment system isn't going to interfere with that, or that they'll have weekly tickets or something.
Also a walk along the Tiber and across several bridges, again both day and night. During the day I like to walk along the lower quais, where you're not so conscious of the traffic.
A walk in the Gianicolo, too, watching the families and the chess players as well as the views.
As to the Borghese, I pine for the old days of student passes, when I could stop in anytime I was around and take a quick look at my favorites... Wonderful as the pieces still are, it's just not the same having to make plans and designate time.
it's just not the same having to make plans and designate time.
Last month we went there for the first time and found that the time limit spoilt the experience. I think we were thrown out after two hours. It was very difficult to look at the art properly knowing that we had to keep moving. Are there any times of the year when they allow you to linger?
The freedom to pop in on a whim and visit just one room or even just one painting is what makes places like the National Gallery in London so great.
Posts: 550 | Location: West Sussex, England | Registered: 08 February 2007
Oh what a fun thread! For gelato we head to Della Palma and then wander to the Pantheon. A favorite is the Pieta in St. Peters. Just adjacent is a small chapel which is very atmospheric in the whirlwind of the massive church. It never is crowded when I am in there perhaps because only believers go in to pray. The guards seem to deter only tourists(no cameras allowed) and only a few people are allowed in at a time so it is not touristy but prayerful.
Impossible (but fun) question. The one place I have been back to most often, every trip, in fact, is the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, so I can visit "my" Velasquez of Innocent X.
But just walking around from caffe to caffe is pretty much perfect, too.
Oh boy! One of my favorite topics! What do people like best in Rome? I am asking myself what I would see if I only had (don't think it!) one day in Rome. What would I want most to see.... Hmmm.
I would have to start my precious day at the Pantheon. Then wander over to the Ghetto to that little signless bakery on the corner and get a snack. Taking that snack in hand, wander over to the Isola Tiberina and look at the river. Wander back to the Cafe Farnese and sit a spell, watching the people and the Palazzo Farnese with its fountains.
By now I would probably be hungry, so I would seek out one of the many fabulous restaurants in the centro. I like so many, I don't have a favorite. With only one day, I would spend the afternoon in one of my favorite galleries, the Plazzo Doria Pamphilj. After emerging, I would wander down the street to my favorite store in all Rome, Ditta G. Poggi, the artist supply store - the Via della Pigna, or there about. An artist can always use some extra supplies.
At dinner time, a stroll over to the Monti area for dinner, probably go for a three cheese, white pizza at Wanted. Then, to finish off my imaginary day, I would walk over to the Campidoglio and look at the Foro Romano by floodlights.
I will try to replicate your day exactly as you described - about 35 days from now! Thanks for taking time to describe a few adventures that will be new to me. So thrilled and privileged to be returning to Roma . .
Betsy
Posts: 105 | Location: Florida | Registered: 13 August 2006
I have made a google map of my 'one day ramble in Roma.' Don't blame me. We got a huge batch of snow this morning and I didn't want to go outside. One day ramble in Roma
