Connecticut author and journalist Marcia DeSanctis shares snapshots from her recent trip to Rome, highlighting the best places to eat, drink, sleep, and what not to miss.
On my way to visiting family in Bologna and on my way to a work trip in Cairo, I did what any sane person would do on a day off in Europe: I stopped in Rome.
By autumn, the city will be freed from the sweltering summer heat and seasonal tourist migration. In the evening it is cool enough to wear a shirt. The city is breathing again and the energy is picking up.
I usually spend my days in Rome…
A long walk around the neighborhood where am i staying I would like to know, is there a supermarket where I can buy bottled water and some peaches? After all, my goal is to choose where to have a cappuccino and a delicious croissant in the coming days.
From Forno Monteforte to del Pellegrino, just off Campo de’Fiori, the warm smell of baking wafts. The bakery is a sweet wonderland and I soaked my coffee with a thick slice of pistachio.
In Rome you must eat…
All Amatriciana pasta. It’s the king of Roman sauces, made with tomatoes, olive oil, and pecorino cheese guanciale (thick pork) comes from the cheek of a pig. It’s a wonderfully complex and rich sauce with just a handful of ingredients, perfect for a hearty pasta dish like this homemade pasta dish. scialatielli Pasta at Osteria da Fortunata.
The best point of cultural power punch…
This is the church of San Luigi dei Francisi. Around the corner from Piazza Navona, not far from the endlessly crowded Pantheon. In a distant corner, covered in magnificent baroque architecture, you can get up close and personal with the majesty of the divine triptych of the artist Caravaggio.
Paintings from the early 1600s are masters of chiaroscuro (the interplay of light and dark). They tell the story of St. Matthew’s life and are on permanent display here. You will tremble and you will leave enlightened.
I stayed in Rome…
Clean guest house In my favorite neighborhood between Piazza Navona and Campo de’Fiori, a few minutes on foot with sneakers to Castel Sant’Angelo and the Vatican. In the mornings, I enjoyed walking down the shady, narrow streets behind Corso Vittorio Emanuele II to the river, even though the sterile, spacious rooms didn’t offer any photo opportunities. The sunny September morning was a scene of calm, even during rush hour.
From Rome I always bring…
White shirt, especially at the end of summer when they can be found cheap. Because on my first trip to Rome, when I was 18, I saw an Italian woman wearing a crisp white blouse on the Via Veneto, and I’ve tried to emulate her style ever since. I also buy handmade soap from the farm – it’s cheap and turns unpacking into a floral-scented pleasure.
One thing I recommend bringing to Rome is…
White leather or leather sneakers. I don’t want to walk through this fashionable, somewhat formal city in the bag I wear to clean out the garage. These comfortable and sophisticated Veja classics are a great value. I walked over ten miles in them and ended the day appetite At the ultra-luxurious Hotel de Roussy. My shoes felt perfect.
