Top Ten Places to Visit in Rome – tips from Carla Ieraci

1. Dolce Maniera

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Rome is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but undoubtedly really expensive! If you plan to visit S. Peter’s Square and its neighborhood, please notice that in via Barletta no. 27 you’ll find “Dolce Maniera”, a bakery open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. Taste its croissants starting from 0,30 euros (after midnight the price increases: it’s 0,50 euros!) and pizzas starting from 1 euro!
 

2. Il Ciociaro

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If you are on your way to Rione Borgo and you want to taste original Roman food, I recommend you go to “Il Ciociaro”, a restaurant open from Wednesday to Monday. Ask for “bucatini all’Amatriciana,” whose name comes from Amatrice, a small town where this sauce was invented in and made with cured pork jowls (as known as “guanciale” in Italy). The waiter will bring you your pasta in a wheel of pecorino cheese and after tasting it, you will barely like any other kind of pasta, trust me!

3. Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna

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Although this venue hosts the biggest collection of Italian contemporary art, the National Gallery of Modern Art (also known as “Gnam”) cannot reach the number of tourists who visit the Vatican Museum and the Coliseum. The National Gallery is located close to Valle Giulia, and nowadays has 55 rooms which host not only masterpieces of the most important Italian artists who lived in XIX century, such as De Nittis, De Chirico, Marini and Pellizza da Volpedo, but also works of Van Gogh, Monet, Cezanne, Klimt et and so on. Tickets cost 7,50 euros, but at the end of your visit you will end up appreciating what you have admired there!

4. Pasticceria Lambiase

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Have you ever heard of “sorchetta?” Sorchettas forms part of Roman street food, and are hot, crunchy brioches entirely covered with cream and chocolate. You can find the best sorchettas at “Il Sorchettaro,” located in via Cernaia, a few minutes away from the Castro Pretorio metro station. The bar is open till morning and it is really popular among students and young people living in the Italian Capital.

5. Pinsa E Buoi

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Everybody knows what pizza is, but do you know what “pinsa” means? A pinsa is regarded as the ancestor of pizza, and it was cooked among poor Roman farmers, who ate this oval or rectangular dough made of flour and cereals. Pinsa’s dough needs lots of hours to rise and, compared to pizza, is easier to digest. If you want to taste a very good Roman pinsa, I suggest you to try “Pinsa e Buoi”, in rione of S. Lorenzo.

6. Giardino degli Aranci

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Romans call it “The Hole of Rome”: in Piazza of Knights of Malta, in the Aventino area, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of St. Peter’s Dome through a secret keyhole: the landscape is entirely contained in this hole, and this doorway leads to the Priory of Knights of Malta; inside you can admire the tiny church of Santa Maria del Priorato.

7. Largo Preneste

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In the historical centre of Rome it is possible to admire ex voto plaques on many walls. In this way, Romans want to express thankfulness to a saint or a divinity. One of the biggest ex voto walls in the city is in Largo Preneste, close to the traffic lights.

8. Via Gregoriana

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If you are visiting Trinità de Monti, in Piazza di Spagna, I suggest you have a walk through via Sistina and via Gregoriana: you will arrive at Palazzetto Zuccari, whose façade is really terrific, as its doors and windows look like monster faces. This building dates back to the beginning of XVII Century and its architect, Federico Zuccari, was inspired by the Park of Monster of Bomarzo, in the province of Viterbo, which is a stunning example of mix of nature and architecture.
 

9. Gelateria dei Gracchi

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Looking for ice cream after a long walk around Rome? Try “Gelateria dei Gracchi,” located in via dei Gracchi, in rione of Prati, just a few steps away from Lepanto metro station. If I were you, I would without a doubt choose pistachio. You will discover the true pistachio flavour, meticulously made of pistachios of Bronte, also known as the green gold of the Etna volcano. On the other hand, I must admit that Gelateria dei Gracchi is not cheap, but you only live once!

10. Café Bohemién

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Any ideas on where we should go at the aperitivo time? Choose Café Bohemién: close to Cavour metro station and in the heart of rione of Monti. You can enjoy a relaxing atmosphere drinking a tasty glass of wine (or more), surrounded by hundreds of books. Café Bohemien hosts temporary art exhibitions and public readings. It is considered one of the most beautiful literary cafes in Rome, hidden in a tiny alley which leads to the Flavian Amphitheatre,

Now you will be able to make the right decision about the places you will visit when you come to Rome!

 Written by Carla Ieraci – Tour Operator in Rome

 
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