As we approach 2012’s end, I was pretty curious about which blog posts were the most popular on Revealed Rome this year. A little stats-checking proved to me that my readers are (unsurprisingly) big fans of Rome, especially when it comes to food, Christmas, shopping, and more!

Without further ado, here’s the list of the 12 most popular Revealed Rome posts in 2012… a couple of which surprised me! Do any surprise you?

#12: 5 Favorite Places for Food Near the Vatican: Oh lists, how I love thee. This one, on where to grab lunch in the food desert touristy area around the Vatican, was one of my first (semi-regular) “Five for Friday” posts—and one of the most popular.

#11: Rome’s Best Shopping Streets: Via del Boschetto: It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Rome’s shopping… when it’s done far, far away from chain-store-choked Via del Corso. One great alternative is this little street in Monti, near the Roman forum, which is chock-a-block with fantastic artisans and boutiques.

#10: How Safe is Rome, Really?: A question readers found even more pertinent in 2012 than in 2011 or 2010, when it was first published. Not sure what that says about Rome’s reputation. Or about crime in the world in general.

#9: In Rome, Shopping for Vintage Clothes: I love vintage clothes—and, from the looks of it, so do travelers coming to Rome. Make sure you also check out King Size Vintage, a new addition to Rome’s vintage shopping scene.

 #8: Is Anything Open During Christmas and New Year’s in Rome?: A good question… and one a lot of people wanted the answers to this year.

#7: 5 Frustrating Things Somebody Coming to Rome Can Say: I wrote this post in a fit of, well, frustration. (For example: Yes, it’s frustrating when you say you booked a hotel way out of Rome’s center to save money, and yes, it’s frustrating that you rented a car to use in Rome… to name just two pet peeves). Luckily, it looks like it resonated with a lot of people—and hopefully steered them away from making some first-time-traveler mistakes.

#6: Underground at the Colosseum: How Do You Get There?: Two years after I wrote this post, people were still checking it out (and yes, the information has been updated several times since). Looks like the Colosseum underground, which includes the hypogeum where gladiators waited for their turn to fight, is still a big deal—although slightly less exciting than last year, when it was Revealed Rome’s #1 most popular post.

#5: Rome’s Most Convenient Beach (And It’s Pretty!): Not going to lie, this one kind of surprised me, especially with the yawn-worthy title. But many readers seemed bent on making it to the beach this year, which got this post a lot of play.

#4: 10 Things to Do This Christmas in Rome: Yep, yet another Christmas post. And here I thought the summer was high season in Rome.

#3: Where to Eat in Rome’s Most Touristy Areas: I’m really glad this post got so much play, because, as I’ve pointed out before, there’s a huge misconception about eating in Rome—that you can eat at any restaurant (even in the super-touristy parts of the city) and still eat well. False! Readers avoided the tourist traps by checking out these recommendations for where to eat near the Spanish Steps, Colosseum and Pantheon.

#2: The Best Gelato, and Best-Kept Secret, in Rome: Apparently, a secret no longer! My post on I Caruso, my favorite gelateria in the city, was the site’s 2nd most popular post in 2012. So if it’s a little more crowded now than it was when I first discovered it, back in 2009… I’m sorry.

And (drumroll please…):

My #1 post in 2012: 

11 Etiquette Mistakes (Not) to Make at an Italian Meal: From ranking at #5 for my most-read post in 2011, this fun-but-oh-ever-so-important list shot its way up to the single most popular one on the site in 2012. I’m very glad I’ve gotten the chance to save so many people from the crimes of ordering a cappuccino after noon or asking for parmesan for their pizza.

What was your favorite Revealed Rome post in 2012? And what would you like to see in 2013? Let me know in the comments!