1. See the Pope. Over the Christmas season, you’ve got lots of opportunities, from midnight mass (although getting tickets can be tricky) to “Urbi et Orbi” on Christmas Day (no tickets needed). Here’s more on how exactly to see the Pope throughout December and January.
Even if you aren’t in Rome at Christmas Day, you may get another chance to see the Pope!
2. Head to a Christmas market. They pop up all over Rome at Christmas. The most famous is, of course, that in Piazza Navona (both at top and below). Here’s a list of other Rome Christmas markets.
The famous Piazza Navona market, one of the most famous things to do in Rome at Christmas
4. Go ice-skating. Skate underneath the iconic silhouette of Rome’s Castel Sant’Angelo (to be confirmed for 2018 — check here). Other skating rinks in Rome include those at the Auditorium, Re di Roma, Tor di Quinto, and Villa Gordiani.
5. Delve into the tradition of Italian nativity scenes. As well as Christmas cribs popping up in churches all over town, Rome boasts both a museum of more than 3,000 of them and, over Christmas, an exhibition of 200 presepi from artists across the globe (now in its 41st year). Here’s my New York Times piece on where to find presepi in Rome. (The article’s old, but the information’s still good).
6. Check out the Christmas lights. Decorations are getting more ambitious every year, with gorgeous twinklings (and light projections, and jumbo screens) lighting up not only the heart of Rome’s centro storico, but even Termini, EUR, and the Fiumicino airport. Don’t believe me? Check out my photo post of the prettiest lights and decorations in Rome at Christmas!
9. Enjoy delicious Christmas sweets. Bakeries are brimming over with yummy holiday offerings like panettone, torrone and pandoro (above). If you’re in Rome at Christmas, make sure to taste the goods. It’s the one time of year that even Italians over-indulge in the sweet stuff!
If you liked this post, you’ll love The Revealed Rome Handbook: Tips and Tricks for Exploring the Eternal City, available for purchase on Amazon or through my site here! I’m also free for one-on-one consulting sessions to help plan your Italy trip.
It’s the perfect gift from Italy: a handmade leather wallet. Or purse. Or passport-holder. But in Rome, figuring out where to go for an artisanal leather souvenir can be tough. There’s not even a leather market here, like there is in Florence (not that most of the leather there even seems to, ahem, be from Italy).
Enter Armando Rioda.
Although it’s in the heart of the Spanish Steps neighborhood, Armando Rioda is a molto local secret. It’s hidden on the second floor of a residential palazzo, and you have to ring the buzzer to enter; its name doesn’t even hang outside the building’s door. But it’s where leather-lovers in the know go.
Since 1949, the workshop (above… and below) has been turning out handmade leather goods by request. As proof of Armando Rioda’s craftsmanship, well-heeled Romans come here to get their Gucci purses and Prada jackets repaired (talk about trust!).
For 50 euros and up, you can get a wallet handmade here; for 100 euros and up, a purse. They also do luggage, tote bags, even jackets. Pricey, perhaps—but for a unique, handmade leather gift, hardly unfair.
I first ventured there last year, looking for a Christmas gift for my father: a leather passport holder. I wasn’t satisfied with the machine-made ones I’d seen in stores, so decided to give an artisanal shop a try.
I can’t remember how I found out about this place. But I was glad I did. The guys inside, including the owner, were friendly and passionate about their work. (I’m not sure, however, how much English they spoke, so if your Italian is zilch, you might want to call first to ask).
Although there were some already-(hand)made passport-holders, wallets and purses for sale, I decided to have one made from scratch. I got to pick the leather (smooth or pebbled, brown or black—and, for that matter, leather or something zanier, like snakeskin) and the monogram (I went for a gold stamp). As well as being on a money budget, I was on a time constraint: I was leaving for the U.S. at the end of the week.
In three days, I came back to pick up a beautiful, handmade passport-holder. The cost? Fifty euros.
Needless to say, my dad loved it.
Armando Rioda is located at Via Belsiana 90. Like lots of traditional shops, they have traditional hours: from 9am-1pm and 4pm-8pm. Call +39 0669924406 for more.
Update, April 2017: The artisans behind Armando Rioda have parted ways, meaning that Armando Rioda is now basically two locations.
One location is at Via delle Carrozze n.16, on the second floor; ring number 6 on the bell “Pelletteria Nives”. Call Nives (one of the owners) at +39 3385370233 or Vinicio (the other owner) at +39 3333370831 to double-check their hours before stopping by.
The other location, which is called Rioda, is at Via del Cancello 14/15. To double-check their hours, you can call them at +39 066784942 or email them at rioda1950@gmail.com.
In mid-October, the Colosseum announced it would keep the hypogeum and third level open through the end of December. And then, just a few days later, it announced that, actually, the underground was closing—thanks to the flooding of the delicate underground area.
Let’s make one thing clear: Since late October, the Colosseum underground has remained closed. There has not been any announcement about when, or if, it will reopen this winter. [Update, April 5 2012: Colosseum officials just announced that the underground will reopen this Saturday, April 7].
But if, having done some research online, you’re confused about if that’s actually the case, I don’t blame you. Here’s why: You can still “buy” the underground tour online.
Different tour companies offer tours of the Colosseum underground. The first, Walks of Italy—which I freelance for—immediately stopped selling its VIP Colosseum tour, which included the underground as well as the third tier, Forum and Palatine, as soon as the Colosseum’s underground closed. In other words, you can no longer book the Colosseum underground tour on their site.
Confusingly, however, Dark Rome is still selling the Colosseum underground tour—and in their tour description, there isn’t any mention of the fact that the underground is currently closed (and has been for weeks). (Like Walks of Italy, their tour also includes the Palatine, Forum and the rest of the Colosseum). Even when I clicked all the way through to the checkout to buy the tour, there was no mention that the underground is closed.
To be fair, the underground could reopen, even in the next few days… maybe. But continuing to sell the tour as if it’s exactly the same, for €89, without a single mention that the underground is currently closed and no plans have been announced for its opening? Hmm.
To make sure I understood correctly, I emailed Dark Rome to ask if it was possible to book the tour to see the Colosseum underground for this coming week. The reservations agent replied quickly, telling me that yes, the tour was still running, although due to flooding, the underground would be closed.
I asked if the price of the tour was the same.”If you book this tour, we will refund 12% of the price of the tour after you have taken the tour. This is because we are unsure when the Underground will open,” she responded. But in a following email, she added, “This refund is only due if you take the tour and the Underground is closed. If the Underground is open you will not be entitled to a refund.”
So. Book now, and if—big surprise!—the underground is closed, something you’d have no idea of from their description, you get just 12% of your €89 back. Or about €10. After you take the tour.
Right.
You also can “buy” the underground Colosseum tour with Viator (which—can we finally clarify this?—is NOT a tour company, but a tour consolidator, one that sells lots of other companies’ offerings. In fact, I am 99% sure that this tour is the same one as Dark Rome’s). This description, too, makes it sound as if the underground tour is just fine and dandy. Even worse, the most recent comments that show up don’t mention that the underground is closed (at least they do on Dark Rome’s site). It’s sold as an “upgrade,” costing you, once again, €89.
Then there’s Tickitaly, which, from what I understand, sells the tour with an official Colosseum guide, charging more simply for the convenience of booking online. They’re still selling the underground tour, too.
At least, however, they have this paragraph: “Please be aware that it’s possible the dungeons may not be able to be visited. Recent flash flooding in Rome meant that the underground areas of the Colosseum were closed and as yet there is no firm news on when they’ll reopen—we expected it to be days, not weeks, and the authorities will give us no hard information. It’s usually the case that when something changes we’ll be given just a few hours notice and with this in mind we are still taking bookings for these tours, given that the upper levels are open and the dungeons may be open. We do not offer refunds if the underground areas are closed (for security reasons or due to flooding after heavy rain). Your guide will, nonetheless, give a full explanation and history of the subterranean zones.”
So… be aware. Even if you can “buy” this tour online, that doesn’t mean that Dark Rome, Tickitaly or anyone else has a secret access pass to get you into the flooded areas.
Underground-seekers, take heed. It’s tough to trust marketing these days.
Addendum: I thought long and hard about writing this, especially with the choice to include the names of the agencies in question. However, for purposes of transparency and delivering the most useful information to my readers possible, I’ve made it a policy on my blog to always include names of the places I’m writing about, including both places I love… and those that I think treat tourists unfairly. I don’t think vagueness serves anyone, least of all travelers trying to get a handle on a foreign city.
Finally, I’ve been following the Colosseum underground from the moment it opened. I have, for better or worse, helped create the buzz around it that there is. So I feel a little responsible for the marketing hoo-ha that’s ensued—and also feel that it’s my responsibility to expose when that marketing isn’t 100% honest. If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.
Rome looks peaceful at night… but looks can be deceiving.
First, let’s make one thing clear: I am a greedy sleeper.
Ask anyone who’s known me for a while, and they’ll tell you. Anything less than 8 hours of sleep and I become a grouch. That’s if I’m just sitting at home. If I actually have to do something—like move, think, write, or, worst of all, travel—then it’s simply impossible.
As well as annoying everyone around me, my underslept self is also one that could be in the most beautiful city in the world (like, say, Rome), and not even notice the little things that I moved here for, like the friendly barista at my local cafe wishing me “Buon giorno” (what do you mean, it’s a good morning) or the beautiful light on the Colosseum (ugh, what a *$&@!!!-ing tourist trap).
But here’s the thing. I may need more sleep than some most. But in not managing very well on a lack of sleep, I don’t think I’m that different from anyone else.
If you’re coming to Rome, I think that’s particularly important to keep in mind. After all, traveling can be stressful. Traveling in a city even more so. And traveling in a foreign city, one where you have to figure out everything from the local public transport system to how to order the kind of coffee you want? Still worse.
And for many people, the one thing that can dull your decisionmaking abilities, as well as your enjoyment of what’s going on around you, is not feeling physically up to snuff.
Making matters worse, it can be a little trickier to get a good night’s sleep in Rome than back home.
For one, if you’re not a city-dweller already, you might not be used to having such close neighbors. Even in that private-seeming apartment or B&B, you’ll be living practically on top of other Romans (above, the common sight of hanging laundry): I’ve written before about how common it is to hear everything from a babies’ cries to domestic spats while, say, cooking dinner.
That’s exacerbated by the fact that a lot of the walls in Italian buildings just don’t seem to be as thick and soundproof as those back home. Many apartment buildings and hotels in Rome were previously structures that belonged to one family; when they were later turned into housing for more people, walls were thrown up to create separate living spaces. Needless to say, these often can be paper-thin.
Aside from the noise from inside the building, you have what’s going on outside to contend with. Rome is (duh) a (wonderful, fascinating, beautiful, chaotic) city. With lots of traffic. And people.
And forget noise-blocking double-glazed windows. Hardly any apartments, B&Bs or moderately-priced hotels have them. In fact, I’ve done a lot ofwriting about hotels lately—with another article on them upcoming—and I’ve been consistently surprised by just how few of even Rome’s luxury hotels have invested in double-glazed windows.
(Tip: If your hotel is on a main thoroughfare, like Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Via del Corso or Via Nazionale, or if it’s near an area known for late-night festivities, like Campo dei Fiori or Via San Giovanni in Laterano, ask about the windows. If they’re not double-glazed, ask for a room that doesn’t face the street. And invest in the $10 trip-saver that I’m getting to).
So. All of this is to say: You could do as I’ve done many nights before, being awoken by anything from the person who lives upstairs who finds it necessary to walk in high heels across the wood floor at 3am, to the construction work that simply must start in the building’s courtyard at 7am, to the party on the street outside that continues to sunrise. Again, while these are the pitfalls of staying in an apartment or B&B, they’re more than possible at hotels, too—the last occurrence happened to me while staying at a nice business hotel in Naples two weeks ago.
Or… you could buy earplugs.
Foam ones work. My favorites, though, are wax earplugs, which (even though the idea is sound of gross) are great for molding right into your ear, and tend to fall out less. You can get them at any pharmacy in Italy (ask for “tappi per le orecchie”). Or, if you want to arrive prepared and have them for your flight, just in case you’re across the aisle from 3 screaming children under the age of 5 (…also something that happened to me two weeks ago), buy them before you go; you can even get these wax earplugs straight from Amazon.
You might not need them. But if you’re woken in the middle of the night by a sound that has no sign of stopping, you’ll kick yourself for not having thought of it earlier.
Finally <startrant/>: Please keep all of this in mind when you, yourself, are enjoying a late night in Rome. As annoying as the mysterious high-heeled person upstairs from me is, I’m also plagued, at least once a week, by groups of loud Americans and Brits staying in one of the building’s many makeshift B&Bs who think it’s appropriate to leave the windows open, play music, and have shouting conversations until the wee hours of the morning. On weekdays. Please, remember that not everyone else in Rome is on vacation <endrant>.
Nothing says “holiday season” in Italy like some good ol’ Christmas cribs. Find out where to see the best and most creative—including nativity scenes made out of pearls, marzipan, even eggs—at my newest post for the New York Times. (Photo courtesy of the “100 Presepi” exhibit).
Sometimes, I feel like I'm slaggingoffon Rome's restaurants more than anything else.
However. There is fantastic food in this city, and honest people serving it. You just have to know where to go.
When I need a no-fail, top-notch, not-too-expensive Italian meal (like when guests are in town), these are the three restaurants I now turn to. The food is fantastic, the service good, the atmosphere untouristy, the prices moderate. And I haven't found something surprising added to my bill. (Yet).
My top picks to eat in Rome…:
With a group of friends or family: Flavio al Velavevodetto
I was a little late to the Flavio al Velavevodetto lovefest, having been preceded by, among others, Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini. But I'm so glad I arrived.
Tucked into Monte Testaccio (if you don't believe that the hill comes from an enormous pile of Roman amphorae, thanks to being a dump in ancient times, just check out the restaurant's glass wall, above), Flavio al Velavevodetto serves up all the traditional Roman dishes, but in a way that makes even your 100th amatriciana taste almost, well, new. Don't miss their fritti, vegetables so lightly fried they remind me of tempura.
The other bonus of Flavio is the ambience. It's elegant and understated, and the interior is much roomier than at crammed little trattorie in the center. In the summer, you can dine out at the lovely terrace upstairs, a particularly good bet if your crowd is on the loud side. Plus, the serving staff is unfailingly polite and pretty fast—rare things for Rome.
Flavio al Velavevodetto is located at Via Monte Testaccio 97, a short walk from the Piramide metro stop. Or you can, of course, take the ever-present number 3 "foodie" bus to get there. Call +39 06 5744194 for reservations.
On a date: Da Danilo
I first stumbled into Da Danilo because it was just around the corner from my first apartment. Until the newspaper articles on the walls tipped me off, I had no idea that the place was a local legend. Even now, two years later, it remains legendarily good. And surprisingly local. If a bit on the expensive (and, at night, crammed-together-tables) side.
The small, so-intimate-you're-bound-to-knock-knees trattoria serves up Roman dishes, but with such fresh ingredients, they hardly compare. Don't miss the carbonara (top of post), with one of the most delicious, smoky-crispy-perfect pieces of guanciale I've ever encountered. Not to mention this carpaccio, dressed with puntarelle or truffle shavings.
Da Danilo is located at Via Petrarca 3, a stone's throw from Piazza Vittorio Emanuele and its metro stop. Call +39 06 77200111 for reservations.
Here's where to go when the idea of more cucina romana, or of checkered tablecloths, makes you want to get on the next plane to anywhere. Yes, the food is Italian—but it's Umbrian. With a twist. No amatriciana on the menu here; instead, look for deliciousness like stewed wild boar in a sweet wine sauce.The atmosphere is sleek and modern, the staff professional, and the prices good. If you're pinching your pennies, you also can't beat the 3-course €12 tasting menu at lunch.
L'Asino d'Oro is located at Via del Boschetto 73 in the heart of Monti, a short walk from the Forum or Colosseum. Call +39 06 48913832 for reservations.
My piece on Naples, Italy—including where to stay, eat, visit, and my suggestions for a seriously spooky “oddball day”—has gone live over at New York Magazine. I’ve always been a huge proponent of this incredible and much-misunderstood city, and it happens to make an easy (1:10 hrs on the fast train) day trip from Rome, so check it out.
Coming up soon: less self-promotional blog posts. I promise.
Taking the train in Italy anytime soon? Trenitalia has some great deals on right now. Find out what they are, and how to get ’em, at my first post for the New York Times’ In Transit blog. (Photo courtesy of Trenitalia).
If you want to eat at the best restaurants in Rome, you need to get out of the touristy center. And that's when most travelers to Rome balk.
But they don't have to. As overwhelming and confusing as Rome's public transport system can seem, there's only one bus you really need to know in order to hit nearly all of Rome's best food neighborhoods. Ladies and gentlemen… let me present:
The number 3.
Now, there are many things I don't like about the #3 bus. It makes lots of stops. It gets super-crowded around rush hour (avoid it from about 7am-9am and 5pm-7pm). And like any bus in Rome, it can be erratic, sometimes coming every 5 minutes, sometimes every 20.
But I find myself hopping on it again and again, just because, for the price of one euro, it takes me to nearly all of my favorite restaurants.
Update, 9/2012: The #3 bus is now a… #3 tram! (It actually started out that way, so I guess it's going back to its roots). The good news: There is now much more room, making the ride much more comfortable. And trams are fun. The bad news: The tram now stops in Testaccio, at Piazza Ostiense. From there, you have to switch to the bus to carry on to Trastevere. But if any neighborhood is worth stopping in, food-wise, it's Testaccio!
The #3 starts (or ends, depending on your point of view) at Thorvaldsen, a stop in the Villa Borghese right near the Galleria Arte Moderna. It then hits:
Parioli, a well-heeled neighborhood that's starting to come alive with equally-upmarket restaurants
San Lorenzo, a student quarter that has excellent, cheap trattorie and hip, grungy bars alike
the Porta San Giovanni down to the Colosseum
the Celian and Aventine hills
Testaccio, one of Rome's best food neighborhoods for cheap, traditional cucina romana
Trastevere, another great food neighborhood with both higher- and lower-end dining
But it's not just food that you can explore by hopping on and off the #3. There are sites, too—and (bonus) a lot of them are the slightly more off-the-beaten-path and, in my opinion, rewarding kind.
So… let's get on the #3 and see where, exactly, it takes us. (The neighborhood names are rough generalizations; I've just used them to make everything easier to visualize).
Parioli: Thorvaldsen to Viale Regina Margherita
Eat: End with dinner in this 'hood if you're looking for something a little more upscale and creative. The top restaurant is probably All'Oro, a pricey but excellent Michelin-starred restaurant serving up creative dishes like risotto with artichokes, vanilla and roasted calamari (they offer a tasting menu for 55 or 70 euros); it's a 10-minute walk from the Rossini stop. For something more moderately-priced, check outAnatra Grassa, which serves up Venetian-influenced food (get off at the first stop on V.le Regina Margherita after Buenos Aires). And if you just want a break from Italian, Duke's California Bar & Restaurant offers Angus steaks, sushi, foie gras, and other not-so-easy-to-find foods in Rome.
Do: From the first three stops on the line (Thorvaldsen, Galleria Arte Moderna and Aldrovandi), it's easy to stroll around the beautiful Villa Borghese, taking in museums like the Galleria Arte Moderna, Villa Giulia, and, of course, theGalleria Borghese. From Liegi, the 5th stop, you can explore the Villa Ada, one of Rome's largest parks, and walk to the Catacombs of Santa Priscilla, one of Rome's least-visited but most-rewarding catacombs.
San Lorenzo: Policlinico to Piazza di Porta Maggiore
Eat:Gritty and graffiti-filled, San Lorenzo couldn't be more different than Parioli. And since the diners around here tend to be a little on the more money-saving side (read: lots of students), the restaurants are much cheaper, too. One of my favorite traditional Roman spots is Trattoria Pommidoro, which has particularly good game meats, along with pastas (I love their pasta alla gricia); I've also heard good things about Tram Tram, a traditional and well-priced favorite decorated with pieces of, you've got it, a vintage tram. On the trendier and much more expensive side, there's Pastificio San Lorenzo, a restaurant located in an old factory that's an art gallery by day, serving up gourmet Italian dishes. Top it off with some chocolate at Said, a chocolate factory that's been around since 1923. And all of these eateries are a stone's throw from the Reti stop.
Do: Get off at the Verano stop to visit the Basilica of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura (below), a gem of an ancient church, and its atmospheric cemetery. At the Piazza di Porta Maggiore stop, check out Porta Maggiore, a monumental 1st-century Roman gate, and the huge 3rd-century Aurelian Walls. Don't miss the Baker's Tomb, an extremely unusual—and unusual-looking—tomb of an ancient Roman baker, honeycombed with holes that it's thought symbolize units of grain.
Esquiline: Santa Croce in Gerusalemme to Colosseo
Eat: On the higher end, Agata e Romeo is a Michelin-starred (and very expensive) Roman restaurant just a 10-minute walk from the Manzoni stop. For something more moderate, check out Tempio di Iside, one of the best seafood restaurants in Rome (get off at the first Labicana stop). But my favorite pick has to be Da Danilo, a fantastic, moderately-priced Roman trattoria just a 5-minute walk from the Manzoni stop. Whatever you do, don't miss their carbonara (above). Finally, after visiting the Basilica of San Clemente (see below), make a stop at Ciuri Ciurifor some of Rome's best cannoli and other Sicilian goodies (right at the 2nd stop on Labicana).
Do: Aside from, obviously, seeing the Colosseum, visit the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, a church dating back to the 4th century that has a number of bizarre relics, including thorns from Christ's crown of thorns, wooden pieces of the cross, and (they say) the bone of the finger of St. Thomas that he put in Christ's wounds after he rose from the dead. Get off at Porta San Giovanni to stop at the Basilica of San Giovanni and the Holy Stairs. Or (my favorites) get off at the 2nd stop on Labicana to pay a visit to the Basilica of San Clemente, a 12th-century church built on top of the 4th-century basilica built on top of ancient Roman ruins (incredibly, you can descend down to see all of the layers), and to the nearby Church of Santi Quattro Coronati.
From the Celian hill to the Aventine
Eat: If it's the weekend, get off at the 1st Aventino stop and walk along the Circus Maximus to the Campagna Amica food market, a great place to sample local foods and even enjoy a cheap, delicious lunch. Just around the corner, pop into Cristalli di Zucchero, home to some of Rome's best gourmet (and not just Italian) sweets, pastries and macaroons.
Do: Get off at the Parco Celio site to (you guessed it) stroll through the lovely Celian park (in summer, you can catch jazz concerts here), as well as to check out the Case Romane; if you cross the street, you can access the Palatine and its ruins of the Roman emperors' palaces. At the 1st Aventino stop, take in the Circus Maximus or stroll around the Aventine hill, one of Rome's oldest and prettiest residential neighborhoods. Don't miss the incredible ancient basilica of Santa Sabina, the lovely Garden of Oranges with its view over the city, or everyone's favorite keyhole: the one at the Piazza of the Knights of Malta, where you can see the Knights' property, Rome, and St. Peter's—three countries in one glance.
Testaccio: Porta S. Paolo to Emporio
Eat: Testaccio is one of Rome's best, most authentic neighborhoods for food. Make the most of it. Check out the market at Piazza Testaccio, where locals go to buy their produce (along with shoes and sundry items). Right on Via Marmorata, where the #3 stops (twice), grab a Sicilian pastry or cannolo at Sicilia e Duci (above) or some (pricey, but delicious) cured meats or specialty cheeses at foodie favorite Volpetti. If you're in the mood for a full meal, beeline to Da Bucatino (one block from Via Marmorata) for classic Roman fare,Nuovo Mondo orDa Remo for pizza, or my latest favorite, Flavio al Velavevodetto, which serves up excellent food for moderate prices.
Do: Get off at Porta San Paolo to check out the pyramid of Caius Cestius, a tomb built to a magistrate in the 1st century B.C. that looks like a bizarre little piece of Egypt among Roman traffic. From here, you also can explore the Protestant Cemetery, resting place of expats like John Keats. Take one of the stops on Marmorata to head to the MACRO, a contemporary art museum in a reconstituted slaughterhouse.
Trastevere: Porta Portese to Staz.ne Trastevere
Eat: Like San Lorenzo and Testaccio, Trastevere is full of well-priced, good-quality Roman restaurants—but it's also got its share of tourist joints, so go prepared. Get off at the Porta Portese stop and walk north to enjoy delicious pasta, served fresh in the pan, at Taverna Trilussa, or grab cheap, traditional pizza at Ai Marmi(above). Le Mani in Pasta, a surprisingly elegant hole-in-the-wall, is another local favorite, while L'Asino Cotto serves up creative Mediterranean fare. On the highest end, Glass Hostaria is a super-modern (and expensive) Michelin-starred restaurant in the heart of Trastevere.
Do: If it's a Sunday morning, check out the goods (and junk) at Porta Portese, Rome's biggest flea market. Otherwise, get off at the same stop and walk over to the Basilica of Santa Cecilia, which boasts 13th-century frescoes by Pietro Cavallini, a sculpture by Maderno of Cecilia's incorrupt body as it was found in 1599, and excavations of two ancient Roman houses below that you can visit. Further in the heart of Trastevere, check out the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere along with the Villa Farnesina, home to some of Raphael's loveliest frescoes.
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