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Rome

Rome

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Of Europe’s great capitals, Rome steals the show for its raw beauty and its cache of historical remains. Its very name conjures iconic images: the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Vatican... and cracker-flat pizzas. No other city in the world manages to cram as many epics of architecture into its urban fabric like Rome. Doric columns crumble next to Victorian apartment buildings and glitzy shoe stores are rammed against 2,000-year old temples.

But Rome is not averse to modern projects. In the last decade, the city embraced new projects and built modern museums and cultural centres, like Zaha Hadid’s Maxxi Museum or Richard Meier’s Ara Pacis Museum.

Of course Rome is more than just a repository of classical relics and starchitect contributions. You come here to eat as well as get lost in its maze of narrow, cobbled alleys. Pizza at Da Buffetto is not to be missed, and nor are the fried artichokes in Rome’s Jewish ghetto. Thursdays mean homemade gnocchi in every restaurant, while Fridays are a nod to biblical fasting with battered, grilled or baked salt cod dressing up every menu.

In all regards, Rome is best in the spring when the whether is mild and trees are in bloom or in the autumn when the climate cools and the harvests begin.

Travel Tips

  1. Rome isn’t known for its line-up of fine operas, but in summer when the weather is agreeable, operas like Aida come to town to perform outdoors in the great ruins of the Bathes of Caracalla. Book in advance as tickets sell out quickly. Also on offer and at more affordable prices are nightly jazz performances in the Villa Celimontana.
  2. Accommodation in Rome can be hit or miss. High-end hotels line the Via Veneto but are often booked solid. The hotels clustered around Termini Station can be expensive, small and dingy. Treat yourself and try your luck at the recently opened Grand Hotel Via Veneto. Budget travellers might enjoy Lucy in the Sky, a private rooftop residence in Rome’s trendiest neighbourhood, Monti.
  3. To experience Rome’s plethora of markets is to understand the daily lives of the Romans. A good place to start is the giant indoor vegetable, meat and fish market in Piazza Vittorio. It’s a great detour to bring the family to watch fishmongers and fruit vendors haggle down prices. Porta Portese is another of Rome’s most interesting markets, where Romans come to purchase leather, furniture, antiques, food and electronics.
  4. Roman neighbourhoods are fairly striking and distinguished, especially the old industrial zone of San Lorenzo, which in recent years has transformed into a lively spot where art galleries and restaurants have reclaimed old factories and warehouses. Check out Roman artists’ painting and sculpture at Pastificio Cerere and grab a bite in the old chocolate factory, SAID.
  5. Many of Rome’s establishments, like pharmacies and restaurants close on Sundays and few reopen until Tuesday. Likewise cigarette vendors and post offices will shut in the afternoon between 1-4 p.m. With most open-air food markets closing by 2 pm, shopping for fresh fruit and vegetables should be done in the early morning.

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