Santa Maria in Trastevere 
CHURCH This ornate Romanesque church at the colorful heart of Trastevere was founded around A.D. 350 and is one of the oldest in Rome. The body was added around 1100, and the portico was added in the early 1700s. The restored mosaics on the apse date from around 1140, and below them are the 1293 mosaic scenes depicting the “Life of the Virgin Mary” by Pietro Cavallini. The faded mosaics on the facade are from the 12th or 13th century, and the octagonal fountain in the piazza is an ancient Roman original that was restored and added to in the 17th century by Carlo Fontana.
Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere. 
06-5814802. Free admission. Daily 9:30am–12:30pm and 3–5:30pm. Bus: H or 125/Tram: 8.
Villa Farnesina 
HISTORIC HOME This should never have been called the Villa Farnesina at all: It was originally built for Sienese banker Agostino Chigi in 1511, but was acquired (and renamed) by the Farnese family in 1579. With two such wealthy Renaissance patrons, it’s hardly surprising that the internal decor is top drawer. The villa’s architect Baldassare Peruzzi began the decoration, with frescoes and motifs rich in myth and symbolism. He was later assisted by Sebastiano del Piombo, Sodoma, and most notably, Raphael. Raphael’s “Loggia of Cupid and Psyche” 
was frescoed to mark Chigi’s marriage to Francesca Ordeaschi—though assistants Giulio Romano and Giovanna da Udine did much of the work.
Via della Lungara 230. www.villafarnesina.it. 06-68077268. Admission 6€. Mon–Sat 9am–2pm; 2nd Sun of month 9am–5pm. Bus: 23, 125, 271, or 280.
Because of the sheer number of sights to see, some first-time visitors like to start out with an organized tour. While few things can really be covered in any depth on these overview tours, they’re sometimes useful for getting your bearings.
One of the leading tour operators is Context Travel 
(www.contexttravel.com; 
800/691-6036 in the U.S., or 06-96727371), a company that, notably, uses local scholars—historians, art historians, preservationists—to lead their tours. Guides offer small-group walking tours, including visits to monuments, museums, and historic piazzas, as well as culinary walks and meals in neighborhood trattorie. Custom-designed tours are also available. Prices of the regular tours are high, beginning at 60€ for 2 hours but most participants consider them a highlight of their trips. Context also offers and excellent family program, which visit sights such as the Vatican and the Colosseum, but do so in a way that’s appealing to children.
Walks of Italy (www.walksofitaly.com; 06-95583331) also runs excellent guided walking tours of Rome, with their introductory tour (2½ hr.) just 29€, and more in-depth explorations of the Colosseum, Vatican Museums, and Forum ranging 59€ to 99€.
Enjoy Rome, Via Marghera 8a (www.enjoyrome.com; 06-4451843), offers a number of “greatest hits” walking tours, like 3-hour overviews of ancient Rome or the Vatican. Most tours cost 30€ to 45€ per person, exclusive of entrance fees (such as at the Vatican Museums). They also do an early evening tour of the Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere, and a bus excursion to the Catacombs and the Appian Way (50€), with a visit to ruins of an ancient aqueduct that most Romans, let alone tourists, never see.
The self-styled “storytellers of the new millennium” at Through Eternity ( 06-7009336; www.througheternity.com) are also worth your consideration. Staffed by a group of art historians and architects, what sets them apart is their theatrical delivery, helped along by the dramatic scripts many of the guides seem to follow. So, on a tour of the Forum, expect your guide to break out into a booming “Friends, Romans, Countrymen”—it can be a lot of fun, but it’s not for everyone. Through Eternity also has the ability to do after-hours tours of the Vatican, allowing you to see its treasures without fighting the crowds (it’s a tremendous experience). A 5-hour tour of the Vatican is 67 euros per person, shorter tours are less expensive.
There’s a real “Jekyll and Hyde” quality to exploring Rome with kids. On the one hand, it’s a capital city, big, busy, and hot, and with public transportation that doesn’t always work too well. On the other, the very best parts of the city for kids—Roman ruins, subterranean worlds, and gelato—are aspects you’d want to explore anyway. Seeing Rome with kids doesn’t demand an itinerary redesign—at least, away from its marquee museums. And despite what you have heard about its famous seven hills, much of the center is mercifully flat, and pedestrian. The election of a center-left mayor in 2013 means the city is likely to become even more pedestrian friendly in future. His immediate banning of private cars from the roads around the Forum and Colosseum is likely the first of several measures aimed at creating a Rome that is friendlier for little visitors, and making its precious ruins even more enjoyable places to visit.
Food is pretty easy too: Roman pizzas are some of the best in the world—“Where to Eat,”, for our favorites. Ditto the ice cream, or gelato. Restaurants in pretty much any price category will be happy to serve up a simple pasta al pomodoro (pasta with tomato sauce) to a fussy eater.
The city is shorter on green spaces than European cities like London, but the landscaped gardens of the Villa Borghese have plenty of space for them to let off steam. Pack a picnic or rent some bikes (Go to Page). The Parco Appia Antica (www.parcoappiaantica.it) is another family favorite, especially on a Sunday or national holiday when the old cobbled road is closed to traffic. The park’s Catacombs are eerie enough to satisfy grisly young minds, but also fascinating Christian and historical sites in their own right.
Museums, of course, are trickier. You can probably get kids fired up more easily for the really ancient stuff. The bookshop at the Colosseum has a good selection of guides to the city aimed at under-12s, themed on gladiators and featuring funny or cartoonish material. Make that an early stop. We have taken a 6-year-old to the Musei Capitolini, and she loved hunting down the collection’s treasures highlighted on the free museum guide leaflet. It was like a themed treasure hunt, and bought us a couple of hours to admire the exhibits—and the chance to see them from a new and unexpected angle, too. The multiple ground levels below San Clemente and the Case Romane del Celio are another obvious draw for small visitors.
There are a couple of city museums designed with a specifically child-friendly angle. The best is the Museo della Civiltà Romana, which is popular with local schoolchildren for a good reason: Its models of Ancient Rome help bring the old stones to life. Your kids will be able to see Rome as it was at its peak. Watch out for the odd opening hours, though, because it is a half-hour Metro journey and walk from the center.
If kids get really into the gladiator angle, enroll them in the Scuola Gladiatori Roma (Rome Gladiator School), where they can spend 2 hours preparing for a duel in a reasonably authentic way. The easiest way to book is through Viator.com, but you can find out more about the program at www.gsr-roma.com.
Away from the museums, kids will also likely enjoy some of the cheesier city sights—at the very least, these will make some good family photos to share on Facebook or Instagram. Build in some time to place your hands in the Bocca della Verità, at Santa Maria in Cosmedin, to throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, and to enjoy watching the feral cats relaxing amid the ruins of Largo di Torre Argentina. There is a cat sanctuary here that gives basic healthcare to Rome’s many strays.
If you want to delve deeper into the city as a family, check out the tours on Context Travel’s family program. Bookable walks and workshops cover mythology, underground Rome, “How Rome Works” (which covers some of the Romans’ fiendishly clever engineering), and more. See www.contexttravel.com/rome for details. Each lasts between 2 and 3 hours and costs 255€ to 355€ per family. They are not cheap, but Context’s walks and programs are first rate, you will have the docent to yourselves, and it is money well spent if it gets everyone engaged with the city.
Rome offers temptations of every kind. In our limited space below we’ve summarized streets and areas known for their shops. The monthly rent on the famous streets is very high, and those costs are passed on to you. Nonetheless, a stroll down some of these streets presents a cross section of the most desirable wares in Rome.
Note that sales usually run twice a year, in January and July.
The Top Shopping Streets & Areas
AROUND PIAZZA DI SPAGNA Most of Rome’s haute couture and seriously upscale shopping fans out from the bottom of the Spanish Steps. Via Condotti is probably Rome’s poshest shopping street, where you’ll find Prada, Gucci, Bulgari, and the like. A few more down-to-earth stores have opened, but it’s still largely a playground for the superrich. Via Borgognona is another street where both the rents and the merchandise are chic and ultraexpensive. Like its neighbor, Via Condotti, Via Borgognona is a mecca for wealthy, well-dressed women and men from around the world. It offers a nicer window-browsing experience, however, because it has pedestrian-only access and storefronts have retained their baroque or neoclassical facades. Via Frattina is the third member of this trio of upscale streets. Here the concentration of shops is denser; chic boutiques for adults and kids rub shoulders with ready-to-wear fashions, high-class chains, and occasional tourist tat vendors. It’s usually thronged with shoppers who appreciate the lack of motor traffic.
VIA COLA DI RIENZO The commercial heart of the Prati neighborhood bordering the Vatican, this long, straight street runs from the Tiber to Piazza Risorgimento. Via Cola di Rienzo is known for stores selling a wide variety of merchandise at reasonable prices—from jewelry to fashionable clothes, bags and shoes. Among the most prestigious is Bertozzini Profumeria dal 1913, at no. 192 ( 06-6874662), the historic Roman perfume store. You will also find the department store Coin at no. 173 (with large supermarket in the basement), the largest branch of venerable gourmet food store Castroni at no. 196 (www.castroni.it), and the smaller, more selective gourmet grocery Franchi at no. 204 (www.franchi.it), good for parmigiano cheese.
Although Rome has many wonderful boutiques, the shopping is generally better in Florence. If you’re continuing on to there, you may want to hold off a bit, as you’re likely to find a better selection and better prices.
VIA DEL CORSO Not attempting the stratospheric image or prices of Via Condotti or Via Borgognona, Via del Corso boasts affordable styles aimed at younger consumers. Occasional gems are scattered amid the international shops selling jeans and sporting equipment. In general, the most interesting stores are toward the Piazza del Popolo end of the street (Via del Babuino here has a similar profile). Via del Corso also has a branch of department store La Rinascente, Piazzale Colonna 357 (www.larinascente.it; 06-6784209). Pavements are narrow, so it’s not a convenient street to window-browse with a stroller or young children.
VIA DEI CORONARI An antique-lover’s souk. If you’re shopping (or even window browsing) for antiques or antique-style souvenir prints, then spend an hour walking the full length of this pretty, pedestrian-only street.
VIA MARGUTTA This beautiful, tranquil street is home to numerous art stalls and artists’ studios—Federico Fellini used to live here—though the stores tend to offer the same sort of antiques and mediocre paintings these days. You have to shop hard to find real quality. Highlights include Bottega del Marmoraro at no. 53b, the studio of master stonecarver Sandro Fiorentini; and Valentina Moncada’s hugely popular contemporary art gallery at no. 54 (www.valentinamoncada.com; 06-3207956).
MONTI Rome’s most fashion-conscious central neighborhood has a pleasing mix of indie artisan retailers, hip boutiques, and honest, everyday stores frequented by locals. There’s not a brand name in sight. Roam the length of Via del Boschetto for one-off fashions, designer ateliers, and unique, gift-sized homewares. In fact, you can roam in every direction from the spot where it meets Via Panisperna. Via Urbana is another to add to the list; boutiques jostle for shopfront space with cafes that are ideal for a break or light lunch. Via Leonina likewise. Via Urbana also hosts the weekly Mercatomonti (see “Rome’s Best Markets,” below).
Campo de’ Fiori Central Rome’s traditional food market has been running since at least the 1800s. It’s no longer the place to find a produce bargain, but is still a genuine slice of Roman life in one of its most attractive squares. The market runs Monday through Saturday from 7am to around 1 or 2pm. Campo de’ Fiori. No phone. Bus: H, 23, 63, 116, 271, 280, 780, or 810/Tram: 8.
Eataly Not strictly a market, but a four-floor homage to Italian ingredients and cooking. Thirty different breads, 25 shelving bays of pasta, two aisles of olive oil . . . and you’re only just scratching the surface of what’s here under one roof. Browse the cookbooks, chocolate, local wines and beer and cheese, or stop for a meal in one of the ingredient-themed restaurants and food bars (although prices are a little steep). Eataly is foodie heaven, and open daily from 10am until midnight. Piazzale Ottobre XII 1492. www.roma.eataly.it. 06-90279201. Metro: Piramide. Follow signs from Metro exit gates to “Air Terminal,” then “Piazza Ottobre XII”; ride up escalator then walk around to the right.
Mercatomonti Everything from contemporary glass jewelry to vintage cameras, handmade clothes for kids and adults, and one-off designs to wear or admire is on sale here. It takes place in the heart of trendy Monti, in a commandeered parking garage (where else?). The market runs Sundays from 10am to 6pm. Via Leonina 46. www.mercatomonti.com. No phone. Metro: Cavour.
Nuovo Mercato di Testaccio (New Testaccio Market) In 2012, the old Testaccio market building closed and this modern, daringly modernist, sustainably powered market building took its place. It’s the best place to go produce shopping with the Romans. There’s everything you could want to pack a picnic—cheese, cured meats, seasonal fruit—as well as meat, fish, and fresh vegetables (ideal if you are self-catering in the city). There are also clothes and kitchenware stalls, but the food is the star. For instant gratification, sample the street food at Mordi e Vai , Box 15 (www.mordievai.it; 339-1343344). The likes of a panino filled with warm veal and artichokes in a piquant gravy costs around 4€. The market runs Monday through Saturday from 6am to 2:30pm. Btw. Via Luigi Galvani and Via Aldo Manuzio (at Via Benjamin Franklin). No phone. Bus: 83, 673, or 719.
Porta Portese Trastevere’s vast weekly flea market stretches all the way from the Porta Portese gate along Via di Porta Portese to Viale di Trastevere. Expect to find everything. It runs Sundays from dawn until mid-afternoon. Via di Porta Portese. No phone. Tram: 8.
In general, books (and especially English-language books) are more expensive in Italy than they are back home. However, in an emergency, you will find a sufficient selection at the following places.
Feltrinelli The “International” branch has the best selection of foreign-language—including English—titles in the city. Fiction and nonfiction. Closed Sundays in August. Via V. E, Orlando 84–86. www.lafeltrinelli.it. 06-4827878. Metro: Repubblica. Also at: Largo Torre Argentina 11 (the only other Feltrinelli city store with a good English-language selection).
Borri Books The station bookstore has a good selection of English-language fiction and nonfiction titles for adults and kids—and certainly enough to keep you busy on a long journey. It’s open daily 7am until 10pm. Inside Termini Station, Piazza dei Cinquecento. www.borribooks.com.it. 06-4817940. Metro: Termini.
Even if you don’t speak Italian, you can generally follow the listings of special events and evening entertainment featured in “La Repubblica,” a leading national newspaper published in Rome. See also the “TrovaRoma” section of its city website, www.roma.repubblica.it. “Wanted in Rome” (www.wantedinrome.com) has listings of opera, rock, English-language cinema showings, and such and gives an insider look at expat Rome. “Un Ospite a Roma” (www.unospitearoma.it), available free from concierge desks and tourist information centers, is full of details on what’s happening around the city. Free magazine and website “Romeing” (www.romeing.it) is worth consulting for events and lifestyle updates on the contemporary scene. Also check InRomeNow.com for monthly updates of cultural events.
Unless you’re dead set on making the Roman nightclub circuit, try what might be a far livelier and less expensive scene—sitting late at night on Via Veneto, Piazza della Rotonda, Piazza del Popolo, or one of Rome’s other piazzas, all for the (admittedly inflated) cost of an espresso, a cappuccino, or a Campari and soda. For clubbers, it is almost impossible to predict where the next hot venue will appear, but if you like it loud and late—and have an adventurous streak—jump in a cab to Monte Testaccio or Via del Pigneto and bar-hop wherever takes your fancy. In Trastevere, there’s always a bit of life along Via Politeana around the spot where it meets Piazza Trilussa. Try your luck there.
While the music scene doesn’t have the same vibrancy as Florence—nor the high-quality opera of Milan’s La Scala or La Fenice in Venice—classical music fans are still well catered for in Rome. As well as the major venues, featured below, you should also look out for concerts and one-off events in churches and salons around the city. Check www.operainroma.com for an calendar of opera and ballet staged by the Opera in Roma association at the Chiesa Evangelica Valdese, Via IV Novembre 107. Other venues that regularly run classical music and operatic evenings include the Pontificio Instituto di Musica Sacra, Piazza Sant’Agostino 20A (www.musicasacra.va; 06-6638792) and All Saints’ Anglican Church, Via del Babuino 153 (www.accademiadoperaitaliana.it; 06-7842702).
When the sun goes down, Rome’s palaces, ruins, fountains, and monuments are bathed in a theatrical white light. Few evening occupations are quite as pleasurable as a stroll past the solemn pillars of old temples or the cascading torrents of Renaissance fountains glowing under the blue-black sky.
The Fountain of the Naiads (Fontana delle Naiadi) on Piazza della Repubblica, the Fountain of the Tortoises (Fontana della Tartarughe) on Piazza Mattei, and the Trevi Fountain are particularly beautiful at night. The Capitoline Hill (or Campidoglio) is magnificently lit after dark, with its measured Renaissance facades glowing like jewel boxes. The view of the Roman Forum seen from the rear of Piazza del Campidoglio is perhaps the grandest in Rome (“Three Free Views to Remember for a Lifetime”). If you’re across the Tiber, Piazza San Pietro (in front of St. Peter’s) is impressive at night without the crowds. And a combination of illuminated architecture, baroque fountains, and sidewalk shows enlivens Piazza Navona.
Alexanderplatz An established stalwart of Rome the jazz scene since the early 1980s. If there’s a good act in the city, you will find them here. Via Ostia 9. www.alexanderplatz.it. 06-39742171. Cover 10€. Metro: Ottaviano.
Auditorium–Parco della Musica Multiple stages showcase a broad range of music—from Cat Power to world music to the classical music of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. The massive, purpose-built complex itself is a postmodern work of art, designed by architect Renzo Piano. Viale Pietro de Coubertin 30. www.auditorium.com. 02-60060900. Bus: 2, 53, or 910/Tram: 2D.
Teatro dell’Opera di Roma This is where you will find the marquee operas by big names: Think “La Traviata,” “Carmen,” Puccini’s “Tosca,” and the like. There’s also a full program of classical concerts with top-rank orchestras and ballet. In summer the action moves outdoors for a short season of unforgettable open-air operatic performances at the ruined Baths of Caracalla. Piazza Beniamino Gigli 7. www.operaroma.it. 06-48160255. Tickets 17€–150€. Metro: Repubblica.
Remember: In Rome and everywhere else in Italy, if you just want to drink a quick coffee and bolt, walk up to il banco (the bar), order “un caffè, per favore” or “un cappuccino,” and don’t move. They will make it for you to drink on the spot. It will cost more (at least double) to sit down to drink it, and outdoor table service outside is the most expensive way to go. Even in the heart of the center, a short coffee al banco should cost no more than 1€; add around .20€ for a cappuccino. Expect to pay up to five times that price if you sit outdoors on a marquee piazza. Most cafes in the city serve a decent cup of coffee, but we have chosen a small selection of places worth hunting down, below.
If you’re looking for some scrumptious ice cream to slurp as you admire the piazzas by night, “Gelato”.
Antico Caffè della Pace With its art nouveau interior and constant bustle, this place still evokes a little of the Dolce Vita of its 18th-century heyday, when it was the literary and artistic cafe to be seen in. It’s pricier than its neighbors, but worth it for the ambience. Via della Pace 3–7. No phone. www.caffedellapace.it. Bus: 116.
Sant’Eustachio il Caffè This little place roasts its own Fairtrade Arabica beans over wood. The unique taste and bitter kick to its brews ensures there’s usually a friendly crowd a few deep at the bar. Unless you ask, the coffee comes with sugar. Piazza Sant’Eustachio 82. 06-68802048. www.santeustachioilcaffe.it. Bus: 46, 64, 84, or 916 to Largo di Torre Argentina.
Spinelli Jacketed baristas work at 100 mph at this no-nonsense locals’ cafe. Join the throng at the bar for a morning cappuccino and un cornetto (a pastry) filled with jam, crema (cold custard), Nutella, or white chocolate. It’s ideally located for a Roman breakfast if you are staying on a room-only basis close to Termini. There’s a cold-food buffet at lunch. Closed weekends. Via dei Mille 60. No phone. Metro: Termini.
Tazza d’Oro Debate still rages among Romans as to whether this place—or Sant’Eustachio (above)—serves the best cup of coffee in the city. Close to the Pantheon, it’s been a popular spot since it opened in 1946. Via degli Orfani 84. 06-6789792. www.tazzadorocoffeeshop.com. Bus: 116.
Wine Bars, Cocktail Bars & Craft Beer Bars
For Rome’s most creative modern cocktails, in a casual environment, visit Caffè Propaganda.
Ai Tre Scalini This little bottiglieria (wine bar) is the soul of Monti. There’s a traditional menu, as well as a long wine list with bottles sourced from across Italy. Arrive early or call to reserve a table: This place is usually jammed. Via Panisperna 251. 06-48907495. Metro: Cavour.
Bir and Fud Around 15 beers on tap (most of them Italian craft brews) as well as carb-heavy snacks like pizza and supplì (fried rice balls). It’s 5€ for a small beer. Some are brewed as strong as 9 percent, so drink with care—check the chalkboard for the lowdown on each. Via Benedetta 23. 06-5894016. www.birandfud.it. Bus: 23, 125, 271, or 280.
Cavour 313 A wine bar that’s as traditional and genuine as you will find this close to the ruins. Walls are racked with bottles, and staff sometimes sings along to the Italian piped ballads. There are over 30 wines by the glass (from 3.50€) as well as cold cuts, cheese and cured vegetable platters, or excellent carpaccio to partner the wines. A small menu of hot and cold dishes is also available if you fancy something more substantial, too. Closed Sundays in summer. Via Cavour 313. 06-6785496. www.cavour313.it. Metro: Colosseo.
Enoteca Provincia Romana A smart, glass-fronted modern wine bar that sells produce and wines from Rome and its surrounding province. Sip as you look out on Trajan’s Column, directly opposite. Foro Traiano 82–84. 06-69940273. www.enotecaprovinciaromana.it. Bus: 80, 85, 87, or 175.
La Bottega del Caffè Beers, wine, cocktails, aperitivo—there’s a little of everything at one of Monti’s busiest neighborhood bars. Find a seat in the shrub-screened terrace area or follow the action out on to the piazza and fountain steps. Piazza Madonna dei Monti 5. 06-64741578. Metro: Cavour.
The mass social phenomenon of the aperitivo (happy hour—and so much more) can be a great way to meet, or at least observe the particular ways of, real Romans. It started in hard-working northern cities like Milan, where you’d go to a bar after leaving the office, and for the price of one drink (usually under 10€), you get access to an unlimited buffet of high-quality food—like chunks of Parmigiano-Reggiano, fresh green salad or other cold salads, or mushroom risotto. Luckily for Rome (a decidedly less industrious city), the custom trickled down here, and now the city is filled with casual little places to drop in for a drink (from 6 or 7pm onward) and eat to your heart’s content of all these tasty finger foods. Look for signs in the window and follow your nose. The Monti neighborhood is a good place to begin. The Enoteca Provinciale Italiana (see below) also does good aperitivo.
NO.AU Tricked out a little like a Barcelona cava bar, this place has craft beers from local brewer Birra del Borgo on tap plus a selection of wines (red, white, and sparkling) from around 5€ a glass. The location is ideal for a pre- or post-dinner drink: Right in the old center, NO.AU (pronounced “knowhow,” almost) is set back in a narrow alley to provide a little escape from the chaos. Closed Mondays. Piazza di Montevecchio 16. 06-45652770. www.noauroma.wordpress.com, Bus: 30, 46, 62, 64, 70, 81, 87, 116, or 571.
Open Baladin If anyone ever tells you that “Italians don’t do good beer,” send them to this bar near the Ghetto. A 40-long row of taps lines the bar, with beers from their own Piedmont brewery and across Italy (including many local to the Lazio region). When you are done with those—allow at least a month, because the selection changes daily—there’s a wall of bottles that you would need crampons to climb. Via degli Specchi 5–6. 06-6838989. www.openbaladin.com. Tram: 8.
Stravinskij Bar An evening at this award-winning cocktail bar inside one of Rome’s most famous grand hotels is always a regal, exclusive affair. Mixology, ingredients, and canapés are all top-notch. Sit inside for a “designer lounge” feel, or choose terrace seating during the warm months. Inside Hotel de Russie, Via del Babuino 9. 06-32888874. Metro: Spagna.