My father spent most of his childhood in Italy until he moved to America at 16 years old. I still have a lot of family over in Italy and I have been lucky enough to visit there numerous times. With that, I have also been around Rome a time or two and I've seen all the big attractions. You can only see the Colosseum and the Pantheon so many times, but you want more. Rome is a beautiful city rich with so much that many people don't get around to see simply because many of it isn't advertised. I wanted to share six places in Rome that I love to visit.
1. Campo dei Fiori
Campo dei Fiori is very close to the Hotel Smiraldo, which is where my family and I usually stay. This square has a beautiful farmer's market set up during the morning into the day time. At night there are many restaurants that make Campo dei Fiori desirable location with out the price jump of eating at a location such as Piazza Navona.
2. Blue Ice Gelato
While there are multiple locations of the Blue Ice gelato, there is one on a side street branching off of Campo dei Fiori. Personally, I think that they have great gelato. The flavors are very prominent and being a chocolate girl myself, it is not too overly rich that you can't eat it all. This is a definite stop on trip to Rome for me.
3. Largo di Torre Argentina
Largo di Torre Argentina is located a few blocks away from Campo dei Fiori. This square in Rome contains ruins from multiple temples and Pompey's Theatre. Julius Ceasar was killed in the Curia of the Theatre of Pompey and the location is believed to be in the square. Another very interesting thing about this square is that it is a cat sanctuary. There are many beautiful homeless cats that wander the ruins; there is also an organized set up for adoption on certain days down in the square.
4. Antico Forno Roscioli
Antico Forno Roscioli is a bakery around the corner from Hotel Smiraldo. They have exceptional pizzas and paninis. My parents personally loved their panini with prosciutto and fig.
5. Ponte Milvio
Ponte Milvio, or The Milvian Bridge, is Rome's love lock bridge. The Ponte Milvio is located in the northern part of Rome and stretches over the Tiber River. The mayor of Rome now has the locks removed soon after they are put on because of the weight it adds to the bridge. There were past structural concerns especially after one lamp post gave out due to lock weight.
6. La Chiesa di Santa Maria del Priorato
The church of St. Mary of the Priority is located on Aventine Hill, which is one of the seven hills of Rome. It is a monastery church of the priority of the Knights of Malta. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. When I visited with my parents, we were told that if you look through the keyhole it is a straight view to St. Peter's Basilica.
Bonus Rome Hint: If you are shopping in Rome, most stores participate in a tax back program. The tax on items in places like Rome is close to 20 percent, if you spend at least 155 Euro in one store then you are eligable to recieve the tax back for that purchase. There is one tax return location near the Pantheon. It is very important that you have your passport number with you; officials will ask for your passport while filling out the information. You may not want to be traveling around Rome with your passport on you, but they may be able to accept the number only. There is more information about this program on many websites.
