WASHINGTON-From sipping vino rosso from the tuscan hills to drizzling fresh olive oil onto a fresh slice of baguette in the piazza of Campo de Fiori, Rome is a feast of pleasures. Enjoy this romantic fairytale location on your own or with the family. Rome is a wonderland for everyone to explore. The feeling of the history that is buried deep under the cobblestone throughout the city.
For centuries, Italy is a destination for artists, philosophers, writers, and religious leaders across the globe. Today, it’s capital serves as one of the top destinations for travel. Rome is a wonderland of cappuccino-making bars, pasta-serving restaurants, art-filled churches, and shop-til-you-drop shopping districts.
Not only is it the capital of Italy, but it is also the capital for the Roman Catholic Church with Vatican City sitting right in the heart of the city. Each church has it’s own history and is filled with different medias of artwork. Chiesa di Sant Pietro in Vincoli houses Michelangelo’s Moses. Along with this sculpture that was carved in 1513, the church holds the chains of Saint Peter in an illuminated glass box. The Chiesa di Sant Ignazio di Popolo isn’t easy to find on your own, but it’s definitely worth the hunt. If you’ve jotted down the Pantheon on your travel itinerary, the Chiesa di Sant Ignazio is, in fact, right around the corner. Just a few steps away, also lies the Church of St. Louis of the French. This french church is located by Piazza Navona - one of the most magical areas in Rome. At night, it’s really a sight to see, with the fountains lit up and their blue iridescent waters falling from the spouts.
Aside from churches full of century-old art work, Rome is full of restaurants. Yes, pizza, pasta, and wine - oh my! Stop by some of the best eateries in Rome, where the locals like to enjoy their meals as well. Deemed by Fodor’s Rome Travel Guide one of the top restaurants to visit in Rome, Trattoria Vecchia Roma sits below the street surface in the area of Vittorio Emanuele II. Within the winding streets of Campo di Fiori is Osteria del Pegno. This little restaurant is quite tasteful. Like a lot of businesses in Italy, you can find the owner working that night as well. For aperitivo, I would suggest the Italian meats platter. This comes with mozzarella, prosciutto, salami, and mortadella.The smoked salmon plate is also worth a try. For dinner, you can choose a nice, juicy, steak drizzled with a basaltic sauce. Sipping wine in the piazza of Campo di Fiori doesn’t seem like a bad idea after a day of visiting churches filled with Gian Lorenzo Bernini-sculpted statues.
Of course, Italy is the home of not one, but two fashion capitals. Milan which was one of the original four, along with New York, London, and Paris. Today, some will argue that Florence is also a fashion capital. The streets of Rome is bustling with Italians and foreigners alike trying to get the city up to the same caliber as Milan and Florence. The Italian Capital is full of boutiques and shopping districts. EUR Roma 2 is one of the two malls in the city, where you can find stores such as Pull and Bear, the Apple store, Zara, and stores like these. Piazza di Spagna is where you would wan to go for more luxury brands. Across from the Spanish steps are a Louboutin store, a Gucci store, a Louis Vuitton store, and much more. Also, close by is the Trevi Fountain. This is where the brand new Fendi Palace is located, since Fendi funded the renovations for the Trevi Fountain. For more discounted designer items, you may want to take a trip to the outlets in Rome: Castel Romano.
With this beautiful city being ranked Number 8 on US News’ 25 Best Vacations In The World and Trip Advisor’s #7 of 25, Rome is definitely worth the 9 hour flight across the ocean. In any season, Rome will always have something for you to do.