I’ve changed my Italian class schedule and my mode of transportation. I’ve got a little tired of that crowded bus that dropped me off behind my apartment. Now I take the metro to Ottaviano and walk toward the back of Castel Sant’Angelo. Next to it, on the banks of the Tiber, is Biblio Bar, a book café with a view of the river and the castle—perfect. On my way back at night, I sometimes delight in the music of a woman playing a cello.
One morning, I cross the Umberto I Bridge, which takes me directly to Palazzo Primoli, which had been closed for a couple of years and houses the Museo Mario Praz (1896–1982). He was an art collector, historian, journalist, professor, translator, and writer. His library and collections can be found in the palazzo where he lived.
Nearby is the Antica Libreria Cascianelli, which I visited when I came to Rome with my mother many moons ago. That day we found it closed, but today it opens like a treasure chest, filled with old books everywhere, rooms that intertwine and open, filled with knick-knacks. I think I want to stay here.
My friend Marco is spending his birthday in the city, and we meet up. I have a colorful surprise prepared for him, he loves colours. We’re going to the Church of Maria della Pace. Next to it is its cloister, the Chiostro di Bramante, an art exhibition center, colorful stairs leading up to its café, and a wonderful, modern Sistine Chapel-style room, also full of color, as you can see …
The Arco dei Banchi is very popular on social media.
The Passetto del Biscione is an alley almost destroyed that was painted and brought to life and now looks like this.
The medieval corner of the Arco degli Acetari is a little more hidden. I like to stop by there on my way to class; a neighboring cat comes out to say hello, and it’s a very peaceful place.
Another visit I have on my way is the German church of Santa Maria dell’Anima, located behind the magnificent Piazza Navona. Its interior is spectacular.
The small Tara bookstore is near the Spazio Sette bookstore, one of the most beautiful ones in the city; its frescoed ceilings give it a touch of distinction. On the first floor, they have a café where I sometimes go to do homework or read with the resident cat. It also has several rooms with beautiful soffitti where I once attended a book launch with my teacher Valentina and my classmate Felipe.
It’s just a few steps from Largo Argentina, a square famous for its cat colony and the place where Julius Caesar was stabbed, which you surely remember. The Jewish Ghetto, the Portico d’Ottavia, and the Teatro di Marcello are some of the places I love to pass by, often.
The Forum of Trajan and Nerva, and Trajan’s Column the Market, my favorite balcony between the Capitoline Museums, are also my places of worship, and if I go there with my friend Silvia, who showed up unexpectedly, the day is already unbeatable. First, we’ll try maritozzo, a typical cream-covered pastry from the famous Regoli pastry shop, which has been serving them since 1016.
On our morning walk, we pass by a church, free of tourists, that hides a secret. The underground floor of San Silvestro e Martino is home to countless nativity scenes from all over the world, and if we continue down, its intricacies reveal ancient and enormous thermal baths, which later served as a Roman market and a place of Christian worship. Of course the handsome Michelangelo’s Moses was also part of our plan in San Pietro in Vincoli.
I visited the church of Santa Maria in Via looking for a miracle. Yes, you can drink miraculous water there. Legend has it that during a flood, the only thing that floated was the painting of the Virgin Mary. They have small glasses next to a tap that goes directly into the underground well.
In front of it is the beautiful and elegant Alberto Sordi shopping arcade.
Another of my surprise visits was Rosalía’s, so together we went to explore the vegan restaurant Rifugio Romano. We really liked it. It’s close to Termini Station, so we took a stroll through some of the churches and ruins surrounding the area.
One of my last mornings in Rome, I stopped by the oldest ice cream parlor in the city; Giolitti has been sweetening travelers’ breaks since 1890.
And I think the Apple Store on Via del Corso is worth mentioning, due to its location inside a beautiful palazzo, next to an interior courtyard that’s well worth a visit.
I finish my walks at a bookstore near the school. Altroquando is an alternative space with a pub in its basement.
My choice today is none other than Promenades in Rome by Stendhal, a French writer in love with Italy. He describes the beauty and life of Rome at that time, his passion for it, leaving neither reader nor visitor indifferent, just as the “Eternal City” leaves us speechless today.
