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Italy : Rome - April 2008

Country Code: Dial for Italy

From historical monuments to fashionable clubs, Rome has it all. Spring is perfect for visiting (or revisiting) the Eternal City’s sights – whether you feel like strolling through the Villa Borghese park, winding your way through the Centro Storico or hitting retail heaven in the Tridente. Anna Melville-James tries to pack everything in

Getting around

Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport

Bus: The Terravision bus is cheap (about €15 for a return), but the timetable less frequent – there’s approximately one bus every two hours and the journey takes 45 minutes.
Train: The Leonardo Express runs every 30 minutes into Termini station. The journey takes 35 minutes and costs €11.
Taxi: The journey from the airport to the city centre takes 50 minutes. Expect to pay around €40-60.
Tourist information: The main office is at 11 Via Parigi (, www.romaturismo.com).

CENTRO STORICO

This dense labyrinth of piazzas and historical treasures is the beating heart of Rome.

Culture vultures – Head for quiet local churches, such as San Luigi dei Francesi (Piazza di San Luigi dei Francesi) or Santa Maria della Pace (5 Vicolo dell’ Arco della Pace), which are crammed with Caravaggio and Raphael originals.

Must eat – Elegant club-cum-bar Anima (57 Via Santa Maria dell’Anima, tel. ) serves sushi to a funk soundtrack spun by up-and-coming DJs.

Must drink – Cult spot Jonathan’s Angels (14-16 Via della Fossa) pulls in an eclectic, lively crowd.

Shop til you drop – Camicerìa Mattioli (30 Via della Stelletta) is the place to cut La Bella Figuera in classic shirts. At Cecilia and Omero (68 Via del Governo Vecchio) you’ll find a treasure trove of vintage clothes.

THE TRIDENTE

The retail paradise of Tridente, between Piazza del Poppolo and the Spanish Steps, means designer clothing, elegant crowds and diverting side streets.

Culture vultures – The Keats-Shelley Memorial House (26 Piazza di Spagna) exhibits letters and manuscripts of writers, painters and musicians who’ve lodged at this historic address – such as Keats, Shelly, Byron and Goethe.

Must eat – Try the spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti with clams) at La Buca di Ripetta (36 Via di Ripetta, tel. ). Il Gelato di San Crispino’s (42 Via Della Panetteria, tel. ) serves ice cream in tubs so as not to sully the flavour with a cone. Try the zabaglione flavour.

Must drink – Part legend, part coffee stop, L’Antico Caffe Greco (86 Via Condotti) can count Cassanova and Byron among its former patrons. Stand in the foyer and sip an espresso.

Shop til you drop – Along streets under the Spanish Steps you’ll find Italian legends Gucci (8 Via Condotti) and Prada (92-95 Via Condotti). Sermoneta (61 Piazza di Spagna) has butter-soft leather gloves in all colours.

QUIRINALE & ESQUILINO

All winding streets, hidden corners and show-stopping surprises (such as the Trevi fountain), the Quirinale and Esquilino have an unmistakable buzz.

Sleep soundly – The opulent St Regis Grand has huge rooms, some with trompe de l’oeil walls and pillars. For a more intimate experience try the family-run Nerva.

Must eat – Agata e Romeo’s (45 Via Carlo Alberto, ) millefoglie (puff pastry and cream pudding) is copyrighted. Tuck into feather-light crusts in Art Nouveau surroundings at Est! Est!! Est!!! (32 Via Genova, tel. ), one of the oldest pizzerie in Rome.

Shop til you drop – The celebrated Roman bakery Panella: L’Arte del Pane (54/55 Via Merulana) does beautiful cakes. Dierre Bijoux (165 Via Merulana) sells fabulous costume jewellery.

VILLA BORGHESE

Sitting imperiously above the city, the Villa Borghese is Rome’s oasis, a peaceful spread of formal gardens, long boulevards and plane trees.

Culture vultures – The city’s grand green lung holds three of its best museums. Galleria Borghese (5 Piazzale Scipione Borghese) is packed with Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces. The Mueso Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia (9 Piazzale di Villa Giula) exhibits Etruscan artefacts. The Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna (131 Viale delle Belle Arti) displays 20th-century art.

Must eat – Housed in the Lord Byron Hotel, the Sapori del Lord Byron (5 Via G de Notaris, tel. ) is a sleek, 1920s-style restaurant

Shop til you drop – Pick up engravings, prints, maps and coins at Mercato delle Stampe (Largo della Fontanella di Borghese).

Compiled by Anna Melville-James