Rome/North Center

Spagna lies in the northern part of the central city, to the west of the park of the Villa Borghese. It includes the Piazza di Spagna and the famous Spanish Steps. It is one of the most fashionable and well-heeled districts of the Italian capital.
Parioli is a quiet, affluent and elegant Rome neighborhood close to Villa Borghese. The name originates from a gigantic wall called "parietone".
Salario, just to the northwest of the Modern Center and the Villa Borghese, is another elegant, upscale neighborhood, home to a large and beautiful park, Villa Ada.
Trieste is also a quiet affluent and elegant neighborhood, close to the Parioli and Villa Ada. It is full of Fascist architecture and early Christian churches such as Sant’Agnese Fuori Le Mura.

This is still the centre of Rome. It is served by the metro stations (Piazza di Spagna: Spanish Steps and Borghese Gardens) and . Piazza di San Silvestro, which is a short walk from the Spanish Steps, is a terminal for many bus lines.

Antique Rome

• Ara Pacis

  address: Lungotevere in Augusta
  Ara Pacis is an altar to peace commissioned by the Roman Senate on 4 July 13 BC to honor the triumphal return from Hispania and Gaul of Augustus. It is universally recognised as a masterpiece. Following discovery of this work under a building in Rome, Mussolini built a protective building for it near the Mausoleum of Augustus, where it was reconstructed. A new building on the same site as Mussolini's was opened in 2006 and has been controversial. The mayor at the time said he would tear down the new structure. The basement of the new building features occasional exhibitions. You can see much of it from outside the building. Paying to go inside adds some background info, but not much more.

• Mausoleo di Augusto

  phone: +39 0667103819
  address: Piazza Augusto Imperatore
  This is a large tomb built by the Roman Emperor Augustus in 28 BC in the form of a stone ring covered by an earth mound. A brick wall, 87 m in diameter, carried an earth mound covered with cypresses. On top of the hill stood a bronze monument of the emperor. The building was 44 meters high. At the beginning of the alley, which led to the tomb were two Egyptian obelisks. On both sides of the doorway bronze plates describe the "Res gestae", the deeds of the emperor. The urns of Augustus, Marcellus, Octavia, Agrippa, Drusus and other members of the Julian Claudian dynasty were revered here. In the Middles Ages the building served as citadel of the Colonna family. It was destroyed by Pope Gregor IX in 1241. The body of Cola di Rienzo. a popular leader of the people in the mid-14th century, was burnt in this monument. The Mausoleo di Augusto is not open to the public, and is fenced off.

Catacombs

• Catacombe di Priscilla

  phone: +39 06-86206272
  address: Via Salaria 430
  Underground burial place of an ancient Roman family and of seven early popes.

Churches

• Santa Maria del Popolo

  phone: +39 063610836
  address: Piazza del Popolo 12
  This is a treasure-trove of art. There are a couple of paintings by Caravaggio: "The Crucifixion of Saint Peter" and "The Conversion of Saint Paul" (in an dim alcove to the left of the altar, both at right angles to the viewer, with a machine wanting €2 to switch on the lighting) together with a sculpture by Bernini, frescoes by Pinturicchio and mosaics by Raphael. Part of the Dan Brown tour, this church featured in Angels and Demons, although the Vatican did not allow filming inside.

• Santissima Trinità dei Monti

  phone: +39 066794179
  address: Piazza della Trinità dei Monti 1
  Baroque church more noted for its position at the top of the Spanish Steps than it is for the church. Backdrop for numerous movies including Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday.

• Moschea di Roma

  phone: +39 06 8082167, +39 06 8082258
  address: Viale della Moschea, 85
  The Rome Mosque, which was inaugurated in 1995, is the biggest in Europe. The inside of the 30,000 m² structure has a large prayer hall that uses tri-stemmed columns that imitate the features of trees.

• Santa Constanza

  phone: +39 068610840
  address: Via Nomentana 349

• Sant Agnese fuori le mura

  phone: +39 068610840
  address: Via Nomentana 349

Historical squares and streets

• Piazza del PopoloThis is the largest square in Rome. It sometimes hosts pop concerts and is the focal point for Rome's New Year's Eve celebrations. The twin churches Santa Maria dei Miracoli (1681) and Santa Maria in Montesanto (1679) used to provide a clear welcome to Rome for those coming from the north. Much older, to the north of the piazza is yet another Santa Maria (see below). The Piazza del Popolo is considered as one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. It was enlarged and two streets, the Via di Ripetta and the Via del Babuino were added by order of Pope Sixtus V. In the middle of the square is an obelisk (see below). In 1809-1816, Giuseppe Valadier, Roman architect of French origin, gave the square the its characteristic oval shape.

• Quartiere Coppedè (part of the neighborhood of ‘Trieste’)With its strange Liberty- style buildings with influence from the Art Nouveau of the 1920s this small bunch of blocks is one of the most interesting, and less known, landmarks of the city. A must see.

• The Spanish StepsA truly monumental stairway of 135 steps, built with French funds between 1721 and 1725 in order to link the Bourbon Spanish embassy to the Holy See (still located in the piazza below), with the Bourbon French church (its monastery founded in 1495) above.

• Piazza di SpagnaThe Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Square) is the most famous square in Rome. For a very long time it was the meeting point of all foreigners coming to Rome. In the 17th century it was the residence of the Spanish Ambassador to the Holy See. The area around the residence was Spanish territory and foreigners who stayed here without permission were forced to serve in the Spanish army. The Fontana della Barcaccia (Old Boat Fountain) on Piazza di Spagna was designed and built in 1627-29 by Pietro Bernini, father of the more famous Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The fountain celebrates the fact that before high walls were built along the banks of the Tiber Rome often used to flood. Once the waters were so high that a boat ended up in the square. The decorations on the fountain imitate the coat of arms of Pope Urban VII, Barberini'p, who ordered the fountain to be built. A less aesthetic occupant of the square is Italy's first McDonalds, dating back to 1986. Also in the piazza is a column erected in 1856 to commemorate the Immaculate Conception. The column is topped by a statue of the Virgin Mary, and rests on a base with statues of Moses, David, Isaiah and Ezekiel. The Pope visits the Piazza every year on December 8th to celebrate Immaculate Conception.

• Ponte MilvioThe first pedestrian-only bridge was built here in 206 BC and marks the passage of the Roman Via Flaminia over the Tiber. In 115 BC, the original bridge was demolished and rebuilt. It has been restored and remodelled several times since. In 2006, the bridge began attracting couples who, influenced by a movie, used a lamppost on the bridge to hang padlocks as a sign of their love, locking the padlock to the lamppost, then throwing the key behind them into the river. In 2007 the lamppost collapsed under the weight! Feeling sorry for the lovers the mayor ordered construction of steel posts, where padlocks can once again be hung.

Historical buildings

• Villa Medici

  phone: +39 06 6761 311
  address: Viale Trinità dei Monti, 1
  The villa was erected by order of Cardinal Ricci di Montepulciano in 1544. It was acquired by Cardinal Fernando di Medici in 1576. Since 1803 it is the French Academy in Rome. The academy was created in 1666 by the French King Louis XIV in order to enable painters to study in Rome. Nicolas Poussin was one of the first students, Ingres was director, and Fragonard and Boucher were students of the French Academy, but also musicians like Berlioz and Debussy studied here. Today the villa hosts occasional concerts and exhibitions. Its gardens can be visited.

• Villa Albani-Torlonia

  phone: +39 06 6861044
  address: Via Salaria, 92
  A magnificent patrician house with beautiful gardens. It was built by order of Cardinal Alessando Albani in 1743-1763 in order to accommodate his collection of art. The collection was taken care of by the Winkelmann, adviser and friend of the cardinal. In Rome, Winkelmann wrote his "Geschichte der Kunst des Altertumns (HIstory of the Art of Antiquity)", which made him the founder of classical archaeology. The painted ceiling of the great hall depicting Mount Parnassus is by the German painter Anton Raphael Mengs who was considered as the greatest painter in Rome in the 18th century. A permission to visit is to be requested by email or fax from Principi Torlonia's administration where you'd need to indicate date and time desired, your name and number of people in your party (max. 10).

• Villa Ada

  address: via Salaria 267 - 273 - 275, via di Ponte Salario, via di Monte Antenne, via Panama
  Beautiful park, the 2nd largest in Rome (after Villa Doria Pamphili) at 450 acres/182 hectares. Hosts concerts on summer evenings. former summer residence of Italian monarchs. Also known for it's bunker.

Gardens

• Borghese GardensThe extensive Borghese Gardens are a pleasant place to stroll. Inside this area you will find one of the world's great museums, Rome's Zoo, a pond where you can rent a rowing boat and the Piazza di Siena, which hosts an annual show jumping event.

• PincioThe Pincio Park is near Piazza del Popolo. It was designed in the 19th century by Giuseppe Valadier, who also designed the Piazza del Popolo. Formlerly the Casina Valadier was an elegant restaurant. Gandhi, Mussolini, Richard Strauss and the Egyptian King Farouk were customers there. There are many evergreen bushes, palm and pine trees on both sides of the paths. Don't miss the view from Piazzale Napoleone I. to the Vatican and Rome from Monte Mario to Gianicolo. Walking through the park from Villa Borghese or along Viale Trinita del Monti is greatly recommended, especcially at sunset. In the park there is an Egyptian obelisk erected by Emperor Hadrianus over the grave of his favourite slave Antinos, who had saved the emperor's life and from then on was adored like a God.

Museums

• Villa Borghese

  phone: +39 06 32810
  address: Piazzale del Museo Borghese (Parco di Villa Borghese)
  Borghese Gallery and Museum is a lovely display in a beautiful villa setting, which concentrates on the quality rather than the size of its collection. There are some very notable works by Antonio Canova and Gian Lorenzo Bernini here, Bernini's Apollo and Daphneis quite amazing. It also houses some of Caravaggio paintings, well worth the admission charge. Originally, the gallery was one of the most magnificent private art collections in the world. It was founded by Cardinal Scipione Borghese. At the beginning of the 19th century, Prince Camillo Borghese sold great parts of the collections to Paris where today they belong to the most valuable exhibits of the Louvre. Since 1902 the villa and the gallery are owned by the Italian state. The number of people admitted is limited to 360 every 2 hours, so it is best to make a well in advance for the time slot you want. Cameras and photography are allowed. Plan to arrive at the museum at least 15 minutes prior to your entry time, to obtain your ticket from Will Call and to deposit purses, strollers, backpacks, bottles, and other bulky items in the cloak room. If you are late for your reservation the museum may not allow you to use your ticket.

• Villa Giulia National Gallery

  phone: +39 063201951
  address: Piazzale di Villa Giulia, 9, Villa Borghese 00196 - Roma
  The most extensive collection of Etruscan art and artifacts anywhere. Fantastic collection and well worth the admission charge. A difficult museum to find, but a lovely display in a beautiful villa setting.

• Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna (GNAM)

  phone: +39 06 322 981
  address: Via delle Belle Arti 131
  An underrated way to see fantastic art made after the Renaissance. Mainly Italian artists, notably De Chirico, but Cézanne, Degas, Kandinsky, Man Ray, Modigliani, Monet, Pollock and Van Gogh are also represented.

• MAXXI

  phone: +39 06 39967350
  address: Via Guido Reni 4a
  Brand new museum designed to celebrate the art and architecture of the 21st century.

• MACRO

  phone: +39 06 6710 70400
  address: Via Nizza 138
  Rome's museum of contemporary art, housed in a former industrial complex. Rotating exhibitions, each one usually lasting about 4 months. The MACRO Testaccio exhibition space is located in Aventino-Testaccio.

• Keats-Shelley Memorial House

  address: Piazza di Spagna 26
  The house in which the famous English poet John Keats succumbed to consumption, now preserved as a memorial to his life and that of his friend Shelley, both of whom are buried in Rome's Protestant Cemetery (see Testaccio).

• Goethe's House

  phone: +39 0632650412
  address: Via del Corso 18

• Museo delle Paste Alimentari

  phone: +39 06 699 1119
  address: Via Flaminia, 141
  A museum devoted to pasta, Italy's premier gift to world cuisine.

Zoo

• BioparcoThe renamed Rome Zoo, one of the oldest in Europe, founded in 1911. On the edge of the Borghese Gardens, a short, well-signposted walk from the Gallery. They try hard, but San Diego this isn't. If you are a regular zoo-goer you will be disappointed.

Obelisks and statues

• Piazza del Popolo ObeliskAccording to an inscription Emperor Augustus dedicated the obelisk to the sun in the 11th year of his consulate (10BC), after he had annexed Egypt to Rome. The obelisk is 24 m high. It was erected in Heliopolis in Egypt and was dedicated to Pharao Sethos I (1313-1292 BC) and Pharoa Ramses II (1292-1275 BC). Augustus brought the obelisk to the Circus Maximus, where it was rediscovered in 1587, broken into three pieces and was relocated to Piazze del Popolo on the orders of Pope Sixtus V in 1589.

• Statue of Lord Byron

  address: Borghese Gardens
  Statue by Thorvaldsen.

• Statue of Goethe

  address: Borghese Gardens

• Statue of Victor Hugo

  address: Borghese Gardens

• Rent a boat and take a row on the lake in the Borghese Gardens.

• Auditorium Parco della Musica

  address: Viale Pietro de Coubertin
  The Auditorium at Parco della Musica is a large complex on the north side of Rome, built on a site that was part of the 1960 Olympic area. It is composed of three separate halls whose shapes are inspired by musical instruments. These are positioned around an open air amphitheatre, that is used nearly every night in the summer for concerts. The interiors are entirely made of cherry-wood, which provides for good acoustics. The Parco della Musica opened in 2002 and now hosts a constant stream of classical, popular, and jazz music, featuring national as well as international musicians and groups. Refreshments available and there is a good book shop.

The streets to the west of the Spanish Steps, such as Via dei Condotti, house Rome's most upmarket shops. Most of the famous designer labels can be found here.

• Dolce & Gabbana

  phone: +39 0669924999
  address: Via Condotti 51-52

• Giorgio Armani

  phone: +39 063221581
  address: Via Condotti 77

• Prada

  phone: +39 066790897
  address: Via Condotti 92-95

• Salvatore Ferragamo

  phone: +39 066791565
  address: Via Condotti 73-74

• Trussardi

  phone: +39 066792151
  address: Via Condotti 49-50

• Valentino

  phone: +39 066739430
  address: Via Condotti 13

• Gucci

  phone: +39 066790405
  address: Via Condotti 8

• Max Mara

  phone: +39 0669922104
  address: Via Condotti 67-69

• Laura Biagotti

  phone: +39 066791205
  address: Via Borgogna 43-44

• Ermenegildo Zegna

  phone: +39 066789143
  address: Via Borgogna 7e

• Fendi

  phone: +39 066797641
  address: Via Borgogna 36-40

• Antico Caffe

  phone: +39 06 69190704
  address: Via Sant'Andrea delle Fratte, 25
  Very nice restaurant on the main alleyway between Trevi Fontana and Piazza de Spagna. For €9, you get a large choice of pasta with two vegetable sides, bread, and a bottle of mineral water. The house wine is especially good.

• Il Margutta RistorArte

  phone: +39 06 32650577
  address: via Margutta, 118
  A fairly decent vegetarian lunch buffet. The staff can point out the vegan eats. A decent value for the money. Near where Fellini once lived.

• Fiaschetteria Beltramme da Cesaretto

  address: Via della Croce 39
  Outdoor seating available. Cash only. Walls lined with interesting art and at least one communal table. Small, traditional menu but the best dishes are the pastas and the simple bresaola, rughetta and parmigiano plate. Recommended dishes are the tonnarelli cacio & pepe and maltagliati al sugo.

• Trattoria Fauro

  phone: +39 06068083301
  address: Via R.Fauro 44

• Mamma Angelina

  phone: +39 068608929
  address: Viale Arrigo Boito 65

• Cremolato

  phone: +390686200724
  address: Via di Priscilla 18
  One of the best Cafe of the area. Try the homemade cremolato, probably one of the best in Rome.

• Babington's Tea Rooms

  address: Piazza di Spagna 23
  situated right next to the base of the Spanish Steps, a veritable tourist trap. The cheapest pot of tea is €8. It opened in 1896 in order to fortify homesick English tourists, once famous as a tranquil English haven in a Latin ocean, now serving tea and scones (and more) with considerably less charm and even less value.

• Antico Caffe Greco

  phone: +39 066791700
  address: Via dei Condotti 86
  Ancient and famous coffee bar, with walls lined with art work. Worth a quick look even if you find the prices a bit excessive.

• Babette caffe-ristorante

  phone: +39 06 32 11 559
  address: Via Margutta, 1/d
  Lovely lunch buffet. Everything fresh out of the kitchen. Much more expensive on weekends. Always best to reserve. A nice way to sample lots of different Italian foods without having to order an antipasti, primi, secondi, etc.

• Beershop

  phone: +39 06 96845654
  address: Via Flaminia 506
  The smallest beershop in Rome, providing more than 400 beers from all over the world. With a special selection of beers from Italian microbreweries, this is the perfect place for beer enthusiasts.

Budget

Mid-range

• La Pergola

  phone: +39 06 8127250
  address: Via Prati fiscali 55 - 00141

• Carlo Magno

  phone: +39 06 8903982
  address: Via Sacco Pastore 13 - 00141

• Excel Roma Montemario

  phone: +39 0635058001
  address: via degli Scolopi 31, Montemario Area, zona Trionfale
  This hotel has open air pool, restaurant, free parking and fitness center.

• Hotel Cinquantatre

  phone: +39 06 42014708
  address: Via di San Basilio, 53
  Hotel is in an old building with a roof-top terrace, rooms are with satellite TV, A/C and a safe, some with balcony as well.

• Hotel Condotti

  phone: +39 06 679 4661
  address: Via Mario de' Fiori, 37

• Hotel Concordia

  phone: +39 06 6791953
  address: Via di Capo le Case, 14
  A hotel in a 18th-century building with A/C and a roof garden.

• Imperial Suite Rome

  phone: +39 06 8554515
  Corso d'Italia 92. A guest house with single, double, twin and triple bedrooms. All with private bath, internet connection and living area. €80/€95 single/double rooms. All rates include the breakfast served directly in the guests’ rooms.

• Hotel Madrid

  phone: +0039 06 6991510-11-12-13
  address: Via Mario de Fiori, 93-95, 00187 Roma (RM)
  Comfortable 4-star hotel very close to Piazza di Spagna suitable for both couples and families. The hotel features free Wi-Fi and a panoramic terrace where breakfast and tea are served.

Splurge

• Les Fleurs Luxury House

  phone: +39 06 69921341
  address: Via Mario de' Fiori 24
  Cosy guest house with double and twin standard bedrooms €260, double deluxe, junior suite €380 and double for single use €230. All rates include breakfast and en-suites services with shower and bathtub or Jacuzzi.

• Residenza Frattina

  phone: +39 06 6783553
  address: Via Frattina, 104

• Hotel Claridge

  phone: +39 06 845441
  address: Viale Liegi, 62
  4-star hotel in the Parioli district, close to the Borghese Gardens.

• The Duke Hotel

  phone: +39 06 367221
  address: Via Archimede, 69

• Hotel Lord Byron

  phone: +39 06 3220 404
  address: Via Via Giuseppe De Notaris, 5

• Residenza Borghese

  phone: +39 06 42016810
  address: Via Sardegna 55
  A modern inn near Via Veneto.

• B&B Domus Pinciana

  phone: +39 06 42014628
  address: Via Campania 61/a
  Small B&B close to Via Veneto.

• Intown Luxury House

  phone: +39 06 69380200
  address: Via Bocca di Leone, 7
  Single, double, junior suite and terraced junior suite. All rooms with A/C, LCD TV sets with satellite channels, hi-speed Internet connection, safe, minibar and direct telephone line. Bathrooms are fitted with marble and Jacuzzi tubs and/or showers.

• Best Western Astrid

  phone: +39 06 3236371
  address: Largo Antonio Sarti, 4
  A big hotel in a quiet area of Rome. The staff is friendly and makes the stay very enjoyable. The rooms are clean and spacious and there’s a daily replenishment of the minibar at no cost. The 5th-floor breakfast room has great views of the Tiber and St. Peter's Dome. The bar is closed at night and there isn't much nightlife in the area apart from a few good restaurants.

• Spagna Royal Suite Rome

  phone: +39 06 69923793
  address: Via Mario de' Fiori 3
  Boutique hotel. Double, triple and quadruple rooms divided in standard, comfort, deluxe and executive. All with private bath. Rates change according to the season, starting from £239 for a double standard and €399 for a triple deluxe.

• Town House Spagna

  phone: +39 06 68892351
  address: Via della Croce 50/a
  Relatively new town house 50 m away from Piazza di Spagna. 10 rooms, each with private bathrooms. Up to date facilities.

• B&B Le Muse

  phone: +39 3487266630
  address: Via Giacinta Pezzana 68

• Hotel Fiume

  phone: +39 06 8543000
  address: Via Brescia 5
  Nice hotel near the Villa Borghese park.

• Hotel Homs

  phone: +39 06 6792976
  address: Via Della Vite, 71/72
  4-star hotel.

• Hotel Stendhal

  phone: +3906422921
  address: via del Tritone 113
  4-star hotel.