Supplies & Resources

Students can bring their favourite basic necessities for studio or plan to buy supplies there. Most items are available in Rome but the exchange rate is not as favourable as it has been in the past. Plan to buy larger items such as sketchbooks in Italy.

Shops in Rome are usually open from 9:00am - 1:00pm and 3:30pm - 7:30pm except on Sundays and Monday mornings. Grocery shops also close on Thursday afternoons. Some bookshops and some clothes stores (around Campo dei Fiori, for example) open on Sundays, 10:00am or 3:00pm - 7:00pm.

Books

  • Libreria Kappa: P.zza Borghese 6 (in the centre) - lots of architecture books.
  • Anglo American Bookshop: Via della Vite 102 (P.zza di Spagna) - selection of English books.
  • The Economy Bookstore: Via Torino 136 (P.zza della Repubblica) - selection of English books.
  • The Corner Bookstore: Via del Moro 48 (close to the studio) - selection of English books.
  • la Feltrinelli: Largo Torre Argentina 5/a -large bookstore (some English books).
  • la Feltrinelli International: Via V.E. Orlando 84 (P.zza Esedra) - large multi-language bookstore.
  • Mel Bookstore: Via Nazionale 254/255 - large selection, open 7 days, cafeteria.
  • Rinascita: Via delle Botteghe oscure - music and books (mostly Italian).
  • Open Door Bookstore: Via della Lungaretta 23 (Trastevere) - multi-language used books.
  • Libreria del Viaggiatore: Via del Pellegrino 78 - all about travel.
  • la Librarie Francaise de Rome: P.zza S.Luigi dei Franceschi 23 - books in French.
  • English Bookstore: Vicolo Ripetta 248 (P.zza del Popolo) - mostly for tourists.
  • Godel: Via Poli 45 (Trevi fountain) - good selection of architecture, arts, and rare books.

Cinemas

For your weekly fix of movie time in Rome, drop in almost any night at "The Quirinetta" in Via Minghetti which shows two performances of "original version" (usually English) movies every weekday and Saturdays.

Listed below are more cinemas in Rome showing English language films, though only at certain times, usually one night per week. Phone for their schedules (you'll need to speak Italian to the person at the other end of the phone):

  • Pasquino: Vicolo del Piede 19
  • Cinema 4 Fontane: Via Quattro Fontane 23
  • Greenwich: Via G. Bodoni 59
  • Majestic: Via SS Apostoli 20
  • Cinema Multisala Lux: Via Massaciuccoli, 31
  • Cinema Fiamma: Via Leonida Bissolati, 43
  • Cinema Odeon Multiscreen: Piazza S. Jacini, 22
  • Cinema Nuovo Olimpia: Via in Lucina 16/g
  • Cinema Doria: Via Andrea Doria, 52/60
  • Cinema Farnese Persol: Piazza Campo de’ Fiori, 56

Check local Rome newspapers for listings - movies in English will have the letters "VO" ("Version Originale") appended to each movie title. Be careful as this could also mean that it's a German film for instance that's being shown in German. Or check Rome Review.

Computers & Electronics

The following is a list of places that you will be able to shop for your computer and electronic needs:

  • Trastevere Informatica: Via San Francesco a Ripa 67 - very close, hardware, software, phones, Apple products.
  • Verba informatica: Via Cardinale Merry del Val 20 - accessories, phones, fax, and Internet point.
  • Di Salvo: Via della Lungara 33 - electronics, appliances, and phones.
  • Di Salvo: Via S. Pallavicini 12 - similar to Future Shop.
  • Flaminia Computer: Via Flaminia 387 (shop) - Apple assistance and shop.
  • iCon: Via S. Jacini 60 (corso Francia) - Apple assistance and shop.

Drafting supplies

The following is a list of locations where you can locate your drafting supply needs:

  • Artsore ditta Poggi: Via del Merry del Val 22 - close to the studio.
  • Ditta Poggi: Via del Gesu' 74 (Pantheon) - large selection of paints, colours, and paper.
  • Il disegno: Via Leonina 78/79 (Via Cavour) - large selection, good prices.
  • Vertecchi: Via della Croce 70 (Via del Corso) - large selection of drafting, paper, and art supplies.
  • Artetre: Via del Fiume 3a - inexpensive.
  • Artgraph: Via Ripetta 6 (P.zza del Popolo) - student discount.
  • Buffetti: Via Ippolito Nievo 68 - office supplies.
  • Giorni: Via del Gracchi 31/33 - large selection of wood, balsa.
  • Benigni: Via del Fienilli 42/d - lots of metal (cut by you).
  • Perri: Via Urbana 142 - wood (cut for you).

Dining

Here's a quick guide on Italian eating habits:

Breakfast

7:00 am - 11:00 am

This is always a light meal. May consist of a cappuccino or coffee and cornetto (croissant) at a bar (often standing up) or coffee and biscuits and possibly a piece of fruit at home.

The cornetto or brioche (another kind of croissant) can be plain (liscia), filled with jam (con marmellata) or confectioners custard (con crema), even occasionally with chocolate (con cioccolata).

Interesting note: For Italians cappuccino is a breakfast drink and most do not drink it after 11:00 am.

Lunch

12:30 pm - 2:00 in the north, 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm in the south

  • Antipasti (starters) light starters typically salumi (cold hams, salami).
  • Primo piatto (1st course) usually rice ( risotto) or pasta (or, more rarely, soup).
  • Secondo piatto (2nd course) meat or fish.
  • Contorni (side dish) vegetables (vedure) or salad (insalata). Needs to be ordered separately.
  • Dolce (dessert) includes cakes and ice creams, but is very often seasonal fresh fruit.
  • Caffé espresso.
  • During the week most Italians will eat at least a primo and secondo piatto and probably fruit as well. For a special lunch all the above will be eaten. For a very quick snack on the run, they will have a panino (filled roll) at the bar. Typical fillings are mozzarella cheese and pomodori (tomatoes) called "caprese" or prosciutto cotto (cooked ham) or prosciutto crudo (raw ham).
  • Merenda (4:00 pm) snack for children (bread, fruit, yogurt, or ice-cream).

Dinner

8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Depending on the person, dinner may be a lighter meal like salad or either il primo or il secondo piatto. Many Italians (especially if eating out) will have the full works again. Going out for a pizza to a pizzeria (where else?) is also very popular. Many places deliver or do take out.

Places to go

Bars & Caffès 

The foreign custom of "going out for a drink" isn't particularly popular in Italy, where most people consume alcohol only with meals, although many Italians have a grappa or brandy with their morning coffee. Nevertheless, bars and caffès are plentiful in Italy and are an essential part of daily life.

When you enter a bar, your first decision is whether to stand or sit; table (tavola) or terrace (terrazzo) service is usually twice as expensive as standing - a tariff list (listino prezzi) must, by law, be posted behind the bar. If you choose to stand, you must usually order from the cashier (cassa), who gives you a receipt (scontrino) that you present to the bartender, although in smaller bars you may be able to order first and pay when you leave. If you decide to sit, you must wait to be served.

Hot drinks

Coffee (caffè) is an institution in Italy and is served in many ways. Among the most common are:

  • Espresso – a small, very strong black coffee
  • Caffè lungo – also small and black, but weaker
  • Corretto – black mixed with a liqueur, usually grappa
  • Macchiato – black with a spoonful of milk 'foam' on top
  • Caffè latte – large with lots of milk
  • Cappuccino or cappuccio – with with cream and chocolate on top, often served lukewarm and drunk only for breakfast or between meals in Italy

A decaffeinato or hag usually consists of a sachet of decaffeinated coffee and a cup of warm milk (decaf isn't popular in Italy). 

Italians aren't great tea drinkers and, if you ask for tea, you should be prepared to receive a glass of lukewarm water with a teabag beside it. If you want proper tea, ask for boiling water (molto caldo or bollente) and bring your own teabag!

Other hot drinks include chocolate (cioccolata), which is thick enough to eat with a spoon.

Beer & Wine

Italian beers include Moretti, Frost and Peroni, which are served in bottles containing one-third or two-thirds of a litre and on draught (alla spina).

Prices average around €1.50 for a small (piccola, 20cl) beer, €2 for a medium (media, 40cl) beer and around €2.75 for a large (grande, 66cl) beer – although prices depend very much on the establishment and whether you sit or stand, and you can pay up to around €5. Beers from a wide range of other countries are also widely available.

Wine (vino) is served by the glass, costing from around €1 to €1.50, although you can pay up to €12 for a glass of vintage wine in a wine bar.

Other drinks

Non-alcoholic drinks include granita, an ideal summer drink made with fresh lemon or other fruit juice and crushed ice. Carbonised drinks are also popular throughout Italy, where bars and caffès are obliged (by law) to provide a free glass of tap water for anyone who wants it, irrespective of whether you buy anything else.

Food

Bars usually serve a wide range of snacks, from sandwiches to basic hot meals. Snack bars (paninoteche) specialise in made-to-order sandwiches with a vast choice of fillings, which are usually displayed behind the counter. The different sandwiches available include:

  • Tramezzino - thin white sandwich bread cut into triangles
  • Panini - a crusty, French bread stick
  • Tostetoast or tost - a toasted sandwich, which in bars is usually limited to cheese and/or ham

Types of restaurants

Restaurants rarely open for lunch before 12:30 pm and for dinner before 7:30 pm and they usually close one day per week, generally a Sunday or Monday. Many restaurants offer a choice of cheaper set meals.

The bill (conto) usually includes a cover charge (coperto) of between €0.75 and €3 per person, which may include bread (pane e coperto). There may be an added service (servizio) charge of around 10 to 15 per cent. Tipping is often a casual affair, with bills rounded up, rather than a specific percentage added.

There are countless restaurants (ristoranti) and other eating places in Rome, including the following:

Tavola calda

Literally means "hot table" - a cheap, self-service establishment.

Osteria

Essentially a wine bar offering a small selection of dishes;

  • Cul de Sac: Piazza Navona - very famous wine-bar.
  • L'angolo divino: Campo dei Fiori - wine-bar.

Rosticceria

Serving mainly cooked meats and a selection of take-away food.

Trattoria

Traditionally a family-run establishment, simpler in cuisine and less expensive than a ristorante proper, although the two have become interchangeable terms and there's usually little difference between them, except perhaps in price (a trattoria usually being cheaper).

  • Alle Fratte: Trastever - Italian cousine.
  • Da Sergio: Campo dei Fiori - old school trattoria.

Pizzeria

What else we can say - the best.

  • Acchiappafantasmi: Campo dei Fiori - traditional pizzeria.
  • Baffetto: Piazza Navona - Rome's most popular pizzeria.
  • Da Ivo: Trastevere - large selection of pizza.
  • Dar Poeta: Trastevere - really good pizza.
  • Er Grottino: Campo de' Fiori - crispy roman pizza.

International food

  • Dooso: Japanese - Via Palermo, 51-53 (Monti) - closed on Monday - Tel. 06-481-5655
  • Green T.: Viale Trastevere 52 - sandwiches, cold pasta, etc.
  • Take Sushi: Japanese - Viale Trastevere 4 (Trastevere) - Tel. 06-581-0075
  • Bali: Via del Moro - great pizza, bread, cookies, also has a
    wall of notices for house.
  • Surya Mahal: Vietnamese and other Asian cuisine - Via del Mattonato 29 (Trastevere) - Tel. 06-589-6089
  • Jaipur: Indian - Via San Francesco a Ripa, 56 (Trastevere) - closed on Monday lunch - Tel. 06-580-3992
  • Planet Kebab: Via Natale del Grande, 17 (near
    Piazza San Cosimato, Trastevere) - open late - Tel. 06-581-9863
  • Tidirò: Via Mattonato, 42 (Trastevere) - Tel. 06-581-0626
  • T-Bone Station: American - Via di San Dorotea 21 (Trastevere) - Tel. 06-588-2079
  • Charreada Café y Grill: Mexican - Piazza del Quiriti 4 (Prati) - Tel. 06-360-0009

Take out

Pizza a taglio & Panini (sandwiches) or take out

There are many shops and bakeries selling slices of pizza and filled pizza by weight. You simply point out which one and how much and they will weigh it and charge you accordingly.

Near the studio: There is a forno on Via del Moro which has a vast range of pizza toppings; on the corner of Piazza S. Apollonia a little shop sells great porchetta (roast pork) sandwiches; beside the Standa on Via S. Francesco a Ripa there is a truly wonderful pizza a taglio where you can also buy takeaway containers of (hot) pasta dishes.

A slightly less expensive option is the cheese shop on the other side of Standa called the Antica Caciara, where you will find Roberto, whom generations of students have adored as the friendliest, kindest shopkeeper in Trastevere.

  • Pizza a Taglio: Via S. Francesco a Ripa - also pasta, roast chicken, suppli.
  • Frontoni: Viale Trastevere 52 - sandwiches, cold pasta, etc.
  • Kebab House: Via Natale del Grande - kebabs, curries, felafel, hummous, etc.
  • Forno Renella: Via del Moro - great pizza, bread, cookies, also has a wall of notices for house.
  • Akropolis: Via S. Francesco a Ripa 103 - eat in/take out Greek fast food.
  • Ci Lin: Via Fonte d'Olio 6 - near the studio, our "local" Chinese
    does take-away in 10 minutes.
  • Pizza Roma: Piazza San Cosimato 48 - pizza by the slice, roast chciken and potatoes suppli, arancini, rice.
  • Pizzeria: Via del Pellegrino 11 - pizza by the slice, excellent toppings, in a tiny shop with great benches.

Make your own food

There are four supermarkets (see the list below) in the immediate area, all with their own specialties. Standa has entrances from Viale Trastevere and Via San Francesco a Ripa, you go in through the department store Oviesse into the basement. Todis is a smaller discount supermarket on Via Natale del Grande, ideal for buying staples. Anyone who wants gluten-free foods or soya burgers should check out the selection at Todis. Also on on Via Natale del Grande is Panella, with an excellent meat section. On the other side of Viale Trastevere is Di Per Di. At the checkout, they will ask if you want a busta - a bag, for your shopping. There is also a fresh food market in Piazza di San Cosimato that ends at lunchtime, about 1:30 pm or 2:00 pm. Another market nearby is the one in Campo di Fiori.

  • Gastronomia: Via Luciano Manara 13 - ravioli and other filled pasta. Buy and take home to cook or they will prepare pasta meals to be eaten sitting at the counter.
  • Il Fornaio: Via Natale Grande 4 - French specialty bakery, very good bread.
  • Pannella Supermarket: Via Natale Grande - buy your cold soft drinks here for €0.45, rather than €1.30 at the pizza place.
  • Todis: Via Natale Grande Supermarket.
  • Standa: Viale Trastevere Supermarket in basement.
  • di Per di: Supermarket.
  • Trastevere Frutta: Via S. Francesca Ripa 146-147 - fresh fruit and vegetables.
  • Market: Piazza S. Cosimato - fresh fruits and vegetables. Meats and cheeses more expensive than the supermarket. Open Monday to Saturday closes at 1:30 pm for the day.

Entertainment & Nightlife

What's the Eternal City like? What can you expect and how will it keep you entertained?

You can stroll along the cobble stoned streets of Trastevere area (just a few steps away from the Tiber River) with an ice cream in your hand. You can sit in a cafe overlooking Campo De Fiori, watching life go by with a glass of chilled white wine, or you can choose to dance the night away in one of the many clubs in Testaccio, the "hot spot" of the Roman movida. You can mingle in the university area of San Lorenzo, with its population of students and countless pizzerias, pubs and wine bars. The possibilities for great entertainment will be infinite.

Rome's nightlife starts late. It is not unusual for locals to meet up for dinner around 9:30 pm or even 10:00 pm.

There are lots of bars and clubs, pubs and disco spread all over the city (although, as we’ll see, some areas offer a higher concentration of possibilities) but the best way to enjoy the culture, vibe and spirit of the city is outdoors.

As the weather is mild here for most part of the year, every square turns often into a big outdoor bar. The locals love their evening "passeggiata" (slow walk through the old town). They stroll around the cobble stoned streets sipping a beer while chatting with friends just outside a pub or sitting at a table outside a cafe.

When the night is almost over and it’s time to go home, locals usually like to indulge in one of their favorite habits connected with the nightlife in Rome: they grab a "cornetto" (croissant filled with jam, custard cream, nutella, honey or plain) and drink a hot cappuccino on the way back home.

Night entertainment areas

The area around Piazza Navona and Via della Pace is quite chic, with wine bars and cafes and its labyrinth of alleys.

Campo De Fiori is heterogeneous and loud and it is where tourists mix up with local youngsters, a 30’s and 40’s year old crowd, the inhabitants of the neighbourhood and with frat students from the the several American colleges Rome hosts.

Trastevere close to the studio is a little bohemienne, so roman but also so international, with coffe shops, restaurants, pubs and wine bars good for the aperitif.

San Lorenzo is where the main university is located so it is a young, laid back area where students hang out in the many pubs. The atmosphere is informal and lively.

Testaccio/Ostiense the main streets of Monte Testaccio and via Ostiense and the surroundings are packed with bars, from hip, posh spots to house music clubs, from salsa, discos to risto-bars (places where you can drink, eat and dance).

There are still a few things you should know to get accustomed with nightlife in Rome. Romans are very fond of Irish (or pseudo Irish) pubs so you'll find them almost everywhere. The car traffic does not necessarily slow down at night- on the contrary, it can get chaotic especially around the main nightlife zones.

Libraries

  • University of Rome: Via Gramsci (Villa Borghese) - Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
  • Accademia S. Lucia: P.zza Accademia S. Luca 77 - 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, small, quiet but large selection.
  • International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM): Via S. Michele 13 (Trastevere) - good library, helpful staff.
  • British School at Rome: P.zza W. Churchill 1 - focus on Rome architecture, need permission.
  • University of Roma Tre: Via Madonna dei Monti 40 - architecture library, small, quiet, good selection.

Maps

  • Municipal office for the historic centre: Viale dell'Aranceria - maps that you can reproduce, open until 1:30 pm.
  • Sara Nistri: Via Oderisi da Gubbio 101 - Tuesday and Saturday morning, aerial map of Rome.

Medical

With the exception of the fee for the initial consultation, the fees charged are lower than the Ontario Health Insurance (OHIP) fee schedule. Nevertheless, you must pay in cash at the hospital and apply to your insurer for reimbursement. In the event of a major illness, a student may be advised to return to Canada. The Permesso di Soggiorno will allow you to go to any public hospital for emergency and other medical consultations.

Emergencies

  • Ospedale Santo SpiritoTel. 06-68351
  • Ospedale Regina Margherita: Via Morosini (near Standa/Viale Trastevere)
  • Fatebenefratelli Tiber Island: San Giacomo in Augusta Via Canova 29 (Via del Corso)
  • Centro Antiveleni (Poison Center)Tel. 06-490-663
  • Guardia MedicaTel. 06-5820-1030 - free emergency medical help to be called only at night and in case of emergency.

Hospitals & Clinics

Aventino Medical: Via della Fonte di Fauno 2 - Monday to Friday 9:00 am - 7:30 pm - Tel./Fax 06-578-0738, 06-5728- 8349 - Email Address.

  • No emergency room
  • Group of English-speaking general doctors and specialists
  • Lab tests there or nearby 

Rome American Hospital: Via Emilio Longoni 69 - Tel. 06-22551, 06-25671, 06-256-7290, 06-256-7408.

Internists & General

Practitioners internal medicine

General medicine

  • Dr. Francis Spelar: Via Ludovisi 36 - Tel. 06-488-4143 or 06-485-706, Cell 335-532-9814, Home: 06-808-3648
  • Dr. Francesco Vatrella: Viale Liegi 7 - available 24 hours a day - Tel. 06-8535-3088 Cell 338-886-5436 - speaks good English; goes to Richmond office or directly student's apartment; €50 charge for visit.
  • Antonella RacoCell 339-399-2246 - nurse at Fatebenefratelli who helps with general practice (Loyola says that she basically sees and advises walk-in students on one of the days when our physician is not present).

Mental health professionals

  • Dott. Elaine Luti (psychologist in Susan Levenstein's office): Via W. Biancamano 35 - Tel. 06-578-0738, 06-324-1406 - highly recommended.

Gynecologists

  • L'Ambulatorio delle Ostetriche Vita di Donna (Associazione per la tutela della Salute della Donna): located at Casa Internazionale delle Donne Via della Lungara 19 Vita di Donna: first floor, room 107 - Tuesdays 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm - all kinds of assistance, including obstetrics and gynaecology, pregnancy, interruption of pregnancy advice; English-speaking counselors available Free telephone advice: 333-985-6046

Dermatologist

  • Dr. Ambrosio Salvator Mundi Ospedale Internazionale: Viale delle Mura Giancolensi 77 - Tel. 06-588-961

Orthopedic

  • Dr. Marcus Frohlic & Dr. Haas Alfamed: Via Zanardelli, 36 - Tel: 06-6830-9493

Dentists

  • Dr. Karle Decaesstecker: Studio di Odontoiatria Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 266 - Tel. 06-689-6774, 06-880-6779
  • Dr. Charles Kennedy: Via Fonte di Fauno 29 - Tel. 06-578-3639

Pharmacies

  • Lippi: Via Arenula 73 (night pharmacy) - Tel. 06-6880-3278
  • Via Nazionale 228 (international pharmacy) - Tel. 06-482-5456
  • Internazionale (International pharmacy): Piazza Barberini 49 - Tel. 06-482-5456
  • Piazza dei Cinquecento 51 (night pharmacy) - Tel. 06-488-0019
  • Senato (night pharmacy): Corso Rinascimento 50 - Tel. 06-688-03760
  • Piazza Capranica 96 (international pharmacy) - Tel. 06-679-4680

Photo Archive

  • Archivio Alinari: Via Alberti - images of Rome throughout history.
  • Fototeca (American Academy): Via Masina 5 - images, microfilms of ancient Roman architecture.
  • Laboratorio Aerialphoto: Via Lincoln 1 - aerial photos to be ordered and paid in advance.

Photocopies

  • Xeromania: Viale Trastevere 121 - close to the studio, colour copies, graphic and plotting.
  • Centro copie B+M: P.zza Costaguti - good shop but expensive.
  • Eliofotoindustriale: P.zza Cavour 33 - photocopies, enlargements, blueprints. A bit expensive.
  • Foto Sandy: Via S. Basilo 58 - photocopies, enlargements. Good service and prices.
  • Eurocopie Valter Pierucci: Via Monte Brianzo 79 - good price.
  • Eliographia: Via Ippolito Nievo.

Photography

  • De Bernardis: P.zza Cancelleria 63 - good prices.
  • Camponeschi & Co.: Via C. Arzela' 16/20 - good place to buy & repair cameras.
  • Speed colour: Via Crescenzio 69 - get your photos in 2 hour service.
  • Coca colour: Via del Mascherino 4/10 - one hour service, Monday to Saturday, 8.00 am to 6:00 pm.
  • Supermercato della fotografia: Via Tacito - good selection and prices.

Post Offices

If you just want a few stamps it will probably be easier for you to purchase them at a "tabaccheria" and then drop your postcards in the nearest postbox.

Sending mail

Posta ordinaria: The cheapest option, starting from €0.41. Letters take about three days.

Posta prioritaria: Fast, reliable, and relatively cheap. Letters inside Italy should take about a day. Prices start at €0.62.

Posta raccomandata: Letters with a delivery receipt. An Italian bureaucratic fetish, you'll see many people and companies prefer to communicate this way, and may require you to do the same. A standard letter costs €2.58.

Posta assicurata: Letters are insured in case of loss. Prices vary depending on the amount insured.

Postacelere: Fast mail with delivery receipt. Packages should weigh less than 3kg and should not measure more than 45.5 x 32 x 5cm. Delivery is guaranteed all around Italy in one working day (excluding the day you sent the package and Saturdays). Packages are also delivered on Saturday in 750 Italian cities.

Shopping

Rome is a great place for shopping, with designer outlets and department stores all over the city. Rome is home to a diverse array of shopping opportunities.

Hours

Shops in Rome usually open at 9:00 am - 1:00 pm and 3:30 pm - 7:30 pm, except on Sundays and Monday mornings. Grocery shops also close on Thursday afternoons. Some bookshops (where people often met) and some clothes shops (around Campo dei Fiori, for example) open on Sundays, 10:00 am or 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm.

Where to go

Piazza di Spagna - Spanish Steps - Via dei Condotti

This street is home to the top designer brands in Italy and one of the best streets for shopping in Rome. On Via Dei Condotti you will find Armani, Prada, Versace, Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci and other notable names.

Via del Corso

Bustling pedestrian street that runs from Piazza del Popolo down to Piazza Venezia. Via del Corso is very popular with Romans and tourists alike and is home to famous shops like the Ferrari flagship store and Swarowski Crystal. If it's retail therapy in Rome you are after then the Via del Corso is a must!

Trastevere

Located just over the River Tiber, the Trastevere district of Rome whose name literally translates as "across the Tiber". A Bohemian spirit grips Trastevere and you can take great pleasure in getting lost in its many winding streets. See the outdoor food market in Piazza San Cosimato. This is a great chance to watch local Trasteverians buying and bargaining with vendors. The market starts about 7:00 am and closes at 2:00 pm.

Viale Marconi

Viale Marconi is very good for shopping and is particularly popular with young trendy Romans. A bit out from the city centre, it can be reached by talking the Metro Line B to Marconi. It is about 15 minutes away from the Colosseum.

Piazza Navona - Via del Governo Vecchio

Piazza Navona is a great place for art lovers, the surrounding streets contain a wealth of art galleries and antique shops. There is a great film and cinema shop in Via del Governo Vecchio which is definitely worth a browse, particularly if you are a fan of Italian cinema.

Markets

The larger and more colourful and lively markets in the centre of Rome are worth to visit. They usually open at 7:00 am - 1:00 pm, Monday to Saturday. 
A word of warning; crowded open air markets are ideal hunting grounds for nimble-fingered pickpockets, so please be careful.

Piazza Vittorio

A food market with a mesmerizing array of fresh foods, fruits, fish and meat, run by people from all over the world.

Porta Portese market

  • Via Portuense and Via Ippolito Nievo
  • Only open on Sundays, 6:30 am to 2:00 pm.

This is the main flea market in Rome held at the back of Trastevere quarter. Here you'll find a bit of everything (including the occasional stolen item), though you wont find a real bargain.

Underground

  • Via Crispi, 96, Rome
  • Opens on second Saturday and Sunday of the month.

This is a relatively new flea market that is held in a huge 4 floor garage between Piazza del Popolo and Via Veneto. There's a bit of everything here!

Via Sannio

  • San Giovanni
  • Opens on weekdays 8:00 am to 2:00 pm and Saturday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Though not strictly a flea market, the outdoor stalls at Via Sannio is where you'll find bargains on used clothing and army surplus. Also expect great deals on shoes (you can buy good-quality name-brand shoes that have been used in shop window displays).

Soffitta sotto i Portici

  • Piazza di Spagna
  • Opens on every second Sunday of the month from 10:00 am to sunset.

Soffitta sotto i Portici has more than 100 stands to stroll through.

Travel

  • Cartur Viaggi: Via S. Cosimato 14/a - good agency.
  • CTS: Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 297 - student travel agency (English speaking).
  • CTS: Via Genova 16.