Seeing, Shopping and Supping In Rome

Why are all those people lined up in front of an ancient door, on a hot summer day, waiting their turn to peer through a peephole? Located at the site of the small church Santa Maria del Priorato, the Aventine Keyhole vista lines up perfectly with the garden, centered on the Vatican in the distance. It’s truly a sight to behold!

Sylvester Stallone, Robert de Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio have dined at Antica Pesa Roma, not just because it’s a celebrity haunt, but because the food is outrageously good, and the service is outstanding, even if you’re not famous. Owned by the Panella family since 1922, they also have a sister restaurant in (where else!) Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We highly recommend the selection of typical appetizers from the Roman countryside, served in a wood picnic box. If the weather is nice, you absolutely must dine in the walled garden.

After St. Peter’s in the Vatican, Basilica di San Paolo is Rome’s largest patriarchal basilica. The base of the Byzantine structure is 432 feet long by 213 feet wide, and it stands 98 feet high. Five naves are supported by 80 monolithic granite columns, and the facade is decorated with imposing mosaics that were made between 1854 and 1874 and include depictions of the 12 prophets and Christ between St. Peter and St Paul.
Read More…