Noblewoman Violante Guerrieri Gonzaga offers exclusive rooftop cooking class experiences in a historic family palazzo in the center of Rome with incredible views of the city. She has a luxury Italian tableware line (designed and painted by Violante) and a recipe and lifestyle book now in its second printing, full of great recipes and photographs….
What to See and Do
Rome is a marvel of art, architecture, history, food and culture so it's hard to know exactly where to start when you're visiting the Eternal City.
The more iconic sites and places to visit are the easiest part to figure out. The most popular sites have their own websites so you can book directly online for
The Vatican
The Coliseum
The Roman Forum
Sometimes you'd rather have a guide to show you Rome's best sites. Contact Flavor of Italy for a few of my suggestions.
Flavor of Italy offers culinary walking tours and great day trips.
Or you might want to do something a little bit different while you're visiting; I have a few suggestions for you that are some of my favorites. They include fascinating neighborhoods, unique buildings and palazzi, and special events going on in Rome that usually only the locals know about.
If you feel like venturing outside of the city for a day, or even a weekend, then check out our recommended day trips and weekend trips.
Rome Opera House – Teatro dell’Opera di Roma – Podcast Episode 27
The Rome Opera House is fast becoming the cultural pride of the City of Rome, thanks to prudent management under Managing Director Carlo Fuortes, ex-director of Rome’s Parco della Musica. This coupled with innovative programs aimed at bringing opera to wider audiences (Opera Camion), and to younger audiences (Fabbrica Young Artists Program, and Rush to…
Coronavirus Lockdown in Italy
How the coronavirus led to a lockdown in Italy Today is our third day of total and complete lockdown. A few days back all of Italy became a “red zone”: everyone should have been at home minimizing contact with others. This was basically respected, but as restaurants and other businesses were open during the day…
Palazzo Caetani and the Isola Mattei, a virtual tour
The Palazzo Caetani was one of the great sixteenth century palazzi in Rome. Originally one of a group of palazzi belonging to the powerful Mattei family, it occupied an entire city block on the edge of Largo Argentina. This block is known as the Isola Mattei, or Mattei Island. The Mattei began as rich merchants and over time evolved into…
How to beat the crowds in Italy!
The best way to beat the heat and crowds in Italy is to follow the rhythm of Italians. Here’s how! 1. Each day get up as early as you can, even at 5 or 6 AM. Get right out to walk around, look at monuments and take photographs. Super early in the morning the air…
Culinary Walking Tour of Rome
If you’re passionate about food and wine and want to delve deeper into Rome’s food culture, then join Flavor of Italy for our Culinary Walking Tour of Rome. We head out to the streets and neighborhoods of Rome where you’re unlikely to run into anyone but Romans out doing their market shopping, having their morning…
The Trevi Fountain
In 2015 a National Geographic Traveler article, “101 Reasons to Travel Now”, featured “Spiffier Rome: The Pyramid, the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain and Domus Aurea (Emperor Nero’s villa) all show off much needed-and tasteful-touch-ups…” Add the Spanish Steps to that list. Given Rome’s complicated financial situation how is this happening? It’s all thanks to private…
Rome’s Tulip Park
One way to enjoy springtime and the season’s magnificent flowers is at Rome’s Tulip Park. This is the second year for Rome’s Tulip Park initiative. The Tulip Park has 4 kilometers (26,000 square meters) of tulips: 360,000 tulips, and 91 varieties, some of them rare varieties that can’t be picked. Each entrance ticket covers both…
Christmas in Rome 2019 – what to see and do!
Christmas in Rome 2019 is all about sharing time with family and friends and enjoying wonderful food! The city is increasingly filled with lovely holiday decor interspersed with beautiful nativity scenes. If you’re here over the holidays make a point of strolling around and tasting all the seasonal goodies. Here are some of my favorite…
Santa Cecilia Basilica in Trastevere
Visitors to Trastevere usually approach the neighborhood from the Ponte Sisto footbridge. It’s a natural thing to do after a walk through Rome’s centro storico. The area is full of people and bustling with life within its many shops, bars and restaurants. And yet if you head just a bit further along the lungotevere to the Tiber Island you’ll reach a…
Ninfa Gardens Day Trip from Rome
If you’re looking for a day trip from Rome out of the hustle and bustle of the city the Ninfa Gardens Day Trip from Rome is a wonderful choice! Here’s what you need to know: About the Ninfa Gardens The Ninfa Gardens were nominated as one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe. They are…
Rome Fountain Tour
Water is the driver of Nature. — Leonardo da Vinci We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one. — Jacques Cousteau Water has been the building block of life since time untold, and Rome exemplifies this perhaps more than any other city in the world. Rome is replete with aqueducts and…