Destinations

I grew up in a small neighbor few yards away from the main historic center of town. I remember my mother taking me to the Borghese Gardens to play in warm summer afternoons and on Sunday all family would attending the afternoon mass in the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, where, between the tombs that lay beneath the pavement, there are some amazing paintings of Caravaggio and Pinturicchio.

After mass, on special and happy occasions, we would go for lunch at a small restaurant located across the street from Piazza del Popolo on a little street called Via Margutta. Via Margutta runs parallel to the now elegant Via del Babuino, the street that connects Piazza del Popolo with Piazza di Spagna and the famous steps of Trinita dei Monti. I always loved Via Margutta, off of the beaten tracks rather than the more famous Via del Corso and Via del Babuino, it has a more typical roman flavor, laid back and relaxed. It has always been the streets of Painters and Artists, a little like Montmartre in Paris. My grandfather – who was always involved with artists and whose office was in Piazza di Spagna -  knew many of them…and knew they all congregated at this particular restaurant on Sunday. The restaurant is still there, it’s called Osteria Margutta, and the atmosphere was still the same when I stopped for lunch few months ago.

The street is now peppered with little art galleries and ceramic stores. Every last week in October the  street is filled with art works for a street fair, called  the Festival of the 100 Painters (Festival dei Cento Pittori). It is a chance to admire original works of art and maybe discover new talents. The Hotel de Russie is just around the corner and so is also houses one of new up and coming restaurants in Rome, the Margutta Vegetariano, a full vegetarian restaurant. You can also stay right in Via Margutta, where two family run bed and breakfasts are located both refurbished and upgraded: The Hotel Forte and the Hotel Manfredi. For more upscale Hotels in the area, try the Mozart, in Via dei Greci, the Locarno near Piazza del Popolo and the very nice Piranesi, in via del Babuino, opposite the Grand Hotel de Russie.

One Response to “Fond Momeries of Rome”

1. Fond Momeries of Rome | autocarsinsurance Says:
   August 27th, 2008 at 9:02 am

   […] Original post by Fabio Castellotto […]

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