THE NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2018 TR 11 36 Hours ROME With a bit of planning, the Eternal City can be at its most bewitching at the onset of winter. PHOTOGRAPHS BY SUSAN WRIGHT FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES From left: the National Roman Museum, an example of world-class ancient art and architecture in Rome; Monteforte on Via del Pellegrino, where visitors and residents can refuel with coffee and pastries; a street featuring Bar del Fico. ing labyrinth of Renaissance and Baroque By DAVID LASKIN V.V DEIDEDEIEI BANCHIBANCBBAA CHICHHHII Rome to the venerable Bar del Fico, a combi- VEVECECCECCCCHCHIH 4 BarBBaarr ddeele FFicocoo ChurchChCChurhhu chch ofofSf S.S. IF YOU GO SS4S4S4 AgneseAggneeessee FuoriFFuFuououori For all its imperial and papal pomp and cir- nation bistro and bar where you can sip a BBaBanancaanncnnchchivechchhivivecveeccccchichchi PPeellaelellellamil mi PaPanthntntheheoneoe n lele MuraMurM raa 1 Ai Tre Scalini, via Panisperna 251; VV.. DEDELEL Rommeme cumstance, Rome at heart is a beautiful Negroni or mescal infused with ginger beer MoMonontefntntenteforefeefofoforortrtete aitrescalini.org/en/ PELPPEELLELELLLLLEEGEGRINORRIINONO MausoleumMaMMauauusssooleeum 6 child — raucous, dreamy, secretive, a touch and chili (12 euros), or knock back a brandy PaPaneananee eeV VinVViinoinnono LaLa CiaCCiiaamambellmbmbbeelleellaa V. LibrLibrerLibLLiibbrebrerrerrererririariaia deldelel ViagVVi ggiaggggiagiatoatatoreorree D ofof SantaSSaanntataaC CostanzaCCostasttaana a 2 SS Quatro Coronati, via dei Santi Quattro 20; 3 E spoiled, by turns exasperating and enchant- alongside the young Romans who gather P A 7 A N monacheagostinianesantiquattrocoronati.it Sciamciaciamammdm didi YYooussouussusssseeff HHaalallaallallaaakk R A Il MMiinotainoinnootauotatauuroururo IO T ing. The child is on its best behavior during here nightly to sip and dance. D.J. sets L N I E 8 SoSolodoloollodl dudueue M 3 La Ciambella, via dell’Arco della Ciambella O GustandoGGuustu tatananddodo e “le feste” — the winter holidays. High sea- thump away until 2 a.m. RetReRetretetroproporoopopospoososese N . V DegustandoDDeegeggugussstaanda do 20; la-ciambella.it/en/la-ciambella son crowds thin, and dazzling light displays CaCamampompmppoo de’de’e FFiiooriororii and slanting sunbeams compensate for the 1/8 MIMMILILELELE 4 Bar del Fico, Piazza del Fico, 26/286; NationalNatioNNationalonalal RomanRoRomomamaann Museumususesseeeuuumm bardelfico.com/en/ short days. Today’s Rome is paradoxical: BathsBBatattthhs offDf DiocletianDDiioooccletiaccleletiaianan 5 National Roman Museum, Massimo: Largo Even as many historic neighborhoods fall to Saturday 5 VAVVATICANATICANAATATICTTIICAANN Internationalterernrnnaaatitiioonnnalalal mass-touristic homogeneity, outlying dis- TerminiTTerrmmminiiiinii TIBUTIBBUURTINOU di Villa Peretti; Baths of Diocletian: Viale CITYCITCCIIIT MuseumMMuuusseeuuummmo ofof Enrico de Nicola 76; museonazionaleromano tricts are becoming more vibrant and var- 5 9 A.M. CLASSICS WITHOUT CROWDS theththe Presepioesepesesseeepiopiop o ied. For an authentic Roman holiday, get out • PalazzoPPaaalalallaaazzzzzoo MassimoMaMassiimmmoo allealleeeT TermeTeTerrmm .beniculturali.it. 1 of the centro storico and sample the pizza The multibranched National Roman Mu- SANSASAANN LORENZOLOLOORRRERENENNNZZZOO 6 Santa Costanza and S. Agnese, via No- PASSEGGIATPAPASSASSSSEEGGIAAATATATATA AiAi TreTTre ScaliniSSccaalilininii seum is still the city’s best kept secret for DELDEEL GIANICOLGIANICOG AANNNICOCOLCOOLLOLO stalls of the Testaccio market and the funky 9 RIONERRIIOOONNNEE I RIONERIORIOIOONNEEX XVXV mentana 349; santagnese.org ESQUILINOEESSSQQQUUUIILLLINLIINNNOO wares at the nearby Porta Portese Sunday world-class ancient art and architecture. LargoLaLarrgrggoo did PortaPPooorrtrrtatata MONTIMONTIONTNTI RRistoranteRistorstorasttoratoorooranorantoranterranterarananteanaantnttee 7 Gustando e Degustando, via Marcantonio JJaniculumculumm HillHill 12 OttaOOtttaviottttaviotta iioo flea market, the nightclubs of San Lorenzo The two branches flanking the Termini Sta- SanSSaaann PancrazioPPaannncrazioncncracrazioc aazzio Boldetti 3/5; gustandoedegustando.it ColosseumCCoolooollooosssssseeueeumumm 10 and Tiburtina, and neighborhood gelaterie tion — the Palazzo Massimo and the Baths of Anticoticot Arcocoo 13 AlcazarAlccaaazzazaarr LiveLivLLiivvvee LUNGOTEVERELLUUNGOU GOOTEVO EEVVEERERER 8 Solodue, via del Pellegrino 48; solodueitali- Diocletian — complement each other per- 14 2 11 like Neve di Latte and La Mucca Bianca. AVENTINOAAVVEENTINEENN INNOO SazeracSaS zzeracerac PubPuP b a.it. Retropose, via del Pellegrino 60; ret- Tranquillity has never been Rome’s strong fectly. The Massimo’s collection of classical FatamorgFatammorganargggaana AugustinianAuggustistinininian BasilicaBBasassilicsilicccaa TRASTEVERETTRRAASSSTTEVTTEEVVEEERRE PortaPooorrrttata PortesePPorttteessese ofof Santi SaSantaannnttitiiQ QuattroQQuaQuuaatttttrottrroo CoronatiCCooroorroonnatatittii ropose.com. Sciam, via del Pellegrino 170; suit. But with a bit of planning (and flexibil- bronzes, mosaics and wall paintings reveal SundaySSuuunnnddadaayy marketmararkkketet Libreria del Viaggiatore, via del Pellegrino ity), tourists will find the Eternal City can be the breadth and finesse of Roman artistry, PIAZZAPIAZZPIPPIAIAAZZZZZAA ITALYITAALLLYY TESTACCIOTETTESSTSTTAACCCCICIIOO 165; facebook.com/libreriadelviaggiatore. at its most bewitching at the onset of winter. while the baths complex, once the empire’s largest, surrounds you with soaring ma- RomeRRoomeommee Libreria il Minotauro, via del Pellegrino 110; (Though buses and trams crisscross the city, ROMROOMMAMA OSTIENSEOSOOSTSSTITIIEENSESES SS7SSS77 you’ll save time with two easy-to-navigate sonry ruins, whispering fountains, and an MuccaMuMuccca BiancaBBiaBiianiaancanncaaaGe GelateriaGlGGeelalatatteererriaa V.V ACAIAACCCAAIA ilminotauro.com/diario. Banchivecchi Pellami, apps — My Taxi and It Taxi.) immense cloister attributed to Michelan- V.V. DEIDEEI COLLIC COL PORTUENSIRTTUTUUEENSSII via dei Banchi Vecchi 40; italiastraordinaria.it gelo. /artigianato/roma/banchivecchi-pellami.html 9 International Museum of the Presepio, via 1 MILEM CircoloCCircirrrccolcoololloo DegliDDegglii IlluIlluuminatiummiminanaatiati MapMapppda datad fromm OpenStreetMapOpenSSt Tor de’ Conti, 31/a; museopresepioroma.it 6 11:30 A.M. TOMB WITH A VIEW THE NEW YORK TIMES Friday • 10 Ristorante Ottavio, via di Santa Croce in A quick bus or cab ride from the museums Gerusalemme 9; ottavio.it 1 4 P.M. OLD BOTTIGLIA SHOP delivers you to a gem that few Romans, let • 9 6 P.M. DELIGHT THE INNER CHILD 11 Sazerac Pub, via Umberto Biancamano 80; Ai Tre Scalini in Monti (not to be confused alone visitors, know about: the Mausoleum • LODGING facebook.com/SazeracPub with the restaurant of the same name on Pi- of Santa Costanza. Folded into a green hill- No one loves a crèche — presepio in Italian Rental apartments are abun- 12 Janiculum Hill, Passeggiata del Gianicolo side that rises above the busy artery of Via — more than the Italians, and at the Inter- azza Navona) is an informal, century-old dant around the Borgo, the 13 Antico Arco, Piazzale Aurelio 7; anticoar- neighborhood wine bar where locals rub Nomentana, the circular templelike tomb of national Museum of the Presepio you can co.it the daughter of Rome’s first Christian em- revel in the finest examples of this folk art Spanish Steps, Campo de’ Fiori shoulders comfortably with visitors. Re- 14 Fatamorgana, via Roma Libera 11; peror preserves a mosaic cycle of astonish- from all over the world and down through and the Coliseum. Expect to serve a table online or join the lively crowd gelateriafatamorgana.com/web/ at the bar for an Italian draft beer (Bav bitter ing exuberance and delicacy. Save a few the ages. Open only on Wednesdays and pay $80 to $120 a night for a or Birra del Borgo lager is 6 euros, or about minutes before the noon closing time for the Saturdays from 5 to 7:30 p.m. (with ex- one-bedroom. The Hotel Locar- $7) and Calabrese green olives or coppiette seventh-century church of Sant’Agnese tended hours from Christmas to Jan. 6), the no is an oasis of tranquility a di maiale (spicy, oven-dried pork strips). Fuori le Mura in the same complex. The museum is in the basement of the tiny stone’s throw from Piazza del teenage martyr venerated here presides church of SS. Quirico e Giulitta, at the edge Popolo. Double rooms from leafiest hill, has a glorious pedestrian path over the apse in an austere, Byzantine-style of Monti. $156. Across the piazza on a 2 6 P.M. GRACEFUL VESPERS mosaic of elongated figures set against a that rambles past huge sycamore trees, • gold background. quaintly picturesque street, the fountains, monuments, statues and stately A 15-minute walk, skirting the crowds that 10 9 P.M. RAW AND COOKED Margutta 19 offers 16 modern palaces (many now embassies and acade- ceaselessly mill around the Colosseum, • rooms and suites surrounding a mies). Pick up the path at the edge of Vati- leads to the Augustinian Basilica of Santi Packed nightly with well-heeled Romans, 7 12:30 P.M. LUNCH BREAK terraced hillside. Doubles with can City and join Romans for a leisurely as- Quattro Coronati, one of Rome’s hidden jew- • Ristorante Ottavio is worth the cab ride out Gustando e Degustando, a 10-minute walk to the southern fringe of the Esquiline dis- breakfast from $450. Hotel cent to the Fontanone — literally the Big els. Even if you’re not religious, the vespers Fountain — the immense early-17th-cen- sung here every evening at 6 offer a