The Cappucin Masoleum. A must. It is easy to miss, but not because it's on a non-descript road. It's on via Vittorio Veneto, which is a very famous street in Rome. Via Veneto is where all the celebs used to hang out before it became a big tourist attraction. The Hard Rock Cafe is there as well as the Lamborghini dealership and a bunch of famous restaurants from movies like La Dolce Vita. The American Embassy is at the end of the street. It almost looks like a prison.
The Capucin Masoleum is in a church that is about the third or fourth building on the right hand side of Via Veneto if you're coming from Piazza Barberini. It's open from 9-12 and 3-6 daily. You have to donate something to the nuns at the front door and no cameras allowed. You can still sneak a pic, but it's kinda rude. You can buy a postcard on your way out. And FTR, you'll only be in there for about 10 minutes, so don't plan an afternoon around it. But trust me, you'll never, ever forget what you see in there.
So your wife to be is Calabrese. The toe of Italy. Nice. If she speaks italian then you're fine. Has she been to Rome?
Two weeks in small town Italy is going to take a bit of lustre off of Rome. The real charm of Italy is found in the small towns. So if you're going to be in Rome to do the city stuff, I'll base my suggestions on that...
Huge score rolling with someone Italian. Lots of 'scams' are aimed at tourists. As soon as you speak italian, they just bugger off and look for a foreigner to prey on.
With 7 days, you have enough time to do things yourself. Don't waste your money on a bus tour. They take you around the DT to places that you can get to faster if you look at a map for 2 minutes and then walk. The only place a bus tour will take you that is out of walking distance is the catacombs. You can get there yourself on a city bus. Your wife should have no problem finding out how by asking a hotel clerk. IIRC, it's bus 218 from Circo Massimo metro stop. Better check that though.
I don't know that I really need to tell you much since she's a wop and she'll be able to hear it from the horse's mouth in real time. Italians are pretty friendly if approached properly. You'll find yourself on many a patio. Talk to the people around you and ask where the hot spots are. They're different all the time.
If you want to have a serious Euro clubbing experience, head down to Testaccio on a Saturday night. The clubs are expensive, everyone is well dressed (note to you: don't show up in shorts and a hawaiian shirt), nobody is ugly, the music THUMPS, the buildings are 100s of years old... It ain't 17th ave, that's for sure.
Want to experience a real european market? Go to Porta Portese on Sunday morning. One of the biggest markets in Europe every Sunday from about 7 am to 4 pm. For the little tiny mini effect, you can hit up Campo di Fiori any day of the week for their little market.
And Campo di Fiori, spend an afternoon/early evening there. Sit on a patio and have a few. Big statue of Bruno, a market... Just... Nice.
A lesser known gem in Rome (like the Cappucin Masoleum) is Via Gulia. It's a road that runs parallel to the Lungotevere, just behind Campo di Fiori. There is a villa along that street with vines that have overtaken a wall and a plus 15 type bridge. Just a cool photo, and on the way to Trastevere from Campo. It is just a couple blocks from Via Arenula. I guess most of this doesn't make much sense now, but if you re read this post while sitting in your hotel in Rome with a map, you'd be able to get an idea of what to do the next day.
Hmmm... Shopping. Your woman is probably going to want to shop. There are alot of good shops along Via Nazionale. You can get good leather jackets and shoes and all the stuff Italy is supposed to be famous for there.
If you want to trip her out, at the base of the Spanish Steps are all the super expensive places like Gucci and DG and Prada. The shop windows boast $3000 handbags and stuff like that.
F*** there are so many places that I could recommend but I can only tell you how to get there.
Rome has fountains. Hundreds or even thousands of them. If you take side streets, you'll inevitable end up in a piazza with a fountain. My favorite one was a couple blocks from my apartment. It has four bronze turtles. If you find it, take a picture and post it so that I can snag it. It is two blocks south of the Argentina ruins and two blocks east of Via Arenula.
Just too many things. You have the right idea. Just wing it. Just explore. There are way too many things to list so I just gotta shut up. You'll find that Rome is an experience, not a sight. You'll see lots, but it is the context of how you saw them that will burn them into your memory. To stumble upon something will make it that much cooler. Take the side streets. Go into shops. Eat at obscure places. Jump on a bus and get lost. It's Rome. There is an amazing sculpture or fountain around every corner.
Speaking of which, I once had a catholic couple stay in the hostel and they were very disappointed that I didn't tell them about the sculpture of Moses by Michelangelo. It's in a little obscure church in a small piazza off Via Cavour. If that's your thing, go check it out. The church is called San Pietro in Vincoli.
And one more thing, if you do like art and arent overloaded after seeing the Vatican Museum, definitely go to the Borghese museum. Beware that you have to call in advance for a reservation. Probably a week or two in advance. The entrance fee is around 12 euro and it is well worth it. Well, well worth it.
Oh yeah, just ONE more thing... San Giovanni in Laterano. It rivals St. Peter's as the most amazing basilica in Rome. Do go.
And find some aquaducts. They are there, but you almost don't notice because everything is so interesting.
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