I’m always surprised when people tell me “I know Rome. Two years ago I spent three days there”. “I’ve been to Rome a couple of times. The last time was 2019 when I stayed for four days”. Really? You do know that you could live in the historic centre for a year and not discover everything. I’ve been visiting this city that I adore for seventeen years and there is still so much that I don’t know.

One of my greatest loves is to slowly wander Rome without a plan, making sure I don’t walk familiar routes, but deviate down alleyways I’ve never ventured. This is when the best discoveries happen. You start noticing unobtrusive details; you learn to look up more; you find unusual, hidden, forgotten and unexpected surprises around every corner, simply by taking a few random turns.

In fact, it’s often your second or third visit to Rome and many visits after that, that are even more rewarding. Your first time there are compelling, historical sites that need to be explored to understand the layers of empire, papacy and modern life that make up the pulsing heart of Rome. You often hear locals describe the layers of Rome as a lasagna. Roam any of the 22 traditional historic neighbourhoods, known as rioni, and you feel like you’re tiptoing your way through an open air museum across 3,000 years of history.

Rome has a stunning light, both at sunrise and sunset. There is no better time to walk the streets than at first light when Rome is still sleeping. This is when we enjoy the beauty of unmissable iconic landmarks without crowds. I love the solitary photo on the glorious Spanish Steps; the majestic Trevi Fountain unspoilt by selfie taking tourists; the empty piazza in front of the Romans greatest architectural achievement, the Pantheon, and coffee at my favourite cafe, Sant’Eustachio, that opened in 1938.

Fabio, who has worked there for 16 years, greets me with a big smile and a warm welcome - “You’re back!” Standing at the bar amidst locals drinking great coffee and salivating over a flaky, delicious cornetto con crema makes getting up early completely worthwhile.

We wander back through Piazza Navona, the centre of Roman life since ancient times. It retains the shape of the stadium built around 80 AD when 30,000 spectators could be seated to watch the games. Now the vast space is surrounded by cafes and bars with three stunning Baroque fountains in the centre. At this hour it’s popular for dog walkers and their dogs joyously chasing balls.

Less than ten minutes from our hotel is one of Rome’s most enchanting streets. I have always loved meandering down Via Margutta, known as the street of the artists. So close to the Spanish Steps, yet a quiet street that was once a poor lane of stables and servant quarters for the grand palaces along Via del Babuino. In the 17th century the city offered tax concessions to foreign artists to set up workshops. Tempted by cheap rent and natural north-facing light, painters and sculptors moved in, turning old stables into sunlit studios. Twice a year, in spring and autumn, the street returns to its roots as an open-air gallery where hundreds of painters exhibit their work along the street.

The first day in Rome is about showing you my hidden Rome. I believe no matter where you travel, a good mantra is “always look up”. Looking directly onto the Trevi Fountain is the Antica Farmacia Pesci that has been there for centuries. Founded in 1552, as seen by the sign above the door, it began as an apothecary and candle shop. Though it operates as a fully functioning modern pharmacy today, its 18th century dark walnut cabinetry remains intact. Shelves are still lined with original sandalwood boxes and ceramic jars once used for holding exotic remedies like dry vipers and “dragon’s blood” resin!

A minute from the bustling market stalls of Campo de’ Fiori is the Arco degli Acetari (Arch of the Vinegar Makers), which leads into one of Rome’s best preserved hidden courtyards, where time has stood still for the past 500 years. Most people walk straight past the dark, low archway off the street that is like stepping straight through a portal into medieval Rome.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, this enclosed square was home to the city’s vinegar vendors. Today, it is a private residential area with unchanged terracotta painted buildings that have medieval external stone steps and climbing ivy draping the warm orange and rust coloured walls.

For years a much loved place of mine for a coffee break is the Bramonte Monastery built in 1500 by Donato Bramante, a little oasis only 200 metres away from the busyness of Piazza Navona. Many people walk straight by, oblivious of the hidden cafe in a Renaissance cloister. Thick walls deaden the sounds of the world outside and welcome you inside to wonderful, artistic exhibitions that change ever year; a bookshop that specialises in art and a cafe that wickedly tempts you with cakes and pastries. The best surprise, though, is a room that looks like a hotel lobby with comfortable armchairs and sofas to relax in whilst enjoying your food and, depending on the time of day, an aperol spritz!

Only in Rome would you find an aqueduct in a state-of-the-art department store. In October 2017, a new Rinascente department store opened after complex renovation work that lasted eleven years. During the renovation one of the ancient treasures of Rome was discovered. In the basement you can see a well preserved section of the Aqua Virgo aqueduct inaugurated by Augustus in 19 B.C. Extraordinary.

And here we are . . . at 11:00am on the first day! Needless to say, there is so much to see and never enough time. Every stone and crack in a wall is suffused with history and can tell a gripping story. Secrets everywhere. The first day will fill your senses with how remarkable this city is, as we drink and eat our way from one delicious meal to the next whilst navigating the Rome I love best.

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb