Beauty, wandering, and a city walked without a map.
Working across publishing, fashion, and cultural production, Antonio knows Rome as few do. For him, it is an open-air museum, a city best experienced by wandering, getting lost in its streets, and discovering wonders along the way.
His Rome moves between the Galleria Doria Pamphilj, Musei Capitolini, and Galleria Borghese, with contemporary pauses at MAXXI and frequent encounters with churches stumbled upon by chance. Walks through Trastevere, the Ghetto, and Monti reveal the city’s many layers and enduring character. Evenings unfold at Ai Bozzi, Trattoria da Lucia, or Da Baffetto, where tradition and atmosphere come together with ease. For a brief escape from the city, Antonio recommends a day trip to Posta Vecchia, for a slower rhythm, a restorative spa, and long views of the sea.
A Rome of beauty, ritual, and continuity, seen through the eyes of someone who truly knows how to look.
GALLERIA DORIA PAMPHILJ
I love stepping into the Galleria Doria Pamphilj. It offers an extraordinary journey through masterpieces and remains one of the clearest expressions of how art once articulated the power, taste, and ambition of a Roman princely family.
MUSEI CAPITOLINI
I also love wandering through the Capitoline Museums and losing myself among the marble sculptures, the layers of Roman history, and the remarkable views over the Forum.
PALAZZO ALTEMPS
Just a few steps from Piazza Navona, Palazzo Altemps is a glorious museum filled with Roman and Greek sculpture. It is one of those places where antiquity feels both intimate and monumental.
GALLERIA BORGHESE
Set within the former Villa Pinciana in the Borghese Gardens, the Galleria Borghese houses one of the most refined private collections ever assembled. Bernini’s sculptures, Caravaggio’s paintings, and Canova’s neoclassical works make it one of the most exceptional museums in Europe. It is also a powerful example of Cardinal Scipione Borghese’s role as an ambitious and discerning patron of the arts.
VILLA MEDICI
A walk through Villa Medici is not to be missed. This sixteenth-century villa, with its formal gardens and sweeping views over Rome, began as a Medici residence and is now home to the French Academy in Rome. Today it remains a distinguished setting for exhibitions, cultural events, and artist residencies.
MAXXI
For a different rhythm entirely, I like to visit MAXXI, where contemporary architecture and art open another conversation within the city. Rome itself is an open-air museum. I love walking, and I love discovering churches along the way. It is one of the most extraordinary ways to encounter masterpieces from the past, often when you least expect them.
TRASTEVERE
I love walking through Trastevere, with its quiet courtyards, hidden Renaissance treasures, and some of the most beautiful views in Rome. Don’t miss the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere, one of the city’s oldest churches, or Santa Cecilia, with its remarkable atmosphere and the nearby frescoes by Cavallini.
THE GHETTO
The Ghetto, on the banks of the Tiber, is an essential part of Rome’s long and layered history. Established in 1555 in the Rione Sant’Angelo, it remains a deeply evocative area where Roman ruins, memory, and everyday life continue to coexist.
MONTI
I also love strolling through Monti. Its antique dealers, vintage shops, and independent boutiques give the neighborhood a particularly vibrant and eclectic character.
L’ARCHIVIO DI MONSERRATO
This legendary boutique and atelier belongs to designer Soledad Twombly. Known for custom dresses and textiles, it also carries an extraordinary mix of objects and garments. I especially love it for men’s scarves.
FABIO SALINI
Roman jewellery designer Fabio Salini began his career at Cartier and Bulgari before launching his own line. His atelier on Via Monserrato is one of the most special addresses in the city, not far from Palazzo Farnese and Campo de’ Fiori.
DELFINA DELETTREZ FENDI
Also on Via Monserrato, Delfina Delettrez Fendi’s boutique is another essential stop. Her work combines traditional goldsmithing techniques with a strikingly contemporary sensibility.
AI BOZZI
In Trastevere, I often return to Ai Bozzi. Set along one of the neighborhood’s quieter streets, it offers a more refined take on Roman dining, where the atmosphere feels both relaxed and considered. The menu moves between tradition and subtle reinterpretation — familiar dishes approached with a lighter, more contemporary sensibility — making it a place I return to as much for its ease as for its consistency.
TRATTORIA DA LUCIA
Established in 1938 and still family-run, Trattoria da Lucia is my favourite fish restaurant in Rome.
PIZZERIA DA BAFFETTO
For pizza, Da Baffetto remains one of Rome’s classic addresses. Known for its thin-crust Roman-style pizzas baked in a wood-fired oven, it is lively, unfussy, and always full of energy.
ANTICA LATTERIA
Just off Campo de’ Fiori, near Piazza Farnese, Antica Latteria is one of my preferred places for a drink. Its high ceilings and bright interiors balance the charm of old Rome with the ease of a modern cocktail bar, and the small courtyard makes it even more appealing.
LA POSTA VECCIHA HOTEL
If there’s time to step outside the city, La Posta Vecchia offers a perfect seaside escape just under an hour from Rome. Set along the Tyrrhenian coast, it’s an ideal place for a spa day, where the rhythm of the city gives way to something quieter and more expansive.
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