Romantic Getaway

If you love fish as they cook it in Sardinia, this is the ideal place for you, where you will feel at home amidst flavors from the sea. The restaurant is attractive with pleasant service. There is air conditioning so you can also escape the summer heat. You can enjoy Bottarga, which flavours the starters as well as the classic spaghetti recipes. The Astice Alla Catalana is excellent, as are the vegetable rolls. Desserts include seadas with honey.

Rome is the capital of Italy; its center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk among the ancient ruins of the Forum and the Colosseum, pay homage to Michelangelo’s famous ceiling frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and Vatican City, stroll among the bustling streets until you find the perfect sidewalk café to stop and sip an espresso. Family travelers can’t go wrong with the food options: pasta, pizza and gelato.

The “Eternal City” sits on the River Tiber, between the Apennine Mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea, and was the administrative center of the mighty Roman Empire, which ruled from Britain to Mesopotamia. According to mythology, Rome was founded by the twins Romulus and Remus. They were abandoned as infants in the Tiber River and raised by a mother wolf before a shepherd found them and adopted them as his own.

Aside from the ruins, there are awe-inspiring churches, bustling public squares, numerous fountains sure to trigger memories of Anita Ekberg among Fellini fans and museums everywhere waiting to be discovered.

Looking out onto historic Campo de' Fiori, this brasserie offers pizzas and restaurant service as well as a traditional bar fare. Make the most of the outdoor tables in good weather.

Raffaele De Vico designed this park in the mid-19th century with the aim of making the city center more attractive in accordance with a plan begun during the Napoleonic era. Note the octagonal fountain embellished with terracotta amphoras known as Canestro's Fountain. In addition, there are nymphaea with tufa decorations, fountains dedicated to Nero and Trajan, and various statues.

Once past Cavour Bridge, the church of San Girolamo degli Illirici stands at the crossroads of Via di Ripetta and Via Tomacelli. It was founded by a community of refugees that came to Rome from Croatia from as long ago as the 15th Century, following the domination of Kosovo by the Turks in 1387. The community built the church and dedicated it to their national saint, St Jerome. It was built during the pontificate of Sixtus IV, rebuilt by Sixtus V and also restored by Pius IX. It still belongs to the nation of Croatia. The late Renaissance façade has a large portal and a wide window; inside the decorations include niches, pilasters, a large typanum and a small but very elegant bell tower.

The splendid fortress of Castel Sant'Angelo was originally built as a mausoleum for the Emperor Hadrian in 139 CE. In the 10th Century CE it was transformed into a castle, then, 500 years later, into the elegant residence of Pope Alexander VI Borgia. Michelangelo designed the marvelous main court for Pope Leo X and many of the rooms inside are decorated with frescoes of great beauty. It is also been used to house prisoners, including the sculptor Benvenuto Cellini. The terrace offers a fine view of the river Tiber and opera lovers will know that this was where the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Tosca (1900) took place. The building is now a museum with a fine collection of suits of armor which is open to the public.

Bomarzo is a small town in the Tiber valley, owned since the 16th Century by the Orsini family who built the palace that dominates the town and the Monster Park, the main tourist attraction. This is a large, rather strange garden in which mysterious forms in the shape of ogres, dragons, turtles, winged horses, bears and mermaids have been sculpted from the rocks.

There is a well-equipped amusement park in the Capannelle Hippodrome, surrounded by trees and fields filled with games, castles, slides and swings. There are plenty of equestrian activities available for the public. Also, it has everything from jumping to dressing the horse. Such a wide variety of activities are offered that there is also the opportunity for personal attention and classes. Young children get use of ponies or adults can try horseback riding experience with the assistance of the attentive staff. The REM Association organizes shows, entertainment, clowns and games for children on Sundays and public holidays. Please check the website for further details.

Once past Cavour Bridge, the church of San Girolamo degli Illirici stands at the crossroads of Via di Ripetta and Via Tomacelli. It was founded by a community of refugees that came to Rome from Croatia from as long ago as the 15th Century, following the domination of Kosovo by the Turks in 1387. The community built the church and dedicated it to their national saint, St Jerome. It was built during the pontificate of Sixtus IV, rebuilt by Sixtus V and also restored by Pius IX. It still belongs to the nation of Croatia. The late Renaissance façade has a large portal and a wide window; inside the decorations include niches, pilasters, a large typanum and a small but very elegant bell tower.

Here you will find a small and comfortable restaurant decorated with a selection of antiques and and beautiful works of art, including some pottery by Pablo Picasso. Chef Jean-François Daridon is in charge of the varied and original cuisine and the service is impeccable. Be sure to step out onto the Bramante Terrace for an absolutely breathtaking view of the city. The menu changes every month and the food is imaginative and Mediterranean in style. The more original dishes include a thick Lentil Soup with Black Truffles, Sole with Sicilian Citrus Fruits, and a dessert based on spicy vanilla gelato.

This festival of classical music is held in the courtyard of the basilica of San Clemente al Colosseo, which is located halfway between the Colosseum and San Giovanni. First held in 1994, the beauty of the courtyard at sunset makes the concerts much more than simple performances. The program often works with the collaboration of famous international music academies, and master classes are also organized in parallel to the concerts. Call for ticket prices.

The catacombs of San Callisto, known for more than two centuries as the Church of Rome's cemetery, contain the tombs of nine popes buried in the Crypt. They extend over approximately 20 kilometers on four floors. Strangely enough, the tomb of Callisto I, martyred in 200 while celebrating a mass in Trastevere, is not to be found here. The most visited sites are obviously the papal crypt and Santa Cecilia's sepulchre. These places were accidentally discovered by the scholar Giovanni Battista de Rossi, who entered a vineyard and noticed two unusual structures; one was converted into a farmhouse and the other was used as a wine shop and contained bottles of wine. Acquiring the land with the consent of Pope Pius IX and starting excavations, he found some relics, which led to the final discovery of the entire complex. Admission: EUR 5.

An ideal place for those who love to spend late nights at the nearby theatre or the cinema. The atmosphere is cozy and calm. The restaurant is run with care and sensitivity by a hospitable family. The home-made pasta is excellent; the ravioli is not to be missed. Main courses include meat and fish dishes: the chopped calamari or the fillet steak with porcini mushrooms are recommended. There is a wide selection of wines, and you can choose between red or white house wines which come from the family vineyard.

This typical Roman restaurant is located in the center of the city. The menu offers the best Roman specialties as well as traditional Italian dishes. The skilfully decorated interior is divided into three rooms and can hold up to 180 people. It offers working lunches, receptions and banquets. Often, there is live music in the background.

This church is quite original in the fact that, although it obeys the form of a Roman church, it is actually an Eastern-Catholic temple. The mass is celebrated in Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus Christ. This is an ancient church; it was founded in the 8th Century CE by a group of nuns from Constantinople, who sought refuge in Rome. The building then passed to the Benedictine order and became an important center What we admire today, is a work of reconstruction which was carried out by Antonio de Rossi in the 17th Century. To enter the church, it is necessary to pass through a courtyard, also constructed by Rossi, which separates the chaos of the town from the sacredness of the place and its shape gives the impression of great space and creates a pleasant corner of peace and quiet. Above the altar, there is a splendid icon of Our Lady, which comes from Constantinople and dates from about the 13th Century