shopping

SHOPPING
trail
T R I D E N T E & T H E A R E A A R O U N D P I A Z Z A D I S PA G N A
Via dei Condotti, Via Frattina, Via Borgognona,
Via delle Carrozze, Via Vittoria, Via della Vite
Via del Babuino
Via Margutta
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PIAZZA DEL POPOLO & VIA DEL CORSO
Via del Corso
Galleria Alberto Sordi (formerly the Galleria Colonna)
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CAMPO MARZIO
Piazzetta Sant’Eustachio
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P I A Z Z A N AVO N A & S U R R O U N D I N G A R E A
Via dei Coronari
Via del Governo Vecchio, Via dei Banchi Vecchi
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CA MPO DE’ FIORI & ADJACENT STREETS
Via del Pellegrino, Piazza Campo de’ fiori, Via dei Giubbonari
Via dei Cappellari, Via dei Chiavari, Via di Monserrato,
Via delle Botteghe Oscure
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GH ETTO
Via dei Falegnami, Via dei Funari, Portico d’Ottavia
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MONTI
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SAN LORENZO
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O S T I E N S E & G A R B AT E L L A
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TR ASTEVERE
Porta Portese (market)
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T H E F L A M I N I O D I S T R I C T A N D T H E A R E A A R O U N D PA R I O L I
Borghetto Flaminio (market), P.zza Verdi (market), P.zza Mazzini (market)
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T H E P R AT I D I S T R I C T
Via Ottaviano, Via Cola di Rienzo
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T H E S A N G I OVA N N I D I ST R I C T
Via Appia Nuova, Via Sannio (small market)
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Rome’s countless
architectural and
historic treasures, its
beauty and its amazing
cityscapes make an
attractive destination
for tourists from all over
the world. It has
practically everything
and evidence of its
history is all around you,
from when it began
more than twothousand years ago,
right through to
innovative state of the
art technology. It is what
makes Rome so magical
and why even a
shopping trip is also a
journey through culture
and art.
The trendy shopping
areas of Rome are
concentrated in the
Tridente district and
around Piazza di Spagna
with its “Barcaccia”
fountain where
countless tourists – as
tradition demands - toss
in a coin before heading
for some of Rome’s most
famous shopping
streets, of which the via
dei Condotti, which has
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featured in several
famous films over the
years, reigns supreme.
Then there is the via
Frattina, via
Borgognona, via delle
Carrozze, via Vittoria
and via della Vite, all
roads brimming with
history and exponents of
all that is glamorous and
elegant; their tantalising
window displays, one
shop after another,
always attract admiring
looks.
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The world’s greatest
fashion designers all
want their latest
collections on display
here, and their exquisite
clothing, so often
admired on the covers of
the world’s leading
fashion magazines, often
blurs with the
sometimes almost
austere architecture of
the buildings. The entire
area around the square
is dotted with the
ateliers of the most
important Italian and
international designers,
a bona-fide temple to
high fashion.
Tourists with a
penchant for
exclusive fashion
items will find oneoff designs here as
well as talented
tailors and
dressmakers
offering a topquality
personalization
service.
Shoppers are always
enthralled by the
opulent windows of the
jewellers, interspersed
with the ateliers and
shops mentioned
and others full of
exquisite china or
artworks. Is our
tourist dreaming?
Perhaps he was
bedazzled by the
jewellery that dazzled
him, but he thinks that
the world’s latest
favourite diva has just
walked past. If, however
our tourist is a nostalgic
kind of guy, perhaps he
thought that he just
caught a glimpse of Ava
Gardner or Liz Taylor
wrapped up in a white
fur stole on the via
Borgognoma or maybe
it was the ever-enduring
Sofia Loren. Meanwhile,
knowing about all the
small shops and studios
workshops tucked away
in the lanes around the
Trevi Fountain - another
symbol of the “Dolce
Vita” – he is probably
already thinking it is
time
to head there.
The statue of the
“Babuino” is likely to
make him come to a
surprised stop. An
ancient statue of the
reclining figure of the
mythical Silenius, it was
deemed so hideous by
16th century Romans that
it was nick-named the
Baboon, which is how
the street got its current
name.
Actually, the via del
Babuino is an elegant
street, once home to
famous antique shops
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and
others
that chose to buck the
trends dictated by the
world of high fashion,
preferring to sell less
formal designs. Today,
especially since its
“restyling”, various
“trendy” designers have
been tempted to set up
shop here.
Our tourist is bound to
see some of the many
plaques adorning
buildings throughout
the area – reminders of
people who lived there
from the 18th century
onwards. Not far from
the “Porta del Popolo”
which marks the end of
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the via Flaminia that
enters Rome from
the north, it comes as
no surprise that there
are so many artists.
Our tourist, now loaded
down by a multitude of
colourful carrier bags, is
bound to notice that the
house where poets Keats
and Shelley once lived
still stands in Piazza di
Spagna, and in a
moment, he’ll discover
that Goethe lived on one
of Rome’s major
shopping streets.
The via Margutta runs
parallel to the via del
Babuino. Originally,
because the road runs
behind the back of the
beautiful buildings
overlooking via del
Babuino and it was and
dotted with stables and
storehouses, it was
where carriages and
carts “parked up”. Since
the end of the 18th
century, however, many
nicknamed it “the road
of artists” because so
many painters, sculptors,
antiquarians and the
like had established
themselves there. Later,
in the 1950s, it became
popular with people
from the world of
entertainment.
Although various
ateliers have now
become private homes,
the street still retains its
“bohemian” charm as
well as its air of being a
little road “beyond the
gates”, far away from
the smog and chaos of
the modern city. It’s a
good place to shop in art
galleries and fashion
boutiques and find
out a bit about art
and ancient Rome at
the same time. It is
also here that the
“Exhibition of 100
Painters” is staged
every autumn.
Having been drawn
towards the obelisk in
Piazza del Popolo, our
tourist should definitely
sit down at an outside
table of one of the
square’s bars and enjoy
an ice-cream or coffee,
knowing that it was here
that in the 50s and 60s,
many famous artists,
film directors and
writers often did the
same thing. Pasolini,
Morante, Fellini and
Fontana were just a few
of those who liked to
hold their meetings
here. It’ll be a welcome
rest before he sets off
again on the shopping
trail.
Via del Corso winds its
way to Piazza Venezia.
Originally called via Lata
(wide), the
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change
to Corso came about
because the Berber
horses, in Rome to
compete in the jousts in
the Roman Carnival,
used to “run” its length.
Known for its young,
colourful and lively
fashion, there is a steady
ebb and flow of
youngsters invading the
road and pavements.
Shop windows here are
filled to bursting with
jeans in every style
imaginable, trousers in
high-tech materials,
sweatshirts, trainers and
t-shirts, on which some
shops will, if asked, print
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whatever
words and
images are
all the rage at the
time. Jackets in technical
materials and the latest
collections of major
casual clothing
designers await the
groups of youngsters
keen to amaze their
friends with their latest
purchases.
Visiting the Alberto
Sordi gallery, half way
along the road, is a
must. The Colonna
Gallery is located
halfway down the street
right in front of the
column of Marcus
Aurelius
standing
in the
square
named
after him;
the name
change, just a few
years ago,
was an
acknowledgement of
just how much this
great Roman actor was
loved by his fellow
citizens. The gallery is
home to an array of
elegant shops selling
perfumes, beauty
products, accessories
and books. Hopefully
our tourist will find
something he likes, but
if he is more of a
megastore kind of guy,
as there are several
along the via del Corso,
he has plenty of choice. If
not, he can always opt
for a classic shirt – white,
pale blue, striped or
checked – or a
beautifully
tailored jacket.
Otherwise, he could take
a detour and head for
the roads around the
Campo Marzio, also full
of elegant shops that
exude charm.
Up until the Augustan
era, the Campo Marzio
represented the heart of
the city, but by the
Middle Ages it was the
district that had the
highest concentration of
people and in
Renaissance times, it
became the “in” place
for the nobility to build
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the sumptuous palaces
- such as the Palazzo
Massimo alle
Colonne, the
Palazzo Borghese
and the Palazzo
Farnese - that
were to become
their habitual
homes.
Moving on, those,
who like our tourist
discover they like “old
things” will be delighted
by the many treasures
they find as they wander
amidst the Renaissance
palaces and Baroque
squares that populate
this district. Antique
hunters really do see this
district as a treasure
trove, and it is also the
right place to taste
Rome’s most fashionable
coffee – against the
beautiful backdrop of
the square dedicated to
St. Eustace.
Piazza Navona is, quite
simply, amazing. There
are always street artists
there painting portraits
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against
a background featuring
one of the square’s two
beautiful fountains. Just
a few steps away, the via
dei Coronari boasts an
uninterrupted parade of
antique shops selling
furniture, vases, books,
precious marbles, old
prints and etchings.
Collectors unable to
resist a Piranesi or
Giovan Battisti Falda
landscape, or one of
Bartolomeo Pinelli’s
lively etchings or those
who aspire to a romantic
painting of the Roman
countryside or ancient
Roman ruins, will feel as
if they have stumbled
upon Aladdin’s cave.
Anyone feeling like a
longer walk can carry on
to Largo della
Fontanella di Borghese,
a veritable gold mine for
lovers of old prints and
books, period magazines
and etchings.
Not far from Piazza
Navona, there are two
roads that reveal
another of the thousand
faces of Rome – the
via del Governo Vecchio
and the via dei Banchi
Vecchi. “Banchi” because
this district, adjacent to
St. Peter’s and the
political and economic
centre of Rome from the
15th century onwards,
was where the banks
were located. Both
streets, and others
nearby, have retained all
the charm and character
of the old city. The whole
area is full of artisan’s
workshops and little
shops that have
deliberately chosen to go
against the flow and
sell 40s Bakelite
costume jewellery
or clothes
created by
young, aspiring
designers.
Nearby, our
tourist will find
the via del
Pellegrino,
named after the
“Pellegrino” inn
that welcomed and
fed countless pilgrims
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heading for St. Peter’s,
although it was once
called the via degli
Orefici because of its
many goldsmith’s
shops.
The road running
along the side of the
Palazzo della
Cancelleria (the
Treasury) was once full
of artisans’ studios,
many of which have now
disappeared, although
the shops that have
replaced them have
followed their example
and sell popular,
artisanal and much
sought
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after
handmade items, which
has helped preserve the
character of this and
many lanes and
alleyways nearby. Here,
our tourist might buy
handmade items such as
small pieces of furniture,
picture frames, lamps
and the furnishing
material found in the
homes of the
bourgeoisie at the
end of the 19th
century, but he’ll also
find clothes, costume
jewellery, shoes and
bags impossible to
find anywhere else
created by Roman
stylists and artisans.
Next our
tourist will come
upon the characteristic
lanes surrounding
Campo dei Fiori, the
famous, historic square
that has always been
associated to Rome’s
working class and
dominated by a statue
of the philosopher
Giordano Bruno who the
Romans came to see as a
symbol of the freedom
of thought. Road names
here evoke the past: via
dei Cappellari, via dei
Chiavari, via di
Monserrato and just a
bit further on, the via
delle Botteghe Oscure.
The names are a
reminder that each was
known for a
particular trade
including (in order) hat
makers, locksmiths and
“the dark shops” – that
had no windows!
Another street, the via
dei Giubbonari was
famous for its bodice
/waistcoat makers “gipponari” in dialect.
Via di Monserrato is
however a bit different
as it was the site of the
jail established by the
powerful Savelli
magistrates who
practiced their
profession in this road
and used by them from
1440 to 1600. Given the
proximity of the ghetto,
most of its inmates were
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Jewish.
After a brief look at the
via dei Falegnami,
(carpenters) via dei
Funari (rope makers)
and Portico d’Ottavia,
where there are yet
more unusual and
interesting things to
buy, as our tourist has
decided shop till he
drops, he sets off
towards another part of
the city.
He still has time to look
for one-off items of
clothing, small
boutiques or even the
studios occupied by the
latest crop of young
artists and Monti is the
perfect area for this. Not
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far from the Colosseum
and smaller and less
touristy than others, it
is a blend of
modernity and
historic charm.
There are gems of all
kinds waiting for
him in its tiny streets
and tranquil corners,
including craftwork,
architecture and
fashion.
Despite its history as the
“Suburra” of ancient
Rome – the part of the
city reserved for city
dwelling “plebs” who
lived in abject misery
surrounded by every
type of criminal activity,
today it is an enclave for
young artists and the
creative heart of the city.
Its streets are often filled
with the whirring of a
designer’s sewing
machine, or the tapping
of a goldsmith’s
hammer, but lovers of
anything vintage or
original will not be
disappointed, although
the small, attractive
shops selling these items
are sometimes hidden
away between the ups
and downs of the road.
Monti’s history is much
like that of all Rome’s
working class districts,
like San Lorenzo, which
thanks to the presence
of “La Sapienza”, until a
few decades ago Rome’s
only university, is till the
city’s primary university
district. Ostiense is
another such district
which also includes
Garbatella quarter and
it’s unusual “city
garden” architecture
and many examples
of industrial
buildings. It was
also the setting
for many of
Ozpetek’s films.
Today, thanks in part
to the younger
generations of
artists who live
there, these are the
districts that set the
new and more relevant
cannons of fashion,
music and all the many
forms of contemporary
art.
“Porta Portese, Porta
Portese!” says the song
written by a well-known
singer-songwriter from
Rome in which he pays
tribute to the city’s most
famous and much loved
flea market.
It is now Sunday
morning, and it’s not
easy to spot our tourist
amongst the throngs of
people who have
invaded the streets
where the market is
held. He got up early,
knowing that the
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market
is huge there are
100s of stalls and he
wants to see them all.
Actually, he’s hoping to
make a killing – maybe
an item of vintage
clothing, a painting he’s
been after for ages, or
perhaps even a set of 50s
side plates or glasses.
Who knows what he’ll
find?
The market appeared in
the working class district
of Trastevere right after
WWII where it carried on
the “work” of the
flourishing black market
located in Tor di Nona
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during the dark war
years. It is named after
the lovely Roman
gateway, Porta
Portuensis at the end
of the ancient,
similarly named
road that leads to
what we now call
Fiumicino, known then
as Portus. Open every
Sunday from 7 in the
morning until 2 in
the afternoon - it is
certainly worth
consulting the
guidebook!
So, there he goes, diving
back into the melee,
hunting through the
stalls selling antiques,
costume jewellery and
vintage and secondhand clothes mixed up
with all kinds of trinkets.
It is hard to choose
between the paints,
objets d’art, jewellery
and old film flyers and
posters with all the
pushing and elbowing
going on, it almost
seems impossible, but
we have faith that our
tourist will succeed. He
stayed in Rome an extra
day just so that he could
enjoy this experience
and then talk about back
home – and actually we
know he did proudly
shows off the really
beautiful art deco lamp
he found!
Perhaps he’ll have time
to dash over to another
Sunday market in the
Borghetto Flaminio to
look at the second-hand
clothes, small furnishing
items and much more
besides, but maybe he
will opt for the markets
in the more modern
settings of Piazza Verdi
or Piazza Mazzini and
therefore discover yet
another aspect of the
city. The street names
here reflect Rome’s more
recent history, namely
the 20th century, a period
when a more severe
style of architecture –
Umbrian – was in vogue.
We are sure that our
tourist will be returning
to Rome soon, and next
time he can explore
areas he couldn’t get to
this time and follow the
shopping trail from Prati
to St. Peter’s and from
via Ottaviano to that
terrestrial paradise full
of trendy shops in via
Cola di Rienzo and
finally, from the via
Appia Nuova to via
Sannio with its colourful
mornings-only daily
market where there is
more rummaging to be
done on stalls selling
button-down shirts,
army and navy style
jackets as well as the
ever popular Aran
sweaters that will keep
you as warm in the
winter as the Roman sun
in summer.
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SHOPPING
trail
Parioli
Piazza Verdi
Pinciano
Borghetto Flaminio
Prati
Via Cola di Rienzo,
Via Ottaviano,
PiazzaMazzini
Centro storico, Rione Monti
Via Condotti, Via del Corso
Piazza di Spagna, Via dei Giubbonari ,
Via del Boschetto, Galleria Alberto Sordi
Trastevere
Porta Portese
San Giovanni
Via Sannio,
Via Appia Nuova