2. Roma Italia April 12 2023

Greetings from Rome – Campo de’ Fiori. Galleria Sciarra. Coppedè. Lots of Steps.
Wednesday, April 12.

Began our day by walking from the Donna Camilla to the Galleria Sciarra, a wonderful building with a covered walkway – a private courtyard that is actually open to the public, and which is not visited by many tourists and actually I think little known except to locals. It’s an example of Italian Art Nouveau–lovely, but unfortunately when we got there (we had never seen it before) there was a lot of renovation going on so it was a bit difficult to truly appreciate the Gallery in all of its glory. But still it was great to see.

From there we walked to the Campo Fiore market which was abuzz with locals getting fruits, vegetables, herbs and other daily goods. It’s the oldest market in Rome, and every morning, (maybe not on Sundays), the square is filled with stalls selling fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry and fresh fish, and assorted clothing and accessories as well as “kitchen necessities” like things that curl carrots and make zuchinni into little rosettes. Other stalls have dried fruit, nuts and spices, and florist stalls surround the fountain located in the center of the square. Specialties that can be found at the market include the amazing Roman artichokes, which has already become a daily staple for me. Surrounding the market and on adjacent streets are delicatessens and bakeries. Along the walk we passed hordes of people lining up to see the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain… Glad we had seen those places many years ago when the lines were quite smaller and glad we agreed not to revisit.

Then we walked (hiked) about three miles to get to Coppede, a neighborhood we had never seen on other trips to Rome. It was pretty much an uphill walk (didn’t’t realize that at the onset) but we persevered except for a short stop at a little outdoor Lebanese café to have some cold mezze. Finally we arrived in Coppede, excited to see all these amazing examples of Art Nouveau, Liberty, Art Decò buildings (residences) that seem to have also been influenced by Greek, Gothic, Baroque, and maybe even medieval art. The story that is told is that this neighborhood was the brainchild of an architect (I think from Florence) named Gino Coppedè who designed this neighborhood and oversaw the construction between 1913-1927. It’s an eclectic mixture of all of these historic styles and amazing ironwork. It’s been said that Coppedè is Rome’s answer to Gaudì ‘s Barcelona structures… although I don’t think I’d agree. The area is totally residential except for a few embassies, and not really easy to get to except on foot although there are some trams that can get you there.

But there is always a glitch… On this day, and for a few more to come, they are filming some 1920s italian movie (maybe something very Mafia-oriented) and thus one of the most wonderful buildings in the area and the famous fountain with the frogs were inaccessible—we could see them but could not get close. Street were blocked, but it was great to see all these people in period costumes from the 20s (wonderful dresses and coats) walking about, and getting in and out of 1920s vintage cars. Still we were able to see and get up close to many other houses in the area. Coppedè has apparently been the backdrop for many films in the past decades.

The entry into Coppedè has a very dramatic arch, but the filmmakers had also commandeered that, making it difficult to photograph. I should note that many of the buildings have very impressive frescoes. We were in awe of the whole setting and am still amazed by the craftsmanship and abilities of the diverse artisans needed to create these special places—a big contrast to what we produce today. Then again, I don’t think I’d have the stomach for this in great quantities. Think Gilded Age!!

Finally, after our 9 mile walk, we taxied to the Saint Regis Hotel which has an interesting history and is the lap of luxury with $25 glasses of prosecco and equally priced cocktails. Still it was fun to get inside and see the spaces..

After a brief stop at our hotel, we headed down the street to Antica Pesa which is a well known restaurant more than a century old yet still maintains its quality and manages to keep up with the times. The entryway of the restaurant is filled –floor to ceiling— with framed photos of famous people who have eaten at the restaurant: Sean Penn, Robert Di Niro, Danny DeVito, Madonna, Sophia Loren, and Picasso, and the like. Rumor has it that there is a sister restaurant with the same name in Brooklyn. Will have to check that out on my next trip to NY. We started with artichoke (naturally).. this time done with some kind of mint sauce; a baccalau with cod cappuccino, potatoes whipped into a cream, and some kind of almond mousse, spaghetti carbonnara, and a honey pork with chicory. All very good.

Much more to say about Rome.. it was good to revisit. Tomorrow we head to Todi, via Calcata. That should be an interesting drive. Perhaps tomorrow will be more newsy and less gastronomic. But then again, it is Italy and eating is a sport and an art.
Arrivederci Roma.

Fern