The Evolution of Café: A 90-Minute Walking Tour

In order to get a feel for how café (coffee/espresso) has emerged and evolved in Rome, an hour and a half walk was mapped out which will do just that. There are three main stops along this tour which vary according to age. The first, Antico Caffé Greco, was established in 1760 and is the oldest bar in Rome; the second stop, Caffé Rosati, in 1922; and the third, La Tazza d’Oro, in 1946 – a more modern space.

To start the walking tour, the easiest place to begin would be at the bottom of the Spanish Steps in the Piazza di Spagna (look for the half-sunken ship fountain made by Bernini).

Walk straight ahead onto Via Condotti and look for Antico Caffé Greco located at Via Condotti 86; it will be on the left-hand side.

When finished here, continue west on Via Condotti until you hit Via del Corso, a very busy and wide road, and make that right.

Within about 10-15 minutes, the Piazza del Popolo will appear right in front of you; Caffé Rosati is located at Piazza del Popolo 4-5.

After you are finished your drink, turn around and resume walking along Via del Corso, but southward this time.

You will run into the Piazza Colonna after about 20 minutes of brisk walking; look for Via Colonna Antonina which shoots off from the piazza around the obelisk.

This street will turn into Via Aquiro and then immediately into Piazza Capra nica; walk through this piazza and locate Via degli Orfani. La Tazza d’Oro will be on this road at #84.

Order their famous Brazilian brewed café and relax – this concludes the walking tour!

Hadrian's Villa

In a small group of students including Toni Conti, Carley Bria, Cole Kitchen, and Courtney Marshall, along with the help of Mike Tumolo, we mapped out the route to get to Hadrian’s Villa.

Go to the Termini train station in Rome. Enter the upper part of the station and locate ticket machines. Search for the train to Tivoli. Once you get to Tivoli Station, locate local bus number 4 which you can take to Hadrian’s Villa. These directions can also be found in the Eyewitness Guide of Rome on page 269.

One of the most striking and best preserved parts of the Villa is the pool and an artificial grotto which were named Canopus Serapeum (the Emperor’s dining table). The Maritime Theater is a circular building within Ionic marble peristyle. This was a private retreat for the Emperor. A circular moat encloses an island where the theater is located. Finally, be sure to visit the Small and Great Thermae (baths) which are well preserved areas for public and private bathing. The small ones were used more privately for the emperors while the larger baths were used for visitors to the Villa. Check out this website for a number of virtual walk throughs of the Villa: http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/hadrian_s_villa/hadrian_s_villa.htm
Picture taken from the Blue Guide, Rome (9th Edition) by Somerset Norton

One of the largest and most complete Italian churches is located only about a block south of the Pantheon. When visiting Rome, be sure to stop in for at least a half hour and observe St. Catherine of Siena’s intricate tomb site (located in front of the church’s altar) and one of Michelangelo’s first pieces, The Risen Christ. If you are arriving at Stazione Termini located in the eastern part of center city, follow the directions below to arrive in Piazza Santa Maria sopra Minerva and enter one of the few examples of Gothic architecture in the Eternal City!

From the termini, situate yourself so that you are facing the Piazza dei Cinquecento and walk straight ahead until you reach V. le E. De Nicola onto which you will make the first left.

After about five blocks, make a right onto Via Agostino Depretris and walk until you hit the wide Via Nazionale onto which you will be making a left.

This will bring you into a square which holds the massive Mercati Traianei on your left and look for Via IV Novembre which will curve northward and to the right.

This street will eventually turn into Via C. Battisti, then Via Plebiscito, and finally the wide Corso Vittorio Emanuele.

Before you reach the Area Sacra on your left though near Chiesa del Gesu, one of two Jesuit churches in Rome, make a right onto Via dei Cestari and at the end of this street will stand the church slightly on the right (the Pantheon is down Via Palombella to the left; also, on the left of Chiesa del Gesu is the Palazzo Venezia). In case you are confused, look for Bernini’s obelisk of an elephant which rises to the sky in the middle of the piazza; this church is hard to miss!

Picture taken from: http://www.erboristeriaedaltro.com/camereciprobeb/chiesa%20santa%20maria%20sopra%20minerva%20roma.JPG

The Trek to il Caffe Sant' Eustachio

One of the best cafes in Rome is il Caffé Sant’ Eustachio located next to the church from which it has received its name. If you are visiting the city and you appreciate a delectable cup of espresso or cappuccino, you must visit this bar which has been raved about in newspapers like La Repubblica (written in Italy) and the New York Times (written in the United States). If you are arriving at Stazione Termini located in the eastern part of center city, follow the directions below to arrive in Piazza Sant’ Eustachio and quench your thirst at its eloquent café!

From the termini, situate yourself so that you are facing the Piazza dei Cinquecento and walk straight ahead until you reach V. le E. De Nicola onto which you will make your first left.

After about five blocks, make a right onto Via Agostino Depretris and walk until you hit the wide Via Nazionale onto which you will be making a left.

This will bring you into a square which holds the massive Mercati Traianei on your left and look for Via IV Novembre which will curve northward and to the right.

This street will eventually turn into Via C. Battisti, then Via Plebiscito, and finally the wide Corso Vittorio Emanuele.

After about four blocks with the Area Sacra on your left, make a right onto Via Monterone and you will be standing in the Piazza Caprettari in no time. The Piazza San Eustachio is a straight shot ahead and can be reached in under a minute’s time (the Pantheon lies to the right if you take the Via Palombella).

Look for the clearly marked Café Sant’ Eustachio directly ahead and observe what kind of people are sitting outside. This is typically a formal bar where some of the more prestigious Romans like to drink their morning lattes. Go into the café and order a cappuccino. Take notice that you are never able to see the hands of the baristas as they create your frothy cup because the recipe is kept a secret. The baristas are usually extremely nice and want to make you laugh, so go with the flow and relax. Enjoy one of the best cappuccinos made in Rome!

Picture taken from: http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/1422/11376972.JPG