Les Clefs D'Or
Les Clefs D'Or

Your Key To Rome Italy – 2023 Les Clefs d’Or Award Nominee

If I had to represent Rome‏’‏s most genuine soul in one image, I would undoubtedly choose ‎one of its districts. Lively, colorful and authentic, they reflect Rome‏’‏s truest essence, made ‎up of cobblestones-covered alleys, craft shops, old restaurants and vintage stores. Monti is ‎all of this: a vortex of colors, flavors and sounds capable of striking the heart of those who ‎explore it. ‎

Our walk starts from the variegate Via Urbana and we immediately feel projected into the ‎magical atmosphere of a vintage postcard: here and there you find a family-run bakery, an artisan ‎workshop of mosaic masters, a traditional cuisine restaurant offering the dishes of the day… ‎Among the many activities, a 100% vegan and raw food pastry shop deserves to be mentioned: ‎Grezzo Raw Chocolate, a true temple for healthy pastry lovers!‎

Once in via Urbana, we turn right onto the tiny Piazza degli Zingari. People sitting on the stone ‎benches and teenagers on their scooters frequently liven up this square that hosts one of the best ‎gelaterie in Rome: Fata Morgana (absolutely my favorite!). After enjoying a good gelato cone ‎‎(how can we miss their basil flavor?!), we keep on going following on Via degli Zingari to end up in ‎Via del Boschetto, another ‎‏“‏bohemian” street where time really seems to have stopped.‎

We are now in Via Panisperna: this up-and-down street is truly unique and it‏’‏s one of the most ‎photographed thanks to an original ‎‏“‏wall” of ivy that has grown along a thread of light between ‎two opposing buildings – definitely a very unusual cascade of green leaves!‎
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Just the time of another picture and we enter into Via dei Serpenti. Here a surprise awaits us: ‎turning to the left, the silhouette of an imposing building in the distance makes its way between ‎the paved roads and parked cars – the Colosseum! The surprise of seeing it from afar is, to me, ‎one of the most suggestive aspects of these walks in the heart of Rome!‎
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Another corner I love in this rione is Piazza Madonna dei Monti and the narrow via Baccina. The ‎first one is a lively piazza known for its nightlife and enriched by an elegant seventeenth-century ‎fountain. Via Baccina, instead, is the street that houses the Monti District Market – where you ‎definitely have to do some food shopping if you really want to cook as Romans do! At its end, this ‎street offers an exceptional view on a part of the Roman Forum: it takes you right behind the ‎ruins, at one of the old gateways to the ancient Forum of Augustus which overlooked the old ‎Suburra, the working-class district of Ancient Rome. It is like looking at something extremely well ‎known from a new point of view… absolutely not to be missed!‎
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Monti is therefore a journey within a journey, a way to discover the habits and passions of the ‎truest Rome up close. Therefore, I look forward to exploring it together with you to create ‎memories that will last a lifetime!‎

Giulia is a candidate for the 2023 Les Clefs d’Or Award. This article has been published in its original form.

Meet the Author
Giulia Romagnani

My name is Giulia and I‏ have been working at Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome since 2016.‎ My ‎‏“‏career” as concierge is relatively short but my passion for this role is as secure and deep as ‎the roots of a tree.‎ After I moved to Rome for a post-graduation course in 2015, I had the chance to do an internship ‎in my current hotel and the following training period at the concierge desk completed my falling-‎in-love process.‎ I have always had an open nature towards the others, always happy to help and do my best. This ‎natural attitude, combined with a constant desire to learn more and a sincere love for art and ‎culture, formed the basis of my concierge identity.‎ I like talking about ‎‏“‏concierge identity” because to me, being a concierge is not something work-‎related only. Being a concierge means that we have a special DNA in our veins: it‏’‏s an inner ‎burning flame, it‏’‏s a constant hunger of curiosity, it‏’‏s a genuine passion and a conscious ‎gratefulness towards what we do every day. And this is exactly what I love the most: it‏’‏s the magic ‎we create that makes our profession so special!‎

Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome

Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome allows all its guests to deeply feel the splendor of ancient Rome ‎thanks to its classic elegance balanced with modernity and glamour. Hosted in a magnificent ‎‎19th-century building in Piazza della Repubblica, Anantara Palazzo Naiadi was built on part of the ‎ruins of the Roman Baths of the Emperor Diocletian, still visible from the hotel basement and ‎meeting rooms.‎ The deep bond with the world of wellness coming from the ancient Roman tradition is ‎demonstrated by the spectacular Fusion Spa, which offers massages, treatments and moments of ‎relaxation without limits.‎ With its 238 rooms and suites spread across two wings – one of which dating back to the 17° ‎century and called ‎‏“‏Clementino wing” as it was used as granary of Pope Clemente – Anantara ‎Palazzo Naiadi is one of Rome‏’‏s grandest hotels endowed with a glamorous rooftop terrace ‎offering an incredible view over the city. The hotel also boasts one of the most enviable locations in the city center, with iconic sites such as ‎the Colosseum and the Imperial Forum, Via Veneto, Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps all ‎located within walking distance.‎ If food and wine tradition is an essential part of Italian culture, Anantara Palazzo Naiadi offers a ‎rich variety of options to its guests: from the restaurant and bar located on the panoramic terrace ‎on the fifth floor to the relaxing atmosphere of the lobby area, with the signature cocktails created ‎by the expert bartenders of Prisca Lounge bar.‎ Staying at Anantara Palazzo Naiadi therefore means immersing yourself in the most authentic ‎Rome‏’‏s culture, indulging in experiences treated in every single detail with a true and deep ‎passion for luxury hospitality. The word “Anantara” means ‎‏“‏endless” and endless are the ‎memories we create every single day.‎

reservations email / otherwise website of the hotel

‎+39 06 489381‎

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