Description: Set on a valley between the Celian hill and Aventine, a short walk from the Colosseum sprawls the park of Villa Celimontana, an early 16th century villa surrounded by lush gardens. The Villa is splendidly set among a verdant park where picturesque paths connect individual gardens, an obelisk, a little artificial lake and Renaissance fountains. The Villa Celimontana gardens are not only a uniquely relaxing spot in the heart of Rome during the summer, they also become the stage of a music festival that brings together diverse musicians of international renown. This is the perfect location to enjoy a jazz concert while sipping red wine in a mild Roman night.

Description: This little gem belonging to the SS. Quattro Coronati church complex is little known even by locals and rarely included in guided tours. The oratory was built and decorated in the second half of the XIII century and is nowadays one of the most relevant surviving examples of Medieval art and architecture in Rome. An impressive decorative program is laid out in this small rectangular room and the barrel vault ceiling: among traditional religious subjects, the fresco cycle features scenes from the life of Pope Silvester- including the miraculous healing of the emperor Constantine sick with leprosy. The vignettes vividly and intuitively recount the legendary circumstances of Constantine's decision to gift the Pope and the Church with some Roman territories, the so-called Lateran, an area which is now adjacent to the Celian hill where this church complex lies. The entrance to the oratory is located on the right in the second courtyard adjacent to the church. The Church and Oratorio are also open in the morning 10-11:45 (visits are not allowed on Sundays during the Mass). A truly magic little place that provides a glimpse to the Middle Ages.

Sunday: 16:00 - 17:45
Monday: 16:00 - 17:45
Tuesday: 16:00 - 17:45
Wednesday: 16:00 - 17:45
Thursday: 16:00 - 17:45
Friday: 16:00 - 17:45
Saturday: 16:00 - 17:45

Description: Welcome to Isidoro al Colosseo, a gloriously Roman restaurant offering a sophisticated selection of extremely satisfying typical dishes. Despite its close proximity to the Colosseum, the restaurant is located on a peaceful and charming spot on Via di San Giovanni in Laterano and a short walk from the main attractions of the San Giovanni district (including its grandiose Baroque Basilica). While everything on the menu recognizably belongs to Italian cuisine (including the wine list), the restaurant offers no ordinary food experience, with dishes accurately revisited and made with high-quality regional Italian products. Isidoro is especially famous for its tasting menu of pasta dishes, spanning from carbonara and pici all'amatriciana to pennette with scallops and mushroom risotto. I highly recommend that you also order the four-part appetizer to have a sample of the restaurant's great variety of meat and fish dishes. Everything is served under the interlocking vaults of a picturesque brick taverna. A true Roman food experience.

Sunday: 12:00 - 23:00
Monday: 12:00 - 23:00
Tuesday: 12:00 - 23:00
Wednesday: 12:00 - 23:00
Thursday: 12:00 - 23:00
Friday: 12:00 - 23:30
Saturday: 12:00 - 23:30

Description: In the last 15 years, this record shop has become the Mecca for Rome's vinyl lovers, music junkies, and just about anyone who loves a good record. Located on Via di San Giovanni in Laterano, this small but cozy shop is packed with vinyls of nearly every music genre: punk, rock, funk, soul, jazz, folk, and every style in between is well represented in the shop's collection, from the main masterpieces to the little-known gems. Over the years, the owners have managed to lay hands on extremely rare records and unique editions- which can be a bit expensive- and also sell music books, dvds, and even comics. Inside you can also find posters and t-shirts of even the least well-known bands from the 70s and 80s. I challenge you not to find anything that steals your heart within the shop's incredibly vast, dense collection of records.

Tuesday: 10:30 - 19:30
Wednesday: 10:30 - 19:30
Thursday: 10:30 - 19:30
Friday: 10:30 - 19:30
Saturday: 10:30 - 19:30

Description: For our last stop, I'll bring you to visit another unfairly overlooked monument, located between Via Merulana and Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano. Walking down Via Matteo Boiardo, look of out for a little gate providing access to an all-white, stucco-decorated, two-story villa. The XVII century Casino (little mansion) Massimo has one of the most visually arresting interiors in town. The relatively small rooms feature an all-around fresco cycle painted by the Nazarenes, early XIX century German painters active in Rome. Large figures and scenes taken from famous Italian literary texts (like Ariosto's Orlando Furioso and Dante's Divine Comedy) are painted in a revival Renaissance style. The effect of such large-scale decorations covering the walls of narrow rooms is mesmerizing. This is also a unique example of fresco technique from the XIX century.

Sunday: 10:00 - 12:00
Tuesday: 16:00 - 18:00
Thursday: 16:00 - 18:00