CLAUDIA PASSALACQUA LUCCIARINI

OCCUPATION: Chemist

MY STYLE: My wardrobe is cool, comfortable, and modern, just like my house.

I LOVE ROME BECAUSE: There are so many beautiful places, like Villa Borghese or the city center, where you can just walk around. And there’s always nice weather!


Mondi

For decades, this pasticceria has been offering Romans and travellers a taste of la dolce vita. Lining the shelves are cream-filled fruit tarts, tiramisu, and an assortment of the cookies Italians often bring to dinner parties. Mondi also sells drinks and miniature sandwiches and pizzas, making it an aperitif hotspot. Don’t pass up the delicious homemade gelato. They have flavors you can’t find anywhere else, like rasberry and chocolate, rasberry and Nutella, and chocolate and orange peel. And if you’d prefer a chocolate dipped gelato bar to a scoop, that can be arranged!

Body Studio

Within Body Studio’s newly opened space in the Piazzale Flaminio, you’ll find state-of-the-art equipment and an experienced team dedicated to getting you results. The goal is to maximize efficiency, so all workouts are with a personal trainer. In addition to pilates, the gym offers the BiioSystem method, a body-building program based on short anaerobic training sessions. Body Studio is all about overall wellness, so you can tackle wrinkles with the beauty treatments, or reward yourself by going from the gym to the massage table. There’s also an onsite nutritionist who will take a DNA test from your saliva and devise a regimen tailored to your body and lifestyle.

Dal Bolognese

At this Roman institution, the food is as beautiful as the people—often politicos, actors, and fashionistas. The house specialty is the bollito misto, a mixed plate of boiled meats, some more distinguishable than others! The lasagna verde, veal cutlets, and, of course, tagliatelle alla bolognese are also popular. The outside tables, which offer a view of the Piazza del Popolo, are usually reserved for regulars, but sometimes you can get lucky. Don’t worry if you don’t, though. The dining room—decorated with white tablecloths and wood paneled walls—isn’t too shabby!

Aquaniene

Built for the 2009 World Swimming Championships, Aquaniene is a massive sports complex with one indoor and two outdoor pools. All ages and levels are now welcome, but don’t be surprised if you end up swimming with pros, if not quite like one. Aquaniene offers a range of classes in and out of the water. Kids can learn modern dance or become a karate master. Adults can choose from capoeira, personal defense, and water aerobics, including a special version for pregnant women that focuses on breathing and posture. Little ones not taking their own classes wait happily in the fun-filled childcare center.

Il Matriciano

Dine at this old-fashioned standby for Roman country dishes like vegetable soup and abbacchio (lamb) al forno. The friendly servers will describe the various specials, but you can always count on the restaurant’s namesake of bucatini matriciana—hollow spaghetti with tomato, pecorino, and guanciale. Given its proximity to St. Peter’s, Il Matriciano is a great place to stop for lunch on your way to the Vatican. And don’t be surprised if some bishops and cardinals have the same idea!

Ponte Milvio

The central arches of this stone bridge were built at the end of the 2nd century, but this century saw its rise as one of the city’s top social scenes. The bridge makes a nice setting for a family picture by day, but at night, local partiers fill the bars and restaurants lining the bridge and surrounding streets. Ponte Milvio is for lovers, esepcially since Federico Moccia’s 2006 Ho Voglia di Te (“I Want You”) further popularized the tradition of couples symbolizing their bond by putting a padlock around one of the bridge’s lampposts and throwing the key into the Tiber. The Rome council even had to step in when some posts began to buckle under the weight!

Auditorium Parco della Musica

Every year, about one million people visit Parco della Musica’s concert halls—including Cavea, the amphitheater reminiscent of the ancient Roman tradition despite its modern design. But rather than gladiatorial combat, they come for musical performances ranging from pop to opera, as well as other cultural events. The scarab-shaped buildings, designed by Renzo Piano (also the designer of Paris’ famous Centre Pompidou) sit within the vicinity of the 1960 Olympics. Piano altered his plan to accommodate remains of a 6th century villa discovered during construction. You can see these artifacts, and learn about the architectural and acoustical characteristics of the modern structure, during a guided tour of the auditorium. “In winter, there’s also a skating rink that’s great for kids,” says Flavia Padovan.

Tree Bar

Amidst the leafy garden on Via Flaminia, this cozy birchwood bar specializes in light, Mediterranean cuisine. In the warmer months, parents can sip cappuccinos in the sun while their children enjoy the play area nearby. For a night without the kids, go on a Monday for delicious aperitifs, free tapas, and even a DJ set.

Explora

This children’s museum near the Piazza del Popolo is a nice place for kids to unwind, especially after a day of seeing historic sites that sometimes go unappreciated by the under-ten crowd. There’s a bus that kids can “drive,” a supermarket, and various hands-on exhibits and workshops about health and the environment. Talking Books, a reading series on topics ranging from food to philosophy, meets every Saturday afternoon. Parents of the very young don’t have to worry about the boisterous big kids. There is a separate “soft-play” area for babies.