Carbonara and History in Rome

Rome, Italy

Visiting iconic metropolises like Rome can be overwhelming—the city’s oversaturation of must-dos can lead to disappointment about all the sights you didn’t get the chance to see. For a less-intimidating-but-still-bustling-city feel, cross the River Tiber to visit Trastevere. The once working-class neighborhood is now a vivacious hotspot full of history. Here, you can attain the ideal Italian itinerary of simply eating, drinking, and enjoying life. In between meals, tour fascinating places such as the “pharmacy of the popes.” Medicine was once prepared in this antica spezieria (ancient pharmacy) for convent members and visiting nobles and religious leaders. The bygone drugstore officially closed in 1954, but it’s still open for tours—and even has vials of archaic concoctions available for purchase. Our other Trastevere favorites include Janiculum Hill for spectacular Eternal City views; carbonara at Tonnarello (reservations recommended); and the heart of Trastevere, the Piazza di Santa Maria.

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Scooters parked on cobblestones in the Trastevere neighborhood.
Trastevere, an old working-class Rome neighborhood, is characterized by cobblestone streets and colorful buildings, with restaurants, trattorias, and pizzerias.

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