Rome has so many layers of history and architecture that it takes a lifetime to discover its riches. In my experience, this magnificent and endlessly fascinating city should be savored rather than devoured, since its artistic treasures alone can be quite overwhelming.
Perhaps the most extraordinary thing about the Eternal City is its historical continuity. The Ponte Fabricio, which spans the Tiber to the Isola Tiberina, dates from 62 B.C. and remains in daily use. (One of my favorite Roman restaurants, Sora Lella, is on the island, and I particularly love the stroll across the bridge to dinner.) And nearly 2,000 years after it was built, the Pantheon still has the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. In the first century, Rome was the biggest city in the world, with a population of between 2 and 3 million. It probably remained the largest city ever built until the 19th century.
Rome is beautiful during the ottobrate, from mid-September to the end of October. High summer is hot, dusty and disagreeable, and in August especially, the Romans mostly head for the seaside. The best general introduction to the city is still "The Companion Guide to Rome" by Georgina Masson, first published in 1965 but comprehensively revised in 2009. In her preface, Masson quotes the Corriere della Sera's famous Vatican correspondent, Silvio Negro: "Roma, non basta una vita" ("Rome, one lifetime is not enough"). It is impossible to disagree.
In ancient and complex cities such as Rome, I prefer to sightsee at a leisurely pace and to devote a portion of each day to reading about the churches, museums or paintings that I intend to visit. This means that I spend extra time in my hotel room, which makes its comfort even more important than usual. Above all, I require space, light and tranquility. On my recent trip, I decided to stay at three small hideaway properties to see how they would stack up against longtime favorites such as the Hassler Roma and the Hotel de Russie. They turned out to be wonderful in different ways, and are ideal for those who prefer more intimate lodgings with strong individual characters.
Our first stop was the 12-room Villa Spalletti Trivelli in a quiet neighborhood adjacent to the Quirinale presidential palace and a short walk from the Trevi Fountain. Ringing the bell in a brass plate at the entrance to this mansion of honey-colored stone, we felt like privileged houseguests even before we were ushered inside. Converted into a discreet and subtly luxurious hotel in a two-year renovation that ended in 2006, the villa was built in 1905 as the home of Gabriella Rasponi — widow of Count Spalletti Trivelli and a descendent of Joachim Murat, king of Naples, and Napoleon's sister, Caroline Bonaparte — and it retains the elegance of aristocratic life.
Silver-framed black-and-white family photographs in the magnificent parquet-floored drawing rooms create an aura of genteel nostalgia. But with their plush damask sofas and coffee tables loaded with magazines and books, these are rooms you actually want to linger in, rather than just being antique-filled showcases of pedigreed good taste. I particularly enjoyed the clublike atmosphere of the mahogany-paneled library, with its twin Chesterfield sofas in front of the fireplace, felt-topped card table and fine bookcases. We were delighted by our Deluxe Junior Suite from the moment we stepped into its terrazzo-floored vestibule.
On a sunny morning, we immediately opened the windows to gaze over the charming back garden — a rare luxury in the heart of Rome— with its lemon trees in terra-cotta tubs, boxwood-lined paths and pergolas ideal for late-afternoon tea or a lazy read after sightseeing. All we could hear was birdsong. Our huge, high-ceilinged bedroom came with fabric-covered walls, wooden shutters, crisply ironed linens and a sitting area with an overstuffed sofa and Lucite coffee table. An alcove study provided a leather-topped writing desk and was decorated with framed etchings of ancient Rome. And next to the large walk-in closet, an unusually spacious white marble and limestone bath came with separate tub and shower.
Though a room-service breakfast was available, we chose to descend to the tapestry-lined dining room instead. There, we enjoyed delicious prosciutto and mozzarella di bufala from a splendid buffet, as well as eggs cooked to order. Light meals are served at the villa, but in a city as well-endowed with restaurants as Rome is, we preferred to dine out. The villa also has a small but pleasant spa, with a steam room and tepidarium. A full menu offers a variety of reasonably priced massages and beauty treatments, and there is also a fitness center open 24 hours a day (where a personal trainer is available on request).
Throughout our stay, service at the villa was excellent: An email request for advance restaurant reservations was handled flawlessly; housekeeping was exemplary; and the front-desk staff were cheerful, obliging and polite. The only possible fault we could find with this well-mannered young team was that it was a little reserved, when a more spontaneous and personal style might better suit this intimate property. Overall, however, the Villa Spalletti Trivelli is a haven of tranquility and elegance in the heart of this busy and often noisy city.
VILLA SPALLETTI TRIVELLI 94 Prestige Room, $660; Deluxe Junior Suite, $1,125. Via Piacenza 4. Tel. (39) 06-4890-7934.
Many times through the years, I've found myself peering into the courtyards of Roman mansions and fantasizing about staying in one of these magnificent places. So it was with a mixture of excitement and curiosity that we arrived at the Residenza Napoleone III, a two-suite "hotel" within the spectacular 16th-century Palazzo Ruspoli. This is located on the Via Fontanella Borghese, which becomes the famous shopping street, the Via Condotti, on the other side of the Corso.
The charming Beatrice Ziello, personal assistant to owner Princess Letizia Ruspoli — the Ruspoli family still occupies a large part of the palace — was waiting for us before the huge wooden doors, and we followed her up a grand marble staircase lined with antique marble busts of Roman emperors while a butler attended to our bags. We had been assigned to the Napoleone Suite, so named because French Emperor Napoleon III lived there in 1830. We had expected it to be grand, but nothing could have prepared us for its astonishing opulence.
Recently restored to its original splendor, it comprised three sumptuous rooms with parquet floors, antique furniture, 16th-century tapestries and hand-stenciled walls. Six huge oil paintings hung on the gold damask-covered walls of the two surprisingly inviting salons — which I'd feared might be more museum-like than comfortable — and heavy, swagged green silk curtains framed the tall double-glazed windows.
The master bedroom was equally grand, with a large canopy bed made up in luxurious Italian linens, piled high with velvet pillows, and draped with silk hangings. Overhead, two wrought-iron chandeliers illuminated the carved ceiling. Despite the period splendor, creature comforts were not lacking. The air-conditioning was extremely effective, and modern amenities included a large plasma TV, a DVD player with a movie library, Wi-Fi and a Bose iPod dock. Although the bath was a little small, with a shower over the tub, it was faced with white marble and stocked with Bulgari toiletries.
Before leaving us to unpack, Ziello inquired if we were in need of restaurant reservations. Her recommendations later proved to be excellent. A few minutes after her departure, a maid arrived with two glasses of freshly squeezed blood-orange juice and a glass pitcher of mineral water on a heavy silver tray lined with embroidered white linen.
The patrician experience of staying in the Napoleone Suite was a rarified pleasure. Indeed, it often brought to mind the genteel world of novelist Henry James, whose fictional portraits of Rome and the Romans, as well as his wonderful travel book "Italian Hours," are almost as accurate today as they were more than a century ago. However, I would not recommend the alternative Roof Garden Suite to anyone over the age of 30. Despite having a 600-square-foot terrace with fine views, its bedroom is down a flight of steep spiral stairs, as is the tiny bath.
Before my arrival, I wondered whether the level of service at a palazzo could possibly be comparable to that at Rome's grand hotels. But Ziello gave us her cell phone number, and staff were on hand to deliver breakfast and attend to other requests. The Residenza Napoleone III may not be ideal for anyone visiting the city for the first time, but it will delight those who know it well and who wish to experience authentic Roman aristocratic grandeur.
RESIDENZA NAPOLEONE III 92 Roof Garden Suite, $1,030; Napoleone Suite, $1,975. Via Fontanella Borghese 56. Tel. (39) 347-733-7098.
Located in the heart of Rome just five minutes' walk from the Pantheon, the Casa Manni is housed on the top floor of a 17th-century palazzo. Created in 2009 by filmmaker and olive oil producer Armando Manni, it is an exceptionally attractive, full-service 900-square-foot penthouse apartment, comprising a living room, bedroom, full kitchen and terrace.
Even before arriving at its large green doors, we had enjoyed a long relationship with the property. Within days of our making a reservation, a list of favored restaurants and possible tours had arrived, along with other suggested "Experiences." These included an olive oil tasting with Manni himself — his organic Tuscan oil is regularly rated among the best in the world — treatments at Rome's chicest day spa, a guided shopping tour, a pasta-making lesson and an at-home dinner cooked by a top Roman chef. In addition, we were offered a choice of bedding, plus a list of wines from Manni's private cellar that could be stocked prior to our arrival. This impressively detailed correspondence was initiated by American Maureen Fant, Casa Manni's "Experiences" manager, who doubles as a Rome-based writer for The New York Times.
On our arrival, Cristina Cellini, the delightful house manager, was waiting to welcome us and to escort us upstairs. Having showed us how to work the various electronic gadgets, including the remarkably well-equipped kitchen complete with washer/dryer, she went over the itineraries and restaurant reservations we had requested. She also provided us with the cell phone numbers and email addresses of the four principal staff members.
Created by acclaimed New York-based interior architect and designer Adam Tihany, whose many projects include Per Se in Manhattan and the new Heston Blumenthal restaurant at London's Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, the apartment is an imaginative blend of contemporary and traditional Roman design. Set on a travertine floor, a brocade sofa was draped with a Pratesi oyster-colored cashmere throw that Mrs. Harper instantly fell in love with — be warned, it costs as much as a small car — facing a coffee table on which a silver tray came stocked with a 15-year-old Dalwhinnie single malt and a sublime Santa Teresa 1796 Ron Antiguo de Solera rum from Venezuela. The walls were adorned with an appealing mixture of traditional oil paintings and modern art. And an adjacent dining area featured a glass-topped table, handsome Biedermeier-style chairs and a vase of fresh roses.
The kitchen offered every possible implement necessary to prepare the most ambitious of meals. And the fridge came stocked with mineral water, milk, prosciutto, eggs and other basic provisions. We also discovered an espresso maker, an ice machine, a full service of La Tavola white bone china, Sambonet tableware, Riedel stemware, a box of superb black truffle-flavored Caponi tagliolini and a tempting (if pricey) selection of wines, including a bottle of wonderful 1990 Castel Giocondo Brunello Riserva.
A hallway with spacious built-in closets led to the well-lit marble-clad bath, where a mosaic-lined stall shower provided a splendid view of the second-century Column of Marcus Aurelius. We appreciated both the Pratesi towels and organic Tuscan toiletries, but regretted the absence of a bathtub.
The bedroom came with a cathedral ceiling, a writing desk and a bed made up with Pratesi sheets, as well as the pillows we had pre-selected. French doors led to an ivy-covered and lavender-planted terrace, which afforded views over the terra-cotta-tiled rooftops of Rome. On a warm evening, we sat outside to sample the "reasonably priced and good-value" Italian white wine I had asked Armando Manni to choose for us from his private cellar.
He had selected a delicious St. Michael Eppan Sanct Valentin 2003 Sauvignon from the Südtirol district of the Alto Adige, and we sipped it appreciatively as swallows streaked across a rose-pink sky. During our stay, we also took breakfast on the terrace, where coffee and freshly baked croissants were delivered to us each morning.
Both of the excursions that the "Experiences" team arranged for us were outstanding. One afternoon we had a guided tour of the Vatican Museums, and the following day we made a trip by private car to Hadrian's Villa and the Tivoli gardens. Our guide was the utterly charming Paolo Lenzi, a trained archaeologist who speaks perfect English. (For a full account of our day, see "A Perfect Roman Day Trip".) Extremely comfortable, quiet and attractive the Casa Manni may be, but it was these curated experiences, plus access to the property's "black book" of Rome's best shops and restaurants, that made our stay so delightful.
Casa Manni provides a magical experience for sophisticated independent travelers, but might not suit those who need 24-hour room service or the convenience of an in-house laundry. On the other hand, if you've always wanted to live like a real Roman and quite like the idea of rustling up a meal on your own after a tour through one of the city's wonderful markets, you'll be very happy here indeed.
CASA MANNI 96 One-bedroom suite, $1,170 (weekdays), $1,285 (weekends). Via di Pietra 70. Tel. (39) 06-9727-4787.
Illustrations © Melissa Colson
Maps © Andrew Harper
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