The anagram of Roma (Rome) is Amor (Love). Is it just a coincidence or Rome has a destiny in its name?
Certainly, so far, Paris, the Ville Lumière, the romantic city par excellence, has always held on tightly to the title of the city of love, where feelings bloom just like that and where couples in love can get lost in a romantic experience among picturesque neighbourhoods, bridges and the Tour Eiffel.
Audrey Hepburn in Vacanze romane.
Rome, despite its undeniable charm and some of its similarities to Paris, has never enjoyed the reputation of being a city for lovers, even though it would have every right. Films like “Roman Holiday” with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck remind us of the romantic charm of the Eternal City, but, for example, in the famous “Eat, Pray, Love” with Julia Roberts, Rome is chosen as the city where to give oneself to food and enjoy pizza, pasta and cappuccino, while love is left to distant India.
Good food is definitely one of the highlights of the city (and of the whole Italy) but love? What role does it take on?
If you are in Rome for study, work or holiday, single and, with the complicity of the arrival of spring, and feel like falling in love, this might just be the right place and the right time to say: “I love you” or at least come close to it.
Do not let yourself be put off by the wild traffic or the nervousness that sometimes dominates among Romans. Let yourself discover the slightly slower pace we grant ourselves at the café for lunch or during cocktail hours in one of the many bars or after dinner, when you gently open yourself to chatter and relaxation, getting to know other people and, perhaps, birthing a more confidential relationship that might lead to something more serious.
If you are in Rome for a prolonged period you may meet people also in more traditional places, such as the gym or the laundry or in line at the supermarket or at some voluntary association, where you could also find people with common interests and perhaps stop being single.
The beauty and natural seduction that Rome enjoys make this city an ideal place to prepare oneself for romance and for the birth of a love story with the right person if you are looking for that (but even if you are not!).
There is an abundance of romantic places and it will be really difficult to choose between charming views, ruins, archaeological sites, fountains, parks and breath-taking views of the city: the orange garden, Villa Borghese, the Pincio, the Zodiac, the Coliseum with the park Colle Oppio, the Trevi Fountain, Villa Pamphili, Villa Torlonia, a walk in Trastevere or around Rione Monti, the municipal rose garden which opens in spring, the Imperial Forum, Castel Sant’Angelo, the Milvian Bridge and the several beautiful bridges over the Tiber.
Rome awaits you with all its charm, whether you are already happily coupled or on trip as a single, like Julia Roberts in the movie “Eat, Pray, Love”. At worst, there will always be a great pizza to comfort you!
