Pinciano
Historic and authentic
Overview
Palaces. Parks. History. Pinciano has a lot of that old-time romance. A lot of stories.
It's just north of the city centre. A change of pace from Rome's busy tourist hotspots. A bit calmer. One thing it's not though is boring.
The sprawling grounds of Villa Borghese are here.
A lot of Pinciano is modern, unlike more central parts of Rome. But you don't have to look far for those iconic Roman ruins – just take a look at the eponymous Porta Pinciana. (A gatehouse in the Aurelian walls, built in the 5th century.)
You could say there's a lot of fun to be had in Pinciano.
And you have public-transport connections to the rest of Rome.
Searching for an authentic Roman neighbourhood – a home outside the main tourist drag?
Consider Pinciano.
What can I do here?
Visit Villa Borghese and its sprawling, opulent grounds. Tour the 17th-century house (or, well, palace). Enjoy the gorgeous gardens. Lovely.
Slip on your softest shoes. Walk your way around Picciano's ancient remains. The Fonte di Anna Perenna and the Porta del Popolo are both recommended.
Thou shalt not squander photo ops.(Unless you're like us and you're into, you know, enjoying the moment.)
When you're good and tired of hanging around the neighbourhood, a quick metro ride on Line A sees you in the city centre.
Hungry? You can't lose if you try the local Lazio produce. To do that, go to Pro Loco Pinciano. It's a restaurant serving up, you guessed it, local food. We hear it's all very tasty.
Fun fact
The Fonte di Anna Perenna is a 6th-century votive fountain. Experts discovered it in 1999. They went on to unearth the original location of the sacred forest of Anna Perenna, the Roman goddess mentioned by Ovid in his poem Fasti.Her worshippers practised magical rituals here for many centuries. Divine.
How affordable is this neighbourhood?
€€ (mid-range)
