What & where to eat in Rome: Piazza Venezia
What & where to eat in Rome: find the best restaurants near Piazza Venezia.
What and where to eat near Piazza Venezia
Best restaurants near Piazza Venezia? Let’s discover together this area, the geographical centre of the City. This is one of the most toursitic areas of Rome, however, there are still restaurants, bars and coffee houses loved offering specialties for locals.
One of the best restaurants of the area is the Antica Birreria Peroni (Via S. Marcello 19). This trattoria exists since 1906. Here you can taste some wonderful meat in all its kind, and some unconventional but delicious recipes.
Need a coffee? the best bar here is Caffè Doria (Via della Gatta 1/a). They offer pizza, but they’re famous for caffè, cappuccino and cornetto.
A very beautiful and traditional place in this area is the Trattoria Melo (Via Magnanapoli 6), you’ll find here Mediterranean cuisine.
Just five minutes-walk from piazza Venezia, on Via del Corso, right side you’ll find an amazing gallery. This Gallery, is dedicated to Alberto Sordi a famous roman actor of the Dolce Vita period. The Gallery is a marvellous example of Art deco and hosts bars and beautiful shops.
On the other side of the street you’ll see an egyptian-style column and the Parliament House.
The strategic position of the square, from here you’d easily reach the Jewish Ghetto or Monti area (direction Termini). Here you’ll find many of the best restaurants of Rome.
Piazza Venezia: a little bit of history
Piazza Venezia is the central hub of Rome, in which several thoroughfares intersect, including the Via dei Fori Imperiali the Via del Corso.
It takes its name from the Palazzo Venezia, built by the Venetian Cardinal, Pietro Barbo (later Pope Paul II). There is a church, of course, dedicated to Saint Mark, the patron saint of Venice. The Palazzo Venezia served as the embassy of the Republic of Venice in Rome.
This building is also famous for hosting the office of Benito Mussolini during the Fascist period in the half of the XX. From the balcony of his office, the dictator used to talk to Italians in his famous speeches. For all Roman citizen that is just named “the balcony”. Everyone knows you are talking about that one. Nowadays it hosts an important Museum “Museo di Palazzo Venezia” , famous for precious temporary exhibitions.
Piazza Venezia Today.
Just facing this building there is another one, stunning, decorated in venetian style that hosted for long time the site of the most important and ancient Insurance Company of the world.
On the northern side of the square, facing the Vittoriano there is an historycal building “Palazzo Bonaparte”. This building hosted Napoleon Bonaparte’s family. Here died in 1818 Napoleon’s mother, Letizia Ramolino. This building is finally open to public and hosts temporary exhibitions. Is very fascinating and emotional to visit their former house and face the square from the little covered balcony where Mrs Letizia used to sit and spy the busy roads of Rome.
At the corner of Palazzo Bonaparte there is Via del Corso, one of the most known shopping streets of the Capital. This is a long street connecting Piazza Venezia to Piazza del Popolo.
Just on the opposite side, impossible to miss the Vittoriano. This is the site of Italy’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Altare della Patria. The imposing Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, first king of Italy, is a white marble neoclassical style architecture, also known as the Vittoriano, or “the wedding cake” or “the typewriter”.
Inside the gigantic monument that you can see in the square (the Vittoriano), there’s one of the most important museums of Rome. You’d certainly find some fresh air inside and look at the most beautiful pieces of art of the world.
The piazza or square is at the foot of the Capitoline Hill and next to Trajan’s Forum. The main artery, the Viale di Fori Imperiali begins there and leads past the Roman Forum to the Colosseum.
In 2009, during excavations in the middle of the square for the construction of the Rome C Metro Line, remains of the emperor Hadrian’s Athenaeum were unearthed.
Tips.
Citizens criticized the Vittoriano monument for years because it clashes with the existing architecture. Is not rare to hear from Romans, they do not love it so much, but tourists always remain enchanted but the majesty of this monument. Local poeple nicknamed the Vittoriano “La macchina da scrivere ” (typewriter) just to taunt it.
In the middle of the square, every Christmas, the Municipality of Rome sets a christmas tree. 2018 Christmas tree was a little ugly, the perfect occasion for Roman people to nickname something else. No matter if in the future the official tree would be amazing and amazing. Its name is set for next generations: “Spelacchio” in other words, mangy.
There is a huge equestrial statue decorating the Vittoriano. Is dedicated to the first King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele I, after the unification of the State in 1860. The horse is huge, 16 times more than a real horse. Lifting this statue was so hard that workers deserved a reward. Could you believe a 21 people banquet table was set inside the horse belly when they finished the set-up?
When to go
The best period to come and visit this square is, strangely, summer. The Vittoriano worth a visit, even if you are not interested in the monument itself or in the museum, you can still enjoy of an amazing view of all the city from the top. There is a lift taking you to the rooftop where to find a caffeteria enjoying a breathtaking view.
This is, by the way, a very central square, so in one way or in the other, if you are going around in Rome, you will find yourself here anyway.
On April 25th this is the set for the Celebrations for “Liberation day”. The Memorial day for American army entering Rome in 1945, making the Capital free from the Nazi occupation. Another celebration takes place on the 4th November with the Army parade.
From here you can go to Fontana Di Trevi in a few steps, right in front of the square begins one of the most famous via for shopping (Via del Corso).
Take a very lot of buses that lead everywhere, and even the tram that goes to Trastevere.
Behind the square there’s the big step that leads to Campidoglio, the Capitol hill. Here you’ll find one of the most important archaeological museum of the world.
How to reach it
Getting to Piazza Venezia is very easy, you can take a very lot of buses, like for example: 40, 53, 80, 85, 63, 70, 81, 160, 628, 916, 64, 40.
