Romantic Rome

The home of great lovers like Casanova, Romeo and Juliet, Italy is a champion of romance and where better to discover what it is all about than in its capital – Rome.

As Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck drove off into the sunset on their 1953 moped in the Oscar winning classic Roman Holiday, Rome secured its place in the heart of sentimental romantics around the world. In fact, more people make a return visit to Rome to get married than any other city. But whether you are in love or looking for love, Rome has an attraction that sets it apart and an energy that will keep you coming back for more.

Perhaps inspired by the classic movie The Three Coins in a Fountain, one of Rome’s most popular spots for lovers and lookers is the Trevi Fountain. A tribute to the Renaissance artists, whose hands touch every part of Rome, the Trevi Fountain is a hub of activity where a night-time glow from the fountain sets the mood across Rome’s historic district. Yet the fountain is just one an example of the spectacular art that can be found at unassuming points all over this city. Many a kiss has surely been stolen against the picturesque background of a Bernini sculpture inside the walls of grand piazzas, such as Piazza Navona, or as they look into the eyes of the "special someone" in the candlelight of one of the al-fresco restaurants that specialize in typical roman dishes such as Gnocchi alla Romana or Spaghetti alla Carbonara. In a city that has grown over nearly 3000 years, there is an enchanting intimacy in the air that is thick with the smell of authentic Italian recipes. As Hollywood legend would have it “You’ve never lived until you’ve loved in Rome”. Never a city to disappoint, just one journey through cobblestone backstreets will expose passionate lovers embracing, while others shout "Amore" from the rooftops. For lonely-hearts looking for love there is no better place to visit than the heart of Roman style and fashion – the Spanish steps and the chic shopping strips that cross over Via Del Corso. Here the idea is to see and be seen: in the 18th century, it was at the foot of these steps that the most beautiful men and women of Italy gathered, waiting to be chosen as an artist’s model. Today, not much has changed and it still operates as a catwalk of sorts for Italy’s most glamorous women, who parade through the square eyeing off the latest fashions, while young men vie for their attention.

Most will find that when in Rome they can scarcely resist the thrill to ‘do as the Romans do’ and will be taken away with the beauty, the intrigue of a place where to say "love is in the air” is an understatement. Wherever there are Romans, there is affection; and always on public display.

Look around you and you will find it everywhere, from the grandfather showering his new granddaughter with kisses; the brother and sister in their twenties, she with her head laid against his shoulder; the young lovers entwined against a lamppost, and the middle aged mother embracing her teenaged son. Everywhere, kissing and hugging, holding hands and linking arms are the norm, no matter the age or sex of the participants. It is both delightful and daunting, especially for those whose cultures are a more reserved in displays of affection.

If love involves the arousal of the senses, to many, Rome is the place to fall in love. An evening stroll, a morning visit to an espresso bar, a simple trip to the supermarket are opportunities to surrender to Rome’s endless sensual pleasures: the sight of a thousand shimmering stars, the sounds of music from an outdoor opera, the touch of the breeze blowing across the Tiber, the aroma of freshly baked bread or the taste of delectable Italian cuisine… whatever you are doing, wherever you are, your senses will be fully involved.

You never know - your very own Gregory Peck or Audrey Hepburn could be waiting for you at the next Piazza!