Image by Annalaura D'Errico

I stumbled across this piazza unexpectedly a few years ago. I was on my motorino, on the way to somewhere else and, all of sudden, among the tight-knit housing buildings, space opens up to a large square and an enormous church.

I stop and take a look at this entirely new environment no one has ever told me about, after over three decades of being a Roman. The piazza is something of a déjà-vu. Its whole ‘feng shui’ is influenced by the colossal presence of the church, with Fascist-era looking buildings all around, cold and a bit gloomy.

All this, however, contrasts with the vitality of the gardens at the center: there are elderly people chatting on lawn chairs, mothers pushing strollers and kids playing football completely oblivious to their surroundings. I like this piazza and I recommend it.

Obviously, there are tons of churches and piazzas in Rome and most are of greater historical and artistic significance than Piazza Don Bosco and its church.

However, this is a good place to visit if you’d like a taste of life in the peripheries of Rome. Take a stroll here and sit on the park benches. A note on the area: this neighborhood sprung up with the creation of the Cinecittà Film Studios and the Don Bosco Church right after WWII.

The church was inaugurated in 1957. Fellini used this piazza as the setting for some scenes of La Dolce Vita since it was close to the studios and resembled the Rome’s EUR neighborhood.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Piazza Don Bosco | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Piazza Don Bosco | Appio Tuscolano
Optimal time to visit: afternoon