The Aventine Hill keyhole with the view of St Peter’s Basilica is no longer a secret – the permanent line of tourists is proof that it’s been well and truly discovered. But there’s another view of St Peter’s, a little off the beaten track, which hardly anyone knows about.
My boyfriend brought me to Via Piccolomini on the back of his scooter one evening, promising to show me an optical illusion. As we sped through the sleepy backstreets of a residential neighbourhood near Villa Doria Pamphili, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But then we turned a corner, and there it was – the dome of St Peter’s, rising up like the moon at the end of the street. We drove towards it, but the closer we got, the further away it seemed. This is the magic of Via Piccolomini – the shrinking dome.
The optical illusion works on foot too, but the illusion is much more striking when you're moving fast. Rent a scooter or car to experience the Eternal City’s best-kept secret.
Via Nicolò Piccolomini
€
no-price
Find your way with 152 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
CSOA eXSnia in Rome is in my opinion one of the most culturally vivid and beautiful places in the city, a 'self-managed occupied social center'...
by
"Osteria Dar Bruttone" in Rome makes some of tastiest carbonara (with or without artichokes) you can get your hands on. Also try their Porchetta...
by
"Cecilia Metella's Tomb" is a bit outside Rome's city center, but I love coming here to write among the ancient buildings & the Appia Antica road...
by
"Trajan's Market Walkway" in Rome is a useful shortcut that takes you to Monti, but I use it primarily as a place to stop & soak up the ancient atmosphere.
by
"Via Casilina Vecchia" is, for me, one of the most intriguing neighbourhoods in Rome. It feels invisible to the rest of the city & forgotten by modernity.
by
"Pasticceria Boccione" in Rome is not for you if you're after pretty, Instagrammable desserts! But every pastry is just delicious in this Jewish bakery...
by
"La Fraschetta" is a neighborhood hangout in Rome for the locals -- Sandro doesn't get many customers who aren't Italian men in their fifties or older!
by
"Villa dei Quintili" is an archaeological site on Rome's Appia Antica. Important scenes of my novel 'In Exile' take place here; it's just so atmospheric.
by
"Bar Giolitti" is one of my favorite places in Testaccio, Rome, for a gelato or a coffee at the bar. I also like sitting at one of the tables outside...
by
"Villa Farnesina" in Rome isn't exactly unknown, but few tourists visit it. Come here to experience Raphael in peace & tranquility in a Renaissance villa.
by
152 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
Authentic Stories by Real People
Escape the Crowd & Travel Slow 🐌
✓ 0 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
✓ 152 Insider Tips