A plaque marks the building where the Austrian poet, Ingeborg Bachmann, lived.  Bachmann’s love for Rome was unquestionable.  She suffered from ill health, while living at this address, but she was firm in her belief that the frequent walks she took around the neighborhood, with friends, and also by herself, helped to restore her mental and physical health.

At Via delle Carrozze, #79, you will find the Ambulatorio Sovrano Militare Ordine di Malta.  The order is one of the oldest institutions in the Western and Christian World, and operates in 120 countries.  The Roman clinic sees more than 250 outpatients a day, and has a staff of over 50 specialists, in addition to nurses and assistants.

The Antico Caffè Greco first opened its doors in 1760, making it the oldest bar in Rome, and the second oldest in Italy.  Over the years, the Caffè has been a favorite of many historical figures, such as Goethe, Byron, Franz Liszt, Keats, Ibsen, James Joyce, Orson Welles, Mark Twain, and the poet whose home we spoke about earlier, Ingeborg Bachmann.  Because of its location in what is now a “high-end” neighborhood, and the history associated with the place, many guests today find it to be overpriced, and not worth the money.  But, if you find yourself in the area, stop in, and treat yourself to a coffee, at the bar.  While you are drinking it, imagine that the person standing next to you is a famous writer or artist, from the past.  You might just be able to connect with what has made this place an institution, for so many years.  Maybe then, paying close to €7.00 for an espresso will not be so difficult to swallow.  Or, maybe it will be!

A plaque, at Via Bocca di Leone, #69, honors Giovanni Lanza, a doctor who devoted himself to politics, becoming president of the Subalpine Parliament in 1852, Minister of Education in 1855 and, finally, Prime Minister, from 1869 to 1873.  The plaque is on the facade of the building where Lanza lived, until his death.

A bit further down the street, you will find one of the two Roman locations of the Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella, which we wrote about during our stay in Florence.  While the Roman locations are tiny, compared to the main location in Florence, there is still a nice selection of products for sale, and it is worth a visit, when passing by.  I know for us, it is difficult to pass a Santa Maria Novella store, without buying some kind of oil or tonic.

A notice, on the window of a bookshop that was forced to close, due to the ceiling collapsing and ruining its inventory, all because of the landlord failing to make the necessary repairs in the past, called out the city’s administration, forcing them to take responsibility for the closure of the business.

In the afternoon, we headed down to Trastevere, as Giulia had invited us to La Botticella for lunch, with a few of our mutual friends.  The restaurant was closed, but she was making lunch for us all there, and the nice part of it was that we would be able to sit, and enjoy the meal in her company, rather than her spending time in the kitchen.  As usual, the meal was delicious.  We dined on salami, pasta with mushrooms, veal cutlets, all followed by one of Giulia’s incredible homemade desserts!

 

Next up: We dodge the rain, on our last day in Rome!

 

<em>Note: This blog is written in English and Spanish, and the author takes no responsibility for the quality of any other translations that may appear.  If you have enjoyed this post, please, check out our archives for more posts from Rome, as well as other Italian destinations.  Grazie!</em>