View of St. Peter's from Casa Franci.
Though the economic tailspin may have put on hold many travelers' overseas plans, Rome - the Eternal City - continues to receive an eternal influx of tourists. More than 20 years ago, I lived in this majestic but frenetic city as a student and have returned on various occasions - always noticing the rising prices and increasing difficulty of finding central but livable areas untouched by mass tourism. I just returned from an extended trip to Italy, book-ended by a three-day stay in Rome for business purposes and an overnight near Fiumicino Airport before returning to Chicago. My reasonably priced accommodations - both in quiet, convenient locations - helped me rediscover one of the world's most captivating places.
After an interminably long Alitalia flight (with a four-hour delay due to mechanical problems), I was reinvigorated when I arrived at Casa Franci Bed & Breakfast on Via della Stazione di San Pietro, a quaint street that winds dramatically toward the plump, transcendent dome of St. Peter's Basilica. It also happened to be 100 degrees with high humidity. But I easily caught the train from Fiumicino Airport to Roma Trastevere, where I changed trains, got off the next stop at Stazione di San Pietro, and walked a mere four minutes to Casa Franci.
The amiable but non-intrusive hosts, Francesca and Cezar, have essentially transformed their flat into a three-bedroom B&B. It's located inside a larger apartment complex. So there are no signs. But that appealed to me because I truly felt like I was staying in someone's home. I took the elevator to the fifth floor and was happy with my spacious but somewhat spartan Green Room (75 euros per night). Loathe to ever book rooms with bathrooms located down the hall, I was assured that my separate bathroom would be a private one - and it was. Plus, my terrace - where I had breakfast every morning - faced St. Peter's head on, the crown-topped dome looking as if it's clad in lightweight ecclesiastical vestments. How could I complain?
The other two accommodations are the San Pietro Room, with en suite bath and view of St. Peter's; and the Beije Room, with en suite bath but no Vatican view.
Casa Franci offers a variety of amenities, including airport pickup for an extra charge, and the owners speak English. But be aware that the accommodations are clearly comfortable, not luxurious. I didn't mind. I typically spend more time wandering around than at the hotel. Cezar was able to give me such efficient directions to my appointment that I arrived more than an hour early. The property also has free wi fi. Cezar recommended a nearby supermarket, where I stocked up on bottled water - mandatory during a heat wave - that I stored in the mini-fridge in my room. I stopped at a café or two, but I also was able to buy fresh and inexpensive salume and cheeses and have picnics across the city: on the dramatic Janiculum Hill around the corner from Casa Franci, or the oft-overlooked Amphitheatre of Marcellus across from the minuscule Isola Tiberina along the Tiber River.
During my free time, I walked to St. Peter's Square - the lines to get in to the basilica practically snaking around Via Ottaviano -- past Castel Sant'Angelo and all the way to Piazza di Pietra (the secluded square where Roman columns have become absorbed into a modern building so that they appear to be the structure's skeleton). Buses, subways and trains are easy to catch near the B&B. I took a few, but I also prefer to walk. Along the way I discovered, on Isola Tiberina, the eye-opening Church of St. Bartholomew the Apostle, dedicated to modern-day martyrs killed in the 20th and 21st centuries - from the Spanish Civil War to Nazi atrocities to Rwanda and Latin America. Preserved victims' relics, such as crucifixes and shoes, brought them tragically to life, as did the enshrined bible that once belonged to Oscar Romero, the assassinated archbishop of San Salvador.
Italy is in the midst of preparing for the 150th anniversary of Unification in 2011. So many sights, including some of Bernini's colonnade at the Vatican and most of the Vittorio Emmanuele II monument, are covered in scaffolding. Nevertheless, I managed to make my way to the Roman Forum and the sublime Capitoline Museums. Though many students were sitting on the floor and lovingly sketching the classical sculptures in the main hall, I surprisingly had the Room of the Doves and the Room of the Philosophers to myself.
The sprawling and lumpy-looking Vittorio Emmanuele II monument may be in the midst of restoration, but I discovered that the Risorgimento Museum inside was open to the public free of charge. It offered an astounding collection of Giuseppe Garibaldi memorabilia, including the Hero of the Two World's saber, saddle and pants - as well as countless documents relating to the country's Unification in 1861. The outdoor terrace, with a chic snack bar, opens up onto the entire city. From here and the surrounding Piazza Venezia, it's very easy to backtrack to Isola Tiberina and cut through the popular but still-charmingly worn Trastevere neighborhood.
With Casa Franci only a few minutes from St. Peter's train station, I was able to catch a direct train (for 4 euros) to Civitavecchia and, thus, bypass the chaotic Termini Station and a more expensive ticket. That evening, I would be taking an overnight ferry to Olbia, Sardinia.
A couple weeks later, after taking the ferry back to Civitavecchia and two fairly quick commuter trains to Fiumicino Airport, I was ready to get a good night's sleep before returning home. Rarely do airport hotels boast memorable or aesthetically pleasing experiences - except one hidden gem called Villa Rosita, located in a residential part of Fiumicino near Ostia and a ten-minute drive from the airport. The owner, a friendly and laidback young man named Federico, told me that Villa Rosita offered free airport transfers. At the shuttle area of Rome's crowded airport, I couldn't locate a van for the hotel. So I called Federico, who said he was on his way to pick me up.
A few minutes later, he pulled up in his car. As it turns out, Villa Rosita seems to be something of a one-man operation. Federico handles check-in, transportation, breakfast. He even drove me to the only open restaurant on a Sunday night in this lovely residential neighborhood: Pizzeria Isola d'Oro. Then he insisted I call him when I was ready to go back. Federico kept his promise, also picking up his own carryout pizza in the process.
I was stunned by the utter beauty and tranquility of Villa Rosita. My impeccable, ultra fresh-smelling room faced a garden and included a flat-screen TV and a sparkling-clean modern bathroom. Like the homey environs of Casa Franci, Villa Rosita is also where Federico and his family live. An inviting flower- and wicker chair-filled front porch leads to a large living room with a fireplace and a plasma TV. Free wi fi is available. The next morning, I had breakfast in the gorgeous open kitchen. This was the first time I actually felt sad that I only booked my "airport hotel" for one night. Federico drove me to the airport the next morning. Total cost for one night: 60 euros.
Villa Rosita is the perfect place to decompress after a long trip or to get some much-needed rest before flying out. Its location near the famed Etruscan seaside enclave of Ostia Antica makes it very convenient to explore ruins, Roman necropoli and the Paleo-Christian Basilica of St. Ippolito. Beyond an airport hotel, Villa Rosita should be considered more of an oasis or a retreat - a destination in its own right.
Casa Franci Bed & Breakfast
Via della Stazione di San Pietro, 22
Rome
Tel. 011-39-393-4191484
http://casafrancibedandbreakfast.com
Villa Rosita
Via Aldo Quarantotti, 48
Fiumicino (Rome)
Tel. 011-39-06-65036494
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