Neighbourhood Spotlight on Nomentano

Nomentano is famous for its green spaces, friendly atmosphere and beautiful piazzas. There are many hidden treasures here and fabulous food options everywhere you look – not to mention the architecture and galleries. This area is one of the most underrated in Rome so take the time to explore Nomentano using our neighbourhood guide!

Things to See & Do

Explore one of the finest art collections in the world at Galleria Borghese. It was once home to Cardinal Sciopione Borghese, the nephew of Pope Paul V, who collected artworks by Italian sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) and artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610). Bernini was a leading sculptor of the Baroque era, having designed the Vatican’s Piazza San Pietro, the fountains of Piazza Navona and Piazza Barberini, to name a few.

The plans for Piazza Navona and an entire collection of Bernini’s artworks are on display in Galleria Borghese, curated over centuries by the Borghese family. His most famous work on display is the marble statue of Apollo and Daphne (1623-25). Caravaggio’s artworks, by contrast, depict lifelike scenes with stylistic dark shadows. His pieces are on display in the gallery alongside other famous pieces by Raphael, Rubens and Bellini.

To know before you go: Book tickets for Galleria Borghese online well in advance. Tickets are not available at the door and each ticket is valid for two hours in the museum. Try the early morning sessions to avoid the crowds.

Galleria Borghese

Relax with a picnic in Villa Torlonia. Constructed from 1806 to the 1830s, the Torlonia mansion at the heart of these gardens was named after the wealthy Torlonia family and was rented by Mussolini from the 1920s to 1943, before being occupied by the Allied forces from 144-47 and abandoned. Renovations restored the building to its former glory in the 1970s. The Casino delle Civette (house of owls) is a quirky construction also on the grounds originally intended as a ‘Swiss cabin’ refuge from the main building, best known for the owls on the stained-glass windows.

Once you’ve toured the buildings, lay back and enjoy the gardens themselves. Food festivals, like the autumn Suppli festival, and evening music events occur sporadically throughout the year.

Villa Torlonia

Take a stroll through the fairytale Coppede District on the corner of Via Tagliamento and Via Dora. Akin to Spain’s Gaudi architecture, the Coppedè district is a group of buildings designed and constructed by Gino Coppedè from 1913 to 1927 with a fairytale character that seems out of place in Rome. The district is home to some of the city’s most expensive apartments and villas, connected by the impressive ‘Arch between the palaces of the Ambassadors’ (Arco tra i palazzi degli ambasciatori).

Villa dora, Coppede District

Try your hand at modern art with a trip to the Macro Museum – Rome’s Museum of Contemporary Art. With exhibitions that range from Pink Floyd to virtual reality and visualising poetry, this is a must-see! You can check out their exhibitions online before you go.

Shop at the first indoor local fresh food market in Rome. In Piazza Alessandria, Mercato Nomentano, is the first covered market in Rome and was built in the 1920s. The market is one of the friendliest with an open plan seating space to relax and chat with the local clientele who frequent this place daily. After a major restyling in 2016, the market has an enhanced sense of community, higher quality fresh produce, and free wifi, making it feel like an extension of your own home.

Places to Eat

Dolci (sweets) at Danieli

For the best sweets in Nomentano, head to Danieli on Via Regina Margherita and try to pick between the incredible white chocolate cornetti, the traditional Roman maritozzo – or have both!

Be sure to stop at Pasticceria Grue, Gelateria dei Gracchi and the Antica Pasticceria Regina Margherita for more dolci (sweets) too!

Aperitivo at Momart