The rione Pigna and Colonna, between the Pantheon, Piazza di Pietra and Via del Corso, is the densest square kilometre of Rome: two thousand years of buildings and the city's best coffee, all car-free.
Vicolo de' Burrò is a lane you will not find by accident. It joins Piazza di Pietra, where the columns of Hadrian's temple hold up a Baroque customs house, to Piazza di Sant'Ignazio, the little stage-set square of the Jesuit church. No cars, no scooters, only footsteps on sampietrini.
The Pantheon is four minutes away. Go at opening (9 am) or in the rain, when water falls through the oculus onto the marble floor. The Trevi Fountain is five minutes in the other direction, Piazza Navona nine, the Spanish Steps ten. You will not need a bus for four days.
This is also the historic heart of Roman coffee: Sant'Eustachio and Tazza d'Oro are both within three minutes, and the neighbourhood argues about which is better. Supermarkets, a pharmacy and bakeries are on Via delle Muratte and Via del Seminario; the food market of Campo de' Fiori is a twelve-minute walk.
Where to eat
- Armando al Pantheon — The classic: cacio e pepe and coda alla vaccinara since 1961. Book well ahead.
- La Tazza d'Oro — Granita di caffè with cream, standing, at the corner of the Pantheon square.
- Sant'Eustachio Il Caffè — The other great espresso; the recipe is a secret and they mean it.
- Osteria dell'Ingegno — Modern Roman cooking on Piazza di Pietra, one minute from the door.
- Giolitti — Gelato since 1900, Via degli Uffici del Vicario. Try the champagne flavour.
What to see
- Pantheon — Ticketed (€5) since 2023: buy online to skip the line; quietest on weekday mornings.
- Sant'Ignazio — Pozzo's painted fake dome: stand on the marble disc in the nave.
- Galleria Doria Pamphilj — A private palace on the Corso with Velázquez and Caravaggio, rarely crowded.
- Piazza Navona & San Luigi dei Francesi — Bernini's fountain and three Caravaggios, nine minutes' walk.
- Largo Argentina & Crypta Balbi — The sacred area where Caesar died is open on a walkway; the Crypta Balbi museum is closed for works, with guided visits on Saturday mornings only.
Practical tips
- —The lane is pedestrian: taxis drop you at Piazza di Pietra, 50 metres away.
- —The apartment is on the 4th floor without lift; we carry your bags.
- —Sunday at 10:30 there is sung Mass in the Pantheon: the best free concert in Rome.