Friday, October 3, 2014

What to See While in Rome: Campo De' Fiori

“The earth laughs in flowers.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson



Most people who arrive to Rome have a pretty good idea of what they want to see during their visit.  Some others, like me, after reading every article from every subject-matter expert, decide to forget it all and let the city captivate them by its own right, roam around and get lost in its labyrinth cobble stone streets to find your own version of Rome.  And walking like that, without a destination, I arrived to Campo De'Fiori.


Campo De'Fiori is a piazza (city square) that hosts an outdoor market operating Monday through Saturday from 7 am until lunch time (around 2:00 pm).  In the morning, the market sells all kinds of goodies, from flowers to fruits, fish and spices.  After lunch the market disappears  leaving the piazza ready for the nighttime scene.  Campo de' Fiori at night is very popular among the younger crowd.

In the middle of the square there is a statue of Giordano Bruno, a Dominican Friar, mathematician, and philosopher who was burnt alive in 1600.   Yes, in the sixteen hundreds, Campo de'Fiori was a place for public executions, like many other piazzas around Rome.   All the buildings that surround the square are the typical Roman buildings of terracota and mustard colors that make this piazza such a postcard-perfect picture of Rome and Roman life.

If you go during the morning, try a freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, pack with antioxidants.  You can also buy fruits and veggies, or kitchen utensils to take home.  Don't forget to pick up some multicolored pasta as a souvenir.  

If you go at night, try a typical Roman happy hour drink like the Spritz and enjoy yourself.  Having a dinner at an outdoor terrace, surrounded by ancient buildings but a very hip and trendy atmosphere is just priceless.

Arrivederci for now,



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