Spanish Steps apartment, Rome: GesùMaria - Tips and Area

Quiet and tastefully furnished 1BR / 1BA apartment in central Spanish Steps area

Tips and Area

This vacation rental apartment is very central as it is right in between Piazza di Spagna and Piazza del Popolo.

The monumental stairway, of 138 steps was built between 1723 and 1725 to link the piazza to Pincio and Villa Medici above. The Spanish Steps are magnificient beginning of May due to the world-famous flower show, when the steps are covered with blossommed azaleas and each July in occasion of evening fashion show, the steps being used as a catwalk. It is now an international meeting point. The fountain known as the ’Barcaccia’ (boat) was commissioned by Urbano Barberini to commemorate the alliance made with the King of France, whose coat of arms can be seen on Trinità dei Monti. The square is today filled with flower vendors, jewelry dealers, tourists and photographers snapping pictures of visitors.

Shopping:

In the Piazza itself you find the boutiques of Valentino, Dolce e Gabbana, Missoni, Sergio Rossi, Genny, Rocco Barocco and Krizia. The square leads then into the most famous and elegant shopping streets of Rome: Via Dei Condotti (Armani, Valentino, Cartier, Bulgari, Hermes, Gucci, Ferragamo, Prada, Alberta Ferretti, Max Mara), Via Frattina (Gente, Pollini, Versace, Philosophy by Alberta Ferretti), Via Borgognona (Moschino, Calvin Klein, Givency, Laura Biagiotti, Fendi, Diego Della Valle, Fratelli Rossetti) and Via delle Carrozze with their luxurious boutiques, and Via Del Babuino with its antique shops (Alberto Di Castro), concept stores (TAD) and glam shops (Gente).TAD. Via del Babuino, 155a. Tel.+39 06 32695131 (http://www.taditaly.com). Concept multisensorial store meaning  trends and ancient weaknesses ("T endenze ed A ntiche D ebolezze"), retail heaven, furniture, textiles, shoes, flowers shop. Very popular the fusion restaurant and the cafè.

Ideally one could speack about a quadrilateral between Via del Corso, Via del Babuino, Via della Vite and Piazza del Popolo. Gente. Via del Babuino, 80-82. The hot address for shopper-lovers! Italian and foreign labels like Prada, Anna Sui, Helmut Lang and so on..

For craftman jewellery at wholesaler prices we suggest you to make reference to "di San Giacomo", Via di Tor Millina, 10/11 (Navona district), telephone +39-06-96847938. In this laboratory you can see hand-made production of jewels. Precious the sandals with jewels.

For 5 o’clock tea or for a brunch: Babington’s Tearoom. Piazza di Spagna, 23. Tel. +39 06 6786027 (http://www.babingtons.com/movie.html). A true piece of England founded in 1893 by two English ladies Anna Maria Babington and Isabel Cargill when - as pointed out in the website - tea could only be found in pharmacies. TAD Tearoom. Via del Babuino, 155a. See above.

For a stand-up coffee:  Antico Caffè Greco. Via dei Condotti, 86. Tel. +39 06 679 1700. Founded in 1760 by Nicola della Maddalena. Amongst the most famous habitués of the cafè were Schopenauer, Wagner, Stendhal, Gogol, D’Annunzio. Period furnishings bring a unique charm to this Roman institution.

For luch or dinner: Fiaschetteria Beltrami. Via della Croce, 39. Traditional and exclusive place with a lot of character.

For ice-cream: Gelateria San Crispino, Via della Panetteria 42. Definitely a must-visit. This ice-cream place is located near the Trevi Fountain. It is very well-known for both its superior products and its authoritarian attitude. By ready to order flavors that go well together! The shop will not combine flavors in a single order if they don’t feel those flavors will go together well. The flavors are amazingly genuine and intense.