In the heart of Rome, right next to St. Peter’s and the Vatican Museums, you will find a small and exclusive hotel, the Relais Vatican View, which offers modern accommodations, yet is almost cradled in the niche of the ancient Vatican walls and the Passetto. It is literally a stone’s throw from the Vatican, and is refined and elegant and in total harmony with its prestigious location. This address is ideal for those who want to immerse themselves in the spiritual atmosphere flowing from the most famous square in the world: St. Peter’s. Guest rooms are furnished to a high standard and include many fine details.

The Relais Vatican View offers various kind of rooms. The double standard are elegant rooms blending classic and modern styles, bringing in a sense of warmth. The bathrooms are decorated in mosaic, with shower or bathtub or both. Air conditioning, TV, safe, wifi, and minibar are provided in all rooms, offering all the comforts one may require after a full day exploring in Rome.

The suites are equipped with a comfortable double bed, flat­screen TV and a separate living room with its own bathroom and sink, sofa bed and other furnishings. This suite is ideal for families and can accommodate up to 4 persons.

The deluxe suite is the only one with a private terrace and a view of St. Peter’s cupola and Castel Sant’Angelo. This comfortable and spacious suite is characterized by a comfortable double bed, plus a living room with a sofa bed. The bathroom comes with a bathtub and a 2 square meter shower. All services are included in the room such as TV, wifi, minibar, safe, air conditioning, kitchen annex, and private tours of Rome.

The Relais has a wonderful panoramic terrace reached by a spectacular spiral stairwell custom-built in modern style. From some rooms, you can admire the colonnade that surrounds the piazza, imbibe the majesty of St. Peter’s cupola and also listen to the Pope as he imparts his Sunday blessing. The characteristic Borgo Pio neighborhood lies a very short distance away; it is a small village tucked inside the metropolis, where you can sample traditional Roman cuisine. From here you can also easily reach the famous Castel Sant’

Angelo fortress. This lovely hotel is very well connected to bus routes (like the 40 bus to Termini central train station) as well as the subway line A. Upon payment of an extra charge, a garage is available a few meters away.

The Relais staff is available to welcome guests from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm. If you plan to arrive or depart outside of these times, please advise the hotel in advance and they will be pleased to make special arrangements. For prices, which vary from season to season, check out the online price indicator at www.vaticanview.com. The site guarantees the best available rate; the rates listed are in Euro and are inclusive of tax and breakfast.

 

The Ristorante Borgo Nuovo is located just a few steps away from Porta Sant’

Anna, within the ancient suburb of Borgo Pio. The restaurant Borgo Nuovo is a place where Romans, pilgrims, VIPs and Vatican prelates can appreciate traditional Roman cuisine. The restaurant consists of three dining areas: the outside sidewalk area for the summer and fine weather periods, the inside ground floor area, and an attic area where you have a great view of the proceedings below. Owners of this restaurant are Carlo Bartolomeo and his son Fabio, from the Molise area of Italy. The occasion of my visit was a meal with Dr. Robert Capizzi, professor of medicine, and his wife Barbara, from Philadelphia. We started with traditional Italian antipasti which featured crude ham, salami, mortadella, fried zucchini and eggplant. For our pasta course, we all went for a small portion of fettucine ai funghi porcini (fettucine with boletus mushrooms). For our main course, Barbara had veal escalopes in lemon sauce, Robert chose roast veal in sauce, while I selected a steak fillet. Our main courses were accompanied by fries and chicory fired in garlic.

This fine lunch was washed down with two bottles of sparkling Ferrarelle mineral water and some of the excellent opened house red wine.

To close our lunch Robert asked for a double coffee, Barbara had a cappuccino, and I took some fresh pineapple. As I was the guest, I have no clear picture of what the check may have come to, but the curious reader can calculate it for himself by going to this restaurant’s website.

Facebook Comments