La Scoperta del Giorno (Today's Discovery): Inside a Nasone

 

La Scoperta del Giorno (Today’s Discovery): Inside a Nasone

Today we’re launching a new (and not daily) RST feature: La Scoperta del Giorno (the discovery of the day or, better put in English, Today’s Discovery). The Italian word “scoperta,” and its English equivalent, “discovery,” are similarly constructed; each is based on the verb “to cover” (coprire/to cover) and each is converted into “uncover” or
“discover” with a prefix (the “s” in Italian, the “dis” in English).

The big event of September 20 was a huge pro-Palestine demonstration starting in Piazza dei Cinquecento in front of Stazione Termini, which we attended along with about 50,000 other people. But La Scoperta of that day took place about an hour after the “manifestazione” had left Termini to proceed through the city to the university. We were not part of the ongoing march, but headed home on foot, through Piazza Vittorio, where we took a break for a coffee at a sidewalk bar just outside the Piazza. There, sitting at a table, we could see dozens of those who had been at the demonstration—or were still part of the ongoing march—pouring out the gate of Piazza Vittorio and heading for a nearby nasone (one of thousands of “big nose” water fountains in Rome, most of them flowing constantly) to have a drink and fill up their water bottles.

 

The line was long, because a second nearby nasone wasn’t working. Then a man reached inside the top of the non-functioning fountain and, within no time, it was working! How did he do it?

By inspecting other nasoni, we soon learned that some but not all of them have a handle inside that turns the water on and off. 

The handles were likely installed in 2017 during a severe drought when more than 2,000 of the nasoni were “turned off.” Since the handle revelation, we have often tried, usually without success, to remove the cover to access the handle—or just to see if there was one. Here's a nasone without a handle:

Most of the covers appear to be fixed—that is, not easily removable by a passer-by. It looks like one needs a special round tool with a triangular interface to get the cover off.

Some nasoni have handles to turn the water on and off! That’s La Scoperta del Giorno for September 20, 2025.

Bill 

 

An Evening in Rome. Best-laid plans, and all that....

What do you do in Rome? As a friend once said, “you walk out the door.” So true, though these days we often walk out the door with a plan. Sometimes things go “according to plan” and sometimes, especially in Rome, they don’t. This is the story of one of those days—an evening, to be precise. With a “lieto” (happy) ending.

Our day began, as usual, at our coffee bar of choice, based on a couple of good experiences we had had there over the past two days, including one just the day before, when we had enjoyed a couple of Campari “Spritz” in the cool night air. The bar, on Via Pomezia at Via Cerveteri, is Bar Anima Nera (Black Soul), though we call it the "Mad Hatter," after the fine drawings that grace the inside walls. The structure in front of the bar is on most days a vegetable stand.

A chilly morning drove us inside, pleasant enough with our daily newspaper (“Il Messaggero”) but when we went to pay the new Italian guy got the price of our caffè Americani wrong (E2.50 rather than the customary E1.50), and another new Italian guy served us our cornetto with a cough. Perhaps a harbinger of things to come.

Our mid-day adventure—a Metro A excursion to Aurelia and Prati to see a couple of closed edicole (newsstands) worked out fine. After doing some work at home in our rented apartment at Piazza dei Re di Roma, our plan was to take the Metro to Piazza Repubblica and a 64 (or 40) bus to Chiesa Nuova for an opening at Maja Arte Contemporanea, via di Monserrato 20, then tack to nearby Bar Peru, a favorite of ours in years past, for an aperitivo and cena—apericena, a one-price drink and plate of good food selected from a variety of prepared dishes available at the bar.

The opening was well attended and the wine (a Ribolla Gialla) was nice, but the art, while colorful and organic in a Victorian sort of way, was not of the sort to invite our serious consideration.

After a few minutes, we departed for Bar Peru.

Lo and behold, Bar Peru had, so it seemed, changed hands and look. The stools on the street were gone (maybe the police objected), replaced by tables across the street in the piazza. Inside, there was no apericena to be had.

We ordered two Campari “Spritz,” took a raised table inside, and lamented the changes. The new ownership appeared to be Asian.

The Spritz were excellent (the bar is amply supplied with Campari), the bartender terrific, and we enjoyed the chips and the peanuts in a Depero Campari & soda bottle. But what to do now, early in the evening. Via Giulia was just a block away, toward the Tevere, and we headed there, not knowing what we’d find. The street was dark and mostly quiet. The Accademia of Hungary in Rome, in a palazzo designed by Borromini mid-17th century and one of our favorite places, was open, and a sign mentioned a concert of piano, violin and flute. “First floor,” said the bored attendant, and up the stone stairs we went, just as the flautist was wrapping up the first performance. We took seats and for 45 minutes were thoroughly entertained by a remarkable 24-year-old woman violinist (Ludovica Mastrostefano) and her equally compelling piano accompanist (Sara Damiani). Popular Romanian tunes by Béla Bartók; Sonata n.3 by Edvard Grieg. Delightful!

So far so good. Afterwards, Dianne wanted to eat, Bill to drink, and we settled on Il Goccetto, our favorite wine bar (on nearby via dei Banchi Vecchi), which has both. It was absolutely full, spilling out onto the street (as it usually does). Disappointed, we left. Checked some other places, then decided (it was about 8:30) to head home. Caught the 64 bus (the "watch your wallet" bus) on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. A man on the bus warned a tourist with luggage that a sciopero (a strike) of some transport services had already begun. Rumor was that the subway wouldn’t run after 9 p.m. We thought he was wrong. We ended up near the controversial Pope John Paul II statue/sculpture in Piazza dei Cinquecento, where a small ProPal (pro-Palestinian) protest was going on. 

Walked toward the lit-up Termini station, avoiding the buses. Found 5 clustered Carabinieri (state police) just outside the station, and we inquired, in Italian, if there was a strike going on at that moment. Yes, said one of them, a woman, authoritatively. The Metro (the subway), she added, was not running.

What to do? Dianne’s app said it was a 40-minute walk to our Re di Roma digs, and, having done the walk just the other day, we headed off on foot, down Via Cavour and into the piazza behind Santa Maria Maggiore, soon coming upon a Metro entrance. The electronic signed warned that service was "non garantite," but people were entering, and so we did.

Below, at the turnstiles of the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele stop, we asked a woman employee if there was service in our direction. Before she could answer she scurried away to deter several people whom she deemed not to have paid. We decided to give it a try. The train came. We took it. Finally secure at home, and having reached 19,000 steps (about 8 miles) for the day, we relished a plate of cold cuts and cheeses and a bottle of Circeo doc, as Bill called it, in our cozy living room, excited at having “sopravissuti” (survived) and had such an exhilarating time doing it. What do you do in Rome? Walk out the door!

Bill

PS from Dianne: Sometimes you get what you need.

Food Truck Fairs in Rome

 

What's not to love about olive offerings from... an olive?

While haunting the near-in suburban area of Tiburtina, off via Tiburtina. we saw signs one day for what looked like an upcoming food fair in Casal Bruciato, part of that area. Besides the neighborhood's memorable name ("burned farmhouse"), the idea of a suburban food fair, far from tourists, appealed to us.

We got there a bit early, before the crowds started to build, and had our pick of food.

Above, the '70s housing some would decry, looming over a few of the 30 or so food stands, offering everything from Mexican food (far right) to grilled almost anything (the arrosticino stand at left).

We delved into some reasonably-priced carciofi alla giudia (Jewish artichokes, one of our favorite Roman foods), complete with sangria from the Mexican stand--probably not a combination of which Romans would approve.

The early fair-goers were mainly families with children, even in the shadow of the beer tents ("Birra Crudo") and cocktail bars ("Aperi-time" - their shelves lined with colorful bottles of Campari and Aperol).

The most prominent advertising was on the porta-potties (photo below): TTS Food ("Hey you, get a move on, the food is waiting"...."Your order is ready...don't take too long."

Only in doing research for this post (yes, even food fairs and Casal Bruciato require some research) did we learn "TTS Food" stands for "Typical Truck Street Food." The enterprise is active all around Rome and its environs and has a schedule. This summer they were in a dozen Rome neighborhoods, including Garbatella, Monteverde, and Trastevere. (Website here.)

Although we didn't stay for the music (see below), we will next time. It is just a pleasure enjoying  Italian food with real Italians - far from the tourists (I wonder how it all works in Trastevere?).

Right, a trumpeter setting up.

Left, arrosticini on the grill - we had some of these too.

The BBQ stand, right, seems to have an identity problem - American or Italian?

Left, pasta in a cup - with the Roman classics.

Right, grilled octopus (or pizza if you are less adventurous).

Left, catching the bus back - never far from Giorgia Meloni.

Dianne

How Not To Come Off Monte Mario

 

We 2 "pilgrims" reflected in the glass of the now-closed Lo Zodiaco cafe'

at the top of Monte Mario. Great views still available.

Never ones to shy away from hard truths, your RSTers went last year to mourn at the site of the now-closed Lo Zodiaco cafe' (the bar also is closed). Not long ago, it was a lovers' (and families' and anyone liking a good view) hangout (- he path along the front of it is called "vialetto degli Innamorati" ["Lovers' Lane"]).

We walked up our usual way, from via Gormezzina, near Piazzale Maresciallo Giardino (admitttedly around a closed gate - but the "herd path" was clear), enjoying the wide switchbacks on sampietrini (cobblestones) mostly maintained by the non-profit RomaNatura (the informational boards along the way now are mostly destroyed). (Monte Mario came in at #11 on RST's Top 40, and is an itinerary in our guidebook, Rome the Second Time.)

We checked out the usual cafes in Piazzale delle Medaglie d'Oro (at the end of it, you can see signs for the via Francigena--St. Francis's way, now tantalizingly close to its Vatican destination). Then, in hindsight foolishly, we decided to take the paths that ran down and across the winding, very curvy, not always well-banked road we had scootered down several times, but also had walked down: viale dei Cavalieri di Vittorio Veneto, just below the Hotel Rome Cavalieri.

MAP AT END OF POST

Except the paths seemed to be nonexistent, and we found ourselves plastered against the retaining walls in an effort not to be run over.

Left photo, paths in bad shape.

Friends to whom we described our trek later that night said, "oh, you mean K-2"--that's the name for this outrageously speedy and dangerous separated "highway."

Right photo, Dianne hesitates as any shoulder is about to disappear.

Left photo. No shoulders - or even ditches or brush - wide enough to feel safe.

On closer inspection, the road we just came down on still sports a slogan to the Lazio Ultra (generally right-wing) Gabriele Sandri, killed in 2007 (hence the "Vive"), about whom Bill posted in 2011 here.

We finally got off this road on via Romeo Romei, which skirts the back of (more like a parking lot for) the national Appeals Court. It was under heavy scaffolding on the day we walked by.

All of which is to say, we won't do this one again!

Map below shows Piazzale delle Medaglie d'Oro at top left, Lo Zodiaco (as if it were still open) top center, and the walking path switchbacks leading up to it going off at right.

The big curvy dark stuff in the center was "our path," i.e. the road, leading down to the Corte d'Appelo.

No, don't try this yourselves.

Dianne

Day Trip to Bracciano

 

The view from the castle ramparts.

It took us decades of living for months each year in Rome finally to get to Bracciano, the lovely town with its astounding castle overlooking the lake of the same name - Lago di Bracciano. Over the decades, we've hiked all around the lake, dallied in the lovely town of Anguillara (named for the ubiquitous native eels that have clogged some of the aqueducts over time) at its southeastern end, scootered around it, including on its windy volcanic lip. But visited the town? Never until last year. Maybe it was its attraction to celebrities that made us stay away so long (among those married in the castle were Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Italian singer Eros Ramazzotti and Swiss model Michelle Hunziker, and Martin Scorsese and Isabella Rossellini).

Now without scooter, we figured out the train timetables and took the almost 2-hour-long ride - stopping almost 20 times along the less than 50-mile route. Worth it?  Definitely! (It's the F3 interurban train that can be accessed at Stazioni Tiburtina, Ostiense, Trastevere, etc.)

Right, our first view, from the narrow streets of the old town, of the Orsini-Odelscalchi castle.

The castle is in wonderful condition and you are allowed to roam all over it.

Built in the 15th century by the wealthy Orsini family, the Orsini bear sightings are many. ("Orsini" means "little bears"). The family crest sports both the bear peaking over the top, and a rose.

The town and castle were also the focal points of many conflicts between wealthy families, some connected to Popes. The Colonna, Medici, and Torlonia were involved. In 1948 the castle was purchased by a prince of the Odescalchi line. Hence the full name: Castello Orsini-Odescalchi. (See photo of map below of the extent of the Orsini family rule when they started the project.)

The armaments room (photo above) is particularly impressive, as is the painting showing the various comings and goings of the families controlling Bracciano (close-up below). In case you are not into weapons, you'll also see the kitchens, bedrooms, frescoed ceilings, courtyards, and rooftops. You won't go away wanting for much. The website also features private tours of many varieties, including a kids' tour with a "princess" and re-enactments.  Website here. We couldn't get the English version of the web site to work, but you'll get the idea, or use an online translator.

A few more photos are at the end of the post. (We haven't included too many so you can enjoy the sight first-hand.) We don't want to leave out our trek down to the beach (a path for locals will get you there fairly easily), and some great seafood pastas. We also strolled along a beach area clearly designed for night-life, with one place even called "Movida" (the Italian word for the crowds that move among the hot spots in the late evening, the bane of residents' existences in some Roman neighborhoods like Trastevere and San Lorenzo).

The lake and beach from the castle grounds.

A few families ventured out on this sunny May weekday (right).

The "Movida" club, photo at left.  Near here was also a boat scheduled to take people across the lake. Some Brits were waiting for it, but it clearly was not going to show. Advice: don't depend on it.

Dianne

Above, map of Orsini holdings. Lake Bracciano is the small light blue spot towards the lower left. They had property in and out of the Papal states. Virginio Orsini lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The castle has many explanatory panels in both Italian and English.