Rome 2016: Monday

After all the walking around on Sunday, I decided that my Monday was going to be more quiet and relaxing. I started the day with reading in my room (I had a book I wanted to finish) before heading outside. I was mostly strolling around, and ended up at the Piazza Navona, which was actually quite nice with its fountains.

Piazza Navona was built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, in the first century AD. The Stadium was mainly used for athletic contests, and was a gift to the people of Rome from the Emperor Titus Flavius Domitianus.

One of the most dominent builtings at the piazza is the Sant’Agnese in Agone, a 17th-century Baroque church. There are three fountains in the piazza: Fontana del Moro at the southern end, Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi at the centre, and Fontana del Nettuno at the northern end. Of these three, the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, or the Fountain of Four Rivers, is probably the most famous one.

From Piazza Navona I continued my stroll, without any particular goal, and ended up at a shopping centre, Galleria Alberto Sordi, where you find the bookshop laFeltrinelli Libri e Musica. The bookshop is probably he largest shop in the centre, though I must admit I didn’t really go into any of the other shops. This bookshop even has books in English, as well as a few in german, Spannish, and French.

After browsing (and not buying any!) books, I headed back to the hotel, where I got a coffee, which I brought up to the rooftop garden, where I sat in the shadow and read for a while. I then went back to the room “too cool down” and do some more reading.

The afternoon was then spent on an nearby restaurant, where I first ordered sparkling water and an espresso in Italian (go me!) and sat and read for a while before ordering dinner. When my dinner was consumed, I headed back to the hotel, and had an early night.


The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in front of Sant'Agnese in Agone. Photo: Mittens and Sunglasses © 2016
The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in front of Sant’Agnese in Agone.
Photo: Mittens and Sunglasses © 2016