Italy

At a glance

My experience in Italy

While Rome is a bustling city of art, museums, ruins, and shopping, I find Messina more calming for a reading retreat.

Messina, on the northeastern tip of Sicily, is known for architecture. The streets are a blend between the modern and historical. In Messina, I gravitate toward a quaint cafe that serves some of the most delicious coffee I’ve ever tasted, the famous Italian 1870 coffee, founded by the Barbera family.

I find a quiet piazza and sit with a book, feeling comfortable to do so, as if it were indeed a community living room.

Calming Ways to Observe and Read:

• Find a piazza. Italian piazzas are best for people-watching, enjoying the city’s festive atmosphere, or sitting to take a breather.
• Locate a cafe. Italian coffee is served with finesse, and the atmosphere is often chill and inviting, making it a good place for reading.

In Rome: Stay in the Castro Pretorio District

Rome is known for iconic attractions. The historic Castro Pretorio District is within minutes of the Colosseum, and close to Termini Station, Rome’s main railway station. Although convenient for travel to attractions, it also has quieter spaces for observation. You can grab a bite to eat at a trattoria, a small family-run Italian eatery that serves Italian comfort foods like pizza and pasta. There are ae shops in the area and a lot of green spaces to observe and read.

Depending on your hotel, you can walk to the Colosseum. I stay within walking distance, at the Double Tree by Hilton Rome Monti, a stylish hotel with a nice rooftop bar, a cafe on the main level, an English-speaking concierge, and great service.

The Colosseum showcases Rome’s architectural endurance. Built between AD 72-80 under the Flavian emperors and designed for mass entertainment, it was the largest amphitheater of the Roman world, with roughly 50,000 spectators.

But this is not just any ancient ruin. It sits in the middle of the city. It changes character with weather and light. You can see it, towering and powerful, as you drive through town. The Colosseum speaks of Rome.

For more about reading in and around Italy, see: “How to Spend a Day in Vatican City” and “Ginzburg’s The City and The House is the Epistolary Italian Novel to Love.