Roman retail therapy. 

The Eternal City, a shopper’s paradise? It may surprise you to know, Rome stands with the best of them when it comes to retail therapy.

If unique attractions like the Coliseum (see picture above) and St Peters Square, awe-inspiring architecture and great food spring to mind when you think of holidays in Rome, think again - you may be missing something.

There are many good reasons to visit this magical, bustling and positively nostalgic city, but, if you are looking for some retail therapy and need to update the contents of your wardrobe, has Rome got what it takes to satisfy your needs; And your bank balance?

From haute-couture to boutique-chic to leather-goods to department-stores, yes, Rome has it all.

If you consult a guide book or take a city tour on one of the regular open-top buses, you will be directed to Via del Corso, a 1500 metre-long road, stretching from Piazza del Popolo to Piazza Venezia; densely packed, not only with a vast range of shops, but also a vast range of shoppers! The pavements are narrow, the traffic is constant, the swell-and-heave of the crowd un-remitting.

Here’s a tried and tested tip - try Via Cola di Rienzo in the elegant, leafy suburb of Prati, a rather upmarket residential area on the left bank of the river, with fewer tourists to bump into and wider pavements. You will find this a far more relaxing shopping experience. Everything is here, from stylish designer boutiques to market stalls, department stores to haberdasheries, and all without the jostling crowds!

One of the nicest ways to end a hard day’s shopping, is to stop for an ice cream. There are a great many ‘gelateria’ to buy your ‘gelato’, but at Via Cola di Rienzo, 105, is ‘Pellacchia’, the absolute best. This, very popular family-run business has been making ice-cream since 1900. It is always busy and the many varied flavours of creams and ices are delicious. Rest your legs and eat, sitting at one of their outside tables. It is the perfect place to marvel at the beauty of your surroundings, study the hustle and bustle of Roman life and watch the chic elegantly-clad Prati residents going about their business. A treat, indeed.

Back on the other side of the river, Via Nazionale is a more commercial area where you will find well-known branded stores such as Timberland, Nike, Fendi, Stefanel and Max Mara languishing beneath the desirable Roman apartments and offices. For the ‘Imeldas’ among your shopping party, Via Nazionale has shoe shops a-plenty. Inside these shoe havens you will find beautifully soft, hand-made leather brogues, simple stylish sandals, glamorous, diamante evening shoes, invitingly soft, nubuck-leather house shoes. You will be spoilt for choice!

So forget Paris, by-pass Milan, leave London; head for the glorious sights of Rome. Indulge your whims, your senses and your taste-buds; You CAN shop till you drop!

By web author