Prati, RomeThe hidden Gem district, just across the Tiber from some of the city’s most visited sites, deserves a place in your mental notes the next time you find yourself in the Eternal City. When it comes to Rome’s neighborhoods, it’s usually the ancient Centro Storico, the nightlife-bustling Trastevere, and the hipster enclave of Monti that grab most travelers’ attention. But a short walk from the city center and right next to Vatican City is the elegant Prati district, where stately buildings and wide boulevards create a scenic destination that seems a world apart. Staffed mostly by lawyers, architects, and other well-to-do Romans, Prati is often overlooked by travelers unless they’re staying at one of the affordable hotels. retirees in the zone. But there is much more to Prati than its proximity to the Vatican Museums.
“It is difficult to explain Prati; it’s in the center of Rome and yet it feels like you’re somewhere else,” says Fulvio de Bonis, the founder of the luxury tour operator Imago Tourist attractions, which is headquartered in the district. “It’s calm, classy, elegant and I think it’s the right place to feel the real soul of the Eternal City, the authentic air that the inhabitants breathe every day.”
Indeed, since Prati is not home to the ancient ruins and grand historic hotels that many travelers flock to Rome for, the area is often almost always reserved for its residents. They can take advantage of the independent boutiques that still specialize in bespoke fashion or the boisterous trattorias that focus on age-old recipes. Of course, there are also more recent projects that inject new energy into the neighborhood, such as the recent opening of the First Roma music, a five-star hotel with 24 rooms located right next to the river. Those looking for a more intimate stay away from the busier parts of Rome, First Musica – with its glitzy rooftop bar and soon-to-open wellness area – could be the perfect opportunity for a visitor to get to know this less-travelled neighborhood.
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What to do in Prati, Rome
If you’re a first-time visitor to Rome and staying in Prati, your trip should definitely include the ability to easily walk to the Vatican. But before you head out of the neighborhood for other parts of town, know that Imago Artis Travel actually runs a few tours that highlight some of Prati’s lesser-known treasures. One in particular explores the region’s rich architectural inventory, including Belle Epoque villas and stately buildings in Liberty-style architecture, a quintessentially Italian approach to Art Nouveau. Along the way, a guide will also point out more sober memorials to locals who were lost during World War II. You will find plaques dedicated to them in almost all the streets of Prati.
Another Imago Artis tour takes travelers to visit fashion designers and tailors based in Prati so you can spend some time at Antica Manifattura Cappelli, iconic workshop of milliner Patrizia Fabbri. Over the years, Fabbri has collaborated with everyone from Givenchy to Lady Gaga. There is also a fabulous excursion in Tirelli Suita huge warehouse that creates and stores costumes used in film and theater, including Hollywood productions of The favourite and Luchino Visconti Louis.
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