The writer in me always scopes out old literary haunts when traveling.  In Italy, you can’t visit literary Rome without stopping by the historic Antico Caffè Greco (Via dei Condotti, 86, Rome), the oldest bar in The Eternal City.  It’s been in the same spot for more than 250 years, serving weary travelers, literary and artistic geniuses, and politicians and philosophers, for generations.  It’s the bar with personality as it sits  in its revered spot on a busy side street.

If these walls could speak!  Liszt, Keats, Byron, Wagner, even Casanova drank here.  They were quite an influential crew in their day.  Today, its interior reflects the sepia colored hue of a bygone era.  Tourists stop by to peak inside, many not affording themselves the luxury of a very expensive cappuccino or pastieri.  Local artists, musicians and political activists still grab an espresso with their morning paper, engaging in lively discussions on the issues of the day.

At Antico Caffè Greco, espressos are not rushed while standing at the bar but enjoyed at one of the cozy tables, each seeming to have its own nook.  Here, every sip is savored, every talk is pondered and cherished, and every bite goes down easily as you realize that some things are worth preserving at any price and walking through literary Rome is one of them.

This writer found that on a rainy day, the place to inhale true inspiration, off the beaten path in The Eternal City, is where true genius was born at the oldest bar in Rome.  Even at €19 for a cappuccino and a pastieri, some experiences are priceless like drinking a cozy cappuccino on a rainy day in literary Rome.

Lisa Fantino is the author of the best-selling Italy travel memoir,“Amalfi Blue, Lost & Found in the South of Italy”

 Let our Italy travel concierge design a priceless journey for you!