Gay Rome - Our Guide to the Eternal City!
Gay Rome stimulates the eye, palette and mind, but the greatest Roman pleasures are the Romans themselves. Just when you want to yell Basta! ("Enough!") to classically chiseled statues, a new one will smile, zipping by on a Vespa.
Come for the history, the ruins and monuments, the art, the unmistakable feel, and stylish sensuousness. But come most especially for the Romans! Even as they epitomize macho, these men with gentle charm will invite you to share in "la dolce vita" of their lives, in a culture that's been millennia in the making.
These sensual and passionate, sometimes raunchy and brash men exude style and self-confidence, but abound in contradictions; quite conservative in some ways, liberated in others. The Church is still influential, so gay sexuality might be expressed less openly, in more traditional Mediterranean ways than in other large European cities. But in terms of masculine affection, there are few inhibitions. An undercurrent of homoerotic consciousness seems barely but discreetly concealed. The welcome bestowed on visitors can be enthusiastic and generous, and friendships and family devotions are close and effusively public.
But, in one of Rome's greatest ironies, it seems less like a city of God and more like a city founded to celebrate the human body -- mostly the male one. Despite Benedict XVI's papal influence, you may see more public nudity on any giro ("stroll") through town than in Rome's museums: naked bodies carved in public squares, fountains, even embedded in the concrete of some buildings. No surprise that so much of gay Rome prefers it al fresco.
The Italian attitude to homosexuality is one of “do it in private and don’t frighten the horses”. This precept was ignored by Emperors like Nero, who married one of his male slaves, and Hadrian, who was beside himself with grief when his handsome lover, Antinous, drowned in the Nile.
Doing as the gay Romans do, however, sometimes requires an ArciGay -- or ArciLesbica -- membership card (Via Goito 35b; +39-06-64-501-102). Although foreigners are often forgiven, many nightspots deny or charge for entrance without this "proof of identity" from the national LGBTQ association. With it, admission is usually free.
Arcigay Roma Gruppo ORA (Arcigay.it) is the national organization, based in Bologna, which works on behalf of gay people for changes in Italian society. Visitors will soon notice that most bars, saunas and many other gay businesses in Italy require membership to enter their establishment. Many are associated with Arcigay. A card bought at these clubs is valid nationwide at all member establishments. The fee helps gay Italians work for a more equitable society, one that's more enjoyable for you to visit.
So,just how do you get to meet all these hot Roman Guys then? First of all you have to know the lay of the land!
Getting your Bearings..A three-millennia-old work-in-progress, Rome can seem profoundly confusing and absurdly convoluted. The city is enormous, but the main drag of tourist musts, loosely centered around , is relatively manageable area.
Most of the ancient wonders, including the Colosseum and Roman Forum, are south of the piazza in the Centro Storico. To the north are the Villa Borghese and Spanish Steps while eastward lie the and the central train station, Roma Termini. Crowded among the winding baroque and medieval streets to the west's Trastevere area, are Piazza Navona's Bernini fountain, Campo de'Fiori and the Pantheon. The Vatican City lies further west, across the wandering Tiber River.
Central Rome is best seen on foot. With some of the most frenzied and chaotic traffic west of Istanbul, driving and buses in the city center are a nightmare. Even crossing the streets can be hair-raising. Have confidence, and don't hesitate. If you have cold feet, just follow other crossers.
Slow to wake, Rome needs a good, shot-sized kick of caffè to get up (and at least three more to keep moving). Doing as the Romans do, hit up the local bar for a friendly fix and a cornetto, a flaky pastry similar to a croissant. Adequately caffeinated, take on the Colosseum, where once upon a time (before the gates were erected) this mammoth wonder of ancient Rome was also a gay cruising hotspot.
Stroll on to the adjacent Roman Forum and then the Circus Maximus, where you can imagine chariot races in front of the crumbled façade of the Palatine Hill.
Catch a second caffè along the way to the Bocca della Verità, or Mouth of Truth, in the 6th century church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin (Piazza della Bocca della Verità). Do your best Audrey Hepburn and stick your hand in the mouth -- but don't tell a lie, or legend has it the mouth will bite it off!
Rome pretty much shuts down from early- to mid-afternoon as everyone takes an extended pausa, so cool your heels over a nice lunch with a carafe of wine. Back on the Forum's east side, Pizzeria Imperiale (Largo Corrado Ricci 37; +39-06-678-6871; 10-16 EUR), has great pizza -- al fresco in summer -- and an energetic, youthful atmosphere.
Completing most explorations of the ancient city are the expansive collections of Roman treasures at the Capitoline Museums (Piazza del Campidoglio 1; +39-06-0608).
As evening encroaches, head south across the Tiber and deeper into the medieval Trastevere district (literally, "Across the Tiber"). Sites here include the golden mosaics of the Santa Maria in Trastevere (Via di San Calisto) and the 13th-century fresco at the Basilica di Santa Cecilia (Piazza Di S. Cecilia 22).
Trastevere is also home to perhaps Rome's first gay restaurant, Ristorante Asinocotto (Via dei Vascellari 48; +39-06-589-8985; dinner entrées: 18-20 EUR). The restaurant, which requires reservations, serves imaginative international riffs on Italian cuisine. The wine bar, a Roman-era cellar, houses the 200 or so labels on the wine list.
As at any restaurant, it's customary to order an appetizer, a pasta, a main dish, and coffee or grappa. Omitting is fine, but do not expect American-sized portions and main dishes ordered alone come without sides.
The student-oriented Trastevere area also contains a few gay nightlife options, such as the quiet and tasteful Garbo (Vicolo S. Margherita 1/a: +39-06-583-20782), which is good for snuggling in the corner or chatting up the locals. Nearby, the elegant Buca di Bacco (Via S. Francesco a Ripa 165) offers both cocktails and food, getting gayer in the evenings.
Another popular place for your morning coffee is Piazza Navona. Savor your morning fix there, soaking in the Baroque splendor of Bernini's Fontana dei Fiumi. By afternoon, it's too crowded here to appreciate.
Exploring Rome's Best Sights,,,
A short wander over, Campo de'Fiori houses a bustling morning produce and flower market. In the winding streets nearby, intrepid walkers can find craftsmen restoring one-of-a-kind antique furniture or carving architectural details. Not far away, Via Giulia displays its own 16th-century architectural beauty.
Among the best and oldest enoteca or wine bar in Rome is Cul de Sac (Piazza Pasquino, 73; +39-06-688-01094; 10-20 EUR), near Piazza Navona. The wines here fill up a tome and are stacked precariously above patrons' heads. Thoughtfully, there's a safety net. Snag a table early -- or late -- as the pâtés and palette-cleansing antipasti draw quite a following.
Just north is the refreshingly manageable Borghese Gallery (Piazzale del Museo Borghese 5; +39-06-32810), a small but stunning collection of masterpieces bought, stolen, and otherwise obtained in the early 17th century by Cardinal Scipione Borghese. Reservations are required.
From the gallery, it's a pleasant stroll through the leafy Villa Borghese to Rome's meeting place, the top of the Spanish Steps. Descend with care and take a quick jaunt to the impressively baroque Trevi Fountain (Piazza di Trevi). Rome is asplash with over 4000 fountains. Blonde bombshell Anita Ekberg frolicked in the waters of the Trevi Fountain in the 1960 film La Dolce Vita but don’t be tempted to follow her example – the waters are treated with bleach.Tossing a coin in ensures a return to Rome and helps maintain a supermarket for Rome's needy.
Circle back toward the Piazza Navona vicinity around dinner and try Bramante (Via della Pace, 25; +39-06-688-03916; 12-15 EUR), a very gay-and lesbian-friendly bar and restaurant with a gorgeous staff and fantastical décor that includes frosted laurel leaves and Christmas lights.
Near the Colosseum is the Hangar. (Via In Selci 69/a; +39-06-488-13971; closed Tues.; ArciGay Membership card required), a perennially packed staple of gay Roman nightlife. Covered in neon cityscape murals, the black-lit bar segues into an equally spacious dark room.
Spacious and Romanesque, L'Alibi (Via di Monte Testaccio 40-44; +39-06-574-3448; closed Mon.) is full of arches, frescoes, and dancing queens, especially during summer when the outdoor roof patio opens. Two metro stops south of the Colosseum, this is the gay club for many Romans.
Rome has more churches than there are days in the year. Save your coins for buying votive candles and for feeding the meters which switch on the lighting for the paintings and frescoes.
Splurge a little on your last day with a frothy cappuccino and a cannolo siciliano and get thee directly to the Vatican Museums (Viale Vaticano 13).Get to the Vatican Museum early in the morning as it often closes before 2pm and there’s oodles of art to ogle.
Though overflowing with Renaissance painting and sculpture -- gems include Bramante's baroque stairway and the Apollo Belvedere -- the Museums' pièce de resistance is Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. Testament to the great, artistic contributions of queer folks throughout history, significant restoration of the masterful chapel has also revealed its unexpectedly vivid colors. If you have binoculars, you can see some dizzyingly modern details, like blond-dreadlocked angels, naked teenagers with gorgeous chestnut curls (ignudi), and God's booming rear-end. Also in the neighborhood is the awe-inspiring house that Catholicism built, St. Peter's Basilica (Piazza San Pietro, Vatican City).
For a different kind of religious experience, take a walk up the chi-chi Via Cola di Rienza, which heads northeast from Vatican City. More and even chic-er boutiques can be found across the river around the Spanish Steps, especially Via Condotti, Via Borgognona, Via della Croce, and Via Babuino (in Tridente). Via Del Corso and its side streets hold great casual items -- shoes, jackets, and leather goods.
Near the southern end of Via del Corso lies Rome's old Jewish Ghetto and Piperno (Via Monte de' Cenci 9; +39-06-688-06629; closed Mon.; 20+ EUR), one of the city's finest Jewish restaurants since 1860. Formal service and decor appropriately match the most heavenly traditional Roman cuisine imaginable.
Just east, back by the Colosseum, Side Meeting Point (Via Labicana 50; +39-348-692-9472) attracts a restless crowd of punks and indie-types. The eclectic space is marked by a rainbow flag and a hodgepodge of sidewalk furniture. Nearby, Coming Out (Via San Giovanni in Laterano 8; +39-06-700-9871) is a colorfully painted cafe by day and mixed gay and lesbian bar by night.
Most would recommend that you begin your sightseeing trip in the centro storico where there is a vast collection of both Classical and Christian sights contained in an area that you can easily navigate on foot. Realistically, however, it doesn’t matter where you begin because there are certain attractions where everyone ends up. Among these are the aforementioned Vatican and Colosseum, the Pantheon, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Piazza Navona, the Catacombs, the Sistine Chapel and the hundreds of churches and piazzas which are scattered throughout the city.
The most important thing to remember is that you are not going to see everything. Some focus on the main attractions spending plenty of time on each one. Others spend their stay rushing from one attraction to the other trying to fit as much as they can into a very short space of time. Whichever option you choose, rest assured that you will enjoy it thoroughly but if you do intend returning, and you probably will, the former is probably the better of the two.
Like most European cities, Rome is in a constant state of flux. Bars and Clubs can change overnight. Also, attitudes are being constantly challenged and the fight for gay rights still continues. Above all have fun in Rome, we really don't think you need to toss that coin in the fountain. We know once you've been you will want to return!
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