Campo de' Fiori

This is in the heart of the historic centre, sandwiched between Piazza Navona and the meandering narrow streets that lead to the Tiber. There are probably more craft workshops and restorers’ studios, as well as family-run neighbourhood stores, than in any other part of the city. Campo de’ Fiori is the hub of the area, presided over by the statue of the brooding Giordano Bruno who was burnt at the stake in 1600 for heresy. In the morning it is home to the city’s most colourful, if most expensive, street market. This was once the place for the best food at the best prices in the centre but now it is mainly a tourist attraction. At night Campo de’ Fiori becomes a very active and rowdy nightspot with its square-side cafés, pubs and bars. If you want somewhere quiet to live, find an apartment away from both Campo de’ Fiori and the neighbouring Piazza Farnese, home of the majestic French embassy.