Caldwell Curates: Piazza Borghese

As I have mentioned getting lost definitely has its benefits, on my first Saturday I was feeling a bit lonely and figured the prescription was to keep wandering around until this new city felt a bit more like home. On that first Saturday, I stumbled upon some of my favorite things in Rome and one of them is Piazza Borghese. Rome is famous for its piazzas, but this piazza definitely flies under the radar. I was walking down a narrow road that opened up to the piazza that was filled with these stalls. The stalls sell a variety of items, primarily prints, old books, and postcards. I had a field day looking at all the prints. I ended up getting one for my father. I loved leafing through all the old postcards and letters. Mom said she found it sad seeing them, but (sorry for another Midnight in Paris reference) there is a great scene where Owen Wilson’s character finds a diary that his love interest wrote at a similar stall.

On one of my later visits to Piazza Borghese, I found a print of the NYYC, which seemed very serendipitous. I’m so glad I stumbled upon this piazza, since I was able to find some truly lovely prints that I’ll hang up in my first apartment, wherever that may be.

A couple of tips if you wish to visit:

                     -bring cash, some venders accept cards, but they are less likely to bargain with you if you're paying with a card

                      -feel free to bargain, but be respectful and they are more likely to work with you if you are buying multiple things 

                      -if you're looking for something specific, ask them for it. Many of the venders run multiple stalls so if it is not in the stall you are looking there is a very good chance it could be in another one

                      -it is best to visit Tuesday-Saturdays between 12-5, that is when most of the stalls will be open  

Dad, act surprised when you see this!