From the chic clothing in the window-fronts on Via del Corso to the runway-worthy Italian men sauntering up and down the cobble-stoned streets, Rome is full of eye-grabbing magnificence. There really is no shortage of opportunity to eye-feast in this beautiful city, demonstrated by the seemingly ubiquitous presence of tourists at every major attraction or Rick Steves-endorsed locale.
But even in this ancient city, and unbeknownst to the traditional traveler, lies a peculiar neighborhood replete with architectural splendor called the Quartiere Coppedé. I stumbled upon this startling yet appealing area during one of my aimless meanderings through Rome, and landed at the Quartiere Trieste (Trieste District). Behind the main streets, on Via Tagliamento, I found a Moorish arch and the main entrance to the Art Nouveau palazzi of the Coppedé.
It was like walking into a funky art experiment, so unanticipated in Rome—the city of eternal elegance. Bizarre art intricacies envelop the 18 buildings’ exteriors, adorned with decorative arrangements of mosaic and frescoes that span the centuries, from Roman Baroque to Medieval. This mesmerizingly beautiful area of Rome, I later learned, was designed by the architect Gino Coppedè in 1919, from whom the Quartiere takes its name.
Along with having no lines and no tourist haze, this hidden gem comes with the additional bonus of being free. Simply walk into the Quartiere and take in all the magnificence the buildings have to offer. The Coppedè is an ideal place to just sit and think. Repeat visits are never the same, either, because of the art’s extensive obscurities. Being one of my favorite and frequently visited places in Rome, each time I go, I notice something new.
Quartiere Coppedè offers a special “get away from it all” experience to the Roman traveler. You can get there the most quickly using Tram lines 3 or 19 (to Piazza Buenos Aires). Look for the big Arch on Via Tagliamento, or up at the building’s rooftops for outlines of peculiar art.
