The sign still says 1760. Gogol drank his coffee with cream here every morning while writing Dead Souls — there's still a small portrait of him on the wall. Baudelaire came, and Canova, and Fellini. The door's been locked since October, mid rent dispute, its antiques seized as evidence. People still stop, hands on the glass, reading a plaque for a place that no longer opens. The city keeps the label long after it stops keeping the thing. RR
Della Palma says it has 150 flavors. I can only vouch for the chocolate section, which takes up half the counter: Nutella, Rocher, orange, strawberry, and a Dubai chocolate, because the internet got in here too. Choosing takes longer than eating. RR
Leila has wheels, a pink nameplate and two escorts. Nobody is in a hurry; the dog sets the pace. Rome treats its dogs the way it treats its children: waved through, fussed over, and handed the whole street. Hers is the only vehicle on this road with its name on
The Swiss Guard arrived in 1506: 150 mercenaries hired by Pope Julius II because Swiss soldiers were considered among the best in Europe. The striped uniform is often credited to Michelangelo, but that's a myth. It dates to the early 1900s, in the colors of the Della Rovere
Rome has been Italy's capital only since 1871, after Turin and then Florence had a turn. The city's official name now carries the job title: Roma Capitale, stenciled onto a crowd barrier. Behind it, S.P.Q.R. — Senatus Populusque Romanus, "the Senate and People