Nightlife

When the sun goes down, lights across the city bathe palaces, ruins, fountains, and monuments in a theatrical glow. There are few evening pursuits as pleasurable as a stroll past the solemn pillars of old temples or the cascading torrents of Renaissance fountains glimmering under the blue-black sky.

Of these fountains, the Naiads (Piazza della Repubblica), the Tortoises (Piazza Mattei), and, of course, the Trevi are particularly beautiful at night. The Capitoline Hill, with its measured Renaissance facades, is magnificently lit after dark. The view of the Roman Forum from the rear of the trapezoidal Piazza del Campidoglio is the grandest in Rome, more so than even the Colosseum. If you're across the Tiber, Piazza San Pietro (in front of St. Peter's Basilica) is particularly impressive at night. Illuminated architecture, Renaissance fountains, sidewalk shows, and art expos all enliven Piazza Navona.

Even if you don't speak Italian, you can generally follow the listings of special events and entertainment in La Repubblica, one of the leading Italian newspapers. The minimag Wanted in Rome (www.wantedinrome.com) has listings of jazz, rock, and such. The daily Il Messaggero lists current cultural news. Un Ospite a Roma, available free from the concierge desks of top hotels, is full of details on what's happening.

The Cafe & Bar Scene

It seems there's nothing Romans like better than sitting and talking over a beverage -- usually wine or coffee. Unless you're dead set on making the Roman nightclub circuit, try what can be a far livelier and less expensive scene -- sitting late at night on Via Veneto, Piazza della Rotonda, Piazza del Popolo, or one of Rome's other piazzas, all for the cost of an espresso, a cappuccino, or a Campari.

Cafes

On Via Veneto -- Back in the 1950s (a decade Time magazine gave to Rome, in the way it conceded the 1960s and later the 1990s to London), Via Vittorio Veneto rose in fame as the hippest street in Rome, crowded with aspiring and actual movie stars, their directors, and a fast-rising group of card-carrying members of the jet set. Today the beautiful people wouldn't be caught dead on touristy Via Veneto -- but regardless, visitors flock here by the thousands. As one Roman cafe owner told us, "You can see Romans all over the city. But on Via Veneto, sit at one of our tables and catch people from all over the world go by. It's worth the price we charge for an espresso."

Near the Pantheon -- Piazza della Rotonda, across from the Pantheon, is the place to be after dark, especially in summer. Although it's touristy, locals come here, too, because it's a dramatic place to be at night when the Pantheon is lit up.

On or Near Piazza del Popolo -- According to legend, the ashes of Nero were enshrined here until 11th-century residents began complaining to the pope about his imperial ghost. The Egyptian obelisk seen here today dates from the 13th century B.C.; it was removed from Heliopolis to Rome during the reign of Augustus (it originally stood at the Circus Maximus). The present piazza was designed in the early 19th century by Valadier, Napoleon's architect. Two almost-twin baroque churches stand on the square, overseeing the never-ending traffic.

In Trastevere -- Several cafes in Trastevere, across the Tiber, are attracting crowds. Fans who saw Fellini's Roma know what Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere looks like at night. The square, filled with milling throngs in summer, is graced with an octagonal fountain and a 12th-century church. Children play in the piazza, and occasional spontaneous guitar fests break out when the weather's good.