Monti

Monti was once one of Rome's poorest and roughest districts — ancient Suburra, home to the city's slums in Roman times — before its low rents and medieval-village layout attracted artisans, designers, and a wave of small wine bars from the 2000s onward. Via del Boschetto and Via dei Serpenti are lined with independent boutiques and vintage clothing shops rather than chains, and the small triangular Piazza della Madonna dei Monti, with its fountain, is the neighbourhood's social hub in the evening. It sits directly behind the Colosseum and Roman Forum, making it a natural, quieter place to end a day of ruins. The atmosphere is closer to a small Italian town than the historic centre nearby.