In Rome, a grappa in the imperial city

You have loved The great bellezza, by Paolo Sorrentino and the terrace of the film’s hero, the socialite Jep Gambardella, which offered a bird’s eye view of Rome? Then you’ll love the American Bar… Located on the roof of the Hotel Forum, it is one of the most pleasant among the many rooftops scattered throughout the imperial city.

But, above all, it offers a breathtaking summary of Roman history, from the Capitol to the monument to Victor-Emmanuel II, passing through the domes of the basilicas, the ocher facades and the red tiled roofs. Seated at the American Bar, we find ourselves in the heart of a mythical panorama that the eye embraces at a glance. Moreover, the terrace overlooks the famous forum located a stone’s throw away, on the other side of the street. Some of its high ruined walls even stand in front of the hotel.

Back to the American Bar and its pleasant shaded terrace, like a cozy eagle’s nest decorated with a ceramic fresco representing an Italian coastal landscape, planted with bougainvillea and jasmine. This bar once hosted Jackie Kennedy, Liz Taylor or Brigitte Bardot… Who probably tasted one of its many cocktails, including the most famous based on grappa, the eau-de-vie made from grape marc .

However, the origins of this old-fashioned hotel with bourgeois charm inaugurated in 1962 are to be found in religion. A Catholic city and seat of many congregations, Rome has several religious buildings, including this convent of Dominican friars built in the 18th^e century, formerly connected to the Church of Saints Quirico e Giulitta, located a stone’s throw from the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. We reach it after having taken a few alleys, for a more real-than-life leap into the past.