“We didn’t hide behind a woman, we hid behind a name,” Antonio Mercero told Spanish newspaper El País. The men, all in their 40s and 50s, denied choosing a female pseudonym to help sell the books. Their lead character in the Carmen Mola novels is detective Elena Blanco, a “peculiar and solitary woman, who loves grappa, karaoke, classic cars and sex in SUVs”, according to publisher Penguin Random House.
Credits include work on TV series “Central Hospital” and “Blind Date”. When one of their books won the lucrative Planeta prize, the trio went public to pick up the cheque at a glitzy ceremony attended by the Spanish king.Īgustín Martínez, Jorge Díaz and Antonio Mercero had published novels and worked as scriptwriters under their real names before coming together to write as Mola. The men had published under the pseudonym Carmen Mola, which roughly translates as “Carmen’s cool”. Hotel Vilòn is tucked away in the 16 th-century house annexed to Palazzo Borghese, with a gorgeous design featuring the photographs of renowned Florentine photographer Massimo Listri.A million euro literary prize has lured three Spanish men out of anonymity, to reveal that they are behind ultra-violent Spanish crime thrillers marketed as the work of “Spain’s Elena Ferrante” Palazzo Dama-housed in a restored aristocratic villa-sports a cool, eclectic design and has a Peruvian restaurant and the only pool right in the city center. Everyone who’s anyone has stayed at Hotel Hassler, a grand dame perched atop the Spanish Steps that’s a favorite of royalty and celebrities with a Michelin-starred restaurant. Once Fellini’s haunt, the Hotel Eden has emerged from a top-to-bottom renovation and was reborn with plush rooms and suites, a glamorous lobby bar decked out in marble and frescos, two rooftop restaurants (one for fine dining and the other more casual), a lounge, and spa. The Hotel de Russie is perfect for travelers who appreciate flawless service, a renowned restaurant and bar, and modern design in a perfect location on the bustling Piazza del Popolo. Rome’s most luxurious hotels ooze Italian style, with gorgeous accommodations, excellent restaurants and bars, and relaxing spas. For fine dining with avant-garde takes on Rome’s traditional dishes, go to the Michelin-starred Ristorante All’Oro. To try these dishes in a typical no-frills Roman trattoria, head to Da Enzo al 29 in Trastevere. The most classic Roman pastas are bucatini all’amatriciana, a spicy tomato sauce with peperoncino, guanciale (pig’s cheek), and pecorino romano spaghetti alla carbonara, a creamy sauce made with raw egg yolk, black pepper, guanciale, and pecorino romano and tonnarelli cacio e pepe, a winning combination of pecorino romano and black pepper. Typical appetizers include fried artichokes, fried salt cod filets, and plenty of cheese and salumi. Traditionally dubbed la cucina povera, Roman specialties tend to be simple, with a few ingredients prepared using tried-and-true methods. Italian cuisine is very regional, and though you might see dishes like ragù alla bolognese (the typical meat sauce that hails from Bologna) on restaurant menus, stick to Roman dishes. Whether you’ve never visited Rome or return often, here are 32 things you absolutely must do.Īnd if you are looking for a place to stay while you’re in town, we’ve got recommendations for the Best Hotels in Rome. Of course, after more than 2,000 years in existence, there are enough things to do, see, and explore to keep you busy for years, with decadent pasta, gelato, espresso, and pizza to indulge in, places to shop for everything from handicrafts to haute couture, archeological sites, Baroque churches, villas-turned- museums, and enough art to overload your senses. It may be a cliché, but there’s no better advice for visitors to the Eternal City than the old adage, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” This is where la dolce vita originated, after all.
We've got the best guide for how to spend your vacation time in Rome, Italy, with the best of unmissable sights, the musts of what to eat and drink, the museum, churches, and historical sites you've been dreaming of, and all the secret spots you never knew about.