La Dolce Vita: 5 Ways To Enjoy Time In Rome, Italy
If you are planning to spend time in Rome, and you want to fully experience the Italian culture, you must know what “la dolce vita” is and find a way to incorporate it in your holiday.
What Is “La Dolce Vita”?
First of all, what is “la dolce vita”? It literally means “the sweet life”, and it is a style of living typical of the post World War 2 Italian culture. It became famous during the ’60s with the success of the movie “La Dolce Vita” by Federico Fellini, starring Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg. The film became a classic of Italian cinematography and brought the idea of “la dolce vita” from Italian to English culture.
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The Philosophy Of “La Dolce Vita”
As we said, “la dolce vita” is not only a movie but a real lifestyle. The main idea is to grasp joy from every little thing and to feel good in the present. It practically translates to enjoy as much as possible. Be it with ice cream with your friend or taking your time to just sit on the grass and feel the wind on your skin and the sun warming you. You want to be alone as little as possible and spend your time in Rome surrounded by your friends. This way of living promotes an “endless youth” and focuses on experiencing the happiness of being alive one day at the time.
The Bad Side Of “La Dolce Vita”
This way of living the good life brings happiness and light-heartedness, but it has also a bad side. This philosophy pushes you to live your life day by day, ignoring the long term. This way of thinking makes it impossible to pursue big projects and to make sacrifices for a bigger reward. For these reasons, it is often considered as the “the mindset of the youth”, and as the way in which young ones live the good life.
“Il Dolce Far Niente”
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An important part of “la dolce vita” is “il dolce far niente”. It literally means “the sweetness of doing nothing” and it is exactly what it sounds like. Laying on the grass during a hot summer day or hanging out at the bar with your friends are important parts of “la dolce vita”. Being able to experience happiness from just relaxing and not having responsibilities is really the key to experience “the sweetness of doing nothing”. If you would like to concentrate this lifestyle in only 2 sentences, these would be “go with the flow” and “live in the moment”.
5 Ways To Experience “La Dolce Vita” During Your Time In Rome, Italy
Now that you know what “la dolce vita” is, we want to give you some tips on how to experience it during your time in Rome. These activities will help you to immerse yourself in the culture but it is really up to you to loosen up and “live in the moment”.
Speak To The Locals
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The first thing that you want to do after you leave your luggage at the hotel is to go out and speak with the locals. If you have friends in Rome it is even better, but the main idea is to find someone who is deeply connected with the capital and knows it like the palm of his hand, he/she can also help you to translate Italian to English. Even if you don’t have a cicerone, speak as much as you can with the locals during your time in Rome. You will feel how they live in the city and you will also just have a good time.
Eat A Gelato With A Smile
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Take your local friend and ask him/her to take you in his/her favourite ice cream shop, the one where he/she usually goes to. You will taste the delicious Italian gelato, and you will relax and hang out with your friends. During this time try to forget all your worries and just enjoy being there, it will be magical.
Make Hand Gestures
Live the moment, show your emotions, express yourself! Practice using your body to communicate and not only your voice. Ask a local friend to teach you some hand gestures and try to use them during your time in Rome. You may experience what it means to be “passionate like an Italian”, and it will be for sure a ton of fun.
Spend Time In The Green
In Rome, you can find several beautiful parks to visit (Villa Borghese, Villa Panfili, etc.). Spend an afternoon to visit one of those. When you are there, take your time to just feel the sun and the wind on your skin. Spend some time to look at how the statues blend with nature and discover the different tracks.
Visit The Monuments At Ease
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Lastly, don’t rush from place to place only to collect photos of various monuments say that you have been there. Rome is vast, and the artistic heritage is more extensive than any city on this planet. You will probably not be able to see everything in one holiday, and you just have to live with that. Instead, make a list of the 5 or 10 most interesting things that you want to see. Take your time to fully admire them and experience what it feels like to be in those places. Make memories, not marks on your to-do list.
Other Reasons On Why You Should Spend Time In Rome
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Whether you want to experience “la dolce vita” or not, there are a ton of reasons to visit Rome. You might want to taste the delicious Carbonara or the Caio E Pepe. If you are one of the few who don’t appreciate Italian food, you might find impressive the beautiful architecture of Rome’s churches. Still not convinced?
What is I tell you that in the 149 museums in Rome you can find artists like Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Leonardo Da Vinci, and many others? What if I tell you that according to Unesco, Rome alone hosts 16% of the global cultural heritage, and it is reported as the most visited city in the world? If I have even only tickled your curiosity, check these 20 things to do during your time in Rome. Have you already been to Rome? Tweak your itinerary with this list on the 10 must-visit cities in Italy.
