Campo de' Fiori and Via Giulia: a guide to the Regola district

Regola at a glance: where, for whom, when

Regola is rione VII of Rome, a triangle about a kilometre long squeezed against the bend of the Tiber. Its name is said to come from arenula, the "little sand" the river deposited here. The district was long home to craftsmen: the streets still bear the names of their trades, such as Via dei Cappellari (hatmakers), Via dei Pettinari (comb makers) and Via dei Giubbonari (jerkin tailors).

It suits those who like to wander without a precise goal, lovers of Baroque painting and anyone looking for somewhere to eat and go out without leaving the centre. In the morning it is the market; in the afternoon the guided tours of Palazzo Farnese; in the evening an aperitivo on Campo de' Fiori or a quiet walk along Via Giulia.

Campo de' Fiori: market by day, bars by night

Campo de' Fiori is a rectangular square whose name, "field of flowers", recalls the meadow that lay here in the Middle Ages. From Monday to Saturday an open-air market sets up in the morning: fruit, vegetables, flowers, spices and herb pasta. It closes in the early afternoon and on Sundays. It is more touristy than the neighbourhood markets: expect higher prices and always check the weight shown. Our guide to the markets of Rome compares the options.

In the middle of the square, the statue of the philosopher Giordano Bruno, put up in 1889, faces the Vatican: it was here that Bruno was burned alive by the Inquisition on 17 February 1600. In the evening the square fills with terraces and bars, especially at weekends; it is lively and noisy until late, which suits some tastes and not others. For the night-time atmosphere, also read our guide to Rome by night.

Palazzo Farnese and its square

Piazza Farnese, 100 m from the Campo, is lined by Palazzo Farnese, begun in 1517 by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and finished by Michelangelo. Since 1874 it has housed the French Embassy. The two large granite basins in the square come from the Baths of Caracalla.

The interior can only be seen on a guided tour of about 1 hour 30 minutes, to be booked on the official website at least 5 days ahead, with photo ID: €15 for the palace alone. You see the Carracci Gallery, a large painted ceiling from the late 16th century. If you have not booked, the façade and the square are already worth the detour, especially at dusk.

The Galleria Spada, just around the corner

Behind Piazza Capo di Ferro, the Galleria Spada occupies another 16th-century palace. It holds a collection of 17th-century paintings, but people come above all for Borromini's perspective: a colonnade of about 8 m that looks much longer. The ticket costs €6 and the visit takes about an hour; the gallery is closed on Tuesdays.

The Turtle Fountain and the Ghetto

5 minutes to the east, on a small square in the Ghetto, the Turtle Fountain is one of the prettiest in Rome: four bronze youths and turtles added in the 17th century. It is free to see. From there you are at the entrance to the Jewish quarter described in our guide to the Rome Ghetto.

On the way, Largo di Torre Argentina shelters four temples from the Republican era, in a sunken site in the middle of the traffic. It was in Pompey's Curia, here, that Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC. The site is also a cat sanctuary. A little further on, the Theatre of Marcellus looks like a small Colosseum: it was begun by Caesar and inaugurated under Augustus.

Via Giulia, the Renaissance's straight street

Opened around 1508 by Pope Julius II to link the Vatican to the centre, Via Giulia is a straight line of about a kilometre lined with palaces and churches. It is pedestrianised in places, quiet, and you pass antique dealers and art galleries. It begins near Ponte Sisto, on the banks of the Tiber, and can be walked in either direction; from Palazzo Farnese, Via dei Farnesi leads there in two minutes.

A few stops: the ivy-covered Farnese Arch, a remnant of the bridge dreamed up by Michelangelo; the Mascherone fountain, an ancient mask turned into a fountain in the 17th century; the church of Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte, whose façade is decorated with skulls; Palazzo Falconieri, partly designed by Borromini; and, at the other end, the church of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini, where Borromini is buried. The whole route takes about twenty minutes without stopping.

Summary table: stops in the district

Prices checked in October 2026. All the stops are less than fifteen minutes' walk from one another.

Where to eat and go out

The district is full of restaurants, but you have to choose: the places on Campo de' Fiori charge tourist-square prices, while the lanes around Via dei Giubbonari and Via dei Cappellari are calmer. Avoid places where the waiter calls out to you in the street and check the "pane e coperto" line on the menu. For average prices, see our guide to the budget for Rome.

Getting to Campo de' Fiori and where to stay

There is no metro: the simplest is tram 8, Arenula/Cairoli stop, or buses 40, 46, 62, 64 and 70 to Largo di Torre Argentina. From Piazza Navona, allow five minutes on foot. For tickets and lines, read our guide to transport in Rome.

The district is a good base for a first stay: central, lively and within walking distance of everything, but noisy on the Campo and on Via dei Giubbonari at weekends. Choose a room on Via Giulia or on an inner lane instead. Our guide to where to stay in Rome compares the districts.

Going further

For another district of lanes and trattorias, read our guide to Trastevere, across the Tiber via Ponte Sisto, or the one to Monti. And to see the neighbouring great squares, Piazza Navona is five minutes away.