Mr & Mrs Smith

Admire the Pantheon, wander around the Piazza Navona (look out for the lively market in nearby Campo de’ Fiori every morning) and flex the plastic on Via Condotti, Piazza del Popolo and Via Sistina. Climb the Spanish Steps for a dazzling view over the Centro Storico to St Peter’s, and tick all the tourist boxes with trips to the Colosseum, the Forum and the Vatican. Break away from the madding crowd and visit the cool waters of Lake Bracciano (www.lakebracciano.com), a scenic reservoir about half an hour’s drive outside Rome.

Dine among actors, artists, models and politicians at Dal Bolognese, one of the city’s most fashionable restaurants, at 1–2 piazza del Popolo. Begin with the misto di pasta – a starter of four different pasta on one plate, each with its own sauce, then follow with a traditional classic such as tagliatelli with bolognese, lasagne verde or veal cutlets topped with cheese. Head to the Canova Tadolini museum at Via del Babuino (+39 06 3211 0702), once home to four generations of the Tadolini dynasty of stone and metal sculptors. Eat in the restaurant, Canova Tadolini Ristorante, in a dining room scattered with plaster busts and statues. Join the well-heeled locals and dine at Al Moro, a family-run restaurant behind the Trevi fountain, at 13 vicolo delle Bollette (+39 06 678 3495). Delectable dishes at this traditional trattoria include roast goat with rosemary, crispy artichokes, and house spaghetti (egg, bacon and red peppers). There’s an impressive wine list, too.

La Buvette, on Via Vittoria (+39 06 679 0383) is a fabulous old-school café/bar/restaurant – equally good for a quick cappuccino or a light but flavoursome lunch. Pastificio, at 8 via della Croce, is a pasta shop selling home-made tagliatelle, conchiglie, penne and the rest – but those in the know head here around lunchtime, stake out the tiny marble table in the centre of the room, and request a simple bowl of the shop’s finest. Take a break from shopping with a pitstop at Rome’s famous coffee bar, the elegant Antico Caffè Greco, at 84 via Condotti (+39 06 679 1700). The marble-topped tables, dramatic paintings and antique mirrors add up to a decadent space fit for the illustrious – Keats, Goethe, Stendhal and Byron are just some who have sipped here.

March/April Good Friday: the Via Crucis, a torch-lit procession from the Colosseum up the Monte Palatino reenacting the 14 stations of the cross. On Easter Sunday, the Pope gives his blessing from the balcony of St Peter’s (www.vatican.va). May Primo Maggio, the annual May Day festival in Piazza San Giovanni, welcomes spring with a big free stage gig (www.primomaggio.com). June–July Around Sound, a month of nightly jazz at La Palma Club (www.lapalmaclub.it). 29 June The feast day of Rome’s patron saints Peter and Paul shuts the city down. September Photography festival FotoGrafia (www.fotografiafestival.it). La Notte Bianca keeps you up all night with music, drama and dance – perfect for 24-hour party people (www.lanottebianca.it). RomaEuropa Festival: big-hitting culture (www.romaeuropa.net). October Celluloid is celebrated at the Rome Film Fest (www.romacinemafest.org). November The annual Roma Jazz Festival brings bebop, swing and all things snazzy to the Eternal City (www.romajazzfestival.it). 25 December The pope’s Christmas blessing is delivered at noon.