Art and ice cream in Rome

A recent New York Times story highlights one of my favorite about Rome: the abundance of free art in Rome. The center of the city is full of churches, almost all of them worth checking out, for ambiance if nothing else. Throw in the Pantheon and the Forum, and you can easily fill a week with nothing but free art, architecture, and archaeology.

The Times article mentions the site of my favorite painting in the whole world: Caravaggio's Calling of St. Matthew in San Luigi dei Francesi. In addition to the churches mentioned in the article, I also recommend Il Gesù, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (a masterful little church by Borromini), Sant'Ignazio (site of Andrea Pozzo's soaring frescoes and a nifty trompe-l'œil dome), Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza (more Borromini), and Santa Maria della Vittoria (site of Bernini's masterwork Ecstacy of St. Theresa).

In addition to Rome's wonderful art, it also has the best gelato I've ever had. My two favorites:

San Crispino - In terms of flavor, the best gelato in the world. No cones offered here; the proprietors don't want to take away from the taste of the ice cream alone. I once had a cup of apple and honey here; it was Rosh Hashanna in gelato. Check out the flavors, and be sure to try one that you can't believe can be made into ice cream. Just east of the Trevi fountain.

Della Palma - The widest array of flavors. On one visit I discovered that they had three different kinds of pistachio gelato. I had to have a cone wit all three. They also have a large selection of candy, but stick to the gelato. And go back frequently to try new flavors. Just north of the Pantheon.