Neighbourhood guides
Esquilino & Piazza Vittorio Guide around Salotto 18
Piazza Vittorio and the Magic Door
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II is the largest square in Rome, framed by 19th-century arcades. In its central garden stand the ruins of the Nymphaeum of Alexander and the Magic Door, the only survivor of the five gates of the Marquis Palombara's villa, covered in alchemical symbols.
Santa Maria Maggiore
Four minutes on foot from Salotto 18 is the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of Rome's four papal basilicas, with 5th-century mosaics and a coffered ceiling said to be gilded with the first gold brought from the Americas.
The market and world food
The Nuovo Mercato Esquilino is the city's most multicultural market: spices, tropical fruit and ingredients from every continent. Around the square, Roman trattorias, historic pastry shops and some of Rome's best international restaurants sit side by side.
Getting around
Metro A (Vittorio Emanuele stop) is two minutes away and takes you to the Spanish Steps and the Vatican Museums. Roma Termini is an eight-minute walk, with trains to Fiumicino airport, and the Colosseum is about ten minutes by public transport.
Salotto 18 · Piazza Vittorio
Book on the official site: best rate guaranteed compared with the portals.