Among other delights, Rome’s San Giovanni neighborhood offers its share of interesting sights, cheap clothing opportunities, and sweet eats. Here’s our guide to a fun day exploring what to see, do, and eat in San Giovanni.

1. Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano

Grab a bargain at San Giovanni’s market.

A must-visit. The basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano (Basilica of St. John Lateran), pictured above, is Rome’s only official cathedral, and thus could be considered the “big daddy” of all basilicas. The bishop of Rome (the Pope) counts this as his church, and as a result it ranks higher than other churches in the Roman Catholic Church. The church was originally constructed by Constantine the Great in the fourth century.

Piazza San Giovanni. Open every day 7:00 AM – 6:30 PM

2. San Giovanni Clothing Market

Head for the San Giovanni clothing market to find very cheap new and used clothing. The market features plenty of stalls to pick through. You’re destined to find a bargain or two.

Via Sannio. Open daily, except Sunday. 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Tiramisu at Pompi. The best in Rome?

3. Tiramisu stop

Armed with bags of new (and used) clothing, head down the road, near Re di Roma, to Pompi. The restaurant has a reputation for dishing up the best tiramisu in Rome. If you’re not in the mood for layers of cream, chocolate, and cinnamon, you could also sample their gelato, panna cotta, “caffe del nonno,” or just settle for a banana split.

Via Albalonga, 11. Open daily, except Monday 6:30 AM – 1:30 AM.

4. Free Music! If you time it right…

The Cornetto Free Music Concert held every year in Piazza San Giovanni. The Black Eyed Peas, Avril Lavigne, Duran Duran, Beck, Joss Stone, and Jamiroquai have played the event in the past. The festival, sponsored by the Cornetto ice cream empire, is normally held during the summer. Consult their official site for upcoming dates.

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Cheapos clearly like to get under the skin of a city, probing well beyond the regular sights to get a feel for what makes a community tick. Faith is often still part of the fabric of European life, but getting a feel for it as a foreigner isn’t always easy – unless you happen to be a churchgoer.

Churches of all denominations (and mosques and synagogues, too) usually welcome casual visitors to their services, provided that the stranger dresses appropriately, adopts a reverent demeanour, and does not attempt to take photographs during services.

Get thee to Church

York Minster for Evensong is a very different place from the echo-filled space around which tourists wander during the day. The Minster is transformed into something altogether more meaningful. Similarly Vespers in St Mark’s in Venice will leave you in awe of the space for which Monteverdi wrote such evocative music in a way that you’ll simply miss if you shuffle round with the tourist crowds. The interior of the newly restored Frauenkirche in Dresden seems, with its strange mix of pastel shades, like a tribute to poor taste during the day when tourists traipse through the place; attend a service and the space assumes a different meaning and is altogether more pleasing.

Whether it be at a grand cathedral like Chartres or Milan, or in a humble parish church in a small village in the Alps, Mass on a Sunday morning will only take an hour out of your day. This sedentary hour may give some quiet insights into local life. Take in a service at a Methodist chapel in Wales for a good glimpse into Welsh life. What is modern Poland without Catholicism? And in hundreds of communities across Russia, devotional zeal knows no bounds. A visit to an Orthodox service for the Divine Liturgy on a Sunday is a chance to witness some fine liturgical theatre that offers rich insights into life in Russia.

Take in a service and you’ll save on a few admission fees into the bargain. No church has yet had the temerity to charge those who come to pray!

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