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Whether you're looking for love in a plate of spaghetti, a glass of red wine or the enchanting views of the Eternal City, here's a hand-picked selection of places which would make any heart flutter.
1. Passion. Inspired by Stendhal's novel, 16 Rosso is the place for romance near Piazza Vescovio. It's small but perfectly proportioned with its scarlet walls embracing you as you enter. Luxury lies in the details: black floors and napkins contrasted by china white plates, and all surrounded by design objects. Some say it reminds them of New York, others say French bistro. Perhaps it's the artwork of Avedon, Bert Stern, Mappletorpe or Man Ray lining the walls which evoke such feelings, or perhaps the soft jazz permeating through the restaurant. Via Stimigliano 16, ROMA Telephone 0686211816
2. Seduction. The sumptuos Hotel Relais Castello Della Castelluccia is offering lovers an exclusive package for €265.00 per person which offers: 2 nights in a deluxe room with buffet breakfast, a welcome champagne cocktail, fresh fruit upon arrival, a romantic candlelit dinner for two (excluding drinks), a bottle of Pommery Champagne and free entry to the spa center. Call Tel 06 30207041 for info and reservations.
3. Trust. Nothing solves a little lover's spat than humour. Go to the Bocca della Verità (mouth of truth) and face the evil stone face with a wide open mouth. Legend says that if you place your hand inside the mouth and lie to a question that's been asked, it will bite your hand off! Lover beware! This mouth has been known to break up and make up couples.
4. Communication. Make the person you long for think you're not just after what's hiding under the clothes. Walk in the Monti neighbourhood and stroll on quiet via Urbania 'till you reach a small, independent movie club called Detour - 25 red velvet chairs and a small screen showing black & white Japanese silent movies with a live band making all the sounds. Try blowing into a flute and making it sound like rice fields bending in the wind.
5. Complicity. A trip to Rome would not be complete without admiring the Trevi Fountain. Look your better half in the eyes, turn your back to the fountain and throw a coin into the water while you wish for.. anything your beating heart desires!
Nothing says romance better than a tour of artwork and masterpieces by artists inspired by their muses. Intrigue, lust, and rivalries in art unveil timeless works which still stand in modern Rome today. Listen to poems written by Caravaggio, Raphael and Bramante while they created Art. Chiara Moriconi
