Regarding Lecce, if you are going to be staying 6-7 weeks one of the most important features is going to be your relationship with your teacher and if you have found one you like that is half the battle. And if s/he is connected to a school then hopefully you would have opportunities to socialise and enjoy activities with other students. Also I had a look at how well connected Lecce is to the rest of Italy and there are frequent flights from Bari to all the main cities plus Palermo and Catania so there would be ample material for weekend excursions to other parts of Italy too.

Though I have to say that I liked the look of the school in Rome that Leely2 provided the link for - it looks very professional. Too much choice!

Thanks for these very helpful reflections and even for checking out transport links and taking a look at the school that Leely2 mentioned -I appreciate it all. Indeed, lots of choice and great options-a good “challenge indeed!

Hello all, Update (and many thanks again) on helping us to solve our (wonderful) puzzle. We have settled on Rome for our 7 week stay and depart for Rome on Oct 31. We have now done a lot of research on language study options (based on the info shared through posts on this thread, various TRs and older threads in the forum, a lot of other web research, and conversations we have now had with staff at several schools). Many thanks to those who wrote to share their experiences at different schools and with language schools in general. BTW, I do plan to consolidate the information I collected on language schools in Rome for the forum. I plan to write up and post over the weekend for future reference.

NOW, we have a decision to make, and here’s where those of you with Rome expertise come in (please)! We are going to take private lessons offered on site at one of two schools. We like them equally well and they are offering us similar opportunities and pricing. One school is in Monti (10 mins walk to the Cavour metro station; the school is south of Trevi, right near the Bank d’Italia); the other is in Prati (near Piazza Navano and near the river; near to the Metro A Flaminino/Lepanto metro stop). Here’s where the question comes in. We would like to rent an apartment within a 15-20 minute walk from the school. It is very important to us that the apartment we rent is in a quiet (especially at night) neighborhood (or a quiet part of a neighborhood); is residential in feel; has good small food shops; a supermarket; and good (including simple) restaurants frequented by locals (rather than just tourists). We would like to be able to take the train so that we are not dependent on buses and taxis when we chose to leave the neighborhood for places beyond walking distance. And, much as I am embarrassed to say it, we would like the neighborhood to feel upscale, and preferably would like to walk to a park. With all that in mind, would folks here recommend that we base ourselves in Prati or Monti (or in a particular neighborhood that borders one of these two neighborhoods)? I have taken note of some particular streets in Prati and Monti that sound appealing in earlier threads and TRs. Many thanks, again if you have the patience to engage.

Nice to read that you chose Rome. Lots to do and easy train connections. If you haven't visited Orvieto, please consider it. I can provide no apartment help but strongly suggest that you check the tram routes as you consider your options. I'm looking forward to reading about trip!

Thanks for the tips, TDudette-I will definitely do as you advise—many thanks

When I began reading your request for neighborhoods in Rome, I thought of Monti. We plan to stay there on our next visit. I follow food writer Elizabeth Minchilli and she lives there which first piqued my interest in that area.

Thanks for the great tip HappyTrvlr-I haven’t looked at Minchilli’s blog for a while and totally forget that this is where she lives. That indeed does tip in favor of Monti (over Prati). And you’ve reminded me that I should start checking out her blog again-it always made me hungry!

Another Rome-based food writer, Katie Parla, is a big fan of the Prati neighborhood. https://katieparla.com/rome-food-sho...and-trionfale/ I just happened to recently catch her food show on "Recipe TV" in which she spotlights Prati. Looks lovely for quiet residential feel but with plenty of food shops and restaurants. I'm a fan of Minchilli too--don't think you can really go wrong!

Thanks so much Yorkshire—it does seem like both Prati and Monti would be great and fit well with what I am looking for. Thanks very much for the info on Prati and for the info on Katie Parla—I was unaware of her work and her site looks like a great resource. Many thanks!

HappyTrvlr/Studenttobe - due to a last minute switch of apartments we ended up staying in Monti on our first trip to Rome, and we loved it. We fell into a routine of spending the day exploring the centro storico then going back to our apartment, which was on Via dei Serpenti, for a rest and going out for a drink and supper in Monti. I'm pretty certain that the restaurants have changed in the last 15 years but I'm sure you would find some great ones and some lovely food shops too.

Monti is more heavily touristed and could be louder if these are concerns.

Of course some streets in Prati could be loud too.

I've not stayed in Prati--just been through for dining. I have stayed in Monti and like it a lot.

Have fun choosing!

Thanks very much for the feedback, Annhig-as always, very helpful

Thanks very much Leely-great to have your perspective!

Ooh, I should note that the last few times I've been in Rome it's been May/June. Things will likely be much quieter Nov/Dec outside of the Christmas and New Year holiday season.

great point-thanks for the add'l info

We were in London and Rome over the holidays in 2019/2020. London was cold but Rome was freezing! We walked everywhere being thankful it wasn't hot like our past two trips to Rome. Gloves, hat and a down coat saved me. I had them along on the trip for London but didn't expect to need them in Rome. So be prepared as you can't tell what the weather will be like.
It was very crowded in Rome around New Years with Italian tourists.
I would also look at Bologna for your stay, Europe's oldest university is there. It is on the main train line, has a wonderful food scene too.

Thanks HappyTrvlr-great points about the weather and packing. Thanks you for that (also the point about crowds around New Years). And your point about Bologna I agree with 100% Hope to go there in the spring for a shorter solo trip with some time to study. I had the privilege of teaching at a university in Bologna (in English ) some years ago and love the city, food culture, and easy transit to a million wonderful places. My DH may be the only person in the world not to love Bologna and particularly in the winter when a grey cloud settles over the city. Since we are doing this Nov-Dec trip together we have taken Bologna off the table. Thanks very much

<<My DH may be the only person in the world not to love Bologna and particularly in the winter when a grey cloud settles over the city. Since we are doing this Nov-Dec trip together we have taken Bologna off the table. Thanks very much>>

studenttobe - I too suffered from the cold in Bologna especially the first time I was there in January 2018, in fact I swear that my west facing room with huge windows [rented through the language school] was the coldest in Bologna. That was until I felt ill one day and slept in and discovered that by 10am the place was snug and warm. Of course the landlady was nowhere to be seen so after consulting with the school [who of course told me what a wonderful landlady she was, che gentile etc etc ,suggested that I investigate the heating system and try to adjust it. So another student and I located the heating controls and did our best to alter them to ensure that it was warm in the mornings and evenings, which is after all when you really need the heat. Despite this I loved Bologna and chose to go back the next year, though that time it was only for a week and I stayed in a hotel which was very warm and comfy.

But I understand why you have removed Bologna from the candidates - no point if one of you is miserable.

Hi there, I just posted a quick and inexcusably late follow up in another thread re the experience that prompted this initial inquiry, which then elicited so many generous, invaluable, and extremely thoughtful replies. Here are some more details in case this is helpful to others planning similar long stays, especially in the Nov/Dec period.

Our experiences are surely very particular in re what's important to us and the timing of our stay. Particulars and timing: we were traveling during Covid and we were "above average Covid cautious" (partly by personality, but mostly bec DH has some particular risk factors); we were on sabbatical (University profs), and our principal goal for the trip was to study Italian intensively and live somewhere (rather than travel--we have done a lot of that in Italy—we were looking for a nesting/studying experience, and we also had some work related to our day jobs—meetings on zoom and some research/writing so staying put since we often did some work on weekends was helpful). We were also quite concerned about a possible Covid surge and the risk of being back in lockdown mode. So, we wanted to have an apartment that was more comfortable than we would normally would rent, where we could cook a lot (that’s a passion of mine in any scenario, Covid or not), study Italian on skype in case in-person classes got suspended and work some on our writing/research. In the end, Omicrom only arrived in Rome in the last two weeks of our stay in December, and we enjoyed a freer, safer, and more joyful life during our two months than at any time in the previous two years. A final factor that is extremely particular to us (folks here were especially patient on this matter) is that weather was really important in re selection of a nesting place. We love the outdoors in general (do a LOT of walking and mountain hiking when home); are spoiled weatherwise and don’t do well in heavy grey cloud cover/very cold, damp environments (especially DH—a winter in otherwise delightful Bologna many years ago really reinforced this for us); and we wanted to be able to eat outdoors bec of Covid concerns. A final consideration was that we wanted to be somewhere quiet (having gotten it wrong in other locations in the past) and where Romans lived and worked. (The rush of people going to work in the neighborhood was really nice-Leely2, I think, mentioned this as a plus-she was right). The apt we rented was very quiet; the building had several small pensione in it (perhaps they were airbnbs—not sure), some law and architecture offices, and some long-term residents.

Below some info that might be helpful to others.

Rome as a nesting place:

I’m so grateful that so many here reflected on why Rome would be perfect for us. They were absolutely correct! We’d each been there several times for short stays of probably 5-6 days each, always staying in hotels (though once in an Airbnb in a crowded part of Trastevere) and running around on our own seeing the amazing sights of the city. I always loved visiting Rome, but experienced it through the lens of it being crowded with tourists and too warm (esp in re the humidity). And we had never been there in Nov/Dec and didn’t know that the climate would be so pleasant. It was light down sweater weather and waterproof shoes the entire time (the waterproof shoes were not necessary every day, but that’s what we brought with us—there was just one very cold day that allowed us to break out the heavier coat that we brought), and there were maybe 3 days of biblically heavy rains (and some very light drizzles for maybe an hour a day a few times a week) . I consider that perfect weather for that time of year. We were able to eat outdoors and walk and walk and walk. We got lucky-I know this was somewhat atypical for that season.

It was great to be in a big city with all that it offered, especially after tedium of Covid life at home. We did things that we had not previously done when in Rome. The quotidian day to day of grocery shopping was a joy (the produce is what always really grabs me in Italy, and the Trionfale market in Prati was amazing-a 45 minute walk for us, but that gets back to the point that we love to walk); we went to the movies a good bit (forcing ourselves to watch in Italian as part of our study) and the opera a few times; visited several small modern art galleries and museums (i.e., the Macro, MAXXI, and the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art-previous visits were antiquities heavy); on weekends we walked various neighborhoods of Rome that we’d previously not seen and focused on long walks and people watching in Rome’s many parks.

An unexpected joy for us was park walking and exploration. We were unaware that Rome had so many wonderful parks. We stayed near Villa Borghese, and that became “our park.” Beautiful and great fun to explore. People watching was terrific (and it was fun to see running and biking groups, people with their dogs, and crossfit type of classes and people working out with a friend or a personal trainer—also the birds, not just the parakeets were wonderful, though we do love them, and know that our Roman friends decidedly do not). Other very different types of parks that we loved and spent weekend days exploring: Villa Ada (and exploring the Quartiere Coppedè afterwards was great), Villa Doria Pamphilj, Villa Torlonia, and the Parco degli Acquedotti.

It was fun to see the city get dolled up for Christmas and we enjoyed seeing the presepi at the Vatican (and then going to St Peter’s on Christmas Day).

Apartment:

We rented this apartment. More space than we needed to be sure, but given some of the considerations I mentioned it made sense. Loved the location-convenient and perfect given our priorities and interests. Not as charming as parts of Prati or Monti, but we liked it a lot and would stay in the neighborhood again. The owners were unbelievably responsive-more so than any others in my experience, and I usually stay in Airbnbs when traveling anywhere for more than 3 nights. Also, we booked at the last minute (we were only able to make this trip once we secured an appt for a third Covid shot in late September (for a shot in mid-Oct), both bec we were concerned about leaving the country w/o a booster and also bec our employer-provided medical and travel insurance was not going to be valid if we left the country w/o a booster+ 2 weeks (that was perhaps a very unique situation re the risk management dept of our employer). That meant we had to scramble to make arrangements at the last minute (meaning finding a school, a location for our base, and an apt). We had not done any research on any of this bec it seemed impossible the previous year that we would be leaving the country to take advantage of our sabbatical. Since we were staying for a long time and our trip was imminent and the apartment was not otherwise rented, I decided to make a request for a heavily discounted rate, and was thrilled that the owners agreed. That was a unique confluence of circumstances. Here's the apt: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/plus/22...T51vtcgMwIcZSL

Language school

I studied what I think was every thread in this forum on language school and received so much direct information from so many here. I also examined many review sites. In the end we decided on a small language school for a few reasons. We wanted to take private lessons only, both to accelerate and tailor our learning and also because of Covid concerns; getting back to Covid caution, we thought that a large school with lots of students would make us nervous bec it might be hard to police masking protocol; we are around campus environments in our day jobs and wanted to be in a quieter setting w/fewer college students (love their energy generally, but just didn’t want it this time); we felt that lots of out of class activities would be nice (and important learning opportunities, as per Annhig’s helpful points), several of the larger schools that we looked at indicated that bec of Covid these activities would likely not happen during our time there; and after zoom conversations with the school director and the person that would be our teacher at each school that made our short list, we just felt that the school and the teacher were a great fit.
We studied at Ciao Italia, which is a very small school with a friendly, responsive staff (there are maybe 4 very simple classrooms, perhaps 5--I don’t recall) based in the Monti neighborhood. (It was a very pleasant 15 minute walk from our apt behind Piazza Barberini.) We were thrilled with our teacher. We did private lessons 4 hours a day Mon-Thurs (2 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon) and 2 hours on line with our teacher on Fridays. LOVED studying, LOVED doing homework again. DH and I met as students decades ago so it also felt nostalgic. And the one other time we studied Italian in Grado, Italy 15+ years ago (school there now sadly defunct) was a very special time for us. The school offered (for a small fee) one walk a week in a different neighborhood with one of the administrators and one wonderful monthly cooking class (for up to 5 students, though in reality only 1 other student attended both times) at the small apartment of a delightful woman. It might be that in non Covid times there would be more activities—I’m not sure. Certainly that would be great, but the school was a perfect fit for our needs. Since we have prof’l colleagues in Rome we did have the opportunity to spend time outside of class with others so that certainly colored our experience.

The other schools that made our short list were Studio Lingue Cola di Rienzo Roma (in Prati), Scuola Leonardo da Vinci-Roma, Dante Alegheri Kappa School (Monti), Koine’ Italian Language Center (Monti), and the Romit School (Monti). Some of these were unable to accommodate our desire for 4 hours of private classes, given the last minute timing of our trip. Studio Lingue and Romit were close contenders for us, given the particular sensibilities that I noted above. All of these no doubt would have been fine and we would have learned a lot. We are returning to Ciao Italia for 5 weeks of private classes starting in April (though for only two hours a day in person, Mon-Thurs, and two hours on line in the early am on Friday--as we have more of our day job work to do in the spring and plan to do a bit of weekend traveling this time around). Another last minute trip, partly owing to a change in some other plans. I have just yesterday booked a different Airbnb this time. The one we stayed at in Nov/Dec was not available, and in any case, I imagine it would be too expensive for us at spring rates. The place I booked is in Parioli (much smaller and plainer than the winter rental, but also a lot cheaper). It’s a few hundred meters from the Maxxi and a 15 minute walk to the Villa Borghese. We’ll do our morning walk to school through the Villa Borghese—a long walk to be sure, but that suits us. And we liked that part of Parioli (especially around Villa Ada), despite it not being the most interesting part of the city and not close to many of the places that draw visitors to Rome.

Miscellaneous language resources:

This info may not be useful (not least bec others already know about it). But just in case I wanted to share a few things that I learned after spending too much time on line. Links to all can be found using any web browser.

I find the iTranslate app useful as a dictionary on the go on my iphone. It does a nice job with pronounciation (at least to my bad ear), has a flash card function (which is OK, not great), and a function that allows you to scan text on your phone through the app and translate (handy for menus). It’s not free for an annual subscription, but it’s not very expensive either. There is a free trial. I like it better than using google translate.

I have found the videos produced by “My Italian Circle” and “Learn Italian with Lucrezia” very useful and impressive. These are some talented teachers. My Italian Circle also has written materials that you can download (some free, some by subscription). We have started subscribing to support these wonderful content creators. Lots of free material that is of very high quality. I also find some of the blog posts on learning Italian at the Italian Pills website useful.

I’ve started to listen to an Italian novel on Audible.com on my phone while reading it (or at least trying to read it) on my kindle. I downloaded a free Italian dictionary on my kindle so it is nice to touch a word and get a translation in an Italian-Italian dictionary that I can “sort of” understand (it’s slow to use the dictionary on my kindle, but it’s an old one). I have an old school Kindle (maybe generation 5) so there is no automatic syncing between listening on my phone and reading on the kindle---newer Kindle Fire tablets (and some newer Kindles) do a better job of syncing, but I haven’t upgraded. It suffices and I am finding it helpful to see and listen. And it’s nice to be able to slow down the playback on my audiobook to 70 or 80% speed.

Thanks again to everyone for the generous insights. I continue to learn so much from the practical knowledge and experience of this group and its generosity. Apologies for taking so long to post a report.

Thanks so much for this helpful information.

As easy compiti in the U.S., you might enjoy watching some of the Alberto Angela series "Stanotte a..." On RAI but certain episodes are available on YouTube. Sometimes the presentation is a little OTT (in my opinion)--however they are great for listening skills and really quite enjoyable.

Stanotte a Napoli is the most recent, recommended to me by my Italian teacher:

Many thanks for this resource, Leely2. I will definitely check out it. Have been watching and rewatching a few things on US Netflix, first w English subtitles and then with Italian subtitles (Generation 56K, Luna e Nera, Luna Park--love the fashion and re retro feel, The Procedure), and in fact was looking for some new content. This is great suggestion-many thanks for sharing

Thanks so much, sudenttobe! I’m really enjoying reading about your language school experience and appreciate the link to your lovely apartment. It sounds like a fantastic time and a great place to study Italian. And doing it in Rome seems to be a perfect place to study, with so much accessible to you.

I’m excited for you that you’re returning to continue your studies!

well that was well worth waiting for, studenttobe! Thank you so much for sharing all that with us - what a lovely apartment. And in an ideal situation for what you wanted by the sound of it. Amazing that you were able to bring it altogether so well at such late notice and thanks for the wholly unnecessary mention. I think that you have summed up the advantages of a longer stay than normal especially in a big city like Rome very well - you get to see and experience things to a depth that the transitory visitor cannot imagine. And how nice that you are going back next month - that is such a compliment to the school. Good luck!

thanks so much-will report on any new developments re round 2 of our special year (esp what it’s like to live further afield, and if the far less ‘glam’ 1bedrm that we rented is worthy of a recommendation)

thanks so much! And hoping to spend a nite or two in sorrento (where we’ve never been) either as an add on to a night or two in Naples (which I love) or as a separate weekend. I saved your and some other folks’ earlier mentions of the beauty of Sorrento and your experiences there.

Ps. FWIW, just recalled the the apt we rented in Parioli is near the Macro Musuem (not the Maxxi Museum)—just mentioning to avoid confusion

<<thanks so much! And hoping to spend a nite or two in sorrento (where we’ve never been) either as an add on to a night or two in Naples (which I love) or as a separate weekend. I saved your and some other folks’ earlier mentions of the beauty of Sorrento and your experiences there.>>

my pleasure, studenttobe. I hope that my and others' accounts of our experiences will be helpful.