Cool, clean lines of the long leather sofa sets the modern decorating tone of the apartment.

The living room in this large Rome apartment is filled with light. The sofa is complimented by two signed Eames designer chairs. The carpet is also by a famous design house.

Window views are great. The tree-filled piazza below is one of the few in Prati with trees. Of course, the streets are tree line. Beyond the trees, you see some other nice buildings from the early 1800s and Monte Mario beyond.

Between the living room and the dining room is a slider, allowing separation when the apartment is full. A flat screen television has Satellite reception for a few English language channels.

Attractive glass table has two leaves that pull out from the ends, room for everyone. The apartment has sconces in every room. Often Italian apartments are poorly lit, but not here!

Modern and roomy, dining room is perfect for meals 'at home'.

Entry foyer mirror reflects the long hallway. The living room can be seen just to the right.

Well-lit hallway leads to the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen.

Fully equipped eat-in kitchen. There are many convenient food shops and take-away pizza places in the neighborhood.

There is also a full dining room but the kitchen table is nicely situated for breakfast and is good spot for feeding children.

Master bedroom with king size bed decorated in warm reds. The French doors open onto a charming little balcony, not big enough to sit out on but perfect for standing and enjoying the morning sunshine.

A wall of closets in the master bedroom provide ample space for clothing and luggage storage, unusually large for a Roman apartment.

Master bathroom adjoins the master bedroom, it is nice and modern. Fully enclosed glass shower.

Master bathroom fully enclosed glass shower.

Cheerful blue bedroom with 2 twin beds.

Modern tiles in the small bathroom. It is hard to find large Rome vacation apartments with three full, up-to-date bathrooms such as the Rigoletto apartment has.

The small bathroom has an enclosed shower.

The green bedroom has two twin beds end-to-end and also good closet space. All the bedrooms are well proportioned and amply sized.

Closets in the green bedroom provide plenty of space for clothing, luggage.

Views from the green bedroom. Because the apartment is high up in the building with unobstructed views, the rooms that face the piazza gets lots of light and air.

The third bedroom has a bathtub with whirlpool jets and with shower sprayer attachment above.

Jauzzi style bathtub in the third bathroom.

Washing machine. A clothes drying rack is provided.

Approximate layout of large Rigoletto apartment.

The park in the piazza is a gathering spot for locals, whether it's elderly people chatting with a neighbor or young families.

The little playground in the piazza park is a rare find which is why the Rigoletto apartment is good for families with young children or grandchildren.

Rome is abuzz with ever-stylish Vespa's. The word Vespa means "wasp" in Italian...you'll know why when you hear their sound!

Local cafe for a light lunch or hearty dinner. In this neighborhood you'll find fewer tourists and more Romans at local restaurants which makes for a more authentic experience. When the weather is mild enjoy al fresco dining.

Lots of convenient food shopping. The nearest alimentari, which is a small grocery store, has just about everything you need for cooking up easy meals and household essentials.

Just a few minutes walk is a daily fruit and vegetable market.

Along Via Ottaviano which is nearby are market stalls with everything from designer shoe knock-offs, fashionable Tshirts to inexpensive, stylish jewelry. Families with teenage or college student daughters take note! My own daughter bought a bikini one summer for only €2.00! These are bargain prices so quality is mediocre, but for young shoppers this is the place for budget fashion.

You'll find locals and tourists alike scouring this block of clothing stalls. It's just across the street from the Ottaviano subway entrance, the nearest subway stop to the Vatican and St. Peter's.

Italian fashionista on a budget? Bargain shoes for the young or young-at-heart at the Ottiviano market stalls.

Trendy and inexpensive clothing, perfect for youthful shoppers and good for inexpensive gifts to bring back home.

Ticket and information counter in the Ottaviano subway station.

Rome subway train. Rome is putting new trains into service. If you have seen the old ones that still run some routes, the improvement is grand.

The Coin store on Via Cola di Rienzo is a department store that is like a miniature Macy's. Good selection of clothing. On the basement level is a large Billa supermarket. And, on the corner, open stands for all kinds of fashion accessories. The entire Via Cola di Rienzo is the hub of shopping activity in the Prati neighborhood. Plenty of good restaurants along the side streets where locals eat.

On Via Cola di Rienzo you can find two famous gourmet food shops, Franchetti and Castroni. You can see the prosciutto hams hanging in the window in this photo of the front of Franchetti. If you want special ingredients of any kind, here's the place to go.

The "mercato rionale", the neighborhood open market for fresh foods of all kinds is on Via Cola di Rienzo. It's a full block large.