Giada de Laurentiis' family guide to Rome

The celebrated TV chef calls her Roman heritage her "superpower". Here are her picks for enjoying the Eternal City with kids.

If there's one thing as eternal as Rome, it's the familial bonds that have breathed life into the city over the centuries. For Rome-born celebrity chef Giada de Laurentiis, these cherished childhood memories in the Eternal City have also fuelled her career.

"Rome really is home," says de Laurentiis, who emigrated to the United States with her family when she was seven years old. "All of my earliest memories are in Italy, mainly "[centred on] family and food."

De Laurentiis may have built her culinary empire on the sunny shores of southern California but she has never lost ties to the city of her birth, visiting once or twice a year. Her relationship with her Roman roots, nevertheless, wasn't always an easy one.

"As a kid, it was the bane of my existence," says de Laurentiis. "Everyone made fun of the pasta I had in my lunches, the way my name sounded, the list goes on."

With time, however, she came to see her Roman heritage as an invaluable asset – a "superpower", as she calls it. She describes feeling connected to Italian culture as the "joy of life", something she has tried to pass on to her daughter, Jade. "I think her Italian roots have served as a really beautiful anchor for her," says de Laurentiis.

But now, and especially as the 2025 Jubilee propels Rome even further into the limelight, she hopes for others to taste the true beauty of Italian family life – especially the new generation.

Rome can prove overwhelming for children; the crowds are large, the landmarks daunting in size and in sheer quantity. But with the right approach it can be a magical experience, one that they cherish and share with their own families – as de Laurentiis loves doing with hers.

Here are de Laurentiis' favourite family-friendly ways to experience the Eternal City.

Few places bring a family together like Campo de' Fiori, a vibrant street market tucked behind Piazza Navona that has something for just about everyone. Originally established as a flower market in the late 19th Century, Campo de' Fiori has been supplying locals and tourists of all ages with everything from fresh flowers and food to kitschy trinkets and souvenirs for more than 150 years.

And just behind Campo de' Fiori is the historic Antico Forno Roscioli, serving one of de Laurentiis' favourite family-friendly treats: pizza. Opened in 1972, with lines sometimes stretching deep into the piazza, the bakery is a local institution, favoured by locals and gourmets alike. Their pizza is a masterclass in Roman baking tradition, made with little yeast and left to rise for 24 hours, resulting in dough that is light, crispy and, in de Laurentiis' words, quite simply "great".

"Roman-style pizza is really fun for kids to try," she says. Served al taglio (by the slice), Roman pizza is thinner and crispier than the puffy-crusted Neapolitan pizza widely recognised outside of Italy. But the pizza al taglio at Roscioli has its own flair: "It's like a focaccia type of dough and they sell it in squares," says de Laurentiis. "I love the potato and onion slices."

Website: https://www.anticofornoroscioli.it/

Address: Via dei Chiavari 34, 00186

Telephone: +39 66864045

Instagram: @anticofornoroscioli

Completed in 1762 under the design of Baroque mastermind Nicola Salvi, the sumptuous Trevi Fountain has become an emblematic part of Rome's architectural iconography.

Its international renown – bolstered by appearances in silver screen classics ranging from La Dolce Vita to Roman Holiday – is such that, last autumn, exasperated city councillors considered ticketing visitors to curb the inflow following a heated debate on the havoc overtourism is wreaking on the Italian capital.

The gargantuan crowds might prove intimidating for the younger ones, but its appeal for children in particular is not to be underestimated. 

"[It's] fun because the kids get involved in history (and they get to play with money)," de Laurentiis says, referencing the tradition of tossing coins into the fountain to ensure one's return to Rome.

There's also much more to Trevi than meets the eye. 

"You can go below the Trevi Fountain. It's honestly amazing," de Laurentiis says. Indeed, beneath the monument is "the City of Water" – a hidden maze, an ancient Roman apartment complex dating to the 1st Century CE called the Vicus Caprarius, as well as the aqueduct that funnels water into the fountain itself. 

Website: https://www.vicuscaprarius.com/visite/

Address: Vicolo del Puttarello, 25

Instagram: @vicuscaprarius

Cooking is the glue that brings Italian families together – as soon as the garlic starts sizzling in the morning, the tone is set for the rest of the day.

"My childhood taught me the art of gathering," says de Laurentiis, whose upcoming cookbook Super-Italian is a meditation on superfoods and healthful lifestyles. "It exposed me to amazing ingredients from a really young age, which taught me the beauty in simple, well-made dishes."

So what better way to experience Italian family life than taking a cooking class with your kids?

De Laurentiis recommends classes offered by Katie Parla, an Italian-American tour guide and food writer who has lived in Rome for 20 years; and Sophie Minchilli, a Rome-born and bred author and influencer.

"Kids get to be really involved with the process," de Laurentiis says. "[Katie and Sophie] have both have lived in Rome for decades. Sophie was born in Italy and Katie is a true Roman historian."

Parla's deeply insider approach to Rome offers both a tour of the main market feeding Rome's residents – the Mercato Trionfale near the Vatican – as well as a three- to four-hour cooking class with chef Arianna Pasquini, held in the leafy Monteverde neighbourhood and culminating in a five-course meal.

Minchilli, on the other hand, provides a tailor-made, intimate tour with up to six people, taking clients on what she describes as a "walk around the city with a friend", exploring its best foodie spots as well as offering customised visits upon request.

"Both give you access to Italian culture in a really impactful way," says de Laurentiis.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a kid who doesn't love chocolate, and at Venchi, any kind of sugar craving can be abundantly satisfied.

The chocolatier – founded in the northern Italian city of Turin in 1878 – has become a vital stop for anyone with a sweet tooth, which de Laurentiis openly confesses to have.

"Anyone who knows me knows chocolate is my weakness," says de Laurentiis. "I've tried it all, and Venchi is one of my faves."

De Laurentiis notes how children will particularly delight over its two main showstoppers: "the chocolate fountain and gelato".

With a plethora of delicacies, from crepes to hazelnut ice cream, all of which can be topped with different kinds of melted chocolate (and a complimentary treat), it's the perfect afternoon stop for a bit of mid-sightseeing indulgence.

And with three stores across the city centre, you don't have to venture far from the main landmarks to get a hold on their delicacies: there's one near the Trevi Fountain, one a stone's throw from the Spanish Steps and another just behind the Pantheon.

Website: Venchi Cioccolato e Gelato, Roma Via del Corso - Venchi

Address:

1. (Trevi Fountain) Via del Corso 335, tel: +39 66784698

2. (Spanish Steps) Via della Croce 25/26, tel: +39 69797790

3. (Pantheon) Via degli Orfani 87, tel: +39 6992 5423

Instagram: @venchi1878

Visitors often forget that Rome is, to all effects and purposes, a coastal city; from the Colosseum, it's barely half an hour's drive to the beach. The city's seagulls, appearing most commonly in the city's piazzas and parks at night, are a clear (and occasionally aggressive) reminder.

Crystalline waters, white-sand beaches and lush Mediterranean woodland can be found at the picturesque Lido di Castel Fusano, an unspoilt stretch of coastline that has a particular sentimental value for de Laurentiis.

"Lido di Castel Fusano is a favourite,” she says. "When I was a kid, we loved to go to the beach for the day. It's so nostalgic, packing lunch and driving to the beach with my family."

There is no more quintessentially Roman family experience than prepping a few hearty snacks and an insalata di riso (rice salad) in a thermal bag, grabbing the car and heading to the beach for a lazy afternoon, especially as short-lived winters give way to months of endless sunshine.

And at a mere 30km from the city (accessible by a 55-minute train ride on the Metromare from Rome's Porta San Paolo station), Lido di Castel Fusano is easily reachable and a welcome distraction from the Eternal City's heady chaos, especially for the little ones. "It's just such a nice break from the bustle of Rome," de Laurentiis says.

While Lido di Castel Fusano's beaches are most popular in the summer months, there's a year-round joy to be taken from strolling along the shore, horseback riding in the surf or getting lost in its 916-hectare pine forest.

BBC Travel's The SpeciaList is a series of guides to popular and emerging destinations around the world, as seen through the eyes of local experts and tastemakers. 

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