I have just spent three very happy months (October, November and December 2021) in this lovely little apartment, and I am happy to share my comments below.
The location:
Located literally behind the Vatican’s gardens, it is close to the Vatican’s Museums and St-Peter’s Basilica and Square. It is also a leisurely walk to the wonderful Prati neighborhood and Castel Sant’Angelo.
From there, you can cross any of the bridges and you’ll be in the historic heart of Rome, or you can walk down alongside the Tiber to Trastevere.
Because it is slightly off the beaten-track, I got to live like a Roman among Romans!
Services:
You’ll find supermarkets, the fabulous Mercato Trionfale, and all sorts of shops, restaurants, take-out places (Do not miss Bonci Pizzarium), right down Clivo delle Mura Vaticane.
Public transportation:
There are two subway stations nearby (The closest one, Valle Aurelia, is also a stop for a regional train line) and buses, also right down Clivo delle Mura Vaticane.
The apartment:
It is on top of a building, which is itself on top of a hill, so you get to enjoy unobstructed and sweeping views of Monte Ciocci and over the neighborhood, as well as plenty of light, fresh air, quiet and privacy.
The highlight is the sweet little terrace, complete with tables, chairs, plants and outdoor light, where I spent many wonderful hours reading, drinking tea, eating lunch, or simply indulging in some delicious dolce far niente.
All the amenities (Wi-Fi, kitchen appliances, washing machine, heating system, elevator, etc.) were clean, user-friendly and in working order.
The apartment is smaller than in some of the pictures, but it is totally functional.
The hosts:
I was in touch with Alessandra before I got to Rome, and then I dealt with Filippo.
Both were very responsive, flexible and easy to communicate with.
We did not communicate a lot simply because there were no issues.
I would just provide two caveats, neither of which applied to me:
Height:
If you’re tall, you will have trouble standing in the kitchen and in the shower because of the sloped ceilings. The ceilings are generally low in the entire apartment.
Mobility:
Because the apartment is on top of a hill, you will need to go down (and then, by default, come back up) for anything you want to do. That will be challenging if you have mobility issues.
Viale Vaticano is the busy but pleasant road that will take you around the Vatican, including the Vatican’s Museums, and St-Peter’s Basilica and Square, and beyond. It is easy to walk down, but harder to walk up.
Clivo delle Mura Vaticane are the outside stairs (and the short dead-end street connecting the bottom of the stairs to via Angelo Emo) that will take you down to the rest of the neighborhood where all the services are. While those steps are picturesque and convenient, there are many of them, and a few of them are in bad shape.
Lastly, there is one (short) set of stairs you will have to climb in the building to reach the apartment because the elevator does not go all the way to the apartment’s floor.
That said, I was overall very satisfied with my stay, and I am definitely hoping to come back sooner than later.