Rome was an amazing city and staying with Francesco made it that much better. He greeted my girlfriend and I upon arrival with cold drinks and showed us our room. It was private with a personal bathroom, mini fridge, huge bed, television, and a private balcony with a nice view. Francesco was helpful and always there when needed and he even cooked a few nights (he's an amazing cook). Basically his home is your home and you're treated like family. There was a nice kitchen we could use and it was fully stocked (again, Francesco was very generous and told us to help ourselves) and the washing machine was also a godsend in the heat. Although it's a little outside of Rome, the Vatican and metro are easily reached in no more than a twenty minute walk. There are great restaurants all around and being away from the tourist-y ones is a bonus. But the best part was Francesco. He was friendly, smart, and helpful. Some of the best nights were just spent sitting with him, sharing a drink while eating and discussing politics. If we are to return to Rome, there's no question we'd stay here again.
Bonus: Francesco has an awesome cat named Fiasco. So cute!