Even though Rome is the capital of Italy, it sometimes seems like the Internet services and facilities are stuck in the Roman Era. If you live here you know the daily struggle of finding a place with free decent WiFi. Help is here! Check out the list below for cafés and other places that have free WiFi and will let you sit and work for hours. Sometimes it can be inspiring and help you concentrate to have a new place (besides your apartment or the Frohring library) to work, study, or do homework!
Trastevere – Walking distance from JCU
- Pimm’s Good
Conveniently located 3 minutes from JCU’s Guarini campus and 5 minutes away from the Tiber campus. It offers drinks, starters, pastas, and second courses with very reasonable prices and friendly staff.
www.pimmsgood.it
- Barnum Café
Just across Ponte Sisto, very close to Campo de’ Fiori. Barnum Café has a hipster urban atmosphere that will make you feel comfortable, plus amazing pastries to make your studying a little sweeter.
- Art History Library in Piazza Venezia
This is a BEAUTIFUL public library with a lot of history itself. As the name says, its books are mainly of architecture and art history but you might find something else in another field (all books are in Italian). There is excellent WiFi service, and for security your bags are stored (for free) before going in to study. If you are feeling a little lazy, you can take the tram from Viale Trastevere to Piazza Venezia – or you can simply walk. The building is the one to the left of the piazza as you are looking at Via del Corso.
http://www.archeologica.librari.beniculturali.it/
- Biblioteca Angelica
This is one of the oldest and prettiest libraries in Rome, established in 1604. It has great historical importance because it preserves important documents from the Reformation and Counter-Reformation of Italy. It is located 25 minutes by foot from John Cabot, very close to Piazza Navona. The hours of operation are Monday, Friday, and Saturday (8:30am – 1:45pm) and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (8:30am- 7pm).
http://www.bibliotecaangelica.beniculturali.it/
GET OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD
- AntiCafè
As the name suggests, this café is not your conventional Italian café. This café uses a French approach toward customers, where you pay for the time you spend there, as opposed to the amount of food/drinks you buy – but of course they serve many types of drinks, pastries, and food. It is approximately 30 minutes by public transport from John Cabot, in the San Giovanni neighborhood. Just walk to Largo Argentina, take the 87 bus toward Largo Colli Albani, and 10 stops later you are there! This is a great place to go if you have group projects or study groups, because they have larger spaces designed for work groups.
- Circus
Circus Café is a youthful, colorful, and urban café that would help boost your creativity. It’s close to Piazza Navona, only a 15-minute walk from JCU. It can get loud during aperitivo time, so it’s best to study during the day there.
www.circusroma.it/
- Caffè Letterario
This coffee shop is open until late in the evening and has a bookshop as well. It has a nice and quiet atmosphere and is great if you need to concentrate while reading. It’s easy to get there and takes 20 minutes – just grab bus 23 from right next to Piazza Trilussa toward Pincherle- Parravano, and get off at Via Ostiense.
http://www.caffeletterarioroma.it/home.htm
- Il Sorpasso
This coffee shop/ restaurant can be a little noisy, so if you need to concentrate in silence it’s not the right place. But if you just need to get a few things done, then it’s the perfect option if you’re in the Vatican area. It is located between the Vatican and Castel St. Angelo, and just 5 stops away from JCU on the 23 bus.
Victoria Barreda de Alba
Class of 2017
Hometown: Reynosa, Mexico
