Bar della Pace was one of those places you agree to meet.
A classic stand by.
Gilded mirrors, marble top tables, and velvet seats.
Bar della Pace was always famous for its outdoor seating.
At a small round table, you could sip a drink beside the ivy-covered facade.
It was almost guaranteed that someone you knew would walk by.
But I always loved the interior.
Bar della Pace (officially “Antico Caffè Della Pace”) has been mired in a legal battle over their right to stay in the location for years.
The bar opened in 1891 and has been operated by the Serafini family for more than 5 decades.
However, the owner of the building, Pontifical Teutonic Institute of Santa Maria dell’Anima, have been trying to evict the historic cafe for years.
35,000 people rallied behind the bar, signing a petition to keep the doors open.
Of course, the bar was touristy. It was steps from Piazza Navona and frequently featured in films.
But I still welcomed the familiar, warm, interior with friendly staff.
Pontifical Teutonic Institute of Santa Maria dell’Anima has finally succeeded and the doors to Bar della Pace were closed for the last time on Thursday.
It is going to be a hotel.
Just what the city needed.
NO!!! Always a stop on every trip to Rome. I will be there in 2 weeks for a week with my extended family and was sooo looking forward to stopping for a drink, or several stops…
So sorry to be the bearer of the news! Totally bummed. Would highly recommend you pop into Chiostro Bramante for a coffee. Not the same, but a beautiful setting in a different way on the very same street.
Thanks for the recommendation. Will definitely check it out!
Natalie, my most favorite spot to hang out and so many memories there. Was there meeting a girlfriend in April and even though I knew of the battle, and had already signed the petition, I just thought (prayed) that there was so much outcry against that it would always be there. But, very sadly, when in Rome in September, walked by to see with my own eyes and almost cried. Ughhh! Crushed ??
I totally miss it too! I walked by just today and the entire place is still under terrible scaffolding. Such a shame that it will just become another hotel…
Oh, NO! I stumbled across this as I was preparing to recommend it to a friend who is visiting Rome soon with her boyfriend. It was here I first tried fragolino wine!
I’m so sorry! I still miss it myself. I suggest a coffee or a drink inside Chiostro del Bramante, which is on the same street.
From JoAnna
Just so sad that a bar that has 5 generations of one family is closing. The history, the food, the comrades , and drinks have made this bar/ restaurant a welcome trattoria !!
Shame on the owners… history is what this place was about. All was taken away!! So sad!!!
Completely agree!
No waaayyy. I just learned of this. ?
It reminds me of the demise of the beautiful historic Caffe Giacosa in Florence, which ai wrote about here: http://paradiseofexiles.com/florence-most-elegant-street/
Thanks for reporting on this, I wish we could turn the situation around. These places are part of Italy’s patrimony. ?
I agree! The next one at risk is Antico Caffe Greco (which is facing a crazy high rent)