ROME

[johnnysneakers]

Is there anything to "do" in Rome? Other than the Pope. I was there over 10 yrs ago, and I could not get over how little cruising and escorting there was then. I have this feeling it has not changed much but let me invite comments from all of you. I will be there in mid-May. HELP!!!

[adriano46]

Sneakers... No it has not changed - in fact it has gotten worse, and one should not wonder why the former mayor of Rome now running for Prime Minister) thought Giuliani was his hero. No cruising, no real escort scene... and a generally closeted gay population who do not open to kindly to strangers. Just enjoy the scenery.

 

BUT - also check older threads on Italy as they are finally getting some escorts on the internet.

[johnnysneakers]

Thanks, it all very depressing, esp for the country celebrated as having the world's greatest lovers!!! HA, everytime I looked at the Italian men when I was last there, I kept laughing!!!

[Guest fedssocr]

Actually I was with an escort recently who told me he had been in Rome last summer. He said that the sauna is the place to go for hot action. Apparently he was part of some group action there. But since all of the men still live at home with their mothers I suppose it would be more difficult to find an escort there.

[Guest BenDover]

I don't know if its too late for this information or not. I spent a month in Rome and this is where I found action, albeit, kind of weird. First, it is true that all the gay men still live with their mothers. If not, they live with their wives. Big time closets in Italy, but the guys can't seem to help themselves when they're horny.

There is a sauna called Mediterraneo on Via P. Villari, 3-RM. The telephone number is 06-77.20.59.34. You need a "club card" to get it, but you can buy it there at the door. Its called an ARCI card. It is a baths, and extremely busy and cruisy. But, beware of the guy behind the cafe counter. He is unbelievably beautiful, Moroccan with green eyes. This guy is bad news. He flirted with me, made a big come-on, and invited me to go to a couple bars with him. Like a dummy, I did. While walking to the bars, he gave me this sob story about his poor sick mother back in Morocco, and the flags started going up. We got to a dark street, and he pointed to the entrance of a bar. He refused to go in with me, then demanded money. Lots of money. Like everything I had in my wallet. I reported him to the establishment of the sauna, and they didn't seem to know what I was talking about. Very depressing.

A very cruisy place is Piazza Navona. Go in the early evening, sit on one of the stone benches and just wait. Every time I went there, which was a lot, I met up with someone. But be prepared to have a place of your own to go. And the money exchange is iffy, especially in the darker alleyways.

The Spanish Steps continues to be a cruisy place as is the Piazza del Popolo. Check out the park above Piazza del Popolo.

Hope that helps.

P.S. I also got seriously cruised and approached right on the front steps of St. Peter's in the Vatican. It made me laugh. I hadn't been in Rome two days when it happened. And it was pretty aggressive.

[johnnysneakers]

Thanks BenDover, but I have just returned from Rome without the benefit of your advice. I believe you and every one is totally correct. But, my God, there are such good looking men. Young men and the fashion now is to wear extremely tight pants, just like in the early 70s, I love it. But there seems to be no action. And one gets such mixed signals in a country where straight men often walk hand in hand.

 

Still, despite my sexless visit (which was expected as i was travelling with a straight relative), the city is one of the most beautiful in the "known world." I would go back in a flash, but perhaps next time I will get some flesh in my hands, not just marble.

[Guest Gowran]

This is my first ever post to this message board, and I apologize for being late with the info as I guess you have already gone and returned from your trip.

 

I have traveled the world over and have some very specific thoughts about Rome.

 

This city is the cradle of homosexuality. Romans do not think of men being with men as unusual. (Look at the Emporer Hadrian being one of the first openly gay world leaders.) This being said, they do not feel the need to have specific men to men places. Romans will "cruise" with their eyes and you can sit in almost any piazza and find someone who is horny all with eye contact. This is very unusual for Americans to get use to as in the States, we might get punched by someone who is not receptive. Not so with Romans. If they are not intersted, they politely ignore your eye contact.

 

That being said, I was at one bathhouse there that was busy and nice, but, I had more fun picking up escorts that hang out across from the Central Train Station, in the park. They walk along sidewalk and wait for people to drive around the park in circles, stop and pick them up. The ones I met were incredibly pleasant.

 

I know of a great gay restaurant and have hotel suggestions if anyone is going and is interested.

 

Cheers

[johnnysneakers]

Thanks for this info, although late. I shall be going back to Rome in a few months. In addition to the park in front of the train station, are there other locations. I heard that rentboys hang out in front of one of the museums in the Borghese Park but I do not know if this is the case??? What about escort ads in bar guides. I never got to a gay bar when I was there so do not know if they have the equilivent of QX in London, NEXT in NYC, etc.

[Guest Gowran]

I do not know of any other location except the train station, however... go and try! Using eye contact and observing boys "hanging out" should give you a pretty good clue. Plus, remember taht Romans do not react badly to come on's. They just politely say no thanks. I didn't get any gay rags and don't know about the rent boy listings. I do remember a local that advised me NOT to go to the strip club unless I take a taxi, as it was in a very bad part of town. I don't remember the name of the club.

On a cultural note, I highly recommend Ristorante Asinocotto (http://www.giulianobrenna.com)for dinner. <addy and phone # on website)It is owned by a most delightful gay couple (the Roman is the chef and the American is the business mgr.). There is a gay bar around the corner from them. They are most gracious hosts! Remember, the Roman dinner hour is 10pm until ?. If you go about 7pm, John Cooper will have time to sit and chat with you and he is most helpful to us American Tourists and an excellent conversationalist.

Cheers.

[adriano46]

Guys,

 

Hate to burst Gowran's bubble but the very last place one wants to get a hustler is precisely at the spot he mentions: across from Piazza Cinquecento (the Stazione). Obviously Gowran is a tourist and does not know that the guys here are nearly all non-Italians, non-gay (and prone to violence) and that the park is severely monitored by camera and car by the police. Proceed at your own risk. Over the last 10 years too many gays have been murdered by pick-ups they met in this park.

[johnnysneakers]

The train station area used to be very cruisy and I agree it must be monitored. I have noticed it is much cleaner, read less cruisy.

 

Gowran: whats the scoop on this strip club you mentioned. What goes on and where in Rome is it. I have never heard of one there and with so many sexy men, it could be terrific.

[johnnysneakers]

I think all the bars on the outskirts of the city.

[Guest Gowran]

Clearly, I am a tourist and did not know the specific warning information you have posted. But, I think it is prudent to expect ANY hustler pickup's as AYOR, no? I can only communicate my experience and at that spot I had good luck. Maybe it was a fluck.

 

I do not remember any specifics about the strip bar except it is on the outskirts of Roma and did not operate every night. I think I saw an ad for it.

[Guest BareBoy]

Do these pick-ups take you home with them (surely dangerous) or can you take them to your hotel?

[adriano46]

Bare,

 

Most of the cases involved Romans who had their own apartments (generally gay men who were pretty closeted). These guys do not take you home (many share rooms with 3 or more illegal aliens anyway).

 

As for hotels... many are strict about bringing escorts (or anyone for that matter) to your room. I had some problems at a few (upscale though they were) asking for ID's (and not as friendly about it as Amsterdam), but it depends on the hotel. The BIG ones in the city centre have lobbies so busy you could get a detatchment of the Caribinieri up to your room without raising an eye (and would that ever be fun!!!).

[Guest nathan]

Being a Roman boy myself, here are a few tips to cracking Roman talent :O)

 

Roma is a horribly expensive city... so pretty much everyone lives at home with their parents.

 

Italian cruising is very, VERY different from American cruising. You have to talk to us for ages and create the illusion of a date...then you get some action. Following a Roman boy/man around and making eye contact isn't going to cut it. Learning some basic Italian will help (at the very least, Buona sera (good evening) and Come stai? <ko-me sty> (how are you?) ).

 

Don't just jump on someone either - it really puts Roman guys off.

 

The bars and clubs aren't great places to pull. To meet someone yes, but to cop off with someone is almost impossible. Romans go out in groups and stay in groups. You can meet someone and arrange to meet for dinner the following night.

 

It all boils down to a pre-text of romance.

 

It's not all doom and gloom, however. For a bit of late night hot action....check out Monte Caprino. It's in the centre of Roman and is well marked on Maps. Like any other cruising ground, it is periodically monitored by police. The above rules still apply (conversation first, fun to follow).

 

Roma also has many gay saunas and gay porno cinemas. One piece of advice. If go to a cinema or a sauna and someone hot, young and very cute approaches you - he will be rent. And don't freak if he asks for Lira 1,0000 - it's not that much

 

Check out http://www.gayitalia.it. It has a listing of gay bars, clubs, saunas and cinemas

 

Roma is a beautiful city with loads of adventures But then again I would be biased.

 

Natolino (aka Nathan)

[Guest romelover]

I was also in Rome last summer for over a month and I found it to be a huge gay fantasy. I went to one particular sauna (Europa Multiclub) and had wonderful sex with more italians (and some foreigners) than I could possibly remember. It's also a beautiful club, clean, civilized and often very friendly. Italian men are incredibly sexual, very fond of anal sex and gorgeous too. New York could learn a great deal from Rome.

[trilingual]

Although there certainly seem to be lots of gorgeous Italian men, gay life in Italy seems fairly tame compared to other places in Europe. If you're going to Rome anyway, the advice in this thread should be helpful to you. If you're just trying to decide on a hot vacation spot, you might want to consider Spain, instead. That seems to be where Italians go themselves when they want to let their hair down and get trashy! The number of Italians cruising around Barcelona, for example, is impressive. Night life in Madrid and Barcelona is astounding, compared to its counterpart in Italy (or practically anywhere else in Europe, for that matter) with far more choices and much later hours. Not to mention numerous houses with boys, escort services and saunas with boys, not that anyone on this site would be interested in such things, I'm sure. . . :-) There is the odd bomb going off these days, thanks to those Basque sociopaths, but who'd let that stop them from going? You're more likely to be run over by a bus or trip in your bathroom right at home!

[Guest cmp]

Trilingual,

 

Thank you for your informed postings in this and other threads. You are 'not-mentioning' some houses of boys in Madrid and Barcelona. Where can I find them? Do you have any address or Web site, can you share some personal experience? Are they as good as Villa Gianni in London? Are there any cute, sweet twinks working there? I learned about Villa Gianni in another thread on this board and I am very grateful for that. Where else in Europe can one find some similar establishments? (I have read a lot about Thailand, but unfortunately that's too far away for me). Could any of you travel(l)ers and (n-)linguals draw up a map of houses of boys for us? I guess that should be done in a new thread... Thanks!

[trilingual]

There are a number of houses with boys in Madrid and Barcelona, but I'm afraid I can't tell you much about them because I haven't patronized them myself. I lean more to the saunas with boys, myself! Like the Thermas in Barcelona, which is unquestionably the best of its genre in Europe.

 

The houses with boys advertise in the local gay media like "Nois" in Barcelona and "Shangay" in Madrid. Also in Mensual, which you can find at http://www.mensual.com Try looking in the "Guia." It may be organized by community. Madrid is Madrid, Barcelona is in Catalunya. Look for things that advertise themselves as "casas con chicos," or "chicos de companía."

 

If anyone else reading this has tried the houses with boys, let us know your experiences. Some seem to have been in business for years, so I'm sure SOMEBODY who frequents this site has been there! Tell all!

[Guest MrB]

I've visited a couple in Barcelona but I don't remember any names or addresses. Also, never 'made a purchase'... they had OK guys but nothing like Thermas. Why spend more on less?

 

MrB