La Dolce Victory By Eric J. Lyman The moment Italy's dramatic victory in the 2006 World Cup became official, television cameras from around the world focused on the Italian celebrations in Rome's massive Circus Maximus. Three quarters of a million blue-clad fans packed into the 3,000-year-old venue to watch the game on cinema-sized screens and then celebrate the win. For Circus Maximus, it was merely the latest -- albeit the most visible -- celebration in a line of celebrations dating back nearly as far as modern civilization. The location -- a natural amphitheatre that spans the land between the Aventine and Palatine hills -- was first used in pre-Roman times, by Tarquinius Priscus, the first Etruscan king. Julius Caesar  expanded it to its current size, and since then the arena has played host to chariot races, royal coronations, medieval demonstrations, military parades, concerts, and myriad victory marches. But with a World Cup-sized television audience tuning in to watch the seemingly endless mass of hugging and shouting and jumping football fans, none has been watched by as many people. To those taking in the images of the joyous, celebrating residents of the Eternal City, it must have seen like life had never been sweeter. But then those people do not know Rome. Most of the world focuses its attention on the present and the future. But even while celebrating victory in the world's largest sporting event, the eyes of the Italian capital were on the past. Media commentary in the wake of the game immediately struggled to place the stunning triumph into a historical context compared to other glorious milestones, whether in sports or in other fields. The Rome daily newspaper Il Mesaggiero predicted the Italian team would return home and be greeted like a "band of victorious Roman generals"; state broadcaster RAI noted that the crowd gathered in Circus Maximus was nearly twice the size of the Roman crowds that packed the arena to watch "wildly popular ... [and] usually deadly chariot races" in ancient times. Fans automatically responded in kind. "I can say I know what it feels like to be part of something great," said 23-year-old Roman waitress Alessandra Soldati, a football fan celebrating in Circus Maximus the night of the victory. "This is our generation's version of a great military triumph. It is like we were under siege and we did not surrender." As the capital of what was the most glorious imperial empire the world has ever seen, one of the centers of the Renaissance, and the former seat of the Papal States, Rome knows that its greatest heights are in the past. And while the city is a also a modern and bustling capital, its intuitive backwards gaze means its citizens can concentrate on the task of living well rather than on proving themselves worthy of the modern age. The term "La Dolce Vita" -- "The Sweet Life" -- was originally coined in connection with the glitzy go-go days of the 1950s and early '60s -- a time when the city's restaurants and clubs hosted some of the world's most glamorous stars, such as Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Frank Sinatra, Brigitte Bardot, Ingrid Bergman, and Gregory Peck. Director Federico Fellini, in his iconic film "La Dolce Vita," coined the term "paparazzi" -- the bane of many of the stars of the day. But "La Dolce Vita" has since evolved to mean something else, a shorthand way to refer to Rome's unique and seductive rhythm of life. "The secret to enjoying life the way Romans do is to know when to do things quickly, and when is the proper time to slow down," says Maurizio Pirola, co-owner of the Roman icon Taverna Trilussa, which has been open in the neighborhood of Trastevere for nearly a century. "Compared to foreigners and even some other Italians, Romans really know how to enjoy a meal. They take their time and linger over each course. They enjoy the conversation. They put thought into what they order." No place aside from fast food eateries or the most tourist-oriented restaurants would plan on serving two parties at different times from the same table. Most traditional places don't even ask their regular customers what time they plan to arrive when they make a reservation. The wait staff will not bring the check unless asked. The table belongs to the first party for the evening. "It's much more important that someone really enjoy their meal than it is that they are hurried away so someone else can be seated," Pirola says. When it comes to the city's countless piazze, the philosophy is similar. As the city's main gathering places for centuries, there is hardly a more typical -- or pleasurable -- way to spend an afternoon than by sipping a glass of wine or a demitasse of espresso while seated in a picturesque piazza and watching the city pass by. It is said that by waiting long enough, the entire city will eventually pass through Rome's Piazza Navona, the most stunning piazza in a city known for them -- and it's probably true. There are nearly a dozen bars with outdoor seating on the edges of the large oblong space (the shape is a remnant of its birth as an athletic stadium under the Roman Emperor Domitian). While none of the bars are known for having a particularly impressive wine list or exceptional coffee, the reason to come is for the view. An original Egyptian obelisk rests atop Bernini's legendary Fountain of the Four Rivers, dominating the center of the piazza. The statue's colossal marble figures around the pillar are known for the way they writhe and twist. Behind that is Barromini's intricate baroque church dedicated to St. Agnes. And in between it all is Rome passing by: locals on their way to work or the market in nearby Campo di Fiori, waiters contorting themselves to fit between the packed tables, artisans selling their wares, painters painting, and visitors savoring the unforgettable setting. Nearby is another breathtaking square, the Piazza della Rotonda. It is home to the Pantheon, the best preserved ancient structure in the city, which towers over other buildings in the square like an adult in a room full of small children. The façade of the second-century structure, built by the emperor Hadrian, and pockmarked from centuries of pillaging. The light inside comes from a single opening in the massive dome, and it changes the colors of the floor as the sun rises or sets. The area around the piazza is also known for its coffee, which is as much as much a part of the Roman culture as wine or food. Romans seem to believe the liquid has magical qualities: the deliberate placement of a coffee cup down on the table means the meal is finished. Locals believe that the same coffee that helps the drinker wake up in the morning will help him sleep at night. It is believed that a few coffee beans in a glass of Sambuca bring good luck. Most Romans have a soft spot for their neighborhood coffee shop, where they perhaps tasted their first-ever cappuccino. But ask where the best coffee in town comes from and the answer will probably be one of the two famous coffee shops near the Pantheon. Facing the ancient building, Sant'Eustachio, known for its deep and strong brew, is two blocks to the right. And just off to the left is Tazza d'Oro, which makes a more delicate form of espresso. Locals love to bring visitors to both so they can judge the two extremes of Roman coffee at its highest levels. "In certain ways, Rome changes every year and over the course of decades and generations it is easy to see the way priorities and value have changed," says Raimondo Ricci, one of the owners of Sant'Eustachio. "But one constant over the generations has been a love of coffee." That love of coffee explains the events two days after the Italian World Cup victory. City workers were cleaning up the mass of refuse left after two days of partying in Circus Maximus, and the newly-crowned world champion players flew back to Rome for a reception with the prime minister before heading their separate ways. Upon landing at the airport, the first thing several players did -- even before collecting their bags or facing the throng of shouting fans waiting for them outside -- was to take a coffee at the tiny airport coffee bar. Italian photographers captured the moment, and when a few foreign journalists expressed surprise that the players would make that their first order of business upon their return to Rome, at least one photographer shrugged his shoulders. "What do you expect?" he asked. "They've been out of the country for a month; they're missing good coffee."

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A brief description of some of the places mentioned and some other "winners" for those who want to experience the good life, alla Romana. Taverna Trilussa, one of the most typical Roman establishments in the city, is always bustling. The menu is even written in the local Roman dialect rather than in Italian, and is stocked with classic versions of some of the city's most classic pasta dishes. But the best bet may be the Taverna's own creation, the ravioli mimosa: homemade pasta in a pumpkin-based sauce is a sworn secret (Via Poleteama 23. Phone: 06-581-8918). A short walk away and across the river is the Hosteria dell'Orso, one of the icons of Rome's fine dining scene. The Hosteria is set in a 15th-century palace and has been a favorite of dignitaries ranging from Goethe to Clark Gable. The atmosphere is a contrast between old and new -- modern furnishings in a classis setting -- and so is the menu, which modernizes and elevates classic dishes mixed among unique gems. It's not inexpensive, but some people consider it the best place to eat in the city (Via dei Soldati 25c. Phone: 06-683-01192). Originally an athletic stadium designed by the emperor Domitian, ancient Romans flooded Piazza Navona and held naval battles there. Today it's the best place in the city for people watching. Around Christmas, the piazza hosts a massive fair, with dozens of artisan stalls -- many of which are dedicated to "La Befana," the Italian Christmas witch. (Piazza Navona. No phone). Atop the Spanish Steps, one of the best brunches in Italy is served from the rooftop restaurant of the Hassler Hotel every Sunday from noon to 4. It isn't a bargain, but there's no better place to sit back, relax, and eat a long and refreshing with one of the best possible views of the city (Trinta dei Monti 6. Phone: 06-699-340). Aside from its unforgettable aesthetic qualities, the Pantheon is an engineering marvel. Nearly 2,000 years old, the massive structure contains a perfect sphere in the dome, which if continued downward would just touch the floor -- to the millimeter. Built as a pagan temple, it has since been christened as a Catholic church, Santa Maria ad Martyres. The church contains the bones of Italy's earliest kings, the Renaissance painter Rafaelo, and dozens of early Christian martyrs. (Piazza della Rotonda 1. Phone: 06-6830-0230). Off to the side of the Pantheon is the timeless Caffe Sant'Eustachio, where the coffee is pre-sweetened (they'll make a non-sweetened version on request) with a pleasantly-burnt edge to the after taste. The espresso machines are positioned so that customers cannot see the coffee-making process, and employees must reportedly sign non-disclosure forms before they can start working there (Piazza Sant'Eustachio 82. Phone: 06-688-02048). Its closest rival is Tazza d'Oro, which is almost always packed -- but worth every second of waiting. The coffee is roasted and ground on the site, and the signature drink is a blessing on warm Roman afternoons: a shakerato (ice coffee with sugar, violently shaken until it becomes frothy) (Via degli Orfani 84. Phone: 06-679-2768). The Piazza del Campidoglio is the historic, spiritual, and political center of the city. The hill was long known as caput mundi -- the "head of the word" and even today the star at the center of the plaza is the point from which all distances to Rome are measured. The piazza boasts an impressive history and art museum, a Michelangelo-designed pattern and buildings, and the best view available of the Imperial Forum, with the Coliseum in the distance. (Piazza del Campidoglio. Phone for the museum: 06-671-102071).