Revealed Rome

No (Fiscal) Receipt? No Party: How Tourists Can Help the Campaign Against Tax Evasion in Italy

Everyone knows that tax evasion is one of the biggest issues facing Italy's economy. But very few tourists to Italy know that they have the power to do something about it.

And should.

That's because tax evasion in Italy doesn't just happen in accountants' offices behind closed doors. It happens every time a product, meal, or coffee is sold. Why? Because Italian stores and restaurants have a book of "fiscal receipts" issued by the government—and legally, they need to give the customer a fiscal receipt (ricevuta fiscale) for each interaction. Each time they use a ricevuta fiscale, the government knows about the purchase... and the interaction is taxed.

Without issuing that ricevuta fiscale, it's like the interaction never happened. And, therefore, it's untaxed.

And so, guess what: You hardly ever see fiscal receipts in Italy. Especially if you're a tourist.

Restaurants and stores know that tourists have no idea what a fiscal receipt looks like versus a non-fiscal receipt. They also know that tourists have a tendency to think it's "cute" when their waiter does something like, say, scribble the total on the tablecloth or a napkin. Guess what? That's not a fiscal receipt. And that's not cute. It means that your meal isn't being taxed. It's going right into the owner's pockets, tax-free.

10 Things to Do This Christmas in Rome

If you're in Rome for Christmas, you're in luck! As always, there are absolutely tons of ways to get into the holiday spirit.

Here, the best of what to do.

1. See the Pope. Over the Christmas season, you've got lots of opportunities, from midnight mass (although getting tickets can be tricky) to "Urbi et Orbi" on Christmas Day (no tickets needed). Here's more on how exactly to see the Pope throughout December and January, updated for 2011.

2. Celebrate Christmas at the Auditorium. Like last year, Rome's Auditorium hosts a number of Christmas-themed events (link in Italian), running from Dec. 8-Jan. 8 (with some events running later, too). Goings-on include a Christmas fair, ice-skating rink, and lots of concerts, from Christmas Italian music to gospel.

3. Head to a Christmas market. They pop up all over Rome this time of year, the most famous being, of course, that in Piazza Navona (both at top and below). Here's a list of other Christmas markets in Rome (be aware that they're farther afield, and the list is in Italian). 

Looking for Leather in Rome? Head to Armando Rioda

It's the perfect gift from Italy: a handmade leather wallet. Or purse. Or passport-holder. But in Rome, figuring out where to go for an artisanal leather souvenir can be tough. There's not even a leather market here, like there is in Florence (not that most of the leather there even seems to, ahem, be from Italy).

Enter Armando Rioda.

Although it's in the heart of the Spanish Steps neighborhood, Armando Rioda is a molto local secret. It's hidden on the second floor of a residential palazzo, and you have to ring the buzzer to enter; its name doesn't even hang outside the building's door. But it's where leather-lovers in the know go.

Since 1949, the workshop (above... and below) has been turning out handmade leather goods by request. As proof of Armando Rioda's craftsmanship, well-heeled Romans come here to get their Gucci purses and Prada jackets repaired (talk about trust!).

For 50 euros and up, you can get a wallet handmade here; for 100 euros and up, a purse. They also do luggage, tote bags, even jackets. Pricey, perhaps—but for a unique, handmade leather gift, hardly unfair.

Where to Find Holiday Gifts in Rome's Markets

Rome's markets have the perfect gifts for foodies, trendsetters and more. Discover where to find what at my new post on Rome for the New York Times' In Transit section.

10 Ways to Save Money While Living in Rome (And While Traveling, Too)

If you live in Rome, then you know: It can be expensive. Especially for those converting from another currency. But believe it or not, there are ways to save money while living in Italy.

And so, for expats, students, and others who are here for the long (or long-ish) term, here are ten money-saving tips. Note that some of these tips, like how to save on airfare, are also pretty useful for short-term travelers to Italy!

Have any other tips for how to live in Italy on a budget? Please share in the comments!

1. Take advantage of points schemes for your cell phone, grocery store, and more

Sign up for Vodafone One, for example, and you can earn points and get free minutes. (In the past, I've participated in a summer promotion that matched whatever ricarica I added to my phone, and another one where I was allowed to always call one phone number for free). Ask about loyalty cards at your grocery store. Even sign up for a loyalty card at stores like Sephora, if you shop there. It all adds up.

2. Make friends with your local grocer, pizzeria-owner... and everyone else besides

Yes, being a loyal customer can help you save money in the States, especially when it comes to things like airlines. (More on that later!). But it helps you even more in Italy. Why? Because everything here is based on who you know. And because, unlike in the U.S. or England, even (and especially) the smallest family-run establishments tend to, ahem, adjust their prices depending on whether they consider you a friend. Make one local pizzeria, restaurant, fruit and vegetable stand, or shoe cobbler your favorite, and you juuuust might notice that, by the third or fourth time you return, little charges will be knocked off your bill, the total will be rounded down, or you'll get free items thrown in for free.

3. Sign up for Groupon

When it comes to a lot of things online, Italy's a bit behind. Not so with Groupon. Groupon.it, the (duh) Italian version of the site, is pretty sweet. There are different deals every day (with usually five to ten daily in Rome), often 50-80 percent off of the normal price. You have 24 hours to grab it before it goes.

What's available to buy, you ask? Everything from computer hard disks, to weekend breaks in Italy, to haircuts, to medical examinations. There are also lots of dinner deals, great for the expat who wants to try lots of different restaurants in Italy but doesn't want to burn through all their cash. (Just always cross-check the restaurant with a site like DueSpaghi to make sure it doesn't suck). The medical stuff (everything from dental cleaning to breast exam to laser surgery) can be a great way to save on necessary procedures.

Every Weekend in Rome's Center, a Super-Local Food Market

Rome has no end of farmers' markets. But for one of its best, you have to head to the covered food market at Circus Maximus, held every Saturday and Sunday. Bonus: It's great for gifts for friends and family back home, too.

Run by Campagna Amica, the market offers only local produce. Even at my neighborhood's fruit and vegetable stand, I can buy apples from New Zealand. Not here. Instead, all the farmers who sell their products at Campagna Amica have to adhere to the "0 km" rule -- as in, they're all from Lazio. Not quite 0 km, sure, but way better than the 1,600 km that your average piece of produce takes to get from its harvest to your kitchen. And, of course, that means that the produce you buy is all fresh and seasonal -- something that, in turn, helps the environment, economy, and local culture.

Plus, of course, the market's just plain fun. With everything from super-fresh ricotta to jars of delicacies (like a porcini mushroom and black truffle sauce that set me back €7, but was worth every penny), it's a great taste -- literally -- of all of the foods that Rome and Lazio have to offer. And there are plenty of good gift options to bring back home, from olive oil to biscotti to traditional sauces and dips.

The Circo Massimo market is located at Via San Teodoro 74. It runs every Saturday and Sunday from 10:30am-7pm.

You might also like:

Cupcake Craving? Indulge Your Sweet(y) Tooth

Hidden Beneath Circus Maximus, a Secret Mithraic Temple

In Rome, Shopping for Vintage Clothes

For a city that's as vintage as it gets, vintage clothing stores can be a little few and far between. But it's hard enough digging through musty leather belts and stretched-out sweaters in search of that perfect military jacket without having to also dig around to find the place you can even dig through to begin with. (With me?)

So, vintage-clothing lovers, women and men, here's a list to make it simple.

Just remember that, in Rome, vintage doesn't necessarily mean cheap, at least when compared to the High Street chains. Most of the shops below have dresses that range from €40 to €60, purses from €30 and up. Still, hunting for a bargain -- or, at least, for that blouse that nobody else will possibly have -- is all part of the fun.

Twice. Trastevere. This is one of my favorites (above): A cute, neat shop with all of the vintage clothes and none of that musty smell. Clothes, shoes and accessories are for men and women, most dating from the 1960s to 1980s. I even found a vintage Chanel purse here in pristine condition; at only €250, I had to ask the shopkeeper if it was real. She assured me it was. I was even sadder to leave it behind. Pretty crazily for a Rome store, Twice also has shopping online (well, sort of: You scroll through the pictures of items and, if you want to buy one, clicking lets you send an email. So far, it's just of purses). Still, whoa. Via di San Francesco a Ripa 105/A. 0631 050610.

Cinzia's. Piazza Navona. Run by the owner, Cinzia, for more than 20 years, the store has a big collection of jackets, dresses, purses and more at reasonable prices (one friend got a gorgeous lizard-skin-like purse for €40). Tourists, students and locals all wander in and out, trying to find the best deals. Via del Governo Vecchio 45. 0668 32945.

The Saldi Are Here. So's Italy's Biggest Zara Yet

It's that time of year again -- saldi time. But for diehard shoppers, the winter also brought something else exciting: Italy's Zara flagship store.

Not just any Zara store, this Zara, the biggest in the world outside of those in Barcelona and Athens, commands five separate levels. It's in the Palazzo Bocconi, a gorgeous structure built smack on Via del Corso in the 1880s. And it's (relatively) eco-friendly, using 30 percent less energy and 70 percent less water than comparably-sized stores.  

All of that makes 189 Via del Corso a pretty sweet stop for any Zara lover. But, as much as my jaw dropped, just a little bit, to see a store this slick and this big in little old Rome, it also made me a little sad. Let's be honest: There had to be some transformation that went along with putting a multinational chain in a 120-year-old palazzo. Preservationists' tears might be mitigated by the fact that, before, the palazzo was home to La Rinascente -- the department store -- but still. Yet another chain isn't exactly helping Rome's struggling artisans.

Ah, well. If you're going to go -- to Zara or any other Rome shop (including local artisans!) -- go now. The saldi end on February 15.

Twelve Days of Christmas, Twelve Ways to Get in the Spirit in Rome

Like everything else, Christmas in Rome may not be quite what you expect. You won't see a Santa Claus on every corner or hear Christmas carols in every shop, and the city's Christmas markets are lacking compared to those in northern Europe. But Christmas spirit is alive and well in Rome -- you just have to know where to seek it out.

And so, I give you: Twelve ways to get into the Christmas spirit in Rome. (Try humming along while reading. Believe me, it helps).

1. On the first day of Christmas, Rome gave to me... one Santa house. Over the next month, Rome's Auditorium transforms into a holiday extravaganza, with 40 Christmas trees, visits with Santa, a Christmas market, and an ice-skating rink. A full calendar of events includes a gospel festival from Dec. 19 to 26. The Christmas festival runs until Jan. 9; the Auditorium , located near Stadio Flaminio, is easily accessible by bus (the 910, 217 and "M" both go there from Termini) or the number 2 tram from the Flaminio metro stop. For more information, click here.

2. Two ice skates. Slipping and sliding Skating underneath the iconic silhouette of Rome's Castel Sant'Angelo, the ancient-mausoleum-turned-castle-of-the-pope, is a holiday tradition. Click here for more information on the Castel Sant'Angelo rink. Other skating rinks in Rome include those at Re di Roma, Tor di Quinto, and Villa Gordiani. 

3. Three...thousand Christmas cribs. Along with its dozens of other museums, Rome even has one devoted to presepi. Featuring more than 3,000 scenes from all over the world, the museum -- which is closed in the summer -- is open every afternoon from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6, as well as during other limited hours throughout the winter. It's located under the church of Santi Quirico e Giulitta, nearby the Colosseum. For more information, call 06 679 6146.

Is Anything Open During Christmas and New Year's in Rome? (Updated for 2011)

Few places seem more appropriate to celebrate Christmas than Rome, the home of not only Catholicism, but of the ancient empire whose pagan festival, Saturnalia, was converted into the holiday celebrating Christ's birth.

Yet after booking a trip to Rome over the Christmas holidays, travelers often get a sudden fear that the city will be completely shut down, making it impossible for them to eat, sightsee, or do anything, really, but go to church.

While it's true that many Romans will leave the city for their family homes over the holidays, there are still plenty of people left in this city of 3 million. Here, what will be open -- and what won't -- in Rome over Christmas.