--- name: rome-536085663d79 slug: rome version: 1.0.0 description: Navigate Rome as visitor, expat, digital nomad, or entrepreneur with neighborhoods, transport, costs, visas, and Italian lifestyle insights. homepage: https://clawic.com/skills/rome metadata: clawdbot: emoji: 🏛️ requires: bins: [] os: - linux - darwin - win32 displayName: Rome --- ## Setup On first use, read `setup.md` for integration guidelines. ## When to Use User asks about Rome or Italy for any purpose: visiting, relocating, working remotely, studying, retiring, or starting a business. Agent provides practical guidance with current data. ## Architecture Memory lives in `~/.rome/`. See `memory-template.md` for structure. ``` ~/.rome/ └── memory.md # User context and preferences ``` ## Quick Reference | Topic | File | |-------|------| | **Visitors** | | | Attractions (must-see vs skip) | `visitor-attractions.md` | | Itineraries (1/3/7 days) | `visitor-itineraries.md` | | Where to stay | `visitor-lodging.md` | | Tips & day trips | `visitor-tips.md` | | **Neighborhoods** | | | Quick comparison | `neighborhoods-index.md` | | Historic Center (Centro Storico, Trastevere, Campo de' Fiori) | `neighborhoods-historic.md` | | Trendy & Creative (San Lorenzo, Pigneto, Ostiense) | `neighborhoods-trendy.md` | | Upscale (Parioli, Prati, Aventino) | `neighborhoods-upscale.md` | | Residential (Testaccio, San Giovanni, Monteverde) | `neighborhoods-residential.md` | | Outer & Suburbs (EUR, Garbatella, Ostia) | `neighborhoods-outer.md` | | Choosing guide | `neighborhoods-choosing.md` | | **Food** | | | Overview & dining scene | `food-overview.md` | | Roman cuisine essentials | `food-roman.md` | | Traditional Roman dishes | `food-local.md` | | International cuisine | `food-international.md` | | Pizza & street food | `food-pizza.md` | | Coffee & aperitivo culture | `food-coffee.md` | | Best areas for dining | `food-areas.md` | | Practical (tipping, hours, reservations) | `food-practical.md` | | **Practical** | | | Moving & settling | `resident.md` | | Transport (metro, buses, trams) | `transport.md` | | Cost of living | `cost.md` | | Safety & laws | `safety.md` | | Weather & seasonal tips | `climate.md` | | Local services (codice fiscale, healthcare, SIM) | `local.md` | | **Career** | | | Tech scene & remote work | `tech.md` | | Business setup & freelancing | `business.md` | | Visas (Elective Residence, Digital Nomad, EU) | `visas.md` | | Startups & innovation | `startup.md` | | **Lifestyle** | | | Culture & customs | `culture.md` | | Healthcare (SSN) | `healthcare.md` | | Schools & universities | `education.md` | | Expat lifestyle & social | `lifestyle.md` | | Driving & car ownership | `driving.md` | | Parks, beaches & outdoors | `outdoors.md` | ## Core Rules ### 1. Identify User Context First - **Role**: Tourist, expat, digital nomad, student, retiree, entrepreneur - **Timeline**: Short visit, planning to move, already there - Load relevant auxiliary file for details ### 2. The Eternal City Reality Rome is not a modern efficient city — it's a living museum with ancient infrastructure: - **Bureaucracy**: Italian bureaucracy is legendary. Patience required. - **Pace**: Things move slowly. "Piano piano" (slowly, slowly) is the motto. - **Chaos**: Traffic, noise, crowds are constant. Embrace it. - **Beauty**: 3,000 years of history at every corner. Worth the chaos. See `culture.md` for detailed guidance. ### 3. Visa & Residency Options Key pathways for non-EU citizens: - **Elective Residence Visa**: Passive income route (no work permitted) - **Digital Nomad Visa**: New in 2024, remote workers - **Student Visa**: Universities and language schools - **Self-Employment Visa**: Freelancers and entrepreneurs - **EU Citizens**: Free movement, just register with comune See `visas.md` for current requirements and processes. ### 4. Weather Reality - **Mediterranean climate**: Hot dry summers, mild wet winters - **Best seasons**: Spring (Apr-May) and Fall (Sep-Oct) — 18-25C, fewer tourists - **Summer (Jun-Aug)**: Very hot (35C+), extremely crowded, locals flee - **Winter (Dec-Feb)**: Mild (8-15C), rainy, but Rome is beautiful - **August**: Many businesses close. Romans leave for Ferragosto. See `climate.md` for monthly breakdown. ### 5. Current Data (Feb 2026) | Item | Range | |------|-------| | 1BR rent (center) | EUR 1,200-1,800/month | | 1BR rent (periphery) | EUR 700-1,000/month | | Average salary | EUR 1,500-2,000/month net | | Senior developer salary | EUR 2,500-4,000/month net | | Metro single ticket | EUR 1.50 | | 24h transport pass | EUR 7.00 | | Espresso at bar | EUR 1.20-1.50 | | Pizza al taglio slice | EUR 2.50-4.00 | | Restaurant meal | EUR 15-25 | ### 6. Cost Reality Rome is moderate by Western European standards: - **Housing**: Expensive in center, reasonable in outer neighborhoods - **Food**: Eating out affordable, groceries reasonable - **Transport**: Excellent public transit, cheap - **Healthcare**: Public (SSN) is free/cheap for residents - **Hidden costs**: Bureaucracy fees, furniture (unfurnished common), utilities ### 7. Transit Excellence Rome has good public transport despite the chaos: - **Metro**: 3 lines (A, B, C), covers main areas - **Buses**: Extensive ATAC network, can be chaotic - **Trams**: Several lines, scenic - **Regional trains**: To Ostia beach, Fiumicino, suburbs - **Walking**: Historic center is very walkable See `transport.md` for complete guide. ### 8. Neighborhood Matching | Profile | Best Areas | |---------|------------| | First-time visitor | Centro Storico, Trastevere | | Budget traveler | Termini area, San Lorenzo | | Expat families | Parioli, Monteverde, EUR | | Digital nomads | Trastevere, Testaccio, Pigneto | | Students | San Lorenzo, Pigneto, Garbatella | | Retirees | Prati, Aventino, Trastevere | | Short-term luxury | Campo de' Fiori, Piazza Navona area | ## The Rome Experience Understanding Rome requires accepting its contradictions: - **Ancient + Modern**: 3,000 years coexist, often uneasily - **Beautiful + Chaotic**: Stunning beauty amid traffic and crowds - **Frustrating + Rewarding**: Bureaucracy is painful, dolce vita is real - **Touristy + Authentic**: Both exist, sometimes in same street The city rewards patience and curiosity. Don't try to "optimize" Rome — experience it. ## Rome-Specific Traps - **August shutdown** — Half the city closes for Ferragosto. Plan around it. - **Termini area hotels** — Convenient but sketchy at night. Not the best area. - **Restaurant tourist menus** — Fixed price "menu turistico" is usually bad. Avoid. - **Gladiator photos** — They'll demand money. Don't engage. - **Taxi scams** — Use official white taxis only, insist on meter. - **Pickpockets** — Crowded metro, tourist sites. Keep valuables secure. - **Siesta hours** — Many shops close 13:00-16:00. Adapt. - **Sunday closures** — Many things closed, especially outside center. - **Fountains are drinking water** — The "nasoni" — use them! - **Dress codes at churches** — Covered shoulders and knees required. ## Legal Awareness Key laws visitors/residents must know: - **Drinking**: Legal at 18. Public drinking generally tolerated in piazzas. - **Smoking**: Banned in enclosed public spaces, some outdoor areas. - **Monuments**: Sitting on Spanish Steps is fined. Don't eat at fountains. - **Driving ZTL**: Limited traffic zones — big fines if you enter without permit. - **Cannabis**: Decriminalized for small amounts, but still illegal. - **Tax residency**: 183+ days = tax resident. 7% flat tax for retirees available. - **Receipts**: Businesses must give receipts; you can be fined for not taking one. See `safety.md` for comprehensive legal guidance. ## The Housing Reality (2026) Housing in Rome: - **Center**: Expensive, often old buildings, character but issues - **Semi-center**: Better value, good transport links - **Outer areas**: Most affordable, requires car or long commute - **Furnished vs unfurnished**: Unfurnished very common (you buy everything) - **Contracts**: Typically 4+4 year standard contracts - **Deposits**: Usually 2-3 months rent - **Competition**: Good apartments go fast, especially near center ## Language - **Italian essential**: Less English than Northern Europe - **Romanesco**: Local dialect, colorful expressions - **Gestures**: Italians communicate with hands — learn them - **Bureaucracy in Italian**: Almost always, bring translator if needed - **Learning Italian**: Greatly improves quality of life and integration - **English improving**: Younger generation, tourist areas, but don't assume ## Related Skills More Clawic skills, get them at https://clawic.com/skills/ (install if the user confirms): - `dubai` — Expat destination comparison - `travel` — General travel planning - `work` — Career and remote work guidance ## Feedback - If useful, star it: https://clawic.com/skills/rome - Latest version: https://clawic.com/skills/rome --- Source attribution: clawic Original project: https://github.com/clawic/skills/blob/f825206afbf1c697202533a9187be68c7b697e0e/skills/rome/SKILL.md License: MIT License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Dave AI. ## Upstream license notice MIT License Copyright (c) 2026 Ivan G. Davila Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. # Dave AI resource metadata Creator / publisher: clawic Original project: https://github.com/clawic/skills/blob/f825206afbf1c697202533a9187be68c7b697e0e/skills/rome/SKILL.md Attribution basis: Source repository record Fields of work: Marketing, Sales Roles: Content Marketer, Customer Success Manager, Growth Marketer, Influencer Marketer, Product Marketer Specialties: Specialty not specified Tools: Tool not specified Country applicability: Italy Classification basis: Source catalog labels Instruction SHA-256: b1de671109f75d64fb4527deae62aacad8a144a4211f6278342dbd91c398570b