Having visited Rome before and seen most of its major attractions, we decided to spend our first day exploring the San Lorenzo District on foot. Creative, gritty, and full of character, it had the kind of vibe I love discovering when I travel.
As expected, we came across street art along the way, but one thing truly caught our attention: a huge, colorful clay-leaf mural at Piazza dell’Immacolata.
The mural was made up of individual, leaf-shaped clay pieces, each engraved with personal skills or qualities that their creators wished to share with the neighborhood.
Local residents, schoolchildren, tourists, and passersby were all invited to make and paint their own clay leaves, turning the wall into a collective expression of creativity and community.
It was beautiful to look at, but what made it even more special was the idea behind it. We had never seen anything quite like it before!
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Sometimes, it’s these less-polished corners of a city that make wandering around so much fun.
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But – of course, no first day in Italy would be complete without our first gelato of the trip!
Y U M M Y !
San Lorenzo District, Rome – Italy. May 4, 2026
