The celebrated TV chef calls her Roman heritage her "superpower". Here are her picks for enjoying the Eternal City with kids.

If there's one thing as eternal as Rome, it's the familial bonds that have breathed life into the city over the centuries. For Rome-born celebrity chef Giada de Laurentiis, these cherished childhood memories in the Eternal City have also fuelled her career.

"Rome really is home," says de Laurentiis, who emigrated to the United States with her family when she was seven years old. "All of my earliest memories are in Italy, mainly "[centred on] family and food."

De Laurentiis may have built her culinary empire on the sunny shores of southern California but she has never lost ties to the city of her birth, visiting once or twice a year. Her relationship with her Roman roots, nevertheless, wasn't always an easy one.

Giada de Laurentiis is an Emmy Award-winning, Rome-born chef and entrepreneur who has been a fixture on the US's Food Network channel for nearly two decades. A prolific cookbook author and New York Times bestseller, she is currently releasing her latest title, Super-Italian: More Than 110 Indulgent Recipes Using Italy's Healthiest Foods, out 4 March 2025.

"As a kid, it was the bane of my existence," says de Laurentiis. "Everyone made fun of the pasta I had in my lunches, the way my name sounded, the list goes on."

With time, however, she came to see her Roman heritage as an invaluable asset – a "superpower", as she calls it. She describes feeling connected to Italian culture as the "joy of life", something she has tried to pass on to her daughter, Jade. "I think her Italian roots have served as a really beautiful anchor for her," says de Laurentiis.

But now, and especially as the 2025 Jubilee propels Rome even further into the limelight, she hopes for others to taste the true beauty of Italian family life – especially the new generation.

Rome can prove overwhelming for children; the crowds are large, the landmarks daunting in size and in sheer quantity. But with the right approach it can be a magical experience, one that they cherish and share with their own families – as de Laurentiis loves doing with hers.

Here are de Laurentiis' favourite family-friendly ways to experience the Eternal City.

Few places bring a family together like Campo de' Fiori, a vibrant street market tucked behind Piazza Navona that has something for just about everyone. Originally established as a flower market in the late 19th Century, Campo de' Fiori has been supplying locals and tourists of all ages with everything from fresh flowers and food to kitschy trinkets and souvenirs for more than 150 years.

And just behind Campo de' Fiori is the historic Antico Forno Roscioli, serving one of de Laurentiis' favourite family-friendly treats: pizza. Opened in 1972, with lines sometimes stretching deep into the piazza, the bakery is a local institution, favoured by locals and gourmets alike. Their pizza is a masterclass in Roman baking tradition, made with little yeast and left to rise for 24 hours, resulting in dough that is light, crispy and, in de Laurentiis' words, quite simply "great".

"Roman-style pizza is really fun for kids to try," she says. Served al taglio (by the slice), Roman pizza is thinner and crispier than the puffy-crusted Neapolitan pizza widely recognised outside of Italy. But the pizza al taglio at Roscioli has its own flair: "It's like a focaccia type of dough and they sell it in squares," says de Laurentiis. "I love the potato and onion slices."

Website: https://www.anticofornoroscioli.it/

Address: Via dei Chiavari 34, 00186

Telephone: 39 66864045

Instagram: @anticofornoroscioli

Completed in 1762 under the design of Baroque mastermind Nicola Salvi, the sumptuous

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