Temple Rome places students in apartments located in the lively residential area of Prati. The neighborhood is well serviced with shops, eateries, and public transit options.

The apartments are in a variety of buildings and complexes; all apartments are in the Prati neighborhood in Rome, about a 10-15 minute walk from Temple Rome’s campus. Many students walk to school from their apartments, however campus is also easily accessible via public transportation.

The apartments are privately owned residences rented by Temple University for use by students. In addition to Temple Rome participants, Italians, and students from other U.S. study abroad programs may also live in these apartment buildings.

In the lively Prati neighborhood, students will find local food markets, a 24-hour supermarket, and the Vatican Museums. Prati is serviced by multiple metro stops including Cipro, Ottaviano, and Lepanto. There are many local shops and places to eat. It is considered an upscale location, similar to the Rittenhouse neighborhood for students familiar with Philadelphia.

As these apartments are not U.S.-style student residences where rooms and configurations are uniform, each apartment can vary in size and layout, as well as in the number of students it can accommodate. Apartments house between four and six students, with no more than three students per bedroom. All apartments are spacious enough to accommodate a full two meters of personal space between beds in each bedroom. The apartments have been vetted by the Temple Rome staff to ensure that students have a comfortable living space, however, some aspects of the apartments may feel different from U.S. standards, so flexibility is important.

All apartments are non-smoking and are equipped with:

• Telephone (free for outgoing local calls and charges for connections to a U.S. calling card service; incoming international calls are also free)
• Wi-Fi
• Washing machines and drying racks
• Fans
• Two sets of basic bed linens and 2 towels
• Kitchens with basic utensils, cookware, and gas stoves
• Bathroom (if the apartment has more than 4 residents, there will be a second bathroom)
• Fire extinguishers and smoke alarms
• First aid kits
• Cleaning supplies, including bleach
• Television

All of the apartments are clean and well-managed, providing many of the amenities of a hotel, including:

• Weekly cleaning service
• Maintenance 

While the apartments are not owned by Temple University, there is good communication between Temple staff and the apartment management if problems arise.

Our residence is located about 30 minutes from campus in a residential and safe, but lively area of Rome, right behind the Vatican. Students have access to public transportation, grocery stores, shops, and other necessities. The residence apartments are similar to the typical American-style dorms, and include the following amenities:

• Private bathroom and kitchenette
• Access to the regional train, metro, and buses
• Study space
• Cafeteria with available meal plans (€990/semester)
• Laundry facilities
• Towels and linens provided upon arrival
• Indoor gym
• Outdoor areas
• Maintenance support
• 24/7 on-call student life staff for emergencies

A homestay is your chance to experience life as it is lived by modern Romans, and to immerse yourself in local neighborhoods that the casual tourist never sees.

Each homestay student is provided a private room in an Italian house or apartment. Since Italian apartments tend to be smaller than what you may be used to in the U.S., students who select this option should be open to living with somewhat less privacy and space. You must be willing to adapt to the household’s diet and customs (within reason), to participate in the host family’s life and daily routines. Your time, however, remains your own. You are given a key to the building and the home so that you can come and go as you please.

Our Italian hosts are located throughout the city, most often outside the historic center of Rome. Using buses or the metro you can expect, on average, a 45-minute commute to campus.

Homestay students are expected to speak some Italian with their hosts daily. We encourage even those without previous Italian language experience to consider this option, as the cultural and personal connections derived from a homestay can add greatly to one’s Roman experience.

Eating During Your Homestay

Each homestay student will be provided ingredients for an Italian breakfast five days a week, Monday through Friday, as well as a home-cooked dinner Monday through Thursday. Your homestay family may introduce you to a way of eating to which you are not accustomed. The less selective you are and the more you are willing to adapt, the more you will enrich your study abroad experience.