La Scoperta del Giorno (Today's Discovery): 2 Scoperte, steps apart, on a most unlikely street

The latest in the now-and-then RST series, La Scoperta del Giorno (the discovery of the day or, better put in English, Today’s Discovery). The Italian word “scoperta,” and its English equivalent, "discovery,” are similarly constructed; each is based on the verb “to cover” (coprire/to cover) and each is converted into “uncover” or“discover” with a prefix (the “s” in Italian, the “dis” in English).

One day last week we were headed "home" (Pigneto at the time) on the most desolate stretch of via Giolitti (it runs on the side of the Termini station), closing in on Piazza di Porta Maggiore. We were passing by the Tempio di Minerva Medica, a fascinating ruin, and one of Rome's least known treasures, probably because of its unfortunate location, sandwiched between a bevy of railroad tracks on one side, and tram tracks (and via Giolitti) on the other.

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There, in the pavement, were two smallish circular designs, each with what appeared to be pieces of train track:

And that's Scoperta No. 1. We're not sure what we've discovered, but it is nonetheless a discovery. It pays to look down.

Just steps away, we almost walked by a business with a reserved, modernist sign reading "Tipico 20." It seemed the most unlikely place to come across anything that might interest us, and the name didn't draw us in—though maybe the modernist touch did.

Inside, we found what we actually did need that day—a high-level wine emporium, beautifully designed, specializing in the wines of small producers in Italy's 20 regions. A large selection of bottles are between 20 and 30 Euro. 

The sommelier, Lorenzo, speaking a lovely Italian we could understand, introduced us to several wines, and we chose one from the slopes of Rieti—not an area known for its viniculture. The mission of the store, he explained, is to offer Italian regional products only (the "20" refers to the 20 regions of Italy), most of them small producers whose products are similarly small runs, and that he doesn't expect anyone to have heard of. Later, Lorenzo showed us around the store—all kinds of Italian regional products, and a small outdoor space where food is served (it is also served inside). 

Tipico 20 has been open about 3 years. A real find! The 2nd Scoperta of that 28th day of September, 2026.

Bill