Grazie, Ciao--or Ciao, Grazie? La Scoperta del Giorno

 The latest in the now-and-then RST feature, 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).

Above photo is from the Fattori café on the \eastern fringe of Pigneto, Piazza dei Condottieri

When entering a café, a bar, a newsstand or any other business other than a super-market/big box store/large appliance store, it's the Rome custom to announce one's presence with "buon giorno" or, later in the day, "buona sera." 

But what to say when you've drunk your espresso, enjoyed your cornetto, and paid the bill (that is, if you didn't pay before consuming), and you're headed out the door? 

"Grazie, ciao" would seem the obvious choice. It has the proper order: thanks [and] bye. 

But according to our informal survey, which included several neighborhood folks and 3 carabinieri, the appropriate closing is (and what Romans actually say):

"Ciao, grazie" (bye [and] thanks), even if the order seems wrongly inverted (to these Americans, anyway). Roman friends confirmed our observations over dinner. 

                                                            CIAO, GRAZIE!

                            And that's the Scoperta del Giorno for November 4, 2025. 

From Quadraro, La Scoperta del Giorno

The latest in the now-and-then RST feature, 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).

Yesterday we returned to Quadraro, a center of street art that occupies both sides of Via Tuscolana in the heartt of Tuscolano. We  couldn't resist a look at the short tunnel that runs under Via Tuscolana between Via Decio Mure (on the west) and Via Lentuli (on the east). Below, what the west entrance looked like 9 years ago, in 2016. Even then, the black interior of the tunnel had been painted white, probably to encourage pedestrian use. The artist is Mr. Thoms.  (See our post on street art in Quadraro, including a now-defunct app, here: https://www.romethesecondtime.com/2016/11/quadraro-street-art-center-of-romes.html) 

Here's what it looked like a few weeks ago:

And that's the Scoperta del Giorno for October 9, 2025!

Toilet Equipment, and La Scoperta del Giorno

The latest in the now-and-then RST feature, 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).

We reported on gentrification in 2019, and one of the neighborhoods we included was Quadraro, which occupies both sides of Via Tuscolana just south of the Porta Furba Metro stop on the A line. Quadraro made some sense as a locus of anti-gentrification sentiment, because it's a leftist, working-class neighborhood, while also being one of several Rome street art/murales centers, and hence associated with artistic elites.

That said, Tuscolano to Quadraro's south had always seemed to us relentlessly middle-class, impervious to gentrification. Until yesterday, when, window shopping, we were shocked to realize that we could have walked into a store in the heart of Tuscolano and come out with a $400 toilet brush! 

                    And that's La Scoperta del Giorno for an afternoon in October, 2025!