What It Means to Be Roman: An Honest (and Slightly Brutal) Guide

Being Roman is not about where you were born. It is about attitude.

You can be born in Torpignattara or Parioli, go to a classical lyceum or a technical school, support Roma or Lazio — and in every case, if you are Roman, you know it. And if you do not know it, you probably are not.

The question “what does it mean to be Roman” has no simple answer. But it does have a series of tests that Romans pass every single day without even noticing.

The relationship with time

A Roman is not late. A Roman has a different conception of time. When he says “I am on my way” he means within the hour. When he says “let us meet later” he does not specify the day because that would be superfluous. When he says “I am coming now” rest assured he is still deciding whether to get off the sofa.

This is not rudeness. It is philosophy. The Romans built an empire over centuries — they were not exactly the ones who hurried.

The relationship with traffic

In Rome, traffic is not an inconvenience. It is a natural environment. The Roman lives inside it. He knows that the ring road (the GRA) is always jammed, that the Via Colombo on a Friday evening is to be avoided like the plague, and that the only passable route at 8 in the morning is the one nobody else knows.

The car horn in Rome is not a protest signal. It is a greeting. A form of communication. An artistic expression.

The relationship with food

Romans eat seriously. Not for fashion, not for show — out of existential necessity. Cacio e pepe, carbonara, coda alla vaccinara, supplì: these are not recipes, they are dogma. Whoever puts cream in the carbonara is not simply wrong. They are in the wrong.

The Roman knows where to eat well. And he will not tell you where that trattoria is. Not because he is selfish — it is just that if he tells you, it fills up with tourists and he can no longer get a table.

The relationship with the Vatican

Romans have lived next to the Vatican for two thousand years and have probably never been inside. Not out of disrespect — quite the opposite. It is just that when you have the Colosseum on your doorstep, the Sistine Chapel feels almost like a neighbourhood attraction.

Tourists arrive at Civitavecchia by cruise ship and rush straight to the Vatican Museums. Romans live next door and treat it like the supermarket downstairs — they know it is there, they know it might come in handy one day, but it is never urgent.

The relationship with other Italians

The Roman is convinced — with absolute serenity — that Rome is the centre of the world. He does not say it out of arrogance. He says it because, from a certain point of view, he is right. Two millennia of imperial history leave a mark.

He does not say it out loud to other Italians. But he always thinks it.

The relationship with tourists

The Roman tolerates tourists. He accepts them. He sometimes even helps them, with that typically Roman cynical generosity. But deep down he knows they are occupying his city, photographing his fountains, sitting in his bars and paying three times the normal price for coffee.

It is not their fault. It is just life.

The luckiest tourists arrive by cruise ship at Civitavecchia, hire a private driver who actually knows the city, and see a Rome that a group tour would never show them. Those are the tourists the Roman respects.

How to spot a Roman in 30 seconds

Three unmistakable signs:

1. He uses his chin to point directions instead of his finger
2. He says “Daje” (Rome’s all-purpose expression of enthusiasm, agreement and encouragement) in at least four different contexts in the same conversation
3. He knows a fantastic trattoria that he will not tell you about

If you see all three, you are looking at a Roman doc.

And you — how Roman are you? Find out with the quiz

We have prepared 30 questions on time, food, traffic, culture and Roman attitude. The result will tell you whether you are a Roman Doc, a True Roman, an Adopted Roman, a Struggling Roman or — without any judgement — a Foresto (outsider).

→ Take the Quiz: How Roman Are You?

---

Planning a transfer from Civitavecchia? CivitaDriver takes you to Rome, Vatican, Fiumicino and beyond — with a driver who actually knows the city. Request a quote →

---

Frequently asked questions about what it means to be Roman

What does it mean to be a Roman doc? Roman doc is someone who was not only born in Rome but has completely absorbed its mentality, its rhythm, its relationship with food and its conception of time. The birthplace alone is not enough — you need the attitude.

What are the typical characteristics of a Roman? The philosophical relationship with lateness, the creative use of the car horn, the absolute defence of carbonara without cream, knowledge of secret trattorias, and the habit of pointing directions with the chin instead of a finger.

How do you recognise a Roman? Three signs: he points with his chin instead of his finger, he uses “Daje” in very different contexts, and he knows a fantastic trattoria he will never tell you about.

What does a Roman doc eat? Cacio e pepe, carbonara with absolutely no cream, coda alla vaccinara, supplì al telefono, carciofi alla giudia. All of it strictly in trattorias that do not appear on TripAdvisor.