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By Andrew Sessa April 21, 2014 | 6:00pm

Rome’s ‘Prati’ district undergoes

hip revival

With his simple vestments and no-frills Ford Focus,Pope Francis — who lured 150,000 believers to hisEaster Mass on Sunday — has done much to makemonastic asceticism the Catholic craze of the moment.But there’s more to a Vatican City visit these days thanhair shirts and 40-day fasts.

Today’s pilgrims are blessed to find not only arevitalized Vatican but also an ever-increasing vibrancyin the stylish neighborhoods just beyond its walls —like Prati, a posh, leafy district of grand homes andwide boulevards immediately east of the Holy See.

Carved out of the Vatican’s former front yard in themiddle of the 19th century, Prati — as well as theadjacent Trionfale neighborhood — is like Rome’sUpper West Side, filled with upwardly mobile youngprofessionals who frequent a rising number of greatrestaurants and chic shops.

A quick walk from St. Peter’s sits Sorpasso, the Eternal City’s coolest restaurant. Opencontinuously from early morning to late at night — a rarity in Rome — the always-overflowing resto serves cocktails, wine and plates of cheese and cured meat at a whitesubway-tiled bar up front, while the dining room in the back turns out contemporary,seasonal versions of classic Roman plates. (Do book ahead; the wait to get in without areservation can feel like an eternity in Purgatory.)

Nearby, the relative newcomer Romeo, another all-day dining spot, opened 18 monthsago as a joint venture between local pizza and pane maestros the Roscioli brothers andhaute-cuisine chef Cristina Bowerman, whose other Rome restaurant, Glass, in

Sorpasso is considered Rome's coolest restaurant with its contemporary, seasonal twist on classic Roman fare

and its continuous open hours.

Photo: Handout

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FILED UNDER ITALY, ROME, TOURISM, VACATIONS, VATICAN

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Trastevere, has a Michelin star. Romeo’s entry hosts a bakery and salume and cheeseshop, giving way to a boldly decorated, futuristic dining room, where Bowerman sendsout fresh pastas and forward-thinking entrées. For a lower-key bite on the go, there’sRoman pizzaiolo Gabriele Bonci’s order-at-the-counter, by-the-slice place Pizzarium(Via della Meloria 43), or his bakery Panificio Bonci (Via Trionfale 34/36).

The folks behind the historic center’sBalthazar-like bistro Baccano debuted the retro-styled all-day-dining Zanzara in February,branching out from the pseudo-French to an

internationally accented Italian menu. A satellite of cucina Romana favoriteVelavevodetto opened on Piazza dei Quiriti, with the beloved Roman bakery andbar-cafe Il Gianfornaio (Via dei Gracchi 179) launching a new venue just south ofthere, practically across the street from longtime local gelato go-to Gelateria Gracchi(No. 272).

For more of the frozen sweet stuff, a pair of all-natural nouveau-gelato spots havepopped up in the Vatican hood recently: Vice Café and Il Gelato Bistrò, both of whichtraffic in the classics, as well as more unconventional and even savory flavors that aredivine in their own right.

Beyond good eats, Prati provides much in the way of great goods at a variety ofboutiques on and off Via Cola di Rienzo, the neighborhood’s primary pilgrimagepathway. Walking on Rienzo east from the Vatican, you’ll first hit the recentlyrenovated Prati location of Rome’s high-fashion mini-chain Gente, with cultishwomen’s labels, both Italian and international, displayed on burnished brass andpolished wood racks. Continuing east, there’s F&F (Piazza dell’Unità 42), whose owndesigns and international micro-labels for men and women sit on antique furniture inan industrial chic space. Just south of Rienzo, 40° mixes Goth, work wear, high fashionand pop-punk in an endearingly disorganized three-room men’s shop. And this month,the Prati outlet of the department store COIN, a sort of Italian equivalent of Macy’s,has just reopened after three and one-half month gut renovation.

As for where to cloister yourself, the 116rooms and suites of the Gran Meliá Rome(from about $520; Meliá), are set in a newlyrestored and renovated centuries-oldconvent built atop an ancient Roman villa.The sprawling urban retreat features anoutdoor pool, manicured gardens andgourmet cuisine from Michelin-starred chefAlfonso Iaccarino.

Rome’s high-fashion mini-chain ‘Gente.’

Photo: Gente

Gran Melia Rome Hotel

Photo: Melia Hotels International

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