Roma beata; letters from the Eternal city

A lively series of letters transports the reader to Rome at the turn of the century, where the narrator and companion J. contend with the quirks of city life while searching for a suitable home. Their first apartment in the sun‑kissed Piazza di Spagna quickly turns into a sweltering furnace, prompting a comic battle with an imperious landlady and a makeshift fire‑lighting scheme that leaves the whole building coughing. The episode captures the clash of modern comforts—electric lights and heated rooms—with the stubborn, old‑world habits of Roman landlords, all narrated with wry humor and vivid detail.

From that rocky start the correspondence drifts to brighter days in a kindly‑run pension, where the writer fashions a modest household, hosts tea parties for fellow expatriates, and introduces a circle of artists and travelers. Through these early encounters the letters offer a colourful portrait of Rome’s streets, its bustling social scene, and the everyday joys and frustrations of an American in the Eternal City.