7) 12:30 p.m. Lunch break

Gustando e Degustando, a 10-minute walk from Santa Costanza, is the hole-in-the-wall you dream of: a handful of tables, a chalkboard of daily specials, oldies burbling in the background, and simple local food of notable freshness. Beef strips on a bed of arugula (8 euros) is both light and flavorful; octopus, pesto and potatoes (10 euros) has a nice balance of succulent and savory. An extensive list of beers, wines and spirits makes this an equally good choice for an afternoon aperitif.

8) 3 p.m. Spending spree

What a stroke of luck that two of Renaissance Rome’s most ravishing streets, Via del Pellegrino and the intersecting Via dei Banchi Vecchi, are lined with some of the city’s most tempting boutiques. From Campo de’ Fiori, pick up Via del Pellegrino and work your way west, stopping at Solodue, for edgy shoes, tops and accessories; Retropose, for oversize bags in eye-popping colors; Sciam, for glass baubles and Murano goblets; Libreria del Viaggiatore for travel books; and Libreria il Minotauro, a warren stuffed with children’s toys and books. Refuel with a coffee and pastry at Monteforte, and continue past the patrician palaces to Banchivecchi Pellami, via dei Banchi Vecchi, 40, a venerable family-run shop offering classic Italian-made belts and wallets.

9) 6 p.m. Delight the inner child

No one loves a crèche — presepio in Italian — more than the Italians, and at the International Museum of the Presepio you can revel in the finest examples of this folk art from all over the world and down through the ages. Open only on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 5 to 7:30 p.m. (with extended hours from Christmas to Jan. 6), the museum is in the basement of the tiny church of SS. Quirico e Giulitta, at the edge of Monti.