Casa di Goethe

Once a gathering place for German intellectuals, this Via del Corso apartment is where writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe enjoyed a happy Italian sojourn (despite complaining of the noisy neighbors) from 1786 to 1788. Today it's a lovingly maintained small museum. Exhibits include fascinating Piranesi engravings of 18th-century Rome, as well as Goethe's sketches and letters, plus some lovely sketches of him by his friend Tischbein. With advance permission, ardent fans can use the library full of first editions.