First visit to Rome, I stayed in the Vatican, I kid you not.
Was with an Irish lady, we lived together for seven or so years, her younger brother was a "trainee priest" in the order that looks after the catholic church history and such stuff, we got put up in their "house". We broke up years ago, 1998/99, her brother, who I was in contact with until a couple of years ago, packed it in before he made the "x grade" where "x" is a number then worked for a while as bank teller back in England.
Anyway, I digress. Approach St. Peters square, with main Pope place in front, go left before, small streets, loads of cheap hotels, bars as it's where the trainee priests go, who, generally don't have the proverbial pot to piss in.
Funnily enough, it's not but a ten minute walk from where ladies with lipstick and short skirts gather or so I was led to believe