On a warm Saturday evening last autumn in Rome, I took two friends and first-time visitors, Boba and Smiljana, to Testaccio, a centrally located neighbourhood on the left bank of the Tiber River. We went to a party held twice a month at the Mercato di Testaccio (Testaccio Market), when stalls stay open late, offering classic Roman dishes like cacio e pepe, carbonara and supplì (deep-fried risotto balls) – alongside wine, beer and music.

Though visiting the market isn’t part of a typical traveller’s itinerary, Boba and Smiljana loved the detour. “Who needs a tourist-trap meal near the Colosseum when you can eat this?” Boba said, happily sinking her teeth into porchetta (stuffed, slow-roasted pork) sandwiches – a classic Roman street food.

From Grand Tour sightseers to religious pilgrims, Rome has always drawn visitors. But as 35 million tourists now descend on the Italian capital every year, the city has recently considered limiting access to some of its most famous sites in an effort to curb its growing overtourism problem.