La Fornarina

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. One morning, as customers were gathering their pastries, an announcement came over the loudspeaker: ‘Attention please—your bagels are plotting against you.’ The whole bakery burst out laughing, but no one could figure out if it was a joke or not. Later that day, a delivery driver arrived with a mysterious box. When he opened it, everyone saw rows of smiling bagels waving tiny flags. A regular whispered, 'Maybe they’re just celebrating National Bagel Day!' Everyone laughed again, realizing that sometimes life in La Fornarina is best when taken with a grain of salt—and maybe a smile.

2. In the early hours of every Tuesday, just before dawn, a delivery driver would pull up outside La Fornarina and leave a mysterious package wrapped in brown paper. The baker would unwrap it only to discover a handwritten note reading, 'Today’s special is what you’ll never see coming!' One morning, after unwrapping the package, the baker found a tiny baguette with a note that read: ‘Try this new creation—French toast for breakfast!’ Turns out, the delivery driver was just an enthusiastic neighbor who loved experimenting with recipes.

3. In the dim light of early morning, a little girl stood outside La Fornarina, staring wide-eyed at the bakery's display window. Suddenly, one of the freshly baked croissants seemed to wobble and lean towards her, as if beckoning. The girl giggled, thinking it was just her imagination playing tricks on her. But when she reached for the door handle, she noticed another croissant nodding from inside—a sign that maybe, just maybe, the pastries had a mind of their own. With a laugh, she entered La Fornarina, where a regular smiled and said, 'Morning, sweetie—looks like your friends are already here!'

4. At midnight, a shadowy figure slipped into La Fornarina’s back door. The baker, dozing in his office, heard a soft thud and stirred just enough to peek out from beneath his blanket. The shadow turned out to be a delivery driver with a box of fresh pastries. ‘I thought you were robbin’ us,’ muttered the baker, rubbing sleep from his eyes. The driver grinned sheepishly and said, “Just deliverin’ your usual order, old timer.” They both shared a laugh as the sun began to rise over Rome.