Where to find Rome's best ice cream.

The Italians are really good about protecting their patrimony. When they find something undeniably great -- Parma ham, Neapolitan pizza, Balsamic vinegar from Modena -- they recognize it, venerate it, and then promote it.

If you've spent some time in Rome, you know that one of the city's greatest pleasures is its gelato. In fact, many people -- ourselves included -- believe that Rome has the best ice cream in the world. And, sure enough, the City of Rome has found a way to shortlist the best, by designating some shops as Gelaterie Artigianale.

These crème-de-la-crème ice creameries, which display a large A in the window, use only fresh, natural ingredients and make their products on the premises. In addition to gelato, which is made with whole milk, you'll usually find sorbetto, which is made from fresh fruit with no dairy products.

Virtually everyone agrees that San Crispino serves the best gelato in Rome. Conveniently located near the Trevi Fountain, San Crispino offers such exotic delicacies as Zabaione (with fresh egg yolks and Marsala wine), Walnut and Fig, Chocolate Meringue, and Ginger and Cinnamon, in addition to the expected Hazelnut and Lemon. The sorbetti -- particularly pink grapefruit, pomegranate, and pear -- are perfection in a cup. We say that because the Alongi brothers won't taint their product by serving it in cones.

The real competition in the Rome ice cream wars is for second place, and there are several contenders: Gelateria del Teatro near Piazza Navona, Giolitti near the Pantheon, Fior di Luna in Trastevere, and Gelarmony near the Vatican.

On a cobbled street off Via dei Coronari, Gelateria del Teatro has outdoor seating on a relatively quiet side street and especially good ice cream. The nut flavors -- Sicilian pistachios, Bari almonds -- are sensational, and chocoholics will swoon for cioccolato puro, which is 85% cocoa. Pear and Caramel is another local favorite.

The granddaddy of Rome's gelaterie, Giolitti was founded around the turn of the century. Decorated in the Liberty style, Giolitti is the place for sundaes like the Coppa Giolitti with chocolate ice cream, custard, zabaione, whipped cream, and hazelnut shavings. It's not far from the Pantheon.

Made from organically-grown and responsibly produced products, Fior di Luna is the environmentally responsible choice. The Sicilian owners are fastidious about their ingredients -- rum, white chocolate, chili, orange, and even fig. And the location is perfect for a light dessert after dinner at one of Trastevere's lively tratorrie.

If you're looking for unusual flavors, Gelarmony serves unique temptations like After Dinner Mints, Cioccolato con Pepperoni, and Cinnamon. A big dollop of whipped cream (panna) is added for no extra charge. And you can also buy the best cannoli and other Sicilian sweets here.

Find more cool things in Rome here.

1) San Crispino: Via della Panetteria 42
2) Gelateria del Teatro: via di San Simone, 70
3) Giolitti: Via Uffici del Vacario 40
4) Fior di Luna: Via della Lungaretta, 96
5) Gelarmony: Via Marcantonio Colonna, 34

View Romes top 5 Gelaterie from www.tripaddiction.com in a larger map