When in Rome - often referred to as the Eternal City - it’s not unusual to witness unbearably attractive couples profess their undying love or gaze into each other’s eyes for hours. If the romance in your own life needs some rekindling or you are finally planning to profess your intentions, then this romantic night on the town can help set the stage for the perfect moment sealed with a kiss. Rome's historic fountains heighten the city's romance — Photo courtesy of Johanna Erin Jacobson

Start your romantic tour at sunset with a visit to the Ponte Milvo (Milvo Bridge), immortalized in the book "Three Meters Above the Sky" by Federico Moccia, responsible for the trend of young lovers to affix love padlocks engraved with their names and often wedding dates to symbolize their enduring love. Details from one of hundreds of "love padlocks" found on bridges in Rome — Photo courtesy of Johanna Erin Jacobson

Admire the love locks attached by hundreds of couples, but if you wish to make your own, then visit a local Ferramenta (tool supply shop) and take it home for your own display. The weight of the locks and their sheer numbers could damage the bridge in the long term. 

Chocolate always pairs perfectly with romance. Every winter, artisan chocolatiers descend on Rome for Ciokinroma, a molten, caloric trade show open to the public where you can fill up on the world's best sweets. 

If your travel plans don’t coincide, then don’t fret. Head to Pizzeria Dar Poeta across the Tiber river from the centro storico in Trastevere and order the Nutella calzone. The deep friend dough, overflowing with creamy hazelnut spread goodness and topped with powdered sugar, will start the night out right for any lovebirds. Start a romantic night out with a Nutella calzone - ricotta cheese optional. — Photo courtesy of Matt Chotin

Once you have your sweet on, burn off those calories while wandering through the lively streets of Trastevere until you arrive at the Piazza Santa Maria, where you’ll find one of Rome’s oldest churches and an eighth-century fountain of the same name. Delightful Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere is a happening spot day or night — Photo courtesy of Ewan Munro

Find a seat on the steps, normally packed with Italian couples and dazzled tourists, and admire the 1873 redesign by Gian Lorenzao Bernini and Carlo Fontana. Ponder the humor that the co-designer’s last name Fontana actually means "fountain" in Italian. Next, practice your italiano by singing along with the local musicians that play everything from Neapolitan ballads to Roman love songs.

Continue your stroll hand in hand to the hybrid bar and bookstore Rivendita Libri, Cioccolata e Vino and peruse their list of shots with names, most too sexy to mention, served in an edible chocolate shot glass with Italian whip cream. Where to Get Chocolate Shots in Rome — Photo courtesy of Rivendita Libri Cioccolata e Vino

Alternatively, select a piece of scrumptious chocolate and pair it with a Sicilian dessert wine like a passito di Pantelleria. You will experience chocolate nirvana as the chocolate combines with the passito's concentrated, heady explosion of sweet concentrated grapes. Be sure to savor everything slowly while you peruse their eclectic book selections. Try selecting your favorite chocolate and then pair with a chocolate shot or local wine — Photo courtesy of Rivendita Libri Cioccolata e Vino

To seal the evening off with a kiss, hop in a taxi to the Trevi Fountain, immortalized in Federico Fellini’s 1960 "La Dolce Vita." Despite the sultry Roman summer nights, resist the temptation to dive in as Anita Ekberg did in the film.

Instead, soak up the crowd-free atmosphere, the moonlit piazza and the late-night lights that dance along the fountain’s edge. Then, with the suave moves that you see only in the movies, lean in and plant the perfect bacio on each other’s lips. Then, declare your Eternal intentions. 

If your love affair in the Eternal City comes to a close all too quickly, then heed the local folklore and toss a coin into the fountain: it should guarantee your next quick return to Rome.  If you are thinking of planning an Italian destination wedding, then be sure to toss three coins. It means you will return and marry your sweetheart in Rome. Arrivederci, Roma.