I have never understood why so many people visit Rome from late spring to early autumn, when traffic, heat and stressed shopkeepers and waiters lead to the lower tone of the city. Things improve a little in March, April, October and November. But connoisseurs  know that winter is the best time to go there. In winter, the low-flying sun turns Rome into a wonderful stage set. There are days in winter when the sky is kind of blue. And there are also days when you find that you have beautiful sights all to yourself. Perhaps the only period you might want to avoid is the two weeks before Christmas. Italians often leave their shopping late, and traffic in the city is often heavy. But this can also be a good time to come if you are more interested in culture than in fashion shops; if you stay somewhere central, you can beat the traffic by walking everywhere. Christmas in Rome is a low-key  family event. One of the nice things is the way the city keeps going. Although museums and shops are closed, many bars and restaurants stay open, and public transport continues to run. If you are lucky with the weather, it's in January and February that Rome is at its best. Late February can be especially attractive. One sometimes forgets what a difference that extra hour of daylight makes compared with mid-December. And there are always a few days of proper sunshine, when you can picnic in Villa Borghese and Pompeii. In which of the following periods would the writer most probably advise us to visit Rome?
Late spring. Mid-summer. Early autumn. Mid-winter.