Maximilian Guenther (BMW i Andretti Motorsport) set the fastest time in Free Practice 2, though due to the session being cut short for kerb repairs, the times could hardly be considered representative.
Guenther's 1m39.517s was some eight tenths of-a-second shy of Lucas di Grassi's FP1 best as the drivers only had a chance to get their initial runs and installation in, with just nine minutes of run-time before the red flag was thrown.
Nyck de Vries (Mercedes-EQ) and the Dutchman's teammate Stoffel Vandoorne rounded out the top three.
The Circuito Cittadino dell'EUR has seen a number of changes for 2021, which has extended the course to 19 turns and 3.385km - the second longest in Formula E history behind the Beijing E-Prix track. These tweaks looks to have added eight seconds or so to the overall lap time, with a 1m31s the ballpark for the previous Rome E-Prix layout.
REPORT: Di Grassi tops FP1 in Rome
It's a perfect mix of high-speed runs and tight, complex sections and undulations with plenty of opportunities for overtaking at the hairpin and some 90-degree bends - peak Formula E and a big favourite of the drivers.
"Street racing is Formula E's DNA and we should really be pushing to continue building these striking street circuits in city centres," said de Vries, who'll make his city centre street track debut in Formula E this weekend in Rome.
READ MORE: Drivers on the exciting new Rome layout
"I'm very much looking forward to getting experience of the track. There's four to six different types of Tarmac surface at times through the corners so it's going to bring a lot of different challenges!"
Qualifying ahead of the Rome E-Prix Round 3 is next up at 12:00 UTC and the race follows at 16:00. For the full lowdown before then, take a look at the full Rome E-Prix preview.