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Trastevere neighbourhood, Rome

Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, Roma, Lazio

Description

The Trastevere neighbourhood is across the Tiber River from the Old City Centre / Centro Storico of Rome. In fact, it's the etymology of the name: "trans" + "Tiberim", literally 'beyond the Tiber'. The area was settled by fishermen, Jews and Syrian immigrants when it formally became part of the city under Augustus who divided Rome in 14 regions in 7 BC. Several important figures such as Julius Caesar had a villa built there. Today, the neighbourhood has preserved its narrow, cobbled streets and ancient buildings. It also has a popular traditional street life and restaurants. Highlights include the Villa Farnesina, the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere, the Palazzo Corsini alla Lungara, and the Palazzo San Callisto (belongs to the Holy See)

Access & Transport

The easiest way to get there is to walk across one of the bridges from the Old City (Ponte Sisto, Ponte Garibaldi or Ponte Giuseppe Mazzini), or even walk from the Vatican / Castel Sant'Angelo. The closest tram stop is Belli (8), near Ponte Garibaldi.

Instructions & Recommendations

The neighbourhood is very atmospheric in the evening, it is a good place to dine out. For urban explorers looking to discover another neighbourhood, it connects to Testaccio via Ponte Sublicio.

Meta review

The neighbourhood has been on the rise for several years and generally comes top of the lists of travel bloggers for it "authentic atmosphere" and quaint streets. Online reviews back this up, highlighting the reasonably priced restaurants serving regional traditional food. In terms of monuments, the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere is described as "magnificent". The only drawback for some is that the streets are not really clean and the buildings not always well maintained.

Environmental & Social

Urban environment with a little green space (botanical garden). Increasingly commercialized but not excessive yet

Conclusion

The neighbourhood of Trastevere immediately feels more authentic / less touristy than the Old City across the Tiber. It is a good place to sample some traditional Italian cuisine in trattorias, a small step towards la Dolce Vita. However, we do not expect everybody will find the neighbourhood attractive but even those that don't fancy the streets should find sufficient villas, museums and churches to justify exploring the area.

Key positive

Atmospheric with several interesting attractions

Lots of nice restaurants

Key negative

Some areas could do with cleaning and renovation

Suitability

No restrictions but wheelchair users should note the cobblestone streets and the slope to Gianicolo

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

April 2023

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit

av. transport time:0h 30m

est. visit time:2h 30m

Sunlight based

Sunrise / early morningOk

MorningOk

Lunch timeOk

AfternoonOk

Sunset / eveningOk

Night – bef. midnightOk

Night – aft. midnightNo

Pricing
Free

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