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"Trastevere On Foot"

Rome Tourist Guide Routes  

Trastevere on foot

The Tiber River, which runs through much of the city's historic core, is more than just a waterway; the river has grown to be as much a symbol of Rome as the Coliseum or the Spanish Steps. The river endows the city with yet another facet of its personality and has influenced Roman life for centuries. The many bridges that cross the Tiber are signposts of different, historical eras and have become essential elements of the river's landscape. The neighbourhood that has been most significantly influenced by its proximity to the Tiber is Trastevere, whose name even references the legendary river. Tevere is the Italian name for the Tiber and tras means on the other side. Thus, it is the neighbourhood on the other side of the Tiber. 

Trastevere lies across the river from the Centro Storico and has the most unique and steadfastly Roman character of all the city's areas. Time, however, doesn't stand still, not even in Trastevere. The neighbourhood has been discovered by a young, hip and wealthy crowd, causing the area to lose some of its traditional charm. Many of the neighbourhood's long-term locals are slowly moving out to other, cheaper areas and new, wealthier tenants are taking their place. The old "palaces" are being converted into hip establishments, gradually changing the life-style of this area. The traditional trattorias still abound in Trastevere, but they now rub shoulders with fast-food pizzerias and other places that cater primarily to the many visitors who come here every day.   

Things might be changing in Trastevere, especially for its local population, but that doesn't change the fact that it is still one of the most authentic and charming areas in Rome. It somehow seems to move at a different pace than the rest of the city, its individual character forged through both the real and the psychological division that is the Tiber River. Perhaps it is this very same separation that has also allowed Trastevere to keep much of its unique character alive over time. A palpable shift in atmosphere and rhythm accompanies the change from day to night in the neighbourhood. Day and night are very different here and both must be experienced in order to truly appreciate everything Trastevere has to offer. 

Trastevere in the mornings and during most of the daytime hours more closely resembles a village than part of a country's capital city. The pace is languid, street vendors wander the streets and shops display part of their merchandise on the cobblestone streets. There is a timeless quality to the older generations who sit in the squares, chatting with what seems like all the time in the world, and to the laundry that still flutters on the balconies. Italian mammas shop at small, family-owned shops, and families stroll down the narrow streets as if much of the modern world was still being held at bay by the river. This is the classic Trastevere, a proletarian neighbourhood that still holds on to its traditional way of life. At night everything changes as both crowds of young people and tourists cross the river and flock to the neighbourhood. A trattoria or restaurant is tucked down every street, even the tiniest alleys, and still offer reasonable prices despite the surge in the area's popularity. Stores specialising in music, clothing and handicrafts stay open until very late, and street performers provide spontaneous entertainment at any given time, in any given place. Some people come to stroll through the neighbourhood while others prefer to sit in the squares, hanging out with friends and drinking. Unfortunately this can lead to less than desirable situations in the late hours of the night, often causing the carabinieri to come and clear out the area. However, this is all part of Trastevere's character, a neighbourhood with two very different lifestyles, and anyone seeking a complete picture of Roman life needs to experience them both.   

Many bridges cross the Tiber, but some are especially suited for a trip into Trastevere. Ponte Sisto, Ponte Garibaldi, Ponte Fabricio and Ponte Palatino, located between the Centro Storico and the Teatro de Marcello, are all excellent choices that lead directly to the Trastevere riverfront. Ponte Fabricio, as the bridge is known on the northern shore, is one of the oldest in Rome. Its name changes to Ponte Cestio on the southern side. This might be the most picturesque route to take since it leads you across the Tiber Island, another charming spot in the city.

The little island in the Tiber River is most famous for its long, medical tradition, which began in Ancient Rome. One of Rome's most revered hospitals, the Ospedale Fatebenefratelli, has stood on the island since the Middle Ages when it was founded by an order of monks. The island also has a church, named after Saint Bartholomew, and a little further downstream you can see the remains of an ancient bridge. The Ponte Rotto (Broken Bridge) was the first stone bridge built in Rome, originally constructed in 142 B.C. under the name Ponte Emilio.

Crossing the Ponte Cestio takes you to the Piazza Piscinula in Trastevere, site of the San Benedetto in Piscinula Church, which is famous for having the oldest Roman church bell.  Another noteworthy church, the Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, is located at the nearby Piazza Mercanti. Art lovers flock to the church to see the strikingly beautiful fresco by Pietro Cavallini in the choir. The religiously devout, however, come here for another reason. The church is the final resting place of Saint Cecilia, who died in the year 230 A.D. More than a thousand years later, in 1599, her tomb was opened and her body was discovered in a remarkable state of preservation, a fact that many could only explain as a divine miracle.

The next stop at the nearby Piazza Sonnino is an elegant medieval tower known as the Torre degli Anguillara. Although the tower is named after its first owner, it had a far more illustrious tenant than the Anguillara family. The poet Dante Aligheri lived here for about one year, and his legacy is still one of the main reasons people are drawn to the tower. In fact, the library inside the tower houses what is probably the best collection of Dante's work worldwide. The square on which the tower stands is also the beginning of Trastevere's main thoroughfare, the Viale di Trastevere, an extremely long avenue that transverses the entire neighbourhood. The street becomes the area's central attraction on Sunday mornings when it transforms into a traditional market with countless stores and visitors eager to browse. The market runs down the entire length of the avenue to the river, ending close to Porta Portese and the Ponte Aventino.

The Porta Portese Market is one of Europe's largest flea markets. The stalls that crowd the space on Sundays are full of treasures if you know how to look amidst the seemingly endless assortment of items. Anyone with the patience to sift through the wares and a good hand at bartering can head home with more than a few unique and very reasonably priced acquisitions.

Taking Via di San Francesco a Ripa from Viale di Trastevere leads you directly to the Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, the neighbourhood's main square. This is Trastevere's heart, the place where you find the truest expression of the neighbourhood's aforementioned character. The square is the epicentre of neighbourhood life, both during the day and at night. In terms of historically important buildings, the Santa Maria in Trastevere Basilica is one of Rome's most significant. It was the first church in Rome to be dedicated to the Virgin Mary.  

If you want to see yet another side of this multi-faceted neighbourhood, head down Via della Scala until you reach the Villa Farnesina and the Palazzo Corsini. These are two of the area's most elegant buildings. The former is home to a very fine art collection that includes pieces like the Three Graces by Raphael whereas the latter houses a section of the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica (the rest of the gallery can be visited at the Palazzo Barberini).