Intro - Trastevere Area is famous for its restaurants, pubs, movie theaters, and nightlife. In the evening, all of the cafes and restaurants tables spill out over to the pavement, especially in the area of Santa Maria Square in Trastevere. The morning here has instead a unique and antique charm mainly due to Trastevere's narrow cobbled alleyways.
The Area - Trastevere is the district that stretches along the right bank of the Tiber. Once called "Trans Tiberem" (across the Tiber) was looked upon as a precarious region.
It belonged to the Etruscans until Rome conquered it again and get back in control of both banks of the river. "Pons Sublicius" bridge (from Latin: "bridge built on piles") was the only one way from Trastevere to the city (Rome). With the Emperor Augustus this area soon began to be considered part of the city.
At the time of the 'Roman Republic', many sailors and fishermen moved here, and chose Trastevere as their home.
Later, with the wealth of the Imperial Age, luxury villas and gardens were constructed on the hillside of Trastevere. To name a few: Clodia, (Catullus' "friend") and Julius Caesar (his garden villa, the Horti Caesaris). The flat land below was occupied by the houses of the poor and small shops. Some of which are still there today!
Trastevere grew in the middle ages with narrow, winding, irregular streets; due to the mignani (structures on the front of buildings) there was no space for carriages to pass, therefore Trastevere remained a maze of narrow streets. This mix caused a strong contrast between the large, lavish houses of the upper classes and the small, ramshackle houses of the poor.
The streets had no pavement until the end of the 1400s. At first bricks were used, later replaced by sampietrini (cobble stones), which make up the famous narrow maze streets today.
Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of the oldest churches in Rome and probably the first to ever host an open ceremony. This is the queen of all churches in Trastevere and soon became the meeting point for devotion to the Virgin Mary by its people. It is believed that perhaps it was in this church Mother of God was worshiped in Rome. In Santa Maria in Trastevere Square there is an Octagonal fountain that today is a gathering point. Many modifications altered the church in the years but despite of the 18th century additions, it still retains its medieval character.
Nowadays, Trastevere maintains its character thanks to its narrow cobbled streets built in the medieval era. At night, both natives and tourists alike gather together around its many pubs and restaurants. The unique character of this neighborhood has become quite popular attracting tourists, locals, artists, foreign expats, and many famous people. This friendly area is strongly connected with the local community.
This is where John Cabot American University, The American Academy, the Rome campus of the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts and the Canadian University of Waterloo School of Architecture are. Also the American Pratt Institute School of Architecture is serving as a temporary home to an International student body.
Frederic Rzewski and Richard Teitelbaum (Musica Elettronica Viva group), famous American musicians, lived here in the 60s and 70sin Via della Luce. Sergio Leone (director of Spaghetti Westerns) grew up in Viale Glorioso (a marble plaque to his memory is on the wall of the apartment building).
Trastevere is definitely the place to stay when in Rome!
The Area - Trastevere is the district that stretches along the right bank of the Tiber. Once called "Trans Tiberem" (across the Tiber) was looked upon as a precarious region.
It belonged to the Etruscans until Rome conquered it again and get back in control of both banks of the river. "Pons Sublicius" bridge (from Latin: "bridge built on piles") was the only one way from Trastevere to the city (Rome). With the Emperor Augustus this area soon began to be considered part of the city.
At the time of the 'Roman Republic', many sailors and fishermen moved here, and chose Trastevere as their home.
Later, with the wealth of the Imperial Age, luxury villas and gardens were constructed on the hillside of Trastevere. To name a few: Clodia, (Catullus' "friend") and Julius Caesar (his garden villa, the Horti Caesaris). The flat land below was occupied by the houses of the poor and small shops. Some of which are still there today!
Trastevere grew in the middle ages with narrow, winding, irregular streets; due to the mignani (structures on the front of buildings) there was no space for carriages to pass, therefore Trastevere remained a maze of narrow streets. This mix caused a strong contrast between the large, lavish houses of the upper classes and the small, ramshackle houses of the poor.
The streets had no pavement until the end of the 1400s. At first bricks were used, later replaced by sampietrini (cobble stones), which make up the famous narrow maze streets today.
Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of the oldest churches in Rome and probably the first to ever host an open ceremony. This is the queen of all churches in Trastevere and soon became the meeting point for devotion to the Virgin Mary by its people. It is believed that perhaps it was in this church Mother of God was worshiped in Rome. In Santa Maria in Trastevere Square there is an Octagonal fountain that today is a gathering point. Many modifications altered the church in the years but despite of the 18th century additions, it still retains its medieval character.
Nowadays, Trastevere maintains its character thanks to its narrow cobbled streets built in the medieval era. At night, both natives and tourists alike gather together around its many pubs and restaurants. The unique character of this neighborhood has become quite popular attracting tourists, locals, artists, foreign expats, and many famous people. This friendly area is strongly connected with the local community.
This is where John Cabot American University, The American Academy, the Rome campus of the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts and the Canadian University of Waterloo School of Architecture are. Also the American Pratt Institute School of Architecture is serving as a temporary home to an International student body.
Frederic Rzewski and Richard Teitelbaum (Musica Elettronica Viva group), famous American musicians, lived here in the 60s and 70sin Via della Luce. Sergio Leone (director of Spaghetti Westerns) grew up in Viale Glorioso (a marble plaque to his memory is on the wall of the apartment building).
Trastevere is definitely the place to stay when in Rome!
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