Trastevere – Gianicolense
Rome Trastevere is considered by numerous people the most authentic Roman quarter because, even though it is located not far away from the main tourist areas of the city, it has preserved the own characteristic rhythm and lifestyle.
The urban tissue, rich of typical pubs and markets, is organised around a large grid of alleys around the main square of Santa Maria in Trastevere.
The church, founded around 220 A.D., was rebuilt with the addiction of the belfry in 1138 by Pope Innocenzo II and finished, on the desire of Pope Clement XI, with the portico in front of the façade from the plan of Carlo Fontana in 1702.
On the façade are applied some mosaics dating back to the 12th century, representing the Virgin in throne with the Child and a procession of ten Virgins; the internal part, on the contrary, with columns and capitals probably coming from an antique Egyptian temple, is furnished with mosaics and frescoes of Pietro Cavallini in the apse, and with the ceilings of Domenichino, and the decorations of Carlo Maratta.
In the surroundings of the church of Santa Maria di Trastevere it is also possible to visit the Academy of the Lincei founded in the first years of the 17th century by Federico Cesi and the Gallery Corsini where are shown many works of the period going from Manierism to Baroque by Guido Reni, Lanfranco, Tiepolo, Canaletto, Carlo Maratta and Luca Giordano.
The twelfth district of Rome is called Gianicolense ( from the name of the Gianicolo hill, in the Trastevere district, where the first urban expansion in the area comes from ), and is placed in the south side of the city, behind Aurelian City Wall and Tiber; it is defined by Aurelia Antica, by Via Portuense, and by the Mura Gianicolensi that border Trastevere, until Via del Casaletto.
The district is generally called “Monteverde“, but inhabitants do further distinction: they divide the area in Monteverde Vecchio ( the zone on the out-and-out mount ), in Monteverde Nuovo ( that widen in the valley under the Gianicolo ) and in Colli Portuensi.
After Casaletto there is the the suburbia called Gianicolense, where is settled the Parco della Valle dei Casali and populous hamlet like Bravetta (or Borgata Villini).
Monteverde ( and then the Gianicolo ) is part of one of the last hills on the right side of the Tiber river, as the one of Vaticano and of Montemario; the famous “sette colli” ( the seven hills where the city was founded ) of Rome are in the other side.
Monteverde Vecchio, included by the urban development plan of 2002 in the “historic city”, covers an area going from Porta San Pancrazio ( along Via Carini that, at its end, opens in Rosolino Pilo square, where the church of Regina Pacis rises ) to Ponte Bianco ( a bridge of twenties that allows to the ring road of Gianicolo to overtake the railroad Rome-Viterbo ), via Vitellia road, Donna Olimpia road and Trastevere avenue.
Instead Monteverde Nuovo goes on over Donna Olimpia road, to reach Colli Portuensi. These areas, initially inhabited by rich people, during the fascist period hosted many displaced person ( the housing project in Donna Olimpia road were built for them ) and the construction of the San Camillo hospital contributed to attract middle-class ( such as doctors, employee, professionals ).
Visible staying in hotels in Gianicolo, the district offers many tourist attractions: only needs to think to the Christian Catacombs of the Basilica di San Pancrazio ( where there were also Jewish catacombs called “of San Ponziano” ), or also the wonderful villa Doria Pamphilj, the largest public park of Rome.
The district, that became famous also thanking to the Pasolini movie “Ragazzi di vita” , hosts many famous persons, as politics, actors, singers and footbal players.
In the Gianicolense quarter also exist many cultural institutions, such as the Accademia Americana in Roma ( the American Academy in Rome, in villa Aurelia ), the “Grande Oriente d’Italia”, and the “Vascello” Theatre very important in the cultural life of Rome
