Trastevere district of Rome: see how Rome really is

TRASTEVERE DISTRICT OF ROME: SEE HOW ROME REALLY IS

Trastevere is a corruption of trans Tiberim (beyond the Tiber). Ancient Rome was founded on seven hills located on the left bank of the Tiber. The right bank (trans Tiberim) belonged to the Etruscans and most likely to the town of Veius (today Isola Farnese). A famous episode of early Roman history makes reference to the defence of Rome which took place on the timber bridge which crossed the river (Ponte Sublicio). Only after the defeat of Veius and the expansion of the Roman rule to most of Central Italy did the right bank of the river become an area of stable Roman settlements. However only in 275 A.D. Trastevere was included by the emperor Aurelianus in the pomerium (the city border) of Rome and it was protected by walls.

The streets of Trastevere had no kind of pavement until the end of the 1400, thanks to the will of Sixtus IV, who paved the main streets, first using bricks, then sampietrini, more suitable for the transit of carriages. In 1586, because of Sixtus V, Rome was divided again in 14 regions: Trastevere was the XIII and was together with another part called Borgo. Thanks to its partial isolation (it was "beyond the Tiber") and to its multicultural environment since the ancient Roman period, the inhabitants of Trastevere, called "trasteverini", were considered almost a population of its own: they were people of known tenaciousness, pride and genuineness. Moreover the women from Trastevere were considered very beautiful because of their very dark eyes and hair and their pretty faces.

Trastevere district in Rome is extremely popular with both Romans and tourists hanging around it. During the day it mostly has the busy look of any small Italian town, with people shopping, chatting, drinking their espresso, and holding the hands of their children. In the evening it is thronged with people walking around and eating in the many excellent restaurants.

This area of Rome is as old as Rome itself it was inhabited by artisans in ancient times

Trastevere is an ideal place for exploring the historical parts of Rome on foot. I hope you are a good walker, because the pleasures of visiting this and the neighboring areas on foot cannot be undervaluated. Saint Peter and the vatican city are about twenty minutes away and upon crossing the Tiber you get to Campo dei Fiori, Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps, the Roman Forum, and many other sights, in no time at all (20 to 40 minutes walks). If you want to take buses, the area is extremely well served by the electric buses of Rome.

The people living in Trastevere are a mixture of the genuine Romans, some of whose families have lived in the area for centuries (they claim), and Yuppies who have bought and restored Trastevere properties in the last decade or so.
The first thing you should know if you have an apartment rental in Trastevere is that such buildings do not have an elevator; so, you have to be able to walk up the steps.

There are for sure a few sights here that deserve a visit, notably the lovely Santa Maria in Trastevere : the church itself definitely is a must-see, it is claimed to be the oldest Christian place of worship in Rome and was constructed over the site where, according to legend, a fountain of oil is said to have appeared on the day of Christ's birth.

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