Vacations
- November 17, 2008
Rome - The Magic about Trastevere Area
Intro - All year round Trastevere is a major attraction for its restaurants, cabaret clubs, movie theaters, arts and craft artisans and picutesque maze of narrow cobbled alleyways. Everywhere during the evenings, cafe and restaurants tables spill out over to the pavement, one area in particular is around Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere. During the morning hours, is better to appreciate the antique charm of Trastevere’s unique narrow alleyways.
The Area - Trastevere is located on the right bank of the Tiber river. Its name comes from “Trans Tiberem” (across the Tiber) and it was once perceived as a precarious area.
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, during the wealthy Imperial Age, some luxury villas and gardens were built on the hillside of Trastevere, i.e. Clodia (which was said to be Catullus’ “friend”)lived here, and Julius Caesar as well (his garden villa was called ‘the Horti Caesaris’). Houses of the poor people and small shops settled in the flat land below, 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.
The oldest church in the area is Santa Maria in Trastevere (probably among the firsts to host an open ceremony). Santa Maria is indeed the queen of all churches of the area and immediately became the focus point for devotion to the Virgin by its people. It is said that this church Mother of God was worshiped in Rome. In the Square there is an Octagonal fountain that today is a meeting point. The neighbourhood still has its own medieval character and the many changes occurred in the recent years haven’t changed it a lot.
Today Trastevere still has its own character due to its narrow cobbled streets built in the medieval era. At night, both italians and tourists gather together around its many pubs and restaurants. This neighborhood is so peculiar tha has soon become very popular attracting tourists, locals, artists, foreign expats, and many famous people.
The area is home to John Cabot University, a private American University. Also to the American Academy in Rome, and the Rome campus of the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts. The Canadian University of Waterloo School of Architecture (between the months of September and December), and the American Pratt Institute School of Architecture therefore 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!
