Trastevere | |
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Rione of Rome | |
 Piazza diSanta Maria in Trastevere and its distinctive fountain | |
 Seal | |
 Position of therione within the center of the city | |
| Country |  Italy |
| Region | Lazio |
| Province | Rome |
| Comune | Rome |
| Demonym | Trasteverini |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Trastevere (Italian:[trasˈteːvere])[1] is the 13thrione ofRome, Italy. It is identified by the initialsR. XIII and it is located withinMunicipio I. Its name comes fromLatintrans Tiberim (lit. 'beyond theTiber').
Its coat of arms depicts a golden head of alion on a red background, the meaning of which is uncertain.
InRome'sRegal period (753–509 BC), the area across the Tiber belonged to theEtruscans: the Romans named itRipa Etrusca (Etruscan bank). Rome conquered it to gain control of and access to the river from both banks, but was not interested in building on that side of the river. In fact, the only connection between Trastevere and the rest of the city was a small wooden bridge called thePons Sublicius (English: 'bridge on wooden piles').
By the time of theRepublicc. 509 BC, the number of sailors and fishermen making a living from the river had increased, and many had taken up residence in Trastevere. Immigrants from the East also settled there, mainlyJews andSyrians. The area began to be considered part of the city underAugustus, who divided Rome into14 regions (regiones in Latin); modern Trastevere was the XIV and was calledTrans Tiberim.
Since the end of the Roman Republic the quarter was also the center of an importantJewish community,[2] which lived there until the end of the Middle Ages. Rome's oldest remaining synagogue, though not used as such any longer, is found in the district. The building was constructed in 980, and became a synagogue in 1073 through the efforts of lexicographer Nathan ben Yechiel. Within the building there was also amikveh. At the base of the central columnHebrew writing is still visible.[3] Its use as a synagogue ended when the Jews were forced to move to theRoman ghetto on the other side of theTiber river in the mid-16th century.[citation needed] It is now used commercially, and can be found at 14, Vicolo dell’Atleta.[4]
With the wealth of theImperial Age, several important figures decided to build theirvillae in Trastevere, includingClodia, (Catullus' "friend") andJulius Caesar (his garden villa, theHorti Caesaris). Theregio included two of the most ancient churches in Rome, theTitulus Callixti, later called theBasilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere, and theTitulus Cecilae,Santa Cecilia in Trastevere.
In order to have a stronghold on the right Bank and to control theGianicolo hill,Transtiberim was partially included by EmperorAurelian (270–275) insidethe wall erected to defend the city against the Germanic tribes.
In theMiddle Ages Trastevere had narrow, winding, irregular streets; moreover, because of themignani (structures on the front of buildings) there was no space for carriages to pass. At the end of the 15th century thesemignani were removed. Nevertheless, Trastevere remained a maze of narrow streets. There was a strong contrast between the large, opulent houses of the upper classes and the small, dilapidated houses of the poor. The streets had no pavement until the time ofSixtus IV at the end of the 15th century. At first bricks were used, but these were later replaced bysampietrini (cobble stones), which were more suitable for carriages. Thanks to its partial isolation (it was "beyond the Tiber") and to the fact that its population had been multicultural since the ancient Roman period, the inhabitants of Trastevere, calledTrasteverini, developed a culture of their own. In 1744Benedict XIV modified the borders of therioni, giving Trastevere its modern limits.
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Nowadays, Trastevere maintains its character thanks to its narrow cobbled streets lined by ancient houses. At night, natives and tourists alike flock to its many pubs and restaurants,[5] but much of the original character of Trastevere remains. The area is also home to several foreign academic institutions includingThe American University of Rome andJohn Cabot University (both of which are private American universities), theAmerican Academy in Rome, the Rome campus of theThomas More College of Liberal Arts, the CanadianUniversity of Waterloo School of Architecture (between the months of September and December), and the AmericanPratt Institute School of Architecture therefore serving as home to an international student body.
The neighborhood has attracted artists, foreign expats, and many famous people. In the sixties and seventies, the American musicians/composers Frederic Rzewski andRichard Teitelbaum, of the groupMusica Elettronica Viva, lived in Via della Luce.Sergio Leone, the director ofSpaghetti Westerns, grew up in Viale Glorioso (there is a marble plaque to his memory on the wall of the apartment building), and went to a Catholic private school in the neighborhood.Ennio Morricone, the film music composer, went to the same school, and for one year was in the same class as Sergio Leone.
Therione is on the west bank of the RiverTiber, south ofVatican City, in the plain between the meander of the river and theJaniculum Hill. In addition to the river, which marks the eastern border of the borough, the area is delimited to the west and to the south by theJaniculum walls, and to the north by the GalleriaPrincipe Amedeo di Savoia-Aosta tunnel.
To the north, Trastevere borders withBorgo (R. XIV), whose border is defined by a portion ofthe walls ofUrban VIII, beside Rampa del Sangallo and Viale delle Mura Aurelie, by Piazza della Rovere and byPonte Principe Amedeo.
To the east, therione borders withPonte (R. V),Regola (R. VII) andRipa (R. XII): the border is marked by the stretch of theTiber between Ponte Principe Amedeo andPonte Sublicio.
To the south, Trastevere borders withQuartierePortuense (Q. XI), from which is separated by a short stretch of theAurelian Walls beside Piazza diPorta Portese; as well as withQuartiereAurelio (Q. XIII), from which is separated by the stretch of the Walls between Porta Portese andPorta San Pancrazio.
Westward, it borders withQuartiereGianicolense (Q. XII), whose boundary is marked by the Aurelian Walls, alongside Viale delle Mura Aurelie.
Public libraries in Trastevere includeCasa della Memoria e della Storia.[6]
Rome/Trastevere travel guide from Wikivoyage| International | |
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| National | |
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41°53′14″N12°27′56″E / 41.88722°N 12.46556°E /41.88722; 12.46556
