[ARCHIVED: 26/06/24] Trastevere: Rome's Medieval Village

Name: [ARCHIVED: 26/06/24] Trastevere: Rome's Medieval Village
Brand: VoiceMap
SKU: 102
Price: 6.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Author: Tiffany

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Rome audio tour: [ARCHIVED: 26/06/24] Trastevere: Rome's Medieval Village

This is a 1.5mi walking tour

It takes an average of 75 mins to complete.

Rome

Italy

$6.99

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About the Tour

What do you get when you combine the buzz of a young international capital city with the quaint alleyways and characteristic buildings of a medieval Italian village? Trastevere. A neighborhood apart (“Trastevere” literally means “beyond the Tiber”), this picturesque area is home to artisans, expats, students, artists, and working-class families alike. But it’s the medieval architecture and small-town feel that makes it such a contrast from the rest of the city. When Rome was getting “modernized” in the 17th-century Baroque boom, Trastevere, then a low-rent area, was a left alone. The result is a maze of narrow cobbled streets, untouched medieval churches, and buildings that look like they haven’t changed in a thousand years. When you wander down Trastevere’s crooked streets, it’s easy to imagine you’ve stepped back in time. Come along with me as I share my favorite corners of this charming and vibrant neighborhood, from famous works of art in its glorious piazzas to hidden treasures tucked away down unexplored backstreets.

Tour Producer

Tiffany Parks

2 tours

Ciao! I’m Tiffany Parks, a tour guide, travel consultant, published author, and host of The Bittersweet Life podcast. I have lived in Rome for over two decades and my passion is sharing this amazing city’s history, art, and monuments with inquisitive visitors. I’m a born storyteller, whether it be through books for young readers, podcasts for aspiring expats, or guided tours for curious travelers. My first book, Midnight in the Piazza, is an art mystery for Middle Grade readers, published by HarperCollins Children's in 2018. I am currently working on a Young Adult historical thriller trilogy set in Italy in 1600. The first book in the series, Saving Caravaggio, was awarded the PEN America/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship. I co-host and co-produce The Bittersweet Life, a weekly podcast about the joys and challenges of the expat experience. I am a widely published travel writer, with credits at Sydney Morning Herald, The Wall Street Journal's expat blog, Where Rome magazine, and several DK Eye Witness travel guides. In my free time, I’m a Caravaggio-chaser, an opera enthusiast, and an insatiable traveler.

Preview Location

Location 1

Piazza Trilussa – Introduction

Welcome to one of Rome’s most colorful and picturesque neighborhoods, Trastevere. You should be standing on Piazza Trilussa, and as you can plainly see from where you’re sitting, Trastevere is located across the river from the main part of the city. In fact, the name Trastever... Welcome to one of Rome’s most colorful and picturesque neighborhoods, Trastevere. You should be standing on Piazza Trilussa, and as you can plainly see from where you’re sitting, Trastevere is located across the river from the main part of the city. In fact, the name Trastevere means just that: tras-tevere, literally, “beyond the Tiber.”

My name is Tiffany Parks and I’ll be taking you on a passeggiata, or stroll, through Trastevere. I have lived in this neighbourhood since I moved to Rome over ten years ago, and I hope you will find it as beautiful and fascinating as I do. Have a seat on the steps of the fountain while I give you some background.

2500 years ago, the Tiber River marked the border between Roman and Etruscan territory, and this land was controlled by the Etruscans. The Romans eventually appropriated this land, to gain complete control over Rome and its surrounding areas. But Trastevere didn’t become an official part of the city until Emperor Augustus included it in his newly laid out 14 rioni, or city districts, in the 1st century BC. With the exception of a few palaces along the riverfront, Trastevere remained a mainly working class neighbourhood throughout the imperial period and the Middle Ages. It attracted sailors and fishermen, as well as settlers from east of the empire, particularly Syrians and Jews. But two of the city’s earliest Christian churches were founded here, both of which we’ll see on our walk.

Much of Trastevere’s architecture dates from the Middle Ages. It’s a style that can be easily identified by the squat, non-uniform buildings with overhanging wood-beamed roofs and small, often rounded, windows. In truth, much of Rome must have once looked like this, but the other side of the river - the wealthier side - was almost entirely revamped during the baroque period when the city was flush with money. Besides a few churches, no one bothered to modernize humble Trastevere. I for one am glad they didn't, because its medieval urban fabric gives visitors the feeling of stepping back in time.

Trastevere remained a working-class neighbourhood for almost its entire existence. Eventually, in the 1960s and ‘70s, local and foreign artists were attracted by its charm and character and many opened studios here. It was finally discovered by tourists in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and almost overnight Trastevere became desirable—and expensive. Today, thanks in part to several foreign universities, Trastevere is a magnet for expats, and I often feel like I hear more English than Italian spoken on the streets these days. But the older generations are still hanging on, passing down their (now-valuable) homes to their children and grandchildren. Today, the neighbourhood is a cheerful mix of young foreigners, art-loving professionals, and working-class elderly.

In recent years, Trastevere has been the victim of constant acts of vandalism, to the point where it’s difficult to find a single door in the entire area that hasn’t been covered with graffiti. Some say this is part of Trastevere’s charm. Others, particularly those involved in the “Re-Take Rome” initiative, volunteer countless hours to cleaning up the neighborhood.

To start our walk, head down Via di Ponte Sisto, the street to the right of the steps if you are facing them. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Porta Settimiana
Museo di Roma in Trastevere
Chiesa di San Francesco a Ripa Grande
Santa Cecilia in Trastevere

Getting There

Route Overview

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Start location
Piazza Trilussa, 00153 Roma RM, Italy
Total distance

2km
Final location
Piazza Sidney Sonnino, 00153 Roma RM, Italy
Distance back to start location

435.13m

Directions to Starting Point

Piazza Trilussa, 00153 Roma RM

You can take the 23 or 280 bus from the Vatican; the 8 tram or 780 bus from Piazza Venezia or the H bus from Termini (plus a 5-minute walk west along Lungotevere Raffaello Sanzio); or stroll from the city center and cross the river at Ponte Sisto, a highly enjoyable walk. There are no metro stops nearby.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Bir and Fud (Via Benedetta) for pizza and craft beer, Da Gildo (Via della Scala) for authentic Roman cuisine, Antica Caciara (Via San Francesco a Ripa) for excellent cheese and cured meats, Innocenzi (Via della Luce) for freshly baked cookies.

Best time of day

Avoid the middle of the day in summer, when walking through the city can be unpleasant. Also, if you plan to visit the churches, keep in mind that some close between roughly noon and 4pm (and keep in mind you’ll need to have knees and shoulders covered).

Precautions

Roman drivers are notoriously reckless, so take care when crossing busy streets and when walking on streets without sidewalks. Avoid anyone trying to sell you anything on the street and beware of pickpockets.

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