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Surroundings

Prati District

On 20 August 1921, Prati, the last of Rome’s districts, was officially established as a district to house the organizational structures of the Kingdom of Italy and a suburban area for state officials. The street layout was designed in such a way that none of the new streets had the dome of St Peter’s Basilica as a backdrop. Via Ottaviano, Via Candia and Via Risorgiemento are today part one of the most important shopping areas in Rome.

Trastevere

The name derives from the Latin “trans Tiberim” which means ‘beyond the Tiber’. It is located on the right bank of the Tiber and south of Vatican City, and includes the plain on the river’s bend and the Janiculum Hill. It is one of the most popular districts for citizens and tourists alike, who come here to enjoy its intricate alleyways, characteristic squares and numerous trattorias, restaurants and inns. An elegiac route to the opposite bank of the Tiber is the Isola Tiberina, the only urban island on the river.

Spanish Square

Piazza di Spagna, at the foot of the monumental 136-step staircase, commissioned by Cardinal Pierre Guérin de Tencin, was inaugurated by Pope Benedict XIII during the Jubilee celebrations of 1725. At the top of the steps is the church of Trinità dei Monti, founded in 1495. In the centre of the square is the fountain known as the ‘Barcaccia’ (1626-29), which takes its name from the boats used on the Tiber in the nearby port of Ripetta.

St. Peter’s Square & Vatican Museums

The district’s main claim to fame is undoubtedly that of its proximity to Vatican City and the Vatican museums!) with their access to the Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Rooms, the Picture Gallery and the Vatican Gardens.

Castel Sant’Angelo

Not to be overlooked however is the impressive Castel Sant’Angelo, nearby on the right bank of the Tiber. ‘Castle’ is perhaps something of a misnomer for what was originally an imperial mausoleum and subsequently part of the city walls, a medieval fortress and a papal residence. Opera lovers will recall that it was from these walls that Tosca threw herself to at the end of Puccini’s lyrical masterpiece. An 800 metre-long passageway called the Passetto di Borgo, erected in 1277, links the castle to Vatican City.

Cross the statue-lined bridge in front of the castle and you will find yourself in the celebrated (and traffic free!) Piazza Navona, the aristocratic Piazza Farnese or the bustling Campo de’ Fiori – dominated by the fruit and vegetable market in the morning and by the young, hip crowd who flock to its plethora of bars and restaurants in the evening.

Nestled in the Foro Italico park, on the slopes of Monte Mario, the Olympic Stadium is the largest sports complex in the city and one of the largest in Europe.