Guidebook for Rome

RIONE MONTI: THE ROMAN NEIGHBORHOOD WITH AN ANCIENT SOUL Artisan workshops, vintage shops and cobblestone streets characterize one of the most evocative neighborhoods of the Capital. A tour of Rome cannot ignore an exploration of the Monti neighborhood, one of the most picturesque in the city. In this area, as ancient as the Capital itself, rich patricians and the plebs, who occupied the Suburra, today the most characteristic area of ​​the neighborhood, coexisted in the past. Despite the urban development of the nineteenth century and the urban changes of the Fascist era, the Monti neighborhood has only partially lost its original layout. A maze of cobblestone streets hosts, in addition to numerous restaurants, also historic buildings, vintage shops and artisan workshops. From various corners of the neighborhood, it is possible to admire romantic and particularly evocative views that immerse the visitor in a nostalgic retro atmosphere. The Monti district is a place to live but also to admire: important archaeological remains and treasures of sacred architecture are preserved here. History of the Monti district, the oldest in Rome Perhaps those who walk today through the streets of the Monti district of Rome do not know that those streets tell a story of over two thousand years. In fact, this area has its roots in the period in which Rome was still being shaped. Its name derives from the fact that the term "li monti" for the Romans indicated a vast, sparsely populated area, which included three of the seven Roman hills: the Esquiline, the Viminale and part of the Quirinale. Today, of these original hills, which distinguish the coat of arms of the Monti district, the Esquiline is missing, which no longer belongs to its territory. : Immediately after the birth of the city and the formation of its first four districts, this neighborhood began to become densely populated and divided into two distinct areas: the upper part of the district, characterized by the presence of noble domus and inhabited by rich patricians, and the lower part of the district, known as Suburra (i.e. "under the city"), where the plebeians resided and where brothels and disreputable inns arose. This popular area was known for the continuous fires that developed between the insulae of the neighborhood, so much so that it was separated from the Imperial Forums by an enormous firebreak wall, which still serves as an architectural backdrop to the Forum of Augustus. THE CHANGES OF THE MONTI DISTRICT DURING THE MIDDLE AGES During the Middle Ages, many of the inhabitants of the Monti district began to move towards Campo Marzio, a flat area, as the Roman aqueducts were damaged and it was difficult to transport water due to the slope. During this period, the people who remained to live in the district, called “monticiani”, began to develop a very specific identity, so much so that the dialect spoken differed, albeit slightly, from that of other areas of Rome. The district remained almost unchanged until the nineteenth century: an area rich in vineyards and vegetable gardens, sparsely populated due to the scarcity of water. The only reason why the district was not completely abandoned was the presence of the basilicas of San Giovanni in Laterano and Santa Maria Maggiore, among the most important churches in Rome that guaranteed a continuous flow of pilgrims. THE MONTI DISTRICT FROM THE NINETEENTH CENTURY TO TODAY BETWEEN MODERNISATION AND ANTIQUITY The Monti district completely changed its face in the nineteenth century, after Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, undergoing significant urban development. During the fascist period, a large part of the district was gutted to bring to light the remains of the Imperial Forums and to build the current Via Fori Imperiali. Today, the area within the neighborhood stands out as having undergone intensive urbanization in the 19th century, including the area between the Viminale and the Quirinale, the area that constitutes the archaeological park and the Suburra, spared from fascist demolitions and much appreciated by tourists because it still maintains that picturesque atmosphere of the past. The most important monuments and points of interest in the Monti district Among the most important and representative monuments of the neighborhood are certainly the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, mother of all the churches in Rome and the world, and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the four papal basilicas of the Eternal City and the only one to have maintained its original early Christian structure. The area is particularly known for the archaeological area of ​​the Imperial Forums, an architectural complex unique in the world that includes a series of buildings and monumental squares, the center of life in ancient Rome. The heart of the Monti district is represented by the Piazza della Madonna dei Monti, which has also become a meeting point for young people. Among the most beloved areas of the area are via Nazionale and via Cavour which, with their particular homes and artisan workshops, seem to preserve the peculiarities of the nineteenth-century capital. The neighborhood is also famous for being the place of good food. In fact, via del Boschetto is known as